Audi R8 Spyder + e-tron

Audi has the best looking booth of the LA Auto Show, they always do. The cars are brightly lit and the easy-on-the-eye models help too. The new R8 Spyder is really striking in person and is best viewed from the back. It doesn’t have the characteristic carbon fiber mutton chops of the coupe but instead features distinctive stainless steel louvered vents on the engine tonneau cover behind the headrests. The e-tron’s shape is very similar to the R8’s, and in fact looks like a cross between the R8 coupe and the spyder. Not very refreshing but the formula works.

Honda P-Nut

So to continue with my procrastination on posting pics from the LA Auto Show, here are some pics of the Honda P-Nut. It’s interesting looking…

Porsche Porsche Porsche!

Porsche always has a separate hall just to itself at the LA Auto Show as far as I can remember, and they do a great job of creating an experience rather than just a show booth. The entrance hall feels more like a theme park attraction entrance, with Porsche engine revving sounds playing and a classic Porsche at the end of the entrance foyer(a 718/8 W-RS Spyder this year to coincide with the introduction of the 2011 Boxster Spyder). Inside the hall there’s a maddening array of shiny Porsche models on display. There’s the Panamera, which actually looks better in person than on paper. More striking is the GT3 RS with bright orange accents and rims, but the star of the show is definitely the new Boxster Spyder. The new lightest production Porsche has differences from the standard Boxster and Boxster S on the inside and out, but the most remarking is the one-piece aluminum cover that replaces the engine/tonneau cover and rear trunk lid with two convex fairings behind the headrests. It’s a great variation on the Boxster and the improved power-to-weight ratio should make it a hell of a driver as well.

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It's a Fiesta at the Ford booth!

So Ford is bringing the Fiesta back to North America(it was sold here back in the late 70s), and they’re going to manufacture it here (Mexico). We get a sedan version, of course, in addition to the 3- and 5-door hatchbacks. The Fiesta almost looks identical to its European cousin, and is very stylish compared to the other subcompacts on the road in the US. Personally I like the hatchbacks, which just look better than the sedan, where the trunk looks like an afterthought.

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An emotional Hyundai Sonata, MazdaSpeed 2, more over-the-top Spyker & Ford Transit Connect

I don’t know what to say about the new Hyundai Sonata. I do like the more expressive styling and the flowing lines, but the front end is problematic. Not sure who buys Spykers, but I’m sure they like bling. The opposite of the Spyker is the new Ford Transit Connect, very utilitarian yet economical in both space and consumption.

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Mitsubishi PX MiEV concept, Cadillac CTS Coupe & concept, Mazda 2

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Patrick Dempsey, Godzilla Sienna, Suzuki Kizashi, VW & Subaru concepts

So Patrick Dempsey was the booth babe for Mazda as they rolled out the Mazda 2, which has been on sale outside of North America for a couple years now and is finally coming to America. It’s got the same platform as the new Ford Fiesta, it’d be interesting to see how consumers react to these two new subcompact entries. Toyota’s big news at LAAS was the monstrous-looking Sienna…[yawn]. The Suzuki Kizashi was interesting but did not jump out at me. The two concepts from VW and Subaru…[yawn again]. The VW Up Lite is nicely executed but does not really stand out from the crowd of other small hybrids. The Subaru Tourer hybrid concept looks nice enough but where's the creativity?

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Pre-unveiling Audi e-tron, mini coupe, Jaguar XJ, Lexus LFA + LF-Ch

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