Brian Leon
We can breath a sigh of relief, the Fiat 124 Spider doesn’t look like an arachnid.
The 2015 L.A. Auto Show has a little something for everyone, no matter if you’re in the mood for a Range Rover without a roof, a Toyota time-machine, a Volvo that does the driving for you, or a Fiat roadster to rekindle an Italian love affair for driving enjoyment.
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The Daily News Autos team scoured the show-floor here in Los Angeles, looking for the coolest trends, the best concepts and, when needed, the strongest coffee. What did we find? Read on to find out…
Lincoln Continental, still boss of concept cars
Lincoln
With a sleek silhouette and a new centered chrome grille, the Continental Concept signals the arrival of a new face for Lincoln.
We all about fell over when we first saw the Lincoln Continental concept sedan. Big, bulky, and VERY blue, both inside and out, this luxury sedan not only gave the American automaker a brand new look, it also provided the Lincoln Motor Company with some long-lost swagger. Is it any wonder the updated MKZ sedan adopts the look of its big brother concept car?
Fiat 124 Spider looks way better in person
Brian Leon
Based on the Mazda MX-5 Miata, the Fiat has its own unique front and rear fasciae, along with a Fiat-built powertrain under the hood.
We can breath a sigh of relief, the Fiat 124 Spider doesn’t look like an arachnid. Sorry Fiat, but those grainy pre-show photos of a black version – leaked online prior to the LA Auto Show – were as flattering as an oversized tee and pair of Crocs. Based on the Mazda MX-5 Miata, the Fiat has its own unique front and rear fasciae, along with a Fiat-built powertrain under the hood. And yes, thank goodness, it looks like an Italian roadster should…well, one based on the Miata. That’s fine with us!
Mazda keeps on swinging for homeruns
Mike Ditz
Intelligent, efficient, and pretty slinky for an SUV, if the CX-9 drives like it looks then Mazda has another hit on its hands.
We’re getting a little weary of heaping praise onto Mazda. But darn it, the Japanese automaker is in the midst of building a great range of cars and crossovers! The newest edition is this, the CX-9 sport-utility that was unveiled here in Los Angeles. Intelligent, efficient, and pretty slinky for an SUV, if the CX-9 drives like it looks then Mazda has another hit on its hands.
Range Rover stirs up auto journalists
Range Rover
Yes, the idea of a truck with a soft-top is still kinda weird. But when it looks this good, who cares? Range Rover, we’ve got your back on this one.
This does not look anything like the departed (and unlamented) Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet. That bizarrely-styled and strangely marketed automotive unicorn is the go-to model when auto journalists start describing the Range Rover’s new convertible version of the Evoque SUV. They’re wrong, trust us. Yes, the idea of a truck with a soft-top is still kinda weird. But when it looks this good, who cares? Range Rover, we’ve got your back on this one.
Porsche doesn’t believe in sleep
Nick Kurczewski
The all-wheel-drive Targa 4S on the Porsche stage here in Los Angeles had us drooling.
Wasn’t it only one, maybe two years ago that Porsche gifted the car world the latest Targa variant of the 911 sports car? That didn’t stop the German sports car specialist from giving the Targa a total mechanical revamp in time for the LA Auto Show. In the engine bay, you’ll now find that twin-turbo, flat-6 engine that has become the 911’s de facto engine. The all-wheel-drive Targa 4S on the Porsche stage here in Los Angeles had us drooling – and wondering if Porsche engineers ever sleep.
Toyota is a total ‘Back to the Future’ fan boy
Jordan Strauss/Invision for Toyota
It’s a bird, it’s a plane…it’s a hydrogen-powered Toyota with gullwing-style doors, a Flux Capacitor and a Mr. Fusion?!?
It’s a bird, it’s a plane…it’s a hydrogen-powered Toyota with gullwing-style doors, a Flux Capacitor and a Mr. Fusion?!? Toyota has been hard at work making a marketing link between the Mirai hyrdogen sedan and the ‘Back to the Future’ film franchise. Okay, we’re a little wary of cute advertising schemes. But can we repeat: this thing has a Flux Capacitor, gullwing doors, and a Mr. Fusion! Okay Toyota, you win.
Honda and Nissan stay sensible and smart
Honda
The Civic Coupe features sporty performance, ride refinement, and cabin quietness to go along with its class-leading fuel efficiency and safety performance.
Nick Kurczewski
While most mid-model refreshers are tepid, the new 2016 Nissan Sentra is more like an ice bucket challenge than a moist towelette.
Has the world gone totally mad for crossovers and SUVs. Yes, and no. Honda and Nissan reminded us that not everything in the automotive world needs to ride high and sport all-wheel-drive. The sleek new Honda Civic coupe and handsome Nissan Sentra sedan are big on value, economy and, surprise, also pretty awesome when it comes to safety features, too. Cars still exist, and these fuel-sipping models are better than ever.
Mercedes-Benz knows how to keep it classy
Daimler AG – Global Communicatio
The new Mercedes-Benz SL is proof that this iconic drop-top will remain with us for a very long time.
Don’t mess with an icon, or at least don’t do anything rash and wild. The new Mercedes-Benz SL is proof that this iconic drop-top will remain with us for a very long time – and that’s a very good thing. Updated styling helps to sand away some of the more awkward edges of the previous generation. If ever there was a car made for cruising down Santa Monica Boulevard or through Beverly Hills, this is it.
Volvo might have this autonomous drive thing figured out
Volvo
If this is how the future of driving looks, count us in.
When we first spotted Volvo’s “concept” vehicle here in L.A., we thought someone was joking. Nice interior guys, now where is the rest of the car? Upon further inspection, we discovered this is the next generation of Volvo’s vision of a car that can take over driving duties. Sleek, spare, and bristling with Swedish design, the cabin is customized to let driver OR car take control. If this is how the future of driving looks, count us in.
Alfa Romeo is making us very impatient
Brian Leon
This sport sedan has the power to rival the very best from BMW, Mercedes and Audi.
Sometimes we really don’t like waiting. That’s the case with the Alfa Romeo Giulia, the Italian automaker’s next model to officially come stateside. This sport sedan has the power to rival the very best from BMW, Mercedes and Audi; range-topping models like the Quadrifoglio, with its 505-horsepower, Ferrari-derived twin-turbo V-6, could be downright monsters. Soooooooo, it goes without saying we want to drive one ASAP. It’ll happen, soon. You bet it will.
Tags: la auto show[2] , rankings[3] , lincoln[4] , fiat[5] , mazda[6] , range rover[7] , porsche[8] , toyota[9] , honda[10] , nissan[11] , mercedes benz[12] , volvo[13] , alfa romeo[14]
References
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^ la auto show (www.nydailynews.com)
^ rankings (www.nydailynews.com)
^ lincoln (www.nydailynews.com)
^ fiat (www.nydailynews.com)
^ mazda (www.nydailynews.com)
^ range rover (www.nydailynews.com)
^ porsche (www.nydailynews.com)
^ toyota (www.nydailynews.com)
^ honda (www.nydailynews.com)
^ nissan (www.nydailynews.com)
^ mercedes benz (www.nydailynews.com)
^ volvo (www.nydailynews.com)
^ alfa romeo (www.nydailynews.com)