Keep up with your car friends about the new production cars introduced in Los Angeles
Introduction
2009 BMW 7 Series
While the 2009 BMW 7 Series actually debuted at the 2008 Paris Motor Show, the 2008 L.A. Auto Show is the North American debut of this desirable sedan. The 2009 BMW 7 Series goes on sale in the Spring of 2009, and addresses many of the concerns generated by the previous-generation car, from the styling to the interior. All of it is toned down, and even the notorious iDrive command center has been improved for ease of use. New innovations include a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 that puts out 400 horsepower, and an infra-red camera that can detect pedestrians and alert the driver. Considering how many BMW 7 Series we see in Southern California, it makes sense to us that it'd be unveiled at the L.A. Auto Show.
Photo Credit: Staff
2010 Ford Mustang
Ford started its 2008 L.A. auto show press conference for the 2010 Ford Mustang with an unapologetic, street burning video. The times they are-a the same in the world of ponycars, especially the Ford Mustang. The 2010 Ford Mustang still looks good, and yes, the interior is nicer, but overall is not excessively changed from its predecessor. And since it's a Mustang, it comes in a billion different versions -- 12 of which were present at the Ford stand L.A. auto show, including V-6 and V-8 GT models in coupe and convertible form. The horsepower for the 4.0-liter V-6 (210) and 4.6-liter V-8 (315) versions of the 2010 Ford Mustangs is the same as for the 2009 Mustangs, although the 2010 V-8 has a higher redline. Yawn. Both engines are offered with five-speed manual and automatic transmissions. For the power elite, Shelby versions will be coming after the launch next spring.
Photo Credit: Staff
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2010 Ford Fusion
Get a load of that grille. It's a bold, bold chrome-looking statement that means the 2010 Ford Fusion is coming. And that it means business. During unveil remarks at the 2008 L.A. auto show, Ford President of the Americas, Mark Fields, kept calling out the midsize Toyota Camry and Honda Accord for a street fight. Here are the 2010 Ford Fusion's weapons: four engine choices -- ranging from a 175-horsepower, 33-mpg four-cylinder (quicker and more fuel-saving than the big dogs on midsize street), through two V-6s, and all the way across to a smart new hybrid that gets 39 mpg in the city.
Photo Credit: Staff
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2009 Nissan 370Z
The import star of the 2008 L.A. auto show has to be the 2009 Nissan 370Z. Nissan snapped every head in Los Angeles to attention with the new Z. In person, the all-new Nissan 370Z looks, not stunning, but almost perfect for the sports car that it is. Meaning? Like the best-looking Z ever (the last-generation 300ZX), it legitimately "feels" like a real sports car from the outside in. Powered by a 3.7-liter evolution the best V-6 in the world, the car offers 332 horsepower and gets 26 mpg. If you want a 2009 Nissan 370Z, you can get one starting in January, starting at $29,930.
Photo Credit: Staff
2009 Mini E
While we were prepared for the 2009 Mini E that was unveiled at the 2008 L.A. Auto Show to be all-show, it will actually be available for lease early in 2009. This all-electric version of the Mini has a 156 mile range from its lithium ion battery pack, accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in about 8.5 seconds, and has a top speed of about 95 mph. Sounds like Mini-style fun to us, which is the little electric’s main selling point: Fun, but still environmentally frugal. It’s also efficient, getting about 5 miles per kilowatt hour, which works out to just a few cents per mile. Mini also revealed at the L.A. Auto Show that potential lessees can apply at www.miniusa.com starting now for delivery of one of 500 cars in New York City or Los Angeles starting early in 2009.
Photo Credit: Staff
2009 Nissan Cube
If you're one of "today's active...drivers" but you missed the Scion xB wave, the 2009 Nissan cube may be just the "thing" for you. Shown in its production form at the 2008 L.A. auto show, the Nissan Cube is the latest box-for-youth, and the verdict is...it all depends on price. If the $15,000 figure that was being bantered around by the press at the L.A. auto show is right, then Nissan has a contender. The 2009 Nissan Cube is powered by a 122-horsepower 1.8-liter four-cylinder, and gets over 30 mpg when mated to a CVT automatic transmission (a six-speed manual is also available). Inside, there are acres of head and leg room, even in the second row -- which matters like mad. The 2009 Nissan Cube arrives in showrooms in the spring of 2009.
Photo Credit: Staff
2010 Mazda 3
The Mazda 3 is one of the company's most important cars, and is far and away it's best selling vehicle. When the time comes for a redesign, it's important to get it right, especially when you're a company as small as Mazda. The 2010 Mazda 3 that was unveiled at the 2008 L.A. Auto Show looks like it hits that nail on the head. The looks are just right, blending design cues from the RX-8 and the company's critically acclaimed series of concept cars. The interior is smooth and clean, with a minimum of cut lines and uses soft-touch materials. Under the hood is a 2.0-liter or a 2.5-liter four cylinder engine, both of which are more powerful and more fuel efficient. Sounds like a winner to us.
Photo Credit: Staff
2010 Lexus RX 350
The Lexus RX is the company's best selling single model, and has been for almost the entire decade the model has been part of the company's lineup. So introducing the third generation is critical, and at the 2008 L.A. Auto Show, we saw that the 2010 Lexus RX350 is an evolutionary step, not a revolutionary one. Still, the new RX looks good, with broad shoulders and a slightly more aggressive stance, while retaining the same familiar outline as before. The interior is a different story, with a swooping dash and lots of new technology, including Remote Touch, a single-knob selector system for the navigation and other systems. It also boasts a more powerful 3.5-liter engine, which now produces 275 hp.
Photo Credit: Staff
2010 Lexus RX 450 Hybrid
The Lexus RX Hybrid was the first luxury-branded hybrid from anybody, so Lexus has a considerable stake in getting it right the second time around. The new 2010 Lexus RX 450h hybrid unveiled at the 2008 L.A. Auto Show looks like it hits the mark, with a more powerful 3.5-liter V-6 that uses the Atkinson cycle for a 12-14 percent increase in efficiency, 8 percent better fuel economy, and a solid 295 horsepower. The new electric inverter is more powerful, lighter and more compact, and the RX Hybrid also uses other technologies to reduce fuel consumption.
Photo Credit: Staff
2009 Audi Q5
The U.S. version of the 2009 Audi Q5 was unveiled at the 2008 L.A. Auto Show, living up to its billing as an attractive, lower priced alternative to the larger Q7 that’s currently available. The competition for the Audi Q5 is stiff and comes from all directions, such as the Acura RDX, BMW X3 and Lexus RX 350. None of this is surprising, because the Audi Q5 has been a known quantity since it was unveiled to the press in April of this year. No, the big news is that a new 50-state legal diesel version will be available, sporting the same 3.0-liter TDI V-6 that will be in the bigger Q7. With the potential for excellent fuel economy, exceedingly low emissions and luxury car panache, the Q5 is shaping up to have some serious advantages over its competition.
Photo Credit: Staff
2009 Infiniti G37 Convertible
The Infiniti G37 coupe and sedan are already a respected duet in the first-tier luxury arena, and at the 2008 L.A. auto show, a third voice was added: the 2009 Infiniti G37 Convertible. Infiniti has taken the now-popular step of building its luxury convertible as a retractable hardtop, which really does give you the choice between the open-air love of a convertible and the security of a coupe. Top up or down, the Infiniti G37 is easy on the eyes. It's also pretty easy to play rough with, offering a mountain-strong 325-horsepower 3.7-liter V-6 engine and the choice of a 6-speed manual or 7-speed automatic transmission.
Photo Credit: Staff
2009 Mercedes-Benz AMG SL 65 Black Series
The 2009 Mercedes-Benz AMG SL 65 Black Series that debuted at the 2008 L.A. Auto Show is all about big numbers. 661 horsepower. 738 lb.-ft. of torque. A 6.0-liter twin turbo V-12 engine. A $299,000 price tag. It's the most powerful AMG road car ever built, and has a couple of small numbers attached to it, too: 3.6, which is the time in seconds it takes to hit 60 mph from a dead stop; and 175, the number of people in the U.S. who will be able to buy one. Just for the record, if any of them work for AIG, seriously, we're going to be a little ticked.
Photo Credit: Staff
2009 Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4 Spyder
Imagine a still pool of tranquil water glistening in the sunlight, cranes gracefully dipping their beaks beneath the surface. Then imagine a 1000 pound boulder being thrown into the middle, soaking the landscape, scaring the birds and making anybody nearby both cringe from the impact and, at the same time, think, “Awesome.” That’s the impact the 2009 Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4 Spyder has at the 2008 L.A. Auto Show. During a day relatively devoid of visual flash, the Lamborghini packed enough punch to qualify as an assault. With 560 horsepower driving all four wheels (that's what the 560-4 stands for), we imagine a similar assault behind the wheel.
Photo Credit: Staff
2010 Volkswagen Touareg V-6 TDI
Volkswagen is wasting no time in rolling out its 50-state legal diesel technology, and the 2010 Volkswagen Touareg V-6 TDI introduced at the 2008 L.A. Auto Show is the second in what will likely be many. We had a chance to take a brief drive in a 2009 Volkswagen Touareg V-6 TDI before its official debut at the L.A. Auto Show, and can report that it retains all of the goodness we love about the Touareg, but with more torque and, according to VW, significantly better fuel mileage.
Photo Credit: Staff
2010 Lexus IS 250 Convertible
Lexus is not often a brand associated with automotive lust, despite the company’s best efforts with cars like the SC coupes. So why not a convertible of its hot-selling IS sedan? The two-door convertible that made its U.S. debut at the 2008 L.A. Auto Show features a folding hardtop that cuts into luggage space, but makes for one fine looking convertible. It also promises all the goodness of the sedan, with good handling, responsive steering and fun rear-drive handling.
Photo Credit: Staff
2009 Lexus LS 460 AWD
Lexus has already offered up an all-wheel drive version of its top-line LS sedan, but only in the LS 600h hybrid. The all-wheel drive system now comes to the rest of the lineup, and on both the long and short wheelbase versions of the LS 460. Normally, we’re all for all-wheel drive versions of cars, since we like the enhanced stability in foul weather and generally more neutral handling. However, we’re not entirely sold on the new Lexus system. First, it adds weight, a common lament against AWD. However, the V-8 engine puts out less power in the AWD versions of the big Lexus sedan. More weight but less power? Hmmm....
Photo Credit: Staff
2010 Bentley Azure T
You know that times are tough when Bentley feels the need for marketing. When the 2010 Bentley Azure T premiered at the 2008 L.A. auto show, that was Bentley's admission that, while different, the rich aren't all that different. The 500-horsepower twin-turbo V-8 convertible, built on the soon-to-be-retired Arnage platform, isn't coming out until mid-year 2009, but Bentley decided to show it early at the L.A. auto show to drum up some buzz. Well, let us report that the 2010 Bentley Azure T sports presence, performance -- 179 mph top speed; 0-60 mph in 5.2 seconds -- and an interior that turns mouthwatering into a verb.
Photo Credit: Staff
2010 Kia Soul
Finally. After two years of testing, concepts, customized Souls at a hundred different auto shows, Kia finally unveiled the U.S. production version of the 2010 Kia Soul at the 2008 L.A. Auto Show. Our verdict: Cool. Kia has kept the production Soul remarkably unchanged from the original concept car, with only a few nods to the realities of the world. Not only does it look good in the basic form, Kia will offer up customization options that will result in, oh, let’s just say 140 million different combinations. Yes, we made that number up, but it’s probably not too far off the mark. The Soul also comes with a standard 1.6-liter engine with 120 horsepower, or you can order a 2.0-liter, 140-hp four-cylinder in the Soul+, Soul! and Soule sport. No, we’re not lousy copy editors, “+,” “!,” and “sport” are trim levels on the new Soul, and sure to drive Word’s AutoCorrect bananas.
Photo Credit: Staff
2009 Ferrari California Spyder
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen the 2009 Ferrari California Spyder, but the 2008 L.A. Auto Show is the North American debut of this stunning example of automotive art. Yes, it has excellent performance specs: a 460-horsepower V-8 engine, big tires, a seven-speed sequential gearbox, nd so on. But so what? The car is gorgeous to behold, and although we are the first to say that any car – even exotics like Ferraris – is meant to be driven, we could almost forgive a Ferrari owner for just putting a California Spyder in a beautifully lit room and just staring at it for hours. We certainly did.
Photo Credit: Staff
2009 Smart Fortwo Brabus
In Europe, Brabus is considered one the ultimate "tuners" of Mercedes-Benz -- unapologetically slathering horsepower and bodywork on Mercedes cars. At the 2008 L.A. auto show, Brabus took a suspension and bodywork swing at another Mercedes product, the 2009 Smart fortwo coupe and convertible. The Smart Fortwo Brabus doesn't get any horsepower increases to the standard car's 70-hp1.0-liter inline-4 engine, but it does get beefier suspension pieces, bigger, sportier alloy wheels, front/rear/side bodywork, and chrome-tipped dual exhaust, plus (inside) leather trim points and brushed-aluminum pedals. Available in black or silver, the Smart Fortwo Brabus costs $17,990 as a coupe and $20,990 for the convertible.
Photo Credit: Staff
2009 Lotus Evora
For several years now, Lotus has had one basic vehicle for sale in the U.S.: The Elise. Sure, there’s the Exige, but that’s basically a coupe version of the little convertible. With the barest of interiors, virtually no creature comforts and noise suppression that’s theoretical at best, it’s safe to say that the Elise isn’t for everybody. The Evora might just change that. While it may not sound like a lot of power – 276 hp from a 3.5-liter Toyota-sourced V-6 – it’s pushing around less than 3,000 pounds. Lotus claims it’ll get to 60 mph in less than 5 seconds, which is plenty quick, but we’ll admit not supercar fast. At least the interior is significantly better than the Elise, with premium materials, a cool new Alpine multimedia system, and all the modern conveniences. Plus, it looks beautiful.
Photo Credit: Staff
2011 Chevrolet Volt
It’s a little hard to believe that a car that won’t even be on sale for more than a year is already old news, but that’s the way it goes in the fast-paced automotive world. The 2011 Chevrolet Volt was shown at a U.S. auto show for the first time at the 2008 L.A Auto Show, and even though it has been debuted here and teased there, the little four-seat plug-in hybrid managed to draw its own crowd. It’s not surprising; the Chevy Volt offers up to 40 miles of pure electric power before its gasoline engine kicks in, enough range that many drivers may go weeks without hearing their car’s engine. Considering the dire straits GM finds itself in these days, the 2011 Chevy Volt may be one of the greatest cars never built. Let’s all hope it makes it.
Photo Credit: Staff
2009 Porsche Boxster
If you like the current Porsche Boxster, you'll like the second-generation, 2009 Porsche Boxster just as much -- maybe even a little better. Porsche debuted it entry-level convertible at the 2008 L.A. auto show -- with comedian and ultra-Porschephile Jerry Seinfeld in the audience -- and boasted the two-part harmony of more power and better fuel economy. The horsepower on the basic Boxster's 2.9-liter six-cylinder is now up to 255 and its fuel economy hits 26 miles per gallon. Powered by a 3.4-liter flat-6, the 2009 Porsche Boxster S delivers 310 hp and 25 mpg. Both engines are available with Porsche's very cool, very quick PDK six-speed gearbox. The 2009 Porsche Boxster isn't a radical change, just enough to keep us interested.
Photo Credit: Staff
2009 Porsche Cayman
In creating the second-generation Porsche Cayman coupe, Porsche was smart: It didn't mess with automotive near-perfection. The 2009 Porsche Cayman unveiled at the 2008 L.A. auto show has big shoes to fill in replacing the current Cayman model: a shape that competes with a Maxfield Parrish sunrise for pure beauty, and driving dynamics that compete with, well, the Porsche 911 for articulate road manners. But again, Porsche didn't mess with it too much bumping the horsepower in the Cayman and Cayman S up to 265 and 320, respectively. At the same time, fuel economy on both models has gone up as well -- 26 mpg and 25 mpg, respectably. A little bit of new front and rear bodywork, and headlight (bigger) and taillight (new) work are the definition of subtle change.
Photo Credit: Staff
More live updates -- all day long -- from the 2008 L.A. auto show
MyRide's 2008 L.A. auto show coverage is a real-time, non-stop affair. And as long as there are new cars, concept cars and world premieres being unveiled at the L.A. auto show, we'll be collecting them and adding pages, photos and video to the stories like the one you. So over the next few days -- or even just a couple of hours from now -- you're invited to return to the 2008 L.A. auto show story you've just finished to see what amazing new cars and concepts we've added to it.
In the meantime, check out these other all-new highlights from the 2008 L.A. auto show:
Photo Credit: Ron Perry