The ride to Today - Tomorrow - Toyota - keeps driving upstairs

There, Toyota displays a GT-One, also known as a TS020 in Japan and which raced at Le Mans in 1998 and 1999

The 900 kg grand-touring (and later upgraded to Le Mans protoype class) racer was powered by a 600 HP V8 engine. ZENT is a leading Japanese alloy wheel maker.

The Formula racer sits next to the GT-One

is mated to an extremely popular racing simulator

Today - Tomorrow - Toyota

filling the space of former movie cineplex UGC-Biarritz, Toyota's show room at Champs-Elysées avenue sits on a strategic location and specifically showcases the manufacturer's technological achievements and latest models made avialable on the french market. Not to be outdone by its four EU competitors doing the same close-by, Toyota brought in two of its latest development cars.

First of which is the SS.Q Roadster displayed right by the entrance and keeping company to an IQ in a rather unusual and spectacular position.

Just this part is worth the look, but one is not over, and two options are avialable, going upstairs and staying at the street level. Where another development car

the MTZC is on display just a few steps away

MTZC's engine

MTZC left side
A few more steps into the room
And it's back to reality, first

by calling at IQ's, and still set aside the best for

Prius III
The first generation went unoticed in France, but in sharp contrast, the next has been a real SUCCESS, especially by major cab companies and independant drivers alike.
Toyota also brought in along a complete animated familiarization set for hybrid power made of

A video presentation avialable in several language

and which clearly show how the different component work.
This time, a German visitor triggered the start.

The engine

The batteries

To more shows ahead

The circus is gone, but not without delivering a last live show provided by the tractors drivers. The latter showed their mastery in steering towing attachments and mingling them again to surround street and highway traffics. Last to leave was this classic Scania 143M pulling two trailers.

Mating the two trailers. "Convoi Exceptionnel" is the french translator for outsize load.
The shortest trailer comes last.

Putting back not less than 28 wheels to streets
Back and shortest trailer accomodated a dromadery and llamas which sounded some protests over conditions of travel, while the longest was patronized by more dromaderies and camels.
The skillfull driver settled the matter, not only with the protesting llamas but also with some idiotic motorists.

A wheeled Samarithan in town

Not just contending with its contribution in putting Belgium firmly on the map of major bus and motorcoach manufacturers worldwide, this Van Hool motorcoach ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Hool) has been converted as a touring information center on behalf of Mutuelles-UMC (http://www.mutuelles-umc.fr) , a mutual insurance company and showing up with the promise to deliver the best road leading to serenity.


Now parking on La Défense's Esplanade, just a few yards from Calder's towering red structure, for a couple of days

A cew member giving information of health insurance policies

Dreaming of a Mercedes, but still desperately short of money ?

Then think twice, and in terms of two wheelers. Handsome bicycles are now part of the product family.

the models on display feature this neat colapsible one

and mountain-bikes just asking for hitting high sloped trails

Peugeot Gets a Green Light on Green Cars

Peugeot's showroom at Champs-Elysées Avenue is used for periodic exhibitions centered to events with which France's top automaker is closely associated. This time, green concept cars are the cornerstone of the running exhibition, featuring

The Quark quad

The HY racing car running on hydrogen

The Tulip electric urban micro car

And the long-standing electrecity powered compact fire engine, made up by using the chassis of a mass produced Peugeot 206 compact car. The new generation bicycle also acts as a good reminder that Cycles Peugeot sister company has been in business for decades.

Paris's Double Deckkers

Yes they are some. Not as many as in London. Operated by two private owned companies, some crisscross the city with scores of visitors onboard. Most guests off-course flock to the upper deck, especially on sunny days. In addition to visitors' rides, both companies also get some revenues from billboard advertisement.
Located pretty close from each other, two companies operate them on specific itineraries which include the city's top attractions.
Whichever one's color, Green or Red, enjoy the ride(s).

Showing up in a green dress and operating in marketing partnership with The Gray Line, L'Open Tour allows unlimited getting-on-getting-off along the itinerary. Star product is the 2-day-unlimited pass.

Operating in partnership with Galeries Lafayette Department Stores, rival
Les Cars Rouges, ie, the Red Motorcoaches, also offer a two-day pass.

Circus in Town

In anticipation of a show scheduled from Sept 11th until Sept 20th inclusive, a circus is setting the stage on a space opposite the town's hospital. Among the 40 animals staffing the menagerie are dromaderies,

which normally criss-cross the deserts across Sahelian Africa and Middle East

and two humped long haired Camels who do the same across wind-swept Central Asian vast expenses.

Their wheeled fuel going counterparts come up in shapes of trucks, tractors and trailers.
Acting as the Flagship of a fleet predominently made by Iveco and Scania is a Mack

which commands some respect.

Left in its original dress, Mack was recently importated in France after its purshase on the second-hand market in the State of New York, where the last licence was issued.
Other statistics also hint that its useful life started 15 years ago, empty weight stands to an impressive 8 ton and pulling capacity has been set to 26 ton loads.

Classic guests enjoying a today's lift

Provided by this modern day trailer, this assortment of classics and future collectors took the pose for the camera when staging through Nanterre on July 16th. Accomodated on the upperlevel were a BMW era Mini converted into a beach side convertible, a Ferrari Testarossa and an Austin Healey, while the lower level hosted the red Lamborghini, original black Ford T, a white Mercury convertible from the late 30s or very early 40s. The small classic lying in the shadow ahead of the mighty Mercury looked to be a late Austin Seven.

Water locks and some clients

On its 777 kilometer tortuous run to Le Havre and the open sea, River Seine flows across Troyes, Paris and Rouen. Seven locks patronized by a wide variety of river barges add to the decor at regular intervals between Rouen and the Paris area. The latter part comes under the Port of Paris authority. Pictures posted were shot at Suresnes, west of Paris, when visited by a small assortment of typical players of the french boat transport market.

A large barge and its pusher. Used for outsize items, such as iron and building materials in bulk, these can accomodate up to 10,000 metric tons.

On the go for a next shipment. The 38.5 meter-long Freycinet sized self powered barge is by far the most closely associated with the french river transport business. The Freycinet fit can accomodate a 380 ton load or the equivalent of 10 trailers.

Not the absolute Jumbo of its kind, but not a small fit either.
A new 72+ meter long queen size which can gobble up to four Freycinets.