2013 Los Angeles Auto Show: 2015 Chevy Colorado

Onto Chevrolet, which is tied with Cadillac as my favorite American car brands. They debuted the new Colorado at the L.A. Auto Show this year. At least Chevy still believes in midsize pickups. If you didn't know already, midsize pickups are a dwindling segment in the U.S.; they are popular overseas, though. Last year Ford discontinued the Ranger and Ram axed the Dakota before the 2013 model year. The new Colorado shown here is a different model from the overseas version, which has been on sale for a while now. It is powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder producing 193 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque. A 3.6-liter V6 producing 302 horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque is optional; a 2.8-liter diesel four-cylinder is coming next year. Both engines are paired to a six-speed automatic. Inside is one of, if not, the best-looking interiors in a pickup its class. V6 models have a towing capacity of 6,700 lbs. Three trim levels are on hand: Work Truck (WT), LT, and Z71. An off-road variant will come in the near future. All models come with corner step and a two-tier loading system. The LT and Z71 trims will get an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system and familiar technologies such as MyLink and OnStar are optional. Only the extended and crew cab body styles will be offered. Pricing will likely start at under $20k and competitors include the Toyota Tacoma and Nissan Frontier. It will go on sale next autumn. I think this is a pretty decent, good-looking truck. Overall, the new Colorado is better than a Tacoma but will never be as good as a Silverado.

2013 Los Angeles Auto Show: Porsche 911 Turbo/S Cabriolet (Type 991)

The new Porsche 911 Turbo/S cabriolet made its public debut at the L.A. Auto Show this year. Porsche had released photos and information of this car approximately two months in advance, so its debut is not as huge as the debut of other cars in L.A. It is powered by a 3.8-liter twin-turbo flat-six churning out 520 horsepower in the Turbo and 560 horsepower in the Turbo S. 0-60 mph happens in the three-second range and top speed is at 195 mph. The 911 Turbo cabriolet models are priced at $160,700 and $193,900 and will hit U.S. showrooms early next year. This is a great car and is one of the best versions of the 911, but I'd simply go with the 911 Turbo in coupe form because the coupe is faster, lighter, and cheaper than the convertible. Pictured below is the type 930 911 Turbo cabriolet, placed right outside the Petree Hall of the L.A. Convention Center, and a type 997 911 Turbo cabriolet I saw last month.

 



2013 Los Angeles Auto Show: Porsche Macan

Onto Porsche, one of my favorite automakers. Every year Porsche debuts something special at the L.A. Auto Show. Last year Porsche debuted the second-gen Cayman in L.A., two years ago the Panamera GTS, three years ago the Cayman R, and so on and so forth. If you didn't know already, more Porsches are sold in Southern California than any other place on Earth. This year Porsche has decided to bring the Macan to the L.A. Auto Show. It slots below the Cayenne in their SUV lineup and is based on the same platform as the Audi Q5. The Porsche Macan is offered with a twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 producing 340 hp (S model) and a 3.6-liter V6 producing 400 hp (Turbo model). The Macan S will accelerate from 0-60 mph in 5.2 seconds and tops out at 156 mph. The Macan Turbo will accelerate from 0-60 mph in 4.6 seconds and tops out at 164 mph. Both engines are paired to a six-speed dual-clutch and all-wheel drive comes standard. The Macan also has pretty decent off-road capabilities. Inside, there are plenty of buttons and a centrally-mounted tachometer, which are part of a typical Porsche's interior. The interior comes with Piano Black trim and alcantara seat inserts. The Turbo model receives leather, brushed aluminum, and 18-way power front seats. The starting price for the Porsche Macan will be around $49,000, making it Porsche's least expensive model. Deliveries are expected to begin next spring. I think this is a pretty sufficient SUV, although Mercedes-Benz may have better SUV choices in my opinion. This will also be a huge moneymaker for Porsche.

2013 Los Angeles Auto Show: Range Rover Long Wheelbase Autobiography Black

Next in the L.A. Auto Show lineup is Land Rover. They've decided to bring the Range Rover Long Wheelbase there. This is the first time Land Rover has produced a long wheelbase version of the Range Rover in twenty years. It is eight inches longer than the standard version. The long wheelbase version offers 5.5 inches of more legroom and loads of luxury features. The range-topping Autobiography Black trim is characterized by a restyled grille, new badges, touches of black enamel and chrome, and available exclusive high-gloss seven-spoke 21- and 22-inch alloys. Inside, everything is covered in either leather, wood veneer, or brushed stainless steel. Buyers that want two individual rear seats receive a custom center console stretching the length of the cabin that includes a chiller compartment, electrically deployable tables wrapped in black leather, and rear TV screens. The Range Rover LWB Autobiography Black costs just over $130k, making it the most expensive model in Land Rover's lineup. It will hit U.S. showrooms next March. In my opinion, this is a very nice SUV, but I'd rather have a Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG if I could choose between the two. Pictured below is the short wheelbase Range Rover. These pictures were from earlier this month.



2013 Los Angeles Auto Show: Jaguar CX-17 Concept

The CX-17 Concept made its North American debut at the L.A. show. This is Jaguar's first-ever crossover concept. It appears to be almost ready for production. It has a low-sitting stance, 23'' alloy wheels, and LED headlamps. The CX-17's styling helps it to be as different as possible from its sister brand Land Rover. It also has a panoramic roof and tons of high-tech features. The CX-17 is offered with a range of four- and six-cylinder engines, both gasoline and diesel. Overall, the CX-17 looks really good and is very well executed.

2013 Los Angeles Auto Show: Jaguar F-Type Coupe R

Next up is Jaguar, one of my favorite car brands. First up is the new F-Type coupe. Under the hood is a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 producing 550 horsepower and 502 lb-ft of torque. The F-Type R propels from 0-60 mph in 4 seconds and has a top speed of 186 mph. It features an Electronic Active Differential, Jaguar's Super Performance Braking System, sport suspension with Adaptive Dynamics, and an Active Sports Exhaust system. The starting price for the F-Type R coupe is $99,895, while the base model starts at $65,895.On the other hand, the roadster variant has a higher base price. The base and S models are powered by V6 engines churning out 340-380 horsepower and 332-339 lb-ft of torque. It comes with RWD and an eight-speed automatic transmission. The F-Type coupe weighs in at around 3600-3900 lbs, while the roadster is slightly heavier. In general, the F-Type is an excellent car and looks absolutely gorgeous. The F-Type roadster came first because convertibles are "harder to design and engineer than coupes," according to Jaguar design chief Ian Callum. He also stated, "If  you get the convertible right, then it's easier for the coupe to follow, rather than the other way around." Deliveries of the F-Type coupe will begin sometime next year. Pictured below is the F-Type V8 S roadster. It's difficult for me to tell which variant of the F-Type looks better. The one in red was part of the Petersen Auto Museum's display at the L.A. Auto Show while I saw the one in red orange earlier this month.

2013 Los Angeles Auto Show: Mercedes-Benz GLA 45 AMG Concept

This may be a concept, but it appears to be production-ready. The GLA45 is powered by the same 2.0-liter turbo-four in the CLA45 and A45 AMG, which makes 355 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque. It comes with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission anfd AMG Performance 4Matic all-wheel-drive. 0-60 mph will happen in the four-second range. Overall, this is a pretty nice crossover. I also tend to favor Mercedes-Benz over the competition and this is no exception. Pictured below is the GLA250, which made its North American debut at the L.A. show.

2013 Los Angeles Auto Show: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT Final Edition

The SLS AMG will be discontinued after the 2014 model year, so the SLS Final Edition is one last goodbye to such an excellent piece of machinery. The SLS AMG GT Final Edition is distinguished by a carbon-fiber hood, a fixed rear wing, a carbon-fiber splitter, unique front bumper inlets, and exclusive alloys. Power output from the standard SLS AMG GT transfers over, with 583 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque. 0-60 mph happens in 3.6 seconds, 124 mph in 11.2 seconds, and top speed is electronically limited to 197 mph. This will have a limited production of 350 units. After all 350 units have been made, production of the SLS AMG and its 6.2-liter V8 will officially end. Its replacement will be a Porsche 911-fighter rumored to be called the GT, which will have a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 producing nearly 500 horsepower. Gullwing doors will not return for the SLS replacement. The SLS AMG is one of my all-time favorite cars and it's sad to see this car go. Pictured below are a SLS Black Series (in yellow, my favorite SLS variant), SLS roadster (modified in red, stock in silver), and a standard SLS AMG that I saw back in April. The first two were from the L.A. Auto Show while I saw the silver SLS roadster at a dealer in San Jose back in August.