We’ve packed up our laptops, untangled jungles of cords, filed away press kits, and noshed on our last pretzel from the media center here in L.A. We’re half-tempted to take a few more things with us along the way (not unlike the guys above), but we’re not going to try and shove more detritus in the overhead bins on our planes home. After all, Northwest did lose some of our luggage, only to return it a day-and-a-half-later reeking of fuel… not that we’re bitter or anything.
Expect to see a few more Los Angeles Auto Show-related posts from us in the coming days as we sort through all of the shots and paperwork we’ve accumulated over the last 48 hours.
Yes, the R8 has been seen everywhere on the internets, but the launch of the new Audi at the L.A. Auto Show is the car’s North American debut. Running our fingers over its skin and sitting in its cockpit (which is not unlike an Acura NSX, to be honest), it’s easy to fall in love. And we did.
One of the neat little details we liked was the R8 “monocle” in front of the headlight beam. Blaze a path down your favorite road or Mulsanne Straight with the R8 logo as your visual guide.
It should be noted that there is a lens on each headlight, therefore laying waste to our monocle analogy. But, the lenses are attached not by a nose bridge, but by a loop on the side. Bimonocle? Or just a set of eyeglasses? You decide.
Here’s an odd one… In Honda’s Los Angeles Design Challenge entry, their “Extreme” future concept follows the cycle of adulthood for a would-be consumer, from life as a single male in the year 2010, to girlfriend status (2011) to marriage (2012) to the image above, which seems to be equating family life with Satan.
We always figured Soichiro’s bunch to be among the more buttoned-down, safe-as-houses types. But then came Acura’s decidedly hellish looking Advanced Sedan Concept, and now this… What’s up, Honda?
(Click through for Honda’s “Extreme” cycle of life)
This pop-art Hyundai is the product of East Village artist “BILLY,” a self-taught artist who mthe automaker commissioned to paint this 2007 Tiburon for the automaker’s National Hyundai Dealer Show. Apparently the artist has quite an affinity for Keith Haring, but that didn’t keep us from finding the artist’s work rather charming.
(Click through to the jump for more shots of BILLY’s Tiburon)
The L.A. Auto Show is celebrating its 100-year anniversary and their team have put a lot of work into showcasing the event’s history. We found this interesting floor plan that was in place for the 1929 show, which took place in four tents on the corner of Washington and Hill Streets. Look and you’ll find some interesting names, including the “Dodge Brothers,” Paige & Jewett, Stutz, Wills St. Claire, Jordan, and Pierce Arrow.
We’re rather fond of Audi’s new TT Roadster, and because we were unable to get enough good shots during the automaker’s press conference yesterday, we slipped back over to the German automaker’s stand and rattled off a few more shots of the comely droptop for your viewing enjoyment.
Lotus unveiled their Sport Exige Cup at this morning’s L.A. Auto Show. The lightweight, for-track-use-only, rollcage-installed car has 252 horsepower (up from 243 in the Exige) from its supercharged and intercooled four cylinder. Weight is kept at 1800 lbs and includes deleted options such as (no) headliner, carpets, front mudflaps, a central locking system or a passenger seat.
Click through for more photos, details, and the company’s press release.
Because we know car enthusiasts can’t get enough of Ford’s Mustang, we sent our own James P. Morse out to take some video of the Blue Oval’s Mustang Giugiaro Concept doing the show car roundy-round. The futuristic pony car with an Italian accent is certainly drawing its share of attention here in Los Angeles – a fact that has as much to do with its design as it does with its screaming paint job.
File this one under “finally.” Land Rover has just rolled out its LR2 sport utility vehicle here in Los Angeles, seemingly many, many moons after it broke cover elsewhere. The renamed Freelander replacement can’t come fast enough for our tastes, and we’re looking forward to driving the new baby Rover.
Now powered by a 3.2-liter, 24-valve V-6, the LR2 offers 230 brake horsepower and 234 pound-feet of torque in U.S. spec. No word on any potential diesel installations. Routed to a six-speed automatic with CommandShift adaptive logic, the new LR2 will hit 60 miles per hour in 8.4 seconds, en route to a top speed of 124 mph.
Like its bigger siblings, the LR2 also gains Land Rover’s proprietary Terrain Response system (their “dial a driving condition” knob), Roll Stability Control, and other electronic gubbins to help keep the LR2 shiny side up, even when off-roading.
(Click through to the jump for more shots of the Baby Landie, along with LR’s full press release)
We love just about anything Auto Union here at WINDING ROAD, which includes this brilliant little Type C pedal car at Audi’s display. It’s these kinds of toys that make us contemplate having additional children… if only for a moment.
(Click through to the jump for more of what we want under our tree this holiday)
Over the years, we’ve received some interesting press schwag at auto shows, from the absurd to the sublime. This entry falls into both camps somewhat, with Mazda choosing to distribute a Jonathan Adler vase at its Nagare concept unveiling.
We’re sure there’s something to be said about both having flow and interesting surface forms, but we’ll leave that to you.
+ JonathanAdler.com
Maybe this whole ethanol thing isn’t all bad. After all, any substance that can power a hotted-up EVO is at least worthy of further exploration.
This Shivak Pathak-fettled Evolution MR has been tinkered with to run both on E85 and premium unleaded. Because of the chemical variations between the two fuels, the Vishnu seen here requires around 30 percent more fuel at a given engine speed while running E85. That said, it does generate 420 horsepower on kernel-power, or 390 hp on 91 octane unleaded. Mitsubishi says that the “detonation resistance” of E85 lets the Vishnu use more aggressive fuel and spark curves to realize added power, all at lower cylinder temperatures. Because of this, E85 is viewed as “ideal” for higher boost levels.
(Click through to the jump for more shots of this hot Vishnu)
Yes, the R8 has been seen everywhere on the internets, but the launch of the new Audi at the L.A. Auto Show is the car’s North American debut. Running our fingers over its skin and sitting in its cockpit (which is not unlike an Acura NSX, to be honest), it’s easy to fall in love. And we did.
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