Straightline

To see how the status of the LA auto show has changed due to the change to a November date, all you need to do is look at the quality of the manufacturer displays.

Video games are all the rage at the best ones. Lexus has this road race simulator which broadcasts groovy V8 engine sounds across the hall.

Right next door, Toyota has a Marlin fishing simulator. Instead of beefy V8 engine growls, it makes splashy noises while it plays a kazoo arrangement of the theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Should we draw any deeper meaning from this?

Perhaps not. The Toyota stand also has a NASCAR racing simulator.

I smell a comparison test of a different sort in the making. -- Dan Edmunds, Director of Vehicle Testing.