LA Auto Show
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Filed under: Car Buying, LA Auto Show, Budget, Hatchback, Chrysler, Fiat
Fiat 500 - Click above for high-res image gallery
Chrysler is set to debut its American-spec Fiat 500 at this year's Los Angeles Auto Show with the first examples being sold near the end of 2010. During the 2011 calendar year, Chrysler hopes to sell 50,000 of the Mini Cooper fighters, including the 500 Cabrio, which goes on sale sometime in 2011.
Built in Toluca, Mexico, the 500 will be sold through a network of 165 dealers across the United States, mostly in cities that have the largest small car markets. Will Chrysler be able to move 50,000 of the new Fiats? That's mildly ambitious, since the Mini brand only moves about 50,000 Coopers annually. Still, consider our fingers crossed.
Gallery: Fiat 500
[Source: Associated Press via Google]
Report: Fiat wants to sell 50,000 500s in the U.S. through 165 dealers originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: LA Auto Show, Hybrid, Sedan, Infiniti
2012 Infiniti M35 hybrid - Click above for high-res image gallery
Infiniti has officially announced plans to debut its first hybrid sedan at the Los Angeles Auto Show this November. The M35 hybrid first appeared - badged as the Nissan Fuga hybrid - at last fall's Tokyo Motor Show, propelled by Nissan's first in-house hybrid system. The M35 is powered by a retuned Atkinson cycle version of the 3.5-liter VQ V6 paired with a 50-kilowatt electric motor and a lithium ion battery pack that uses the same type of cells that power the Nissan Leaf.
The motor is a disc-type unit packed between the engine and the six-speed automatic transmission in a similar fashion to the systems from BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen and Porsche. Infiniti claims the M35 will deliver V8 performance with the fuel consumption of a four cylinder. While the Fuga is set to go on sale in Japan this fall, the M35 hybrid arrives in the U.S. next year as a 2012 model.
Gallery: 2012 Infiniti M35 hybrid
[Source: Nissan]
LA Auto Show preview: Infiniti to launch 2012 M35 hybrid originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Concept Cars, LA Auto Show, Convertible, Crossover, Nissan
Yes, the Nissan Murano convertible is going to happen, and not only is it coming to the LA Auto Show, but now it has a name: The Murano CrossCabriolet.Billed as the world's first four-seat, all-wheel drive convertible crossover, the chop-top CUV will only sport two doors and - contrary to the renderings floating around - it won't come with PT Cruiser-style roll hoop.
According to Inside Line, joining the CrossCabriolet at the So. Cal. show this November will be a new Nissan sedan concept that, is said to be "a new dimension to traditional sedan design - a dimension named innovation." Ridiculous hyperbole aside, the four-door concept has been dubbed Ellure, and hopefully the "new dimension" it creates will swallow the CrossCabriolet into oblivion.
[Source: Inside Line]
Report: Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet (convertible) joining Ellure concept in LA originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: LA Auto Show, Convertible, Crossover, Nissan
Nissan had the guts to bring us the bizarrely styled Juke, which is getting some solid press for its performance, and now it's apparently set to follow that up with a convertible version of the Nissan Murano. Apparently getting ready for its debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show, Nissan gave dealers a preview of the two-door, cloth-topped crossover and the reaction of one was, "kind of unusual." You don't say. The Murano droptop has been widely rumored for ages now, but it was never known whether the crossover would maintain the four-door arrangement of the hardtop. It appears that in the roofectomy process, Nissan will remove two doors, which leaves us thinking that the finished product might look something like a mutant Chrysler PT Cruiser convertible. Hopefully the basket-handle brace in the rendering at right won't be a structural necessity.Speaking of the oft-rumored vehicle that few thought would come true, Nissan's VP of sales and marketing stated "there's a degree of bravery for us to bring out a car like that right now." The company isn't predicting sales volume numbers for this genre-busting crossover, but the hardtop Murano continues to be a solid seller for the Japanese brand. We wouldn't be at all surprised to find quite a few of them in beach cities wearing rental company plates. If you like what you see when it is revealed, the sale date is penciled in for sometime in 2011.
[Sources: Automotive News - sub. req. | Image: InsideLine]
Report: Forthcoming Nissan Murano convertible to be a two-door soft-top originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Aug 2010 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: LA Auto Show, Crossover, Saab, Luxury
Saab 9-4X Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery
We've been expecting this announcement to come sooner or later, though we didn't exactly count on it coming from the LA Auto Show's own Twitter page. But there it is anyway, straight from the horse's mouth: "Saab has confirmed that the 9-4X Crossover will make its world debut at the LA Auto Show this Nov."
We're also expecting some sort of official word that the new crossover 'ute, which will share its Theta Premium underpinnings with the Cadillac SRX, should hit the market sometime in the spring of 2011... perhaps around April.
While we're on the subject of expectations, we'd also imagine that Saab will offer its premium crossover with the same powerplants as the recently released 9-5, which means we could see a 2.0-liter turbocharged four and a 2.8-liter turbocharged six, both likely mated with a six-speed automatic transmission and available all-wheel drive. We'll apparently find out for sure soon enough.
Gallery: Detroit 2008: Saab 9-4X BioPower Concept
[Source: LA Auto Show's Twitter]
2012 Saab 9-4X confirmed for LA debut in November originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 Aug 2010 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: LA Auto Show, Convertible, Crossover, Nissan, Rumormill
As much as we were hoping that it was nothing more than an elaborate internet hoax by a talented Photoshopper, we're getting closer and closer to slotting this one away in the Silly But Apparently True file. According to Inside Line, the oft-rumored Nissan Murano convertible is indeed coming to an auto show near you, starting late this year at the LA Auto Show.Yes, we're serious. No, we're not sure we get it either.
If there's any truth to this rumor, we can expect the droptop crossover to hit the market as a 2012 model equipped with the same 3.5-liter V6 engine and continuously variable automatic transmission as the standard-issue Murano. The switchover to convertible status will reportedly include the removal of the rear doors and may even come with a Chrysler PT Cruiser-esque hoop that's ostensibly there to boost rigidity and act as some sort of roll bar in the unlikely event of a tipover. We're sure it'll be just the thing for unstable homecoming queens come parade duty.
Gluttons for punishment are free to see the complete retina-roasting rendering here at Inside Line. Hey, don't blame us... we warned you.
[Source: Inside Line]
Oft-rumored Nissan Murano convertible tipped to debut at LA Auto Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: LA Auto Show, Coupe, Performance, Porsche, Rumormill
2010 Porsche Cayman S - Click above for high-res image gallery
According to Porsche enthusiast site Planet-9.com, a hardcore version of the Cayman, dubbed CS or Clubsport, will be shown at this year's Los Angeles Auto Show in December. This isn't the first time we've heard rumblings of a lighter, more powerful Cayman, but now that Porsche has successfully launched the Boxster Spyder, it's only fitting that the same sort of package be offered on its harder-core hardtop sister.
Expect the Clubsport to produce around 333 horsepower from its 3.4-liter flat-six, an increase of 13 hp over the Cayman S. From there, lightweight 19-inch wheels will be standard, as will fabric door pulls, aluminum body components and a slightly revised front fascia that we've seen on the Boxster Spyder. Obviously, the real goal with a Clubsport model is lightness, and Planet-9 reports that the CS should be about 162 to 184 pounds lighter than the stock Cayman S.
If the LA Auto Show reveal stands true, the Cayman CS should be hitting the road sometime in 2011 as a 2012 model, priced from around $66,300. Fingers crossed, everyone.
Gallery: 2010 Porsche Cayman S
[Source: Planet-9]
Rumormill: 2012 Porsche Cayman Clubsport headed for LA Auto Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Car Buying, LA Auto Show, Hybrid, Sedan, Videos, Fisker, Luxury
Fisker dealer Mike Sullivan discusses the sales timeline - Click above to watch video after the jump
When Fisker received $189 million in funding, the company gave a production target date for its long-awaited Karma of February of 2011. That release date has been delayed more than once, so Fisker held a second coming-out party at its Santa Monica dealership to stoke the fires, during which dealer principal Mike Sullivan began to color in some details of the run-up to February.
Sullivan said that at the LA Auto Show this November the upstart automaker will have full-sized Karma mockups on the floor to show off color and interior combinations. Immediately after the show, prospective customers can go to the dealer and take the new plug-in sedan on test drives, and with production beginning in Q1 of 2011, the deliveries would begin in March and April. Get all the details in the video after the jump.
Gallery: Fisker Karma
[Source: WebRides]
Continue reading Video: Fisker dealer says Karma test drives and ordering start in November
Video: Fisker dealer says Karma test drives and ordering start in November originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Jul 2010 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: LA Auto Show, Minivan/Van, Nissan
2011 Nissan Quest teasers - Click above for high-res image gallery
Nissan dropped the first teaser image of the 2011 Quest minivan just before this year's New York Auto Show, and now we're seeing more shadowy angles of the new minivan, including the interior. Toyota's new "Swagger Wagon" is already off to a good start, and Honda's angular new Odyssey will be hitting the road later this year, so the minivan segment is starting to get pretty competitive once again.
From these teasers, we see a shapely new nose and a very upright rear greenhouse that gives the illusion of wrapping all the way around the D-pillar (sort of like what Nissan has done on the Cube). Nothing too outrageous has been done to the interior, but we expect overall refinement to be substantially better than what we've seen in previous Quests, and the usual host of cubbies and cup holders will surely be on hand.
The 2011 Quest will make its official public debut at this December's Los Angeles Auto Show, and those of you who are salivating at the thought of a new Nissan van can stay up to date on the newly launched Quest microsite. In the meantime, check out the gallery below to see the latest teasers, and follow the jump to read Nissan's (very short) press release.
Gallery: 2011 Nissan Quest Teasers
[Source: Nissan]
Continue reading Nissan releases more 2011 Quest minivan teasers
Nissan releases more 2011 Quest minivan teasers originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 11:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Concept Cars, LA Auto Show, Budget, Hatchback, Volkswagen
2005 Volkswagen Ragster concept - Click above for high-res image gallery
The Volkswagen New Beetle hasn't exactly been, well, "New," for many years now. However, a report from AutoWeek states that the Bug will get a much-needed overhaul later this year, with a concept car expected to debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show near the end of 2010. Following the show car debut, the production New Beetle should be hitting U.S. dealers in May of 2011.
AW reports that design sources within Volkswagen indicate that the new New Beetle will take styling cues from the 2005 Ragster concept (pictured). What's more, the next-generation car will have a stronger focus on driving dynamics, rather than overall retro style. As for powertrains, the U.S. can expect both the 2.5-liter five-cylinder and 2.0-liter diesel four-cylinder mills to be under-hood, with a twin-charged 1.4-liter gasoline/electric hybrid reportedly in the works. Five- and six-speed manual transmissions will be offered, as well as an optional seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox.
But while all this is well and good, will a styling and dynamic overhaul be enough to revive the New Beetle's momentum here in the U.S., or will it simply go the way of the original Beetle in just a few years time? Have your say, in comments.
Gallery: 2005 VW Ragster Concept
[Source: AutoWeek]
Report: VW New Beetle successor timeframe and details come into focus originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 07 Apr 2010 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: LA Auto Show, Hybrid, SUV, Paris Motor Show, Crossover, Land Rover, Luxury
Production 2011 Land Rover LRX rendering - Click above to enlarge
Is the world ready for a kinder, gentler Sport Utility Vehicle? Land Rover is betting on it, and the rugged British off-road brand will reportedly debut its hotly anticipated LRX at the Paris Motor Show later this year. Shortly thereafter, the production LRX will make its North American debut in LA. According to Automotive News, the LRX will go on sale in the third quarter of 2011.
We first saw the LRX Concept at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show, where it was generally well received by both the press and the showgoing public. The LRX is expected to be Land Rover's most efficient model and is likely to be offered with some sort of hybrid powertrain.
Late last year, Autocar reported that Land Rover's first hybrid drivetrain would include a 3.0-liter diesel V6 engine mated up to a 25kW electric motor. The system would be a full parallel hybrid, meaning it could operate on any combination of gasoline or electricity using its onboard lithium ion battery pack.
Gallery: Land Rover LRX Concept
[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req'd]
Report: 2011 Land Rover LRX to debut at Paris Motor Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Feb 2010 10:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Chicago Auto Show, LA Auto Show, Etc.
Spokesmodels of the Chicago Auto Show - Click above for high-res image gallery
This year's 2010 Chicago Auto Show is just about over, at least for us media types, and while a couple of significant vehicles were unveiled here, it's basically a repeat of Detroit - the industry has definitely scaled back. Although Chicago hasn't always been one of the pre-eminent events on the calendar, we usually get a lot out of our trip to the Windy City, and while that's generally new car debuts, there's plenty else to occupy our time here.
Thankfully one area where automakers seemingly didn't skimp again is booth professionals. Lots of models are positioned by the vehicles, quick with a smile or an answer to any question we had. As the auto show season marches along, the gals just seem to get prettier and friendlier at every event.
And as we pointed out in our booth babe post from Detroit, we're not being sexist, but rather consumers of a valuable service according to Sirens of Chrome, an entire book celebrating the culture of car models and their history on the auto show circuit. Check out the gallery below to keep the economy going.
Gallery: Women of the Windy City at Chicago Auto Show
Live photos copyright (C)2010 Frank Filipponio/Weblogs, Inc.
Chicago 2010: Women of the Windy City originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Feb 2010 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: LA Auto Show, Convertible, Coupe, Sedan, Wagon, Cadillac, Rumormill, Luxury
Cadillac is in the midst of a renaissance. Again. Still. The 2008 CTS paved the way, the Converj is set to follow, and the XTS is set to put the stodgy old Seville and Deville to rest. But Caddy's also preparing to launch an attack on the entry-level end of the luxury market. And according to word on the street, it'll be a full-on assault.
When the "small" Cadillac model dubbed ATS debuts for 2012 - the smart money's on the Los Angeles Auto Show in December - it'll be spearheaded by a four-door sedan, targeting the likes of the BMW 3 Series and Infiniti G37. But like the offerings from BMW and Infiniti, the sedan won't be the end of the story. According to an inside source speaking to Inside Line, the ATS will also breed a wagon, a coupe and a convertible.
Whether the convertible will use a folding metal roof or a conventional rag top remains to be decided, but whatever form it takes, one thing's for sure: General Motors remains very serious about Cadillac, and so should the competition.
[Source: Inside Line]
Rumormill: Forthcoming Cadillac ATS to breed sedan, wagon, coupe, convertible originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: LA Auto Show, Hybrid, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Chevrolet, GM, Humor, Electric
Chevrolet Volt Dance - Click above to watch the video after the break
"E for electricity, V for Chevy Volt and me..." Catchy little diddly, sure. But we were mostly willing to let the Chevrolet Volt song make the deep, dark trek into obscurity with nary another mention. That is, until today. What made us change our tune, you ask? Boy, are you in for a treat.
Witness the Chevy Volt dance. Yes, it is an official routine apparently commissioned by GM. Showgoers that meandered near the GM area at the LA Auto Show may already be familiar with this little number, but the video's just too good not to share with the rest of the class. We especially like it when the four-person crew stops whatever they're doing to throw us an "E" and a "V."
Trust us. You owe it to yourself to click past the break and watch the video. Here's hoping The General antes up to send these dancers around the country for the rest of the auto show circuit.
[Source: GM-Volt.com]
Continue reading VIDEO: GM commissions Chevrolet Volt dance to go with song. Yes, really.
VIDEO: GM commissions Chevrolet Volt dance to go with song. Yes, really. originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Concept Cars, LA Auto Show, Nissan, Electric
Nissan V2G -- Click above for high-res image gallery
The LA Auto Show's Design Challenge has a victor from among its Youthmobile 2030 entries: the Nissan Vehicle-to-Grid, aka V2G. It envisions a nationwide electric highway system (the "grid") driven on by Generation Z, and their cars will pay for use of the grid like a mobile phone plan. The V2G doesn't offer much in the way of variety, but it's ultra-efficient, cheap to run, and convoys of them can gather in interlocked formations called "flocks."
But when the Gen Z'ers get their hacking fingers on it, they customize it so it can be taken off-grid, creating the V2G Unlimited and the Halo-esque future we are beginning to think is inevitable. Sadly, none of the customized demos feature guns, which is all the V2G Unlimited appears to lack and will make it difficult to deal with the Covenant.
When the V2G is finished providing useful service, it can be recycled. Made of bioresin impregnated carbon nanotube cloth, a specially yet-to-be-created bacteria would devour the bioresin and leave only the cloth, which can be used to build another V2G. Or something. Check out the V2G in the high-res gallery below and start studying for the future, now.
Gallery: LA 2009 Design Challenger Winner: Nissan V2G
[Source: Car Body Design]
Nissan V2G wins LA's 2009 Design Challenge originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 09 Dec 2009 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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