2011 Los Angeles Auto Show

[ocnblu]

Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to pick ONE vehicle that debuted at the L.A. show and post it here. Your favorite... let everyone know what you like and why!

[ocnblu]

I'm going to go with the 2013 Ford Mustang GT. With some very nice style upgrades and more horsepower out of the 5.0, it strikes the perfect note of ponycar timbre without going over the top like the GT500.

[ocnblu]

I guess this means nobody liked anything from this year's L.A. show.

Oh well.

[Turbojett]

I'll give this topic some love.

There were a lot of great things that i liked that were shown. I like the new Mustangs, the Corvette Daytona Prototype, Subaru BRZ STi...

But the one car i liked the most doesn't really need much of an explanation as to why; just a demonstration:

flipping beautiful.

Edited November 20, 2011 by Turbojett

[Blake Noble]

I'm with TJ on the Jag C-X.

As for the 2013 Mustang, I just don't like the front fascia in GT trim. To be honest, looking at the front of it dead-on, I keep thinking about the Mustang II.

[ocnblu]

That is a gorgeous cat, for sure.

[Robert Hall]

I'm with TJ on the Jag C-X.

As for the 2013 Mustang, I just don't like the front fascia in GT trim. To be honest, looking at the front of it dead-on, I keep thinking about the Mustang II.

What I don't like about the 2013 Mustang is they are using the same rounded grille surround on all the models--derived from the '10-12 Shelby piece. The base, GT and Boss 302 should have had their own fascias distinct from the Shelby IMO.

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

Production: The GT500 for sure...

Honorable mentions: Cadillac XTS, Buick GL, Focus ST

Concept: That jag is simply sick!

Honorable mention: Fiesta ST

Trends I don't like: 1) black wheels.... Yes, some cars look great with black wheels, but damn; does every frikkin' debut these need to have black wheels with machined edges?!?! It's almost as if the suppliers DESIGN the cars. 2) The 'fat lip syndrome"..... It seems that every design now is an organic body with a fat mug that is extremely disproportionate. 3) The lower front lip spoiler.... SUPER HOT on sports cars; SUPER DUMB and pretentious on SUVs and econo crap boxes.

I dunno man, I never thought I would get to the point where automotive design just frustrates me and pisses me off in general, but that's pretty much where I stand now. It's a TERRIBLE time for automotive design right now. (with a few exceptions) EVERYTHING looks generic, organic, boring and cheap.

Edited November 20, 2011 by FUTURE_OF_GM

[Turbojett]

I'm with TJ on the Jag C-X.

As for the 2013 Mustang, I just don't like the front fascia in GT trim. To be honest, looking at the front of it dead-on, I keep thinking about the Mustang II.

What I don't like about the 2013 Mustang is they are using the same rounded grille surround on all the models--derived from the '10-12 Shelby piece. The base, GT and Boss 302 should have had their own fascias distinct from the Shelby IMO.

Actually, I quite like that part. it's like every model is a Shelby; I honestly don't think it's too Mustang II at all, I've always gotten a '68 GT500 vibe from it. But my favorite design detail on that car still has to be the taillights.

[bobo]

Subaru BRZ. It looks great in person, without some of the weirdness of the Scion FR-S.

I'll share some of my other observations at the LA Auto Show, which ends this weekend. I normally like going opening day, but I didn't make it out there until Tuesday.

Porsche is always the most happening area, but this year Hyundai seemed to be the place to be, with people crawling all over the vehicles.

Ford's area was huge, as in past years. Good to see Ford keep the Mustang fresh and keep upgrading the hardware. The Ford Escape looks good.The Lincoln MKS refresh looks just as bad in person as in pictures. I seemed to have missed the MKT.

The Honda CR-V looks fine. Acura was quiet. $57k for a ZDX.

The Scion iQ would be ok for $12k but not for $17k. The Lexus GS is a mess visually.

The new BMW 3-Series was not there. The i3 and i8 were.

I liked the Mitisubishi i Woody.

The Buick Veranos were ignored. They have a very solid feel. Too bad the mileage isn't great.

The 2013 Malibu has a sportier look than the outgoing car, but the rear seat looks small. The car was not open to go inside. A trio of Sparks were there, with nobody looking at them. The base Sonic has an extremely cheap interior. The upmarket trim is decent. (Side note - I drove a Sonic a week ago, and it was a surprisingly pleasant ride.)

The GMC area was dead. Nothing new to see there.

The Cadillac XTS looks like a Malibu XL in person. There wasn't much interest in the car, with people preferring to congregate around the CTS-V, ELR, or Ciel, which looks good in person despite a few clumsy details. The rear deck of the XTS is short, almost CTS Coupe short.

Alas, Suzuki was a no-show.

Several automakers had ride and drive events outside. Usually only Toyota and Ford do it, but this year more automakers, including Hyundai/Kia, GM, Chrysler, and Mitsubishi, did it. However, many of them, including GM, were doing it on only the weekends. Toyota had a plug-in Prius. I drove a Toyota Camry Hybrid and was impressed. The interior is a big improvement, and the transition from electricity to gas is smooth.

I normally don't pay much attention to the tuner stuff downstairs in Kentia Hall, but I found some interesting stuff down there. A few pics:

[balthazar]

I had no idea that white coupe was a jag. Rather derivative cues.

I'm largely with FOG on this general topic- does every other car out there have to have the 'drooping pants' thing going 'round back; where the black boxers are hiked up from below and showing (see jag concept for illustration)? God, but this is SO overdone, tired & dis-harmonious.

Another thing that annoys me is the 'minivan cut' so many makes insist on putting on the trunk lids of their sedans. The new civic has it chronically bad:

(In general) ...they offer up this sculpted bumper surface, thenmove around to the rear and BAM!! - a flattened trunk lid was slapped in there, heavily indented with a flat section below it like you're going to shovel coal out of the back. It's like a decklid from a completely unrelated car was made to fit. Purposeless and needs to go away.

[Turbojett]

I had no idea that white coupe was a jag. Rather derivative cues.

I'm largely with FOG on this general topic- does every other car out there have to have the 'drooping pants' thing going 'round back; where the black boxers are hiked up from below and showing (see jag concept for illustration)? God, but this is SO overdone, tired & dis-harmonious.

Another thing that annoys me is the 'minivan cut' so many makes insist on putting on the trunk lids of their sedans. The new civic has it chronically bad:

(In general) ...they offer up this sculpted bumper surface, thenmove around to the rear and BAM!! - a flattened trunk lid was slapped in there, heavily indented with a flat section below it like you're going to shovel coal out of the back. It's like a decklid from a completely unrelated car was made to fit. Purposeless and needs to go away.

The purpose is actually for ease of loading and unloading cargo. I'm good with it to a small degree, but the cut on that Civic is just ridiculous. The turn in the trunklid should at least come in line with the bottoms of the taillamps, and the bumper shouldn't jut out that far; or perhaps maybe the deck/valence needs to be lengthened to meet it. The cut doesn't need to be that low anyway, it must be practically in line with the trunk floor. Are they expecting consumers to haul lumber with their CivSi?

But whatever. the Civic is just an all-around awkward design anyhow, it's impossible to just stick to one design nag...

Edited November 28, 2011 by Turbojett

[Robert Hall]

Well, the bumper does need to extend out past the decklid/hatch to protect the decklid/hatch from damage in low speed crashes..

[Blake Noble]

bobo's pics remind me that I'm going to have to set aside a little bit of time this February for the Louisville Auto Show.

[balthazar]

The 'cargo loading' premise is false; once the trunk lid is opened, whether it's angled sharply forward or flush with the surrounding bumper/ sheet metal is irrelevant. No one slides cargo against that 1-3" horizontal plane either, as it's an exposed, unprotected painted surface (some SUVs have a rubber 'pad' there, but I was addressing cars).

Many cars don't have it at all, but (unscientific observation) more do than don't. It's a non-functional fad.

But the 'yanked up shorts' of the black plastic underwear so many modern designs wear out back is bone-numbingly ponderous.

[PurdueGuy]

I keep wondering when an automaker will go all-out for function and make the trunk opening match the width and height of the trunk interior. Most are only 2/3 as wide and width as the cargo space, or less.

[balthazar]

^ This is another area cars in general have definitely moved backwards. All that paneling & fuzzy nylon carpet doesn't add space, either.

But a good point, esp with trunk sizes shrinking so.

[ocnblu]

Well, I am for some sort of lining in the trunk. It keeps noise down and protects the quarter panels from push-through dents from shifting cargo. These small openings, however, are not productive at all. Look at that XTS trunk opening photo in bobo's picture. Sure, it has 18 cu ft of space... but how accessible is it? It's like a mail slot and you're trying to put a suitcase in it.

[bobo]

Here's another pic of the XTS trunk. You don't drop stuff in the trunk, you shove stuff into it.

Here are a few more pics from the LA Auto Show, starting with an Aston Martin:

Volvo Concept You:

Malibu:

Audi e-tron spyder:

ELR:

Ciel:

[Turbojett]

bobo's pics remind me that I'm going to have to set aside a little bit of time this February for the Louisville Auto Show.

yeah, but it doesn't need to be that far. the rear looks like it has a hellacious underbite.

[ocnblu]

Nice photos, Mr. bobo! I guess Croc didn't go?