Paris 2014 - PH Liveblog

How to sass up the Opel press conference? With a supermodel, obviously

It's show time in Paris as the Mondial de l'Automobile opens its doors. Here you can read regularly updated blog updates from the show (and the build-up to it) with more up to the minute updates on Twitter from Dan (@Trent_Dan) and the main PH account (@PistonHeads), all gathered under the hashtag #PHParis2014. For archived blog updates click here and to catch up on all the latest news stories on our regularly updated news landing page click here.

Friday, 1200h - show floor
As a cynical journalist I probably shouldn't admit this, but I love motor shows. I love the sense of occasion, the excitement when the sheet gets pulled off for a new model and the fact that big, boring car manufacturers spend money like Richard Pryor in Brewster's Millions trying to one-up each other for five minutes of glory.

And even now the combination of officially released internet images and the inevitable leaks have removed most of the surprises, I still love the chance to see something for the first time, from ridiculous concepts to the stuff that's going to become generic street furniture. And with a decent combination of mad and sensible, Paris 2014 is a bloody good show.

But the press day of every motor show comes with a mid-afternoon malaise. The moment when, like kids getting to the bottom of the present stack on Christmas day, you realise that the novelty has gone and you're just going through the motions. And it takes something really special to stand out.

So thank you, Opel, for the most brilliantly awful press conference I've seen in years. With debuts limited to a couple of Adam variants and the new fifth-generation Corsa (remember the Nova was a Corsa in Europe), GM Europe execs had obviously decided that Thursday's presentation needed some sex appeal. And so had recruited Opel brand ambassador Claudia Schiffer - yes, that one - to come and take part it a toe-curlingly cheesy scripted two-way in front of these new supermini heroes.

"So welcome to our fashion show!" said Opel CEO Karl-Thomas Neumann as Ms. Schiffer strolled onto the stage wearing the smile of a professional. It went downhill from there and after five minutes of this stilted conversation, even the Germans were laughing. At least Claudia's grin suggested she knew she was being adequately compensated for being there.

I can't remember anything about the Corsa, though.

Mike