Yes, it’s happening! Despite earlier stirrings, Fernando Alonso – who one of this author’s most favored Formula 1 drivers, past and present – will be contesting the Indy 500 with McLaren after all. Due to his remarks about the Honda-supplied powerplant during his last years at the Woking outfit, it was rumored he would not contest the May motorsport spectacle with McLaren. Surprise, surprise. It will be great to see the Spaniard contest the 500 once again. If he wins, he would be come only the second driver in history to win the Monaco GP, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Indy 500. One can only hope!
2019 LA Auto Show: Part III
VW, still reeling from the diese-gate disaster a couple of years ago, really needed to make a splash. And a splash it did make with the ID Space Vizzion concept and the more earthly 2020 Atlas Cross Sport. The latter is a looker, with a sloping rear section not unlike the BMW X6 or the Cayenne from VW’s sister company, Porsche.
Dakar, Anyone? 
The VW ID Space Vizzion Concept 
A “Spacey” Interior Inside the ID Space Vizzion Concept 
The 2020 VW Atlas Cross Sport
The new Corvette took center stage at Chevrolet. With a shark like front end (see below) and a rear end that wouldn’t look out of place on a Lambo, the blue Smurf colored convertible variant attracted more than its fair share of looks.
Tiger… or is That Thresher Shark? 
Straight Out of Lambo’s Playbook 
Matching Two Tone Interior Is A Bit Dizzying
Yawnfest at Honda, Subaru: Nothing to see here, really. Honda touted its commitment to “green cars,” whereas Subaru had a national park kinda booth. The latter announced a special version of the WRX / STI, dubbed “Series White,” that will cost up to nearly $44,000 (for the STI version). Right. Kind of like how they sell you “Recaro” seats that look like office chairs as an optional paid upgrade. We’ll pass.
Sure, Hyundai and Kia are technically two separate car companies… but not really. The former unveiled the Vision T concept, which is a wicked looking cross over. The design language is aggressive with lots of angles. We likes. The latter introduced the 2020 Niro and the brand new 2021 Seltos. A smaller SUV with either an NA 2.0L or a 1.6L turbo I4, it should do well in a market looking for ever more SUV / cross over options.
The Vision T Concept 
A Pre-Cursor for the New Tucson? 
2021 Kia Seltos 
Seltos Interior 
A Seltos With Lots of Kit 
Headlamps to Brighten the Night 
A Well Thought Out Seltos Variant
Toyota for the Family: New for 2020… RAV4 Prime, new Highlander and a new Mirai (which we did not spot).
RAV4 Prime 
New Highlander 
Second Look at the New Highlander
Other cars that caught our eyes…
Oh, Yes! 
Gulf Oil Liveried Old School Bronco
2019 LA Auto Show: Part II
Lexus: All models in the Japanese maker’s lineup remained pretty much the same – although they FINALLY added Apple Carplay to their 2020 line up (what took so long, I have no clue). The shining star in the booth was the LC500 convertible. I’ve pined for the hard top version since it’s inception and the convertible is no less sexy. The LC500 is what the Supra SHOULD have been. To hell with the price. Nearly 500 horsepower from a V8 is what it SHOULD have been. Not the poor excuse of a Z4 skinned like a MkV. Lame.
The Gorgeous Lexus LC500 Convertible 
Lexus LF-30 Concept 
Gull Wing Doors Don’t Save This Ugly Lexus Concept
At BMW: Two cherries and… um… something to fill yet another imaginary gap in the line up was present. The M2 CS – the “real” M3, in my opinion – accompanied by the new M8. The styling of the latter doesn’t quite feel right. The M6 Gran Coupe is a sexy beast and the M8 4-door variant should have elicited the same emotional response. It didn’t… but the performance figures look healthy regardless. As for the 235i M – or is it the M 235i? It’s like what Merc is doing with the A series. These Germans keeps making cars for the downmarket. That’s not what German luxury performance is known for. Shareholder value, I suppose.
The REAL M3 
There’s Some Serious Damage to be Done 
M8… The Styling Leaves a Bit to Be Desired 
Hmmmm 
The 235i with M Package – 4 door 1 Series
Across the South Hall at Audi: The RS Q8 and the RS6 Avant were on display. Both are beefed up beasts compared to their non-RS versions but these weren’t the cars that excited me. Rather, I’m looking at the Audi S8 with with 563 ponies that’s tickling my pickle.
Audi RS Q8: Cayenne Turbo Competitor? 
RS6 Avant – Yes, Please
Not much to see at Lincoln, save for the suicide doors on the Continental. Wow.
Lincoln Continental 
Them Suicide Doors
The manufacturer formerly known as Fisker returned as Karma. Nothing new in the way of a production vehicle, but they put out two stunning concept vehicles, the SC1 and SC2. The latter was far more stunning – and more practical – than the former roofless vision of the future. But what does practicality have anything to do with concept cars, right?
Karma SC2 Concept 
Sex on Wheels 
Gorgeous Rear End 
Sumptuous Interior 
Another Look at the Interior 
Karma SC1 Concept 
Not as Sexy as the SC2, TBH 
Hmmm… 
Space Age interior
2019 LA Auto Show: Part I
Despite the rather chilly and rainy weather in downtown LA (yes, it actually RAINED in Southern California), hordes of automotive industry professionals and media heads – although I can’t understand how much of a “media” person anyone can be shooting photos with an iPhone – gathered at the Los Angeles Convention Center for the latest edition of the LA Auto Show. Phew. What a mouthful.
There were a handful of new vehicle debuts to speak about, although few are going to raise anyone’s heart rate.
At the Ford Motor Co. booth: So what did Detroit unleash upon us? Their own version the Pontiac Aztec, it seems. While it’s 100% electric, it’s also 100% ugly. Nothing wrong with going all in on electric but the Mustang Mach-E looks nothing like its petrol-drinking brethren. I would be embarrassed to drive this thing around town. Wow. Speechless.
The Ford Booth at the 2019 LA Auto show 
The Mustang Is Becoming Ever More Appealing, To Be Honest… 
Self-Explanatory 
Ford Performance Parts Galore 
The Hard-On for the Mustang Just Died Due to This Monstrosity 
The Ugliness Continues in White 
Thank Goodness for the GT Racing Car
Meanwhile, at Porsche: The Taycan was the rage. Couldn’t get a clean photo because attendees were too busy leaving the fingerprints all over the car, inside and out. Regardless, I am really excited for this all electric car as it will give Tesla a serious run for its money. And frankly, Tesla’s brand cache will take a serious hit once the Taycan hits the road.
One in Blue… 
One in White… 
No, It’s Not a Taycan but It’s Still an Electric Porsche!
Yes, electric Porsches are cool but I was more titillated by their gas guzzling counterparts. Namely, the new 911 Carrera 4S on display (drool) and the IMSA GTLM winning 911 RSR. Oh my…
It Reads Like Shakespeare 
Yes. Timeless 
Salivation at Its Maximum 
Look At All Those Fingerprints – Bound To Be Buggars 
Champion 
Champion Deux
Nothing to see at Nissan: Perhaps it’s reflective of their horrible sales numbers… There was nothing to see at Nissan, except a “50th anniversary” edition of the GT-R. And a customized Nissan truck. Neither really excited anyone, AFAIK, but here are some photos for shits & giggles.
Nissan Truck
Same Nissan Truck 
“50th Anniversary” GT-R 
It’s Not Like an BNR34 V-Spec II Nur
Still working on other photos. Coverage will continue tomorrow. Stay tuned!
2019 LA Auto Show Coverage – Coming Tomorrow!
The 2019 LA Auto Show kicks off in earnest with a bevy of press conferences tomorrow (November 20, 2019), which we are sure will include new vehicle debuts. Manufacturers holding press conferences include:
- BMW
- Hyundai
- Mercedes-Benz
- Porsche
- Kia
- Toyota
- VW
- Mazda
- Alfa Romeo
- Acura
- Fiat
- Lincoln
- Chevrolet
Look for lots of photos and commentary from the show soon!
2019 SEMA Show: A Not So Triumphant Return to Las Vegas
It has been – literally – TEN years since RevdCars attended the SEMA show in Las Vegas. Granted, the automotive aftermarket has morphed and changed during that decade. In “our”world of sport compacts and import cars, companies have shuttered their doors; those car shows that thrilled and wow’d us have been in dramatic decline for some time; import drag racing is all but non-existent; and, unhappily, those “import models” who made our hearts skip a beat have moved on and, frankly, the new generation doesn’t hold a candle to their predecessors.
With all that being said, there was a certain sense of excitement and curiosity as the 2019 SEMA show quickly approached on the calendar. A last minute decision was made to attend. Honestly, we can’t say it turned out the way we had hoped / expected.
- Supras were all over the place, but save for a few there was nothing bedazzling about any of them; it was primarily cosmetic with some suspension and wheels
- Trucks were EVERYWHERE (is this where the industry is headed?) with huge, ridiculous lift kits and equally ridiculous wheels (“brodozers”) – not a fan
- Would say about 1/2 of the wheel companies in South Hall were those of the Chinese variety; can’t speak to any of them as their brands were unknown and quality probably just as suspect
- The only real Import “tuning” companies on hand were HKS and GReddy, with the latter making a comeback in the market as I heard from more than a few talking heads
- The North Hall, which WAS typically filled to the walls with mobile audio companies, was barren; most of the floor space was taken up by hand tool companies as far as I saw; as mentioned above, OE audio is so good, there’s an ever decreasing need for aftermarket head units and speakers
Underwhelmed, we probably won’t go back to the SEMA show again. The car business is just not the same anymore. We will adjust. In the meantime, enjoy the gallery below. We stuck to shooting only those things and people of interest inside the exhibit halls.
Next: 2019 LA Auto Show coverage in a couple of weeks!
2019 LA Auto Show: Debut Vehicles Update
The 2019 LA Auto Show is just around the corner and there’s much to be seen and experienced at Southern California’s premiere OEM auto show. According to the latest information provided to us from AutoMobility LA, here are some of the debut vehicles we can expect to see in November. We’ll be there to cover it all so stay tuned!
AutoMobility LA 2019 Poised To Have One Of The Largest Number Of Debut Vehicles In Show History
More than 65 Debut Vehicles Including 25 Global Reveals Confirmed for LA Auto Show’s Press and Trade Event
BMW, Hyundai, Karma Automotive, Porsche, Toyota and Volkswagen Set to Make News
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 22, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — The Los Angeles Auto Show (LA Auto Showยฎ) today announced that it will have one of the largest number of debut vehicles in its history, as more than 65 are confirmed for AutoMobility LA, its press and trade days, taking place Nov. 18-21, 2019 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. This year’s debut vehicles span across all segments, price-points, and powertrains, including electric.
On Tuesday, Nov. 19, industry and media professionals at AutoMobility LA will share insights around the future of transportation and witness vehicle debuts from Karma Automotive and press announcements from innovative startups and suppliers, including AEye.ai and Vulog.
AutoMobility LA continues on Wednesday and Thursday (Nov. 20-21) with many more vehicle unveilings and press announcements by automakers introducing the latest advances in transportation innovation. Among the confirmed debut vehicles, 38 percent will be making their global premiere at AutoMobility LA, with 35 percent of those being hybrid or electric vehicles.
Confirmed automakers bringing debut vehicles to AutoMobility LA 2019 include (but are not limited to):
- Alfa Romeo: The debut of the 2020 Alfa Romeo Giulia and 2020 Alfa Romeo Stelvio
- Audi: The all-new, fully-electric Audi e-tron Sportback and the new line of RS performance models, including the Audi RS 6 Avant
- Bollinger Motors: Bollinger Motors’ all-electric models, the B1 and B2, will be making their auto show debut
- Hyundai: Hyundai to reveal five vehicles; the marque’s lineup of concept and production models will showcase powertrains including ICE, plug-in hybrid, and all-electric
- INFINITI: The INFINITI Edition 30 line will make its auto show debut; the limited-quantity product line will include the 2020 Q50, Q60, QX50, QX60, and QX80 models
- KIA: KIA announced that it will have a debut for its press conference
- Lexus: Lexus has confirmed debut vehicles, including a global premiere
- Mazda: Mazda has confirmed the debut of several all-new and refreshed 2020 models for its press conference
- Subaru: Subaru will showcase multiple debut vehicles; two will make their North American premiere
- Toyota: Toyota has multiple reveals for its press conference, including vehicles with new and alternative powertrain options
- Volkswagen: Volkswagen has confirmed multiple debuts for its press conference, including the global premiere of its latest all-electric concept and the auto show debut of the Atlas Cross Sport
“From a new product standpoint, electrification continues to be the big trend across the spectrum of automakers,” said Terri Toennies, President of the LA Auto Show and AutoMobility LA. “While Los Angeles is all about car culture, it’s also a city that takes environmental consciousness seriously. This makes AutoMobility LA and the Los Angeles Auto Show ideal destinations for our media, industry, and consumer visitors to experience all the latest and greatest ways to get from point A to point B.”
Following AutoMobility LA, nearly 1,000 vehicles will be on display during the 2019 LA Auto Show (Nov. 22-Dec. 1) for visitors to experience, alongside activations, displays and test drives from auto manufacturers including Acura, Audi, Fiat, Honda, Jaguar, Land Rover, Tesla and many more.