From fiery Ferrari to revamped Discovery, highlights of this year’s Paris auto show

Since 1898, Paris has hosted one of the world’s most important auto fairs. The Paris Mondial de L’Automobile, which takes place every two years, has a tradition of showcasing what’s making waves now and what’s possible tomorrow.

Here, in no particular order, are just some of the cars that will greet the wider public when the Paris auto show opens its gates to the public from Oct. 1st to 16th.

Ferrari’s new limited edition model LaFerrari Aperta turned more than a head or two during the news media days. The open top is certainly fast and ferocious-looking. But as a hybrid, it’s relatively environmentally conscious, too.

The car does 0-100 kph (0-62 mph) in less than three seconds, and offers a top speed of 350 kph (217 mph). Only 200 models are being released to the public — and they’ve already been snapped up, despite a price tag of between 1.8 million euros and 2 million euros ($2-2.2 million).

It’s a comfortable four-door sedan. No, it’s a high-performance sports car. If it’s Porsche’s Panamera, it’s both. The all-wheel drive car draws on the technology used in the company’s 918 Spyder supercar so that the electric motor continually adds power; the car accelerates to 100 kph (62 kph) in just 4.6 seconds and reaches a top speed of 270 kph (168 mph).

Executives at this year’s show are talking about how the industry can adapt to disruptive change such as electric engines, networked vehicles, car sharing, and autonomous driving.

Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche looked more Silicon Valley than Stuttgart, wearing faded jeans and sneakers to tout the Mercedes-Benz EQ, a battery-powered crossover SUV concept. The vehicle aims to illustrate the company’s longer term strategy that connects electric cars with other new technology, such as autonomous driving and vehicle sharing.

BMW showed off a potential new addition to its X-series of SUVs and crossovers, this one offering a sportier take with a flat roofline and big air intakes giving the grill a wider, more aggressive look. The company calls it a “sport-activity coupe,” referring to its lower roofline _ more like the sloping shape of a coupe than a boxier SUV.

There is certainly a lot for the general public to admire and to dream about. But for most, a car serves a far more basic purpose _ getting from A to B, at a reasonable price. And there were plenty of cars on show for them to ponder.

Here are some that will be within the reach of some of those who turn up over the coming two weeks.

The Opel Ampera-E is the European version of the Chevrolet Bolt five-door hatchback going on sale this year in the United States and early next year in Europe. It has attracted attention by getting a range rating of 238 miles (383 kilometers) under the U.S. standard on a full charge; the company promises a 310-mile (500 kilometer) range as measured by the European standard. It claims drivers can add 150 kilometers (93 miles) in 30 minutes of charging.

The first complete redesign of the Discovery in 12 years, this family oriented large SUV has room for seven adults in three rows. The seats can be rearranged remotely through a smartphone app even when the operator is outside the vehicle, and the second and third rows can fold flat in 14 seconds.

For all the innovations and fantasies on offer, the best seller could well be this little one _ the new Nissan Micra. And Carlos Ghosn, chairman and CEO of the Renault-Nissan Alliance, was there to show one of the world’s staple cars off.