Last week, while out in Los Angeles to drive the new Civic Si, I got my first ever chance to visit the LA Auto Show. Auto shows are always an interesting mix of things to see, from priceless one-off concepts to e-bikes you could ride home from the show for a couple grand. One thing they all have in common: They’re all horrible to photograph under harsh convention center lights. But I tried, and I present to you the results: Some cool stuff, sorted by manufacturer, straight from LA.
And LA will answer. Sondors showed up with a full lineup of electric-assisted bicycles with some extremely cool retro looks. Unfortunately, the Metacycle wasn’t available during media days, though the company says it’s now on display for the remainder of the show.
Ford didn’t have the hood open on their F-100 Eluminator, to show where the engine isn’t, but just seeing the build in person is still extremely interesting. The attention to detail, the custom badging, everything is just so — even if it weren’t an EV conversion, it would be a beautiful restomod.
Ford accumulated a lot of goodwill with the F-100, and then spent it all here. The Maverick itself is great; all trucks should be slammed with wide fenders, turbofans, and a four-Recaro interior. The problem is the display: Ford, in its infinite wisdom, put a blue car on blue carpet under blue lights against blue signage. Please, I beg of you, a crumb of contrast.
See? Contrast! I don’t know that I love the louvers on this Mach-E, but I don’t know that I dislike them either. Regardless, the stance, the wheels, and the beach cruiser bikes on the back all get a big thumbs up.
Counting all the Mach-Es against the Shelby and RTR Mustangs that Ford had on display, the numbers were about even. This teal Ecoboost tipped the scales, though, in favor of Mustangs with fewer than eight cylinders. It also happened to be the coolest two-door Mustang in the building.
Ford made the bold move to not only poorly light the Lightning, but to place it on a spinning platform directly ahead of very bright, colorful screens. I believe they did this to stymie me, specifically, in my attempts to take photos. Joke’s on them, though, because I still got a close-up of the new (and extremely cool) Lightning badge.
I can’t say for sure that Ford released the new Bronco in this shade of yellow just to match an old Bronco that claims Baja heritage. I also can’t say that Ford didn’t do that. Unfortunately, no one was on hand to answer questions about the provenance of the old race truck, but the appearance alone is cool enough.
Subaru’s booth at the show is absolutely wild. To a degree, that’s literal — they brought in real plants, a treehouse, and a “Chill Sounds Of The Woods To Relax/Study To” CD that played on a loop. There were also at least two dogs up for adoption, in their own little playpen between an Impreza and the treehouse.
Subaru also brought the prototype Solterra out, which was my first chance to see it in the metal. It was sitting atop a screen that showed a rushing forest floor, which was not at all disorienting and nauseating to walk on, but was at least on-brand for Subaru’s full commitment to Outdoorsiness. I still think the bZ4X, the Solterra’s Toyota-branded twin, looks a bit better, though.
The first piece I ever wrote for Jalopnik (though I don’t think it was the first one published) was a defense of the new WRX’s looks. After seeing the bright orange prototype in person, with the full contrast of the black plastic cladding, I stand by my take: It’s good! Maybe the plastic will save Subie Dudes a bit of money on new Rally Armors.
In that old WRX article, I tried to include a detail shot of these “magma design” tail lights. It didn’t work, so I bought a new camera and tried again in LA. So many new tail lights are so boring, but the WRX added just a bit of flair to keep things interesting. I’m here for it!
Fisker brought the new Ocean crossover to LA. This concept version had a sort of “Default Keith Haring wallpaper on the LG Voyager” aesthetic going on, which I truly hope is a factory option for the production vehicle. Make it an added-cost option, Fisker. It’s worth it.
I had thought the days of tri-spoke wheels were over, but then Fisker showed up with these multi-colored tri-bladed fans on each corner of the Ocean. The texture looks like a mix between carbon fiber and granite, which is such an out-there idea for a wheel design that I have no choice but to respect it.
Fisker’s tri-spokes may be cool, but the 2x3spokes on the Kia EV9 concept take the cake. Are they incredibly cool? Yes. Are they incredibly shiny and difficult to photograph when they’re sitting on top of a giant screen? Also yes. Would I gladly run them on my own car, if they came in a size smaller than these enormous 22s? Absolutely.
If you’re in the market for a new phone wallpaper, and you’re really into the Kia EV9, and you’re also really into the color blue, boy do I have the shot for you. Kia took a page out of Ford’s Halsey-inspired book by placing their blue car in front of a blue screen, but the satin finish on the EV9 makes it work.
Chevrolet had someone wiping down this Z06 with a microfiber cloth every ten to fifteen seconds. Your local Cars and Coffee, with the one guy with the shirt tucked into the cargo shorts and the full Meguiar’s product line laid out behind his C6, has nothing on the standards of cleanliness set by GM’s best and brightest.
Chevrolet had two Z06s on display, but only the orange convertible had the Z07 package and all its associated carbon-fiber aero. To any readers interested in the Z06, buy this one: All the wings, lips, and canards, plus the Good Color. Will you get ten miles per gallon from all that drag? Probably, yeah. Will you care, with all this high-gloss carbon around you? Absolutely not.
I’m of the firm belief that both of Toyota’s rear-drive sports cars are great. I haven’t yet driven the new GR 86, so it still has time to disappoint me, but somehow I doubt it will. Light, cheap, and RWD is a winning combo, no matter what.
Nissan debuted the new Z in an incredible highlighter yellow-green, and in doing so ensured that no camera would ever accurately capture its true hue. The company actually brought both of its debut Zs to the auto show, with the green-and-gold model sharing a seat of honor with the new Ariya. The blue Z, however, got an even more interesting companion.
Displaying a classic Z right next to the new one really shows off how many styling cues are preserved. It also shows off how much higher modern beltlines and hoods are, how much flatter and taller front ends have gotten. I like both cars, but given the opportunity, give me the Datsun.
The 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport’s name may just be a meandering trip through the List Of Racing Words And Characters That Porsche Likes, but the car itself looks like an absolute blast. Bring one to Lime Rock, and I bet it’ll finish a hot lap before you can remember the order in which all of its little name pieces go.
The Mission E is an exceedingly interesting electric track car. It’s also just gorgeous, with these smooth sweeping lines and ultra-wide fender flares. Is it too heavy? Does it have the battery capacity to turn a day of laps on one charge? I simply do not care. It’s art, any actual functionality is just a bonus.
That’s the Mission E’s body-width tail light, which goes perfectly with the light strips Porsche had placed around their little display room. I’m telling you, this car is art.
Porsche also unveiled the Taycan Sport Turismo in LA, a lowered version of the jacked up Cross Turismo wagon. For when you need to get all your stuff to the other end of the Autobahn in sixteen seconds, but want to do so in total silence.