What if Europe’s greatest weapon against China is not battery technology or lower prices? What if it is the ability to make people fall in love with cars?
Paris Motor Show 2026 feels like the beginning of Europe’s great automotive fightback. Then again, it could also be the automotive equivalent of rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic. For the first time in years, a major motor show made me stop, stare and actually say: “Whoa, that is pretty cool.” Paris was overflowing with outrageous concepts, evocative names and European manufacturers that appeared to be rediscovering their personalities.