Showing posts with label LA Auto Show. Show all posts
Showing posts with label LA Auto Show. Show all posts

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Porsche Releases First Action Video of New Panamera GTS


According to Porsche's own words, the sportiest model in the Panamera series is not the Turbo or the Turbo S as some of you may have thought, but he LA Auto Show-launched GTS, which the company claims, “is capable of cutting it on the circuit without sacrificing practicality”.

To prove its point, Porsche released a video of four test drivers, complete with racing overalls and helmets (and a Right Stuff-like shot) shoehorning themselves in the 430HP, all-wheel drive, PDK-equipped Panamera GTS and driving around the track.

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Friday, November 18, 2011

It's a Detroit Thing: Chrysler 300S 426 HEMI V8 Concept Growls at the LA Auto Show [Video]


Once a staple motto of the American muscle car industry, the "there is no replacement for displacement" school of thought has become somewhat obsolete in today's high-tech world.

Of course this does not mean in any way that we don't appreciate some raw American V8 power, and there's a lot that going on with the conceptual Chrysler 300S 426 that is on display at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show.

The concept is a joint project between Chrysler and its Mopar brand, which basically dropped a 426 cubic-inch [equal to 7.0-liters] Hemi V8 crate engine under the hood of a Chrysler 300S.

The company didn't release any performance figures, but our guess is that it's either the all-aluminum 426 Generation III Hemi V8 that is rated at 540 horsepower and 530 lb-ft of torque, or the more recent 426 Gen III High Output HEMI V8 with a monstrous 590-horsepower on tap. Either way, that's a whole lot of ponies…

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Mission Impossible: Paula Patton Tries to Add Some Beauty to BMW i3 and i8 Concepts at LA Auto Show


Unlike the Fiat Group and to a lesser extent, South Korean and French automakers, the BMW Group doesn't find it necessary to use beautiful female or male models to attract the attention of the media and casual visitors alike upon its vehicles during motor shows.

So when American actress Paula Patton juggled her way onto BMW's Los Angeles Motor Show stage for the presentation of the fully-electric i3 hatchback and hybrid-electric i8 coupe concept cars, we were kind of surprised.

If you're not familiar with Ms. Patton, we won't blame you as the 35-year old actress hasn't really won any breakthrough roles. However, she will star alongside Tom Cruise in the next Mission Impossible film titled "Ghost Protocol" to be released December 21.

And as you probably already know, BMW's gasoline-electric hybrid i8 Concept will be featured in the movie.

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The Not so New Faces of Lincoln's Botoxed 2013 MKS and MKT on Film


If there's one luxury brand (or better put, one that aspires to be premium) that has failed to deliver anything remotely close to exciting, that would be Lincoln. In recent years, even Lexus and Acura at some point offered products that have managed to capture the attention of luxury car buyers.

And this is something and that is clearly reflected in Lincoln's weak sales numbers. In the first 10 months of the year, Lincoln sold 70,935 cars in the States (+1.2% from the same period in 2010), whereas GM's Cadillac delivered 124,985 vehicles (+5.6%), Buick 151,779 cars (+19.9%) and Lexus 153,739 units (-16.2%).

Aside from the MKZ sedan (+31.7%) and the MKX crossover (+5.3%), Lincoln's other models saw their numbers plummet this year, including the MKS sedan with 9,824 deliveries from January through October (-18.9%) and the MKT crossover with 4,126 sales in the same period (-33.5% from last year).

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New Infiniti JX Crossover gets its Video Debut


Visitors to the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show that runs for the public from November 18 to 27, will have the chance to see first-hand the brand-new Infiniti JX, but for those of you that don't plan to make the trip to California, we have a new set of videos showing the ins and outs of the crossover model. Read more »

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Carscoop’s A-to-Z Guide to the 2011 LA Auto Show [Updated]


When the 2011 edition of the Los Angeles Motor Show opens on Wednesday (November 16) for two days of media previews, at least two dozen production and concept vehicles will make their world premiere alongside more than 30 North American debuts.

Among other vehicles that will go on display in the City of Angels are the new Subaru BRZ STI Concept, Hyundai Azera, Infiniti JX Crossover, Mercedes-Benz ML 63 AMG, the refreshed Ford Mustang and the new Honda CR-V.

If you follow the jump, you'll find our list with all the cars that are slated to be shown in L.A. this week, and which will be constantly updated throughout the show.

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2012 Honda CR-V: Live Photos from the LA Show plus New Videos


About four months after Honda confirmed that an all-new 2012 CR-V would go on sale in America this December, the next generation of the popular crossover model finally made its debut at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show on Wednesday.

More than an evolution of the outgoing model than a revolution of the crossover theme, the new CR-V has been softly redesigned inside and out while it also sports a slightly more powerful and frugal version of Honda's 2.4-liter i-VTEC that produces 185-ponies and returns up to 31mpg (highway, FWD).

In this post, we bring you a new batch of photos from the L.A. Auto Show floors as well as three new official videos including the first driving footage and on a much less interesting note, a clip that shows several "Mommy Bloggers" and one "Daddy Blogger" talking about their experience driving Honda's new SUV – we know; you can't hide your excitement…

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Pure-Electric Audi A3 e-tron Hatchback Debuts at the 2011 LA Auto Show


Up until now, we’ve seen all kinds of Audi EV concepts with “e-tron” label ranging from the A1 supermini to a sub-R8 supercar. At the 2011 LA Auto Show, the Ingolstadt-based company presented yet another e-tron model, this time based on the current A3 Sportback five-door hatchback. Read more »

Land Rover Brings Revised DC100 Concepts to LA Auto Show to Gauge Reactions [Updated Gallery]


Land Rover would like to know if there is an appetite for the next generation of the Defender that is being previewed by a pair of new concept models.

To that end, the British automaker brought both its DC100 hardtop and DC100 Sport convertible 4x4 studies to this week's Los Angeles Auto Show to gauge customer reactions and explore the possibility of bringing the Defender back to the US market.

"Our intention is to introduce the all new Defender in the middle of the decade - there's a lot of work to do to meet these dates and our concepts are just the start of the journey," says John Edwards, Land Rover Global Brand Director. "We are here in LA to showcase our DC100 and DC100 Sport concepts and start to actively explore the possibility of bringing the future Defender to North America."

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Bentley Launches Redesigned Continental GTC in Los Angeles, Priced from $212,800


As Bentley is on track for a new annual record of 7,000 sales, the U.S. continues to be the number one market for its open top models, accounting for almost half of Bentley convertible worldwide sales.

And in the whole of the U.S., California and more specifically its southern part, is the place to go if you want to see a convertible Bentley. Therefore it makes perfect sense to choose the LA Auto Show for the new Continental GTC's North American debut.

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Jaguar C-X16 Production Concept Puts on a White Costume for the 2011 LA Auto Show


The captivating Jaguar C-X16 Production Concept continues its world tour after its premiere at the Frankfurt show in September at this week's 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show where it made its North American debut.

You may have noticed that instead of the original gunmetal gray finish, the all-aluminium sports coupe shown in the City of Angels was redone in a Neutron White. But besides that, there are no other changes.

The British company has already begun work on the production version as evidenced by the test mule captured on film by our scoop photographers back in mid-September.

At the Los Angeles presentation, Jaguar's Global Brand Director, Adrian Hallmark said that the C-X16 represents the best of Jaguar and that it brought the car to the States to test the waters.

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Facelifted 2013 Volkswagen CC Makes its World Premiere at the LA Motor Show


What’s in a name? Not much, according to William Shakespeare who in Romeo and Juliet, wrote, “A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet”.

Apparently, Volkswagen does not feel the same way. That is why when the time came to freshen up its four-year old Passat CC sports saloon, it chose to delete the “Passat” moniker from its name in order to signal its upmarket move and severe any ties with the mid-size family sedan.

To reinforce its point, VW has made some changes to the styling of the 2013 CC that made its world debut this week at the LA Motor Show.

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Spicy VW Beetle R Concept Makes its U.S. Debut at the 2011 LA Auto Show [Updated Gallery +Video]


Officially, it’s just a concept, but the wording on VW’s press release hints at a production version of the Beetle R that was first shown at the 64th IAA in Frankfurt before it made its North American debut today at the LA Auto Show.

Developed by Volkswagen R GmbH - that is, the same people responsible for the Scirocco R and Golf R models, the Beetle R is said to show “the potential for an ever sportier version of the Beetle”.

The company also claims that the 200HP turbocharged 2.0-liter of the Beetle Turbo “could offer even more performance, similar to that of the Golf R and Scirocco R”.

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2011 LA Auto Show: Lincoln Refreshes the MKT Crossover as well for the 2013MY


The flagship MKS sedan isn’t the only revamped Lincoln model on display at the 2011 LA Motor Show. The MKT crossover has also received a makeover to bring it in line with the rest of the brand’s offerings.

Like the MKS, the MKT now has an all-new split front grille with more densely placed vertical slats and reshaped bumper.

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LA Auto Show: 2013 Lincoln MKS Grows a…Bushier Mustache


For many years now, Ford has been trying to transform its Lincoln brand into a credible contender in the luxury car market, though unlike its Cadillac foe, it just can't seem to get it right.

Set to make its world premiere later today at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show is the refreshed 2013 Lincoln MKS sedan. The first thing that you'll notice on the 2013MY is the reworked split front grille, though as Lincoln points out, every exterior surface from the A-pillar forward is new including the bumper, hood, headlamps and front fenders.

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Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Subaru BRZ Concept STI: Live Photos from LA Auto Show and New Promo Video [Updated]


The highly anticipated Subaru BRZ Concept STI made its debut today at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show in order to prepare us for the production model that is scheduled to appear at the Tokyo Motor Show in Japan on November 30 before it goes on sale worldwide next spring.

The BRZ is the outcome of the team-up between Toyota and Subaru, and it's a sister model to the Toyota FT-86 and the Scion FR-S rear-wheel drive coupes, and as such, all three models share the same platform and mechanical hardware including the Subaru-sourced 2.0-liter flat-four engine upgraded with Toyota’s D-4S direct injection technology.

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New Lamborghini Gallardo LP 550-2 Spyder Brings Rear-Wheel Drive to Drop-Top Model


Once upon a time, sports cars and rear-wheel drive layouts were synonymous terms, but not anymore - especially when it comes to the Volkswagen Group that has essentially built an empire of all sorts of front- and all-wheel drive models.

But every so often, even the VW Group succumbs to the allure of rear-wheel drive. Today, its Lamborghini brand introduced the new Gallardo LP 550-2 Spyder, which combines the open-top body style with rear wheel drive.

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2013 Cadillac XTS in the Flesh and on the Move in New Videos


The big news for Cadillac today was the presentation of the all-new XTS full-size luxury sedan, and we've got some fresh pictures as well as two new videos including one that shows the car on the road (admittedly, not in the best quality) to share with you.

There's been some confusion about which segment the XTS belongs to since it will replace two models in Cadillac's range, the rear-/all-wheel drive STS and the front-wheel drive only DTS.

While the new XTS is Cadillac's largest sedan and as such, should be the brand's flagship saloon model, it does not target the likes of the BMW 7 Series nor the Mercedes S-Class.

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2013 Honda Fit EV gets up to 123 miles, Priced at $36,625 but will be Available only for Lease [Video]


The brand-new 2012 CR-V may be the talk of the day at Honda's Los Angeles Auto Show booth, but the Japanese carmaker also presented the production version of the Fit EV and announced plans to begin leasing the pure electric subcompact from next year.

Honda said that the Fit EV's MSRP is $36,625 with an estimated lease priced at $399 a month. It will initially be offered for lease to customers in select California and Oregon markets next summer, followed by six East Coast markets in early 2013.

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New 2012 Honda CR-V Breaks Cover at Los Angeles Auto Show [73 Photos]


Making its world premiere in final production guise at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show today is the all-new, fourth generation Honda CR-V that will first go on sale in the States as a 2012 model on December 15th, and the rest of the world next year.

Honda had prepared us for the new CR-V's evolutionary looks through a thinly disguised concept model that was displayed at the Orange County International Auto Show in California in late September.

The transition from concept to production reality didn't bring many changes other than a less aggressive choice of wheels, a matte instead of a glossy finish for the plastic cladding on the body, and clear graphics on the headlamps and tail lamps.

The new 2012 CR-V looks sleeker than its predecessor and has a more aggressive stance thanks in part to the new roofline and the Volvo-esque rear end design.

At 178.5-in. long, 71.6-in. wide and 65.1-in. tall with a 103.1-in. wheelbase, the new model retains the same width and wheelbase measurements with the previous CR-V, but is 0.8-in. shorter in overall length and 1-in. in height.

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