By Fireball Tim

Movie Car Design Master

…Or something like that. I forget what the official title for this contest is because I’m too busy wondering why these rides are not in my garage? Or at least, hanging on my wall in diecast? Leaving nothing to the fact that I now have to wash my shirt from the drool.

Ok, not all of them make me drool, but some are cool. Every year, the LAAS team puts together this contest that pits design studios against each other to see who has the neato concept. Sometimes it’s schools like Art Center against CCS in Detroit. Then, they put up these big banners in the hall and we sit in front of them… drooling.

Who did what? Which team designed which vehicle? Too much information. Just observe. Observe form, shape, convexity, concavity, conbutificationalcomplexity. … What? That’s not a word? …Sure it is. Says so right here in Weebsters Dixionhairy…

Anywho… if you come to the LAAS, join me for some cool car convo.

Continue reading "Fireball Kontemplates LA Auto Show Concept Contest" »

By John Coyle

Deputy Editor

Audi’s e-tron was a smash hit at the LA Auto Show, and nobody had even seen it on the road. But Los Angeles Times automotive critic Dan Neil got to take one for a test drive and feel its 3319lbs of torque. Think we’ll really see these on the road in two years? With only a 100 being released worldwide, the chances of spotting one in the wild is remote, but it’d still be cool…

By John Coyle

Deputy Editor

This was my first year at the LA Auto Show, and to be perfectly honest, the crappy economy cast a chilly shadow over the whole scene. Most years, the media peeps are scrambling from press conference to press conference trying to keep up with all the new concepts and debuts, but most of the stuff on the floor in La La Land had dropped in Frankfurt, or even before, so manufacturers simply didn’t have a lot of fresh meat to toss to out. That said, there was still some killer stuff on display. While Audi had dropped its electric e-tron concept back in Frankfurt, the example on the floor here was painted a gorgeous, visible-from-space orange, which had everyone scrambling to get pics, and I absolutely loved, loved, loved Honda’s P-Nut concept (below). And don’t even get me started on the AMG SLS. Mercedes’ new baby is an absolute stunner, and I can’t even imagine how those lines will look when it’s out in the wild, stalking driving appliances. I was also pumped to see the 2011 Fiesta—Ford has a mega hit on its hands here—the CTS Coupe’s production sheet metal, and Porsche’s new Boxster Spyder. Head over to the events section and check out Part One and Part Two of our pics from LA.

By John Naderi

StreetFire.net

Porsche premiered it’s 2011 Boxster Spyder at the LA Auto Show and while different manufacturers define Spyder differently (Ferrari, Mitsubishi) to Porsche it means an agile, lightweight, mid-engined roadster, the lineage of which began with the iconic 1953 550 Spyder. In fact the Boxster model line itself is attributed as a spiritual successor to the OG Spyder.

Upon first glance the Boxster Spyder separates itself visually from the rest of Boxster family by the space just aft of the seats occupied by the most voluptuous pair of domes this side of a Carrera GT (or perhaps, Joanna Krupa). Hit the jump to see what else differentiates this Spyder from its Boxster brethren.

Continue reading "Along Came Porsche’s Boxster Spyder" »

By John Naderi

StreetFire.net

While the true debuts at this year’s LA Auto Show were far and few between (note to OEs: we know times are tough, but you can do better than dress up the sloppy seconds of your Frankfurt and Tokyo debuts), Honda always manages to roll out something cool and concepty (yes, that will be the new auto journo “it” word of 2010).

This year was no different as Honda’s designers created what they feel an urban car would look like twenty years in the future (we can only hope Doc Brown’s iridium shades will be in the mix too). The Personal-Neo Urban Transport (P-NUT) looks sort of like what would happen to an Element in the hands of Frank Geary and the three-person seating arrangement is configured a’la McLaren F1 with the driver up front and two passengers arrears. Since this is a concept there are a few different powertrain possibilities from an efficient gas engine to a gas-electric hybrid, or even a pure electric set up. We’re hoping this is a hint of things to come from Honda. Hit the jump to see more images of this nutty concept (sorry, couldn’t resist).

Continue reading "Honda’s P-NUT Concept is Quirky and Fun, Like a Filbert!" »

By John Naderi

StreetFire.net

Much like the impending drop top Camaro we knew it was coming, this, the Coupe version of Cadillac’s comely CTS. And there it sat with little fanfare at the LA Auto Show. Our only hint was an invite-only affair on the eve of the show’s press days that apparently we weren’t invited to (that’s okay, we just cuddled up on the couch with some warm tea and a yummy chick flick – French Kiss, if you must know). Hit the jump for more on the CTS Coupe and less on Meg Ryan.

Continue reading "Cadillac Drops Two Doors in LA" »

By Fireball Tim

Movie Car Design Master

Ouch. Today was the first Press Day so expectations were high. And did they hit the mark? ……Welcome, to the MORGUE.

Okay, maybe a morgue is a bit extreme, but there were some serious things missing. Namely, NISSAN. And with the Leaf coming soon, you have to ask… “WUT UP, NISSAN DOODS?” Now, I did get my fair share of automotive fixations, but I was left a little… dead. Ok, another mortality reference. Wups.

Follow the jump to see the COMPLETE highlights of the show. Not many, but some cool stuff. I decided to make it easy for y’all to understand how I felt about each one. I call it the “SHOCKSWEETSNORESUCK.” That’s the long version. Let’s just call it the “SHNUCK.” The LA Shnuck Show. Yea, I like it….

Continue reading "Fireball does The LA Auto Show… Ouch." »

By John Coyle

Deputy Editor

I’ve never been to the LA Auto Show, and I’m pretty pumped. Total bonus? Since it’s being held at the Convention Center—just a few blocks from the office—I don’t have to get on a airplane, and more importantly, I don’t have to face my inevitable, deeply ingrained fear that I’ve left some essential piece of equipment or its power cord sitting 1000 miles away on my desk. Obviously, there’s going to be plenty of totally trick hardware on the floor, but I’m particularly stoked to see Fisker’s Karma—the dead-sexy plug in hybrid that’s giving Maserati’s Quatroporte body image issues—in person. And I’m also curious to get some face time with the ’10 Dodge Viper ACR, Toyota’s Sienna, Honda’s Personal-Neo Urban Transport, and BMW’s Vision EfficientDynamics Concept, which is pictured below. Nads and I will be pushing up content as soon as we get in the door, so stay tuned, and let us know if there’s anything you want to see.

By John Coyle

Deputy Editor

There were a whole bunch of signs warning the guys from Motor Mavens not to bring cameras into the warehouse where Lexus is storing its new LF-A before the LA Auto Show. Good thing they didn’t care and came equipped with recording gear anyway. Bravo, gentlemen!