Shortly before Lamborghini was set to introduce the new Aventador super-luxury sportscar in 2011, for instance, Winterkorn took the 690-horsepower behemoth for a final test drive.
One anomaly among the top 10 is the likewise out-of-production Lexus SC luxury convertible sportscar, of which just one was stolen among a mere 335 produced in 2010.
In a neighboring hall at the Paris show, Audi is teasing visitors with the eTron Spyder, a convertible version of the high-performance electric sportscar the Volkswagen AG luxury subsidiary first previewed at the Frankfurt Motor Show a year ago.
General Motors Co. will make another attempt to get Buick to appeal to younger buyers with freshened up versions of the Regal midsize sports sedan and the LaCrosse large luxurycar.
Companies like Tesla and Fisker have teased this line with sleek sportscar press, but it still remains to be seen if the old vanguard of luxury will delve into a green product line.