The Toyota Smart-fighter, the iQ, will be on display at the LA auto show. There is some speculation that it could be sold here under the Scion banner, and could come in under $15K.
The iQ is scheduled to go on sale in Europe and Japan in 2010. If it does come here the current 3-cylinder engine might be replaced with a more powerful 4-cylinder unit.Full story here.
Interesting. It looks like Mazda has discovered the happy face (as opposed to Mitsubishi's angry face) as the new look for their cars. We saw it first on the facelifted Miata, and now again on the 2010 Mazda 3. The new car will debut at the LA auto show, and will be available with both 2.0L and 2.5L engines.
Set to debut at the LA auto show, images of a lightly camouflaged Nissan 370Z have been posted up on the Net. While similar in look to the current 350Z, closer examination indicates a more substantial change from that model. The fenders seem to be much more pronounced and the roof appears to have a more severe rake to it.
The hardtop-convertible battle is going to heat up shortly, as the American and European luxury carmakers will shortly also have Lexus and Infiniti to contend with. Actually the new Infiniti G37 convertible (2008 Los Angeles Auto Show: Infiniti G37 Convertible) and the Lexus IS 250/350 (2008 Paris Auto Show: 2010 Lexus IS 250/350C) will likely do battle among themselves first, with the other entries being secondary targets. Even so, that's not good news for BMW, Saab, etc.
Both these new hard-droptops will go on sale this spring.Also of note is that Infiniti will be offering AWD on their 2009 fixed-roof G37 coupe (Infiniti Adds All-Wheel-Drive Coupe to 2009 G37 Lineup), thereby making it a G37x coupe. Also interesting to note that 40 percent of all G37 sedan buyers opt for AWD, and Infiniti is expecting the percentage for the AWD coupe will be between 30 and 40 percent of their total coupe sales.
Mitsubishi Motors is participating in this year's Los Angeles Auto Show Design Challenge, which pits Southern California-based OE design studios against one another for ultimate bragging rights. This year's theme is: Motorsports in 2025.
States David O'Connell, Chief Designer, Mitsubishi Motors R&D of America:
"This year's Motorsport 2025 project is just the sort of assignment the designers at Mitsubishi Motors dream of. It's rooted it the reality of automotive competition that our company is so successful at, but lets us look way out on the horizon as to where technology may take us. We all loved hearing the words, 'design a race car,' but really smiled when we learned it was a race car for the year 2025. That combined with linking the car to some of the fabulous racing heritage that's taken place here in California makes it indeed one of the most exciting projects we've ever worked on. My dream would be to actually build and drive this car on the course it was designed for."
Infiniti released a photo of their upcoming G37 convertible at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. The actual car, which has the now-obligatory folding hardtop, will debut at the LA auto show in November.
The Infiniti G37 lineup consists of perhaps some of the best looking and most desirable cars ever to come from the Land of the Rising Sun. This is even more true of the G37 Coupe, a vehicle that's so good looking that it makes the Nissan GT-R look like the morning after of a night of too much sake.
So news that there will be an AWD version of the G37 Coupe has me a just bit giddy. Better still, Inifiniti is planning on doing a folding hardtop version as well, but likely in RWD. The hardtop-convertible will debut at the LA auto show in November, and will arrive in the first quarter of next year.
Also coming for all 2009 G models is a new 7-speed automatic that will replace the current 6-speed unit, plus an uprated brake package and new 18" rims.
LeftLaneNews is reporting that a possible new mid-engine sportscar from VW may be in the works, and may be displayed at the LA auto show. If true, this would be a 'halo' car for the VW brand. Even more intrieging is that Audi and Porsche may also get versions.
Think of this as being a modern-day VW/Porsche 914. Also think Lotus Elise-fighter, but cheaper; well the VW version will be cheaper. A couple of engine could be used, all based on a four inline four-cylinder format set in front of the rear axles. As to specifics, a gasoline 1.4-liter turbo engine making 168 horsepower and a new 1.6-liter diesel with 125hp are under consideration. Either engine will likely use a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The Audi version would likely use the 211hp 2.0TFSI engine, with the option of a twin-turbo 2.0-liter TDI good for 204hp. Porsche may even revive the 914 nameplate for their model.
Also expected is an aluminum spaceframe. If true, the car would weigh in at under 2,200lbs, which would mean great performance as well as fuel economy.
Carscoop lived up to their name by scooping an image of the upcoming Nissan 370Z. The image was taken by someone with a camera phone at a recent Nissan event.
As you might expect the new Z will be powered by a 3.7L V6 with horsepower well north of 300. It is expected to debut at the next LA auto show next fall...
This past Saturday Edmunds' Inside Line and Nissan teamed up to throw a GT-R party. If you were there you got to hear and touch the year's most anticipated car. If you missed it, well, you'll just have to wait and read all about it on Inside Line. We shot so many photos and so much video you'll get to feel like you were there even if you weren't...
The LA Auto show is the latest target of the Freedom from Oil folks, as they are staging demonstrations at the show entrance. The activists plan to show up automakers by converting a traditional hybrid to 100-mpg plug-in electric hybrid at the LA Auto Show.
The Porsche exhibit was light on excitement this week, except of course for the basic fact it was filled with Porsches. Unlike all the other manufacturers, Porsche had its own large exhibit hall to itself including a pretty nifty entry way. Instead of describing it to you, though, here is the final Martin Scorcese short from the 2007 LA Auto Show. I think Marty outdid himself on this one...
I don't know how they did it and there were no displays I could see explaining it, but this Volvo C30 2.0's windows have been replaced by video screens displaying snowboarding scenes. I thought it was one of the cooler displays at the show. Considering Pimp My Ride once put a 30-inch plasma screen UNDER a 4Runner, it's only a matter of time before they try something like this. Why do I need to see the road when I can better spend my time watching the Flying Tomato?..
Given its roughly $1.4 million price tag, you wouldn’t think the Lamborghini Reventon would travel much. Well, one made the trip to LA for today’s press conference, and there was a good reason according to Stefan Winkelmann, CEO of Lamborghini. California is the single biggest market in the U.S., and the U.S. is the single biggest market in the world...
Tired of the usual this and that, I wandered down into the bowels of the 2007 LA Auto Show in search of something interesting. I found it in Kentia Hall. Essentially, the basement of Los Angeles Convention Center, Kentia Hall is where the show organizers put all the weird, the wacky and the aftermarket. It's a mini SEMA Show down there, from wheels to funny cars to helicopters. No, I'm not kidding. Here's what I found. -- Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief
The sign caught my eye so I wandered into the American Roadster booth at the 2007 LA Auto Show. Mistake. Built by Eco-Fueler of Oregon (www.eco-fueler.com) the Roadster is a three-wheeler that runs on compressed natural gas. It also might be the ugliest thing this side of a pancreas...
We wouldn't be surprised if the crowd that was circling the Ferrari stand had been following the 2008 430 Scuderia since it made its worldwide debut at the Frankfurt auto show. It's just that kind of car.
At 2,975 pounds, the 430 Scuderia cranks 503 horsepower from its 4.3-liter V8.
During the press conference, Maurizio Parlato, president and CEO of Ferrari North America, boasted that Ferrari's production volume is now at a whopping 6,000 cars per year worldwide, with many thanks going to the wealthy auto aficionados in the Far and Middle East...
Think the 2007 LA Auto Show is all about subcompacts and supercars? Think again. We went looking for something interesting and found this. It's the Hoss Fly V8-powered barstool and I'm thinking it would be a nice addition to our long-term test fleet...
Maserati may not be a high-volume automaker today, but who knows what the future holds. As announced during the L.A. Auto Show, Quattroporte numbers are up 49 percent this year, and all 2007s are officially sold out. The company is already taking orders for 2008, so if you want your bespoke Italian exotic break out those order guides and fire up your checkbook...
At the beginning of yesterday's unveil of the Hyundai Genesis Coupe Concept, John Krafcik, Hyundai's product chief, discussed the company's succession plans for the current Tiburon coupe. He said Hyundai was well aware of the Tiburon's fan base and it wasn't about to force them into the bigger and more expensive Genesis coupe. According to Krafcik there's another coupe in the works. It will slot below the Genesis coupe and use a smaller, front-wheel-drive platform...
Please write your own caption of our awesome scowling Governator and Al Weverstad, GM executive director of environment and safety policy.
California Governator Arnold Schwarzenegger stopped by the L.A. Auto Show today (and was a half-hour late bumping back the day's car intros) to share his views on reducing fossil fuels, lowering emissions, how great a car culture Caleeforneea is, yada yada yada. His requisite acting career reference was "I haven't seen this much technology since my Terminator movies." Hahaha, LOL. I'm still in hysterics...
Something funny happened on the way to the auto show...well, not so funny if you're Kia.
En route to the LA show the Kia Kee concept smashed its face inside the car carrier, leaving the Kia KND-4 concept as the solo North American debut. The compact SUV concept made its worldwide debut at the Seoul auto show in April.
Newly promoted Kia president and CEO Len Hunt says the KND-4 is "a vital vehicle because it showcases dynamic and sophisticated styling cues that are strongly indicative of future Kia SUV models."
The KND-4 is powered by a 2.2-liter Variable Geometry Turbocharger (VGT) diesel engine with Kia's Active Torque Transfer (ATT) system...
No big surprises at the North American debut of the 2008 Subaru WRX STI. The announced specs of the 2.5-liter version are no different than the Japanese 2.0-liter shown in Tokyo. It still has 305 hp and 290 lb-ft of torque, although the horsepower peaks at 6,000 rpm while max torque is delivered at just 4,000 rpm. Like the Japanese version, Subaru claims the WRX STI will go from zero to 60 in just 4.9 seconds...
We've seen the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution before. You've seen the Evo before. Your Grandma Jean and her friend Esther have probably seen it, too. On Day 1 of the show, Mitsubishi didn't even bother covering it up with black sheets...
In addition to rolling out its Malibu, Silverado and Tahoe hybrids at the LA Auto Show, Chevrolet also used the occasion to announce production of the Beat minicar concept. It won out in an online poll that pitted three minicar concepts against each other in a virtual popularity contest. GM's South Korean design center came up with the design and Chevrolet plans to put it into production by mid-2009. Don't get too excited though, as it's intended for markets outside the U.S...
Most auto execs at the show understandably use one or more teleprompters during their lengthy presentations to the media. Sometimes, as in the case of Ford/Lincoln's Mark Fields, the teleprompter can't help pronunciation. So, I must give major kudos to Mini USA Vice President Jim McDowell who memorized his entire six-page speech and vehicle presentation. He certainly didn't nail it verbatim (they actually handed out the speech), but we got the gist and he managed to come across as something other than an audio animatronic in a suit.
See the two partial videos below for most of his Clubman presentation, and note the lack of teleprompter. I especially like in video 2 when McDowell describes how he'll be up until midnight opening and closing the tailgates just because it's so much fun to see them open around the taillights. You just get the idea he really loves these cars.
Also, check out the man's shoes. If those don't say "I'm a Mini executive" I don't know what does. I was going to ask him about them, but somehow I felt silly asking about black and gray Velcro shoes in lieu of the shiny blue Mini Clubman sitting next to him. I'll let you know tomorrow if I see Bob Lutz cruising around the show in Skechers. -- James Riswick, Associate Editor
Make sure your teen keeps his/her eyes open for this SAT anagram. Pork: The Other White Meat :: Clubman: The Other Mini
Mini chose Los Angeles for the North American introduction of its new Clubman. This is the third Mini model, with a larger crossoverlike vehicle to come, and a further step in "moving Mini from a cult car to culture." I just love auto show slogans. Pricing for the base Cooper Clubman was announced as $20,600 and $24,100 for the Cooper S Clubman, both including 3-year free maintenance...
After showing off the all-new 2008 Volvo V70, President Anne E. Belec announced pricing at $32,465. This is a 6 percent increase over the previous V70's price, but as you might expect it comes loaded with the latest safety features, including Lane-Departure Warning, Collision Warning, Adaptive Cruise Control and Driver Alert Control. No word yet on the rumored "Unruly Kid Control" option (frequently requested during Volvo's focus group testing)...
“When it hits the market in early 2009, we aim to deliver a driving experience that challenges cars like Infiniti G37, at prices more like Mitsubishi Eclipse.” A bold claim from a company that seems hell bent on bringing a new crossover vehicle to market every couple of months.
Although the car shown today at the 2007 LA Auto show was nothing more than a shell, Hyundai product chief John Krafcik made some big promises to back up Hyundai’s claim. He glossed right over the turbocharged four-cylinder engine that’s expected to power base models and went right to the top-of-the-line 3.8-liter V6. “We plan to offer the most affordable 300-hp coupe on the market,” Krafcik boasted.
The all-aluminum engine will also have more than 250 pound-feet of torque and continuously variable valve timing. Hyundai also said that the new rear-wheel-drive coupe will go from zero to 60 in less than 6 seconds. Other notable performance parts include a six-speed manual transmission, Brembo brakes and a limited-slip differential.
This coupe is often described as Hyundai’s Mustang, and its dimensions are pretty close to Ford’s pony car. Both cars are the same height, but the Hyundai is nearly an inch wider and 4 inches shorter in overall length. The wheels on the Hyundai must be pushed to the corners, however, as it rides on a wheelbase that's 4 inches longer than the Mustang.
If a big rear-wheel-drive coupe with 300 hp doesn’t interest you for some reason, Krafcik told the audience that Hyundai is also working on a smaller, front-wheel-drive replacement for the current Tiburon. He said to look to the Veloster concept for an idea of what the company has in mind. – Ed Hellwig, Senior Editor, Inside Line
BMW announced pricing for the 2008 1 Series Coupe this afternoon at the 2007 LA Auto Show. When the coupe hits dealerships in the spring of '08, expect the 128i to start at $29,375 and 135i at $35,675. Tom Purves, chairman and CEO of BMW also announced that a 1 Series convertible will be shown at the Detroit auto show.
Purves, with the new M3 sedan and coupe in the background, ended the presentation by revealing that the concept BMW CS will be built...
With the green theme adopted in most automakers' press conferences, it was no shocker that the decidedly antisocial 2008 Dodge Viper ACR got the shaft. Not a word was mentioned about it during Chrysler's SUV festival. Instead, the 600-hp Viper ACR sat awkwardly on stage left, looking like a guy who accidentally showed up at an Amish village wearing only banana sling underwear and a ski mask.
Two hours after Nissan's press conference ended, the turntable which displayed the 2009 Nissan GT-R was still mobbed. That is, until Carlos Ghosn returned to the stand. Like a parting of the Red Sea, the highly diverse crowd (I swear I saw Snoop Dogg) fell back and Ghosn posed with the car (again).
Finally I was in position to get a clear blog shot of the 473-hp GT-R supercar on American soil...
The Rubik's Cube theme in the background represents The Total Package. You see, a Rubik's Cube has six sides, and there are six things a vehicle needs to excel at in order to... excel? Ah, forget it. The 2009 Chrysler Aspen Hybrid and Dodge Durango Hybrid twins are significant, however.
Probably the most interesting figure stated during the Porsche press conference related to the company's history in fuel efficiency. According to Peter Schwarzenbauer, president and CEO of Porsche Cars North America, the brand's model lineup has averaged a 2 percent gain in fuel mileage, year-over-year, during the past 20 years. Two percent may not sound like much, but compare that to most automakers' history of fuel mileage over the past two decades. Porsche reps were also quick to point out that Ferdinand Porsche created his first all-electric car at the age of 23 and displayed it at the Paris auto show in 1900.
As for the future of "green" Porsches, you can expect not only a Cayenne Hybrid (capable of speeds up to 75 mph on pure electricity!) by the end of this decade, but a Panamera Hybrid to follow the sedan's 2009 launch.
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.
