Last month, automakers came in full force to the LA Auto Show. Presenting new offerings to car-loving Southern Californians is no easy task. We spotted some great new vehicles that are begging for upgrades, a few stock cars with great features, plus plenty of concept cars and demo vehicles to admire.
In the LA Convention Center, HD Radio, Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Radio brought a strong presence. Ford gave demos of their Street Sync technology, which lets drivers input navigation and other information with their voices. It will be in 12 models in the 2008 model year. At the Mazda booth, designers were at work building the "Mazda3 of 2018," based on cues from the winner of the Mazda Design Challenge.
Some other concepts that caught our eye included the:
Honda FCX Clarity: a hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicle
Suzuki Maki Concept: with an MTX sound system and two surfboards on top
Volvo Recharge Concept: another vehicle with a green bent
Volvo Heico Sportiv: built with an S80 as a base and covered in metallic paint
GM Beat, Trax and Groove: microcompacts that started as Aveos
GM Volt: another alternative fuel vehicle
VW Space Up: the name says it all
Audi Cross Cabriolet: a sport utility convertible!
Mitsubishi Concept c-X: not too pretty but interesting
We'd like to see what enthusiasts would do to personalize the following new models, some because it's obvious and others because they'd be an interesting, to say the least, choice for customization:
Lexus ISF: available in March
Saturn Astra: a nice hatchback that needs new grilles and possibly a body kit
Pontiac Vibe: a mix between the old Vibe and the Matrix
Mini Cooper Clubman: there's actually room for the rear passenger's legs!
BMW 135i: a new classic
HHR Passenger Panel: we're thinking lots of subs in the back
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution: an obvious choice
Jeep Compass Sport Rallye Edition: you don't see that many customized Jeeps
A few other vehicles we liked on the show floor included:
The Five Axis version of Lexus's ISF
GAS's 350 in the Ford booth as well as the Volvo C30 in their booth
The Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 Roadster in Al & Ed's booth
And, the Maybach 57S for the mirrored door panels--the entire door just looks great!