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Six new car models from Paris (photos)

Although many new cars were announced at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, only a few are slated for the U.S. These cars come from such luxury and sport brands as BMW, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, and Bentley.

Wayne Cunningham
Wayne Cunningham reviews cars and writes about automotive technology for CNET's Roadshow. Prior to the automotive beat, he covered spyware, Web building technologies, and computer hardware. He began covering technology and the Web in 1994 as an editor of The Net magazine.
Wayne Cunningham
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Audi A7

The A7 joins the A8 at the top of Audi's model lineup. Although both the A8 and A7 will share engines and cabin technologies, the A7 features a rear hatchback design.

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Audi A7

The hatchback gives the A7 a sportier look than the A8, along with the practicality of a hatchback.

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Bentley Continental GT

The new Continental GT gets a more upright grille, along with the double horseshoe rear design first seen in the Bentley Mulsanne. Most notably, the rear fenders are much more pronounced, which hints at the car's wider track.

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Bentley Continental GT

The Continental GT still comes with the same twin-turbocharged 12-cylinder engine as the previous generation, although power has been increased to 567 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. This engine can now be fueled with E85 or even regular unleaded gasoline.

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BMW X3

For 2011, the X3 gets new body styling, a new power train, and new cabin tech. It is an entirely different car than the model that launched in 2004. Under the hood, the X3 gets the latest twin-scroll turbocharged 3-liter inline six-cylinder engine, earning it the xDrive35i badge. That engine makes 306 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. The eight-speed automatic is similar to what's now available in the BMW 5-series.

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BMW X3

An active suspension helps keep the X3 stable while cornering, and a Performance Control feature applies braking to the inside rear wheel in a turn, helping the car rotate. Beyond road agility, BMW boasts of some off-road capability, and includes descent control on the X3.

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Mercedes-Benz CLS

Mercedes-Benz released an update to its CLS four-door coupe, with revised body work and the addition of exterior LED lighting.

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Mercedes-Benz CLS

The CLS debuts a new powerplant from Mercedes-Benz, a direct-injection 4.6-liter V-8 with twin turbochargers. This engine tech means more power and less fuel consumption than the previous 5.5-liter V-8.

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Porsche 911 Speedster

Inspired by the 1953 356, the Speedster features a double-bubble hardcover for the manual soft top. The limited-edition two-seat roadster will have a run of 356 units worldwide, with only about 100 heading to the U.S.

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Porsche 911 Speedster

With its 3.8-liter flat six-cylinder engine generating 408 horsepower, the Speedster can reach 60 mph in 4.2 seconds, and has a top speed of 190 mph.

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Volvo V60

Volvo showed off a new generation of its V60 station wagon. Although a variety of engines will be available in Europe, the U.S. will probably only get the turbocharged 3-liter six-cylinder, which churns out 304 horsepower. The six-cylinder V60 comes standard with all-wheel drive.

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Volvo V60

Gone are the days of boxy Volvos. The new V60 seems to take a cue from the C30 with is large, curved back glass.

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