Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo concept vehicle
The Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo concept vehicle is introduced at the Los Angeles Auto Show on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo concept vehicle
The Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo concept vehicle is introduced at the Los Angeles Auto Show on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Subaru WRX
The new car will get a version of the Forester’s 2.0-liter engine paired with a six-speed manual, all-wheel-drive and 265 horsepower. It’ll hit 60mph in 5.4 seconds.
Land Rover Range Rover Long Wheelbase Autobiography Black Edition
The highest-available option in the Range Rover line, it costs $185,000 and comes complete with massage seats and champagne cooler.
Porsche Macan
This will be a smaller SUV (read: entry-level) than the Cayenne and go on sale mid-2014. Expect it to cost around $45,000 and compete against the Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Land Rover Evoque.
Audi A3
A 2015 model that will cost just over $30,000 (which undercuts the competitor 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250) and go on sale next spring. Standard equipment on the new A3 includes a panoramic sunroof, Bluetooth, LED daytime running lights, leather seats and xenon headlamps.
Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo concept vehicle
The Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo concept vehicle is introduced at the Los Angeles Auto Show on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Jaguar F-Type Coupe
This is the sister car to the F-Type Roadster, Jaguar’s progression from its iconic E-Type line. The high-end F-Type R Coupe comes supercharged with a 550-horsepower V8 engine, hit 60 mph in 4 seconds and cost $99,985. It will debut as a 2015 model.
BMW 4 Series Convertible
The sleek hardtop retains the shape and speed of its predecessor but includes a new chassis, new engine and a new transmission design, with the option for either a 428i turbo four-cylinder engine or a 435i turbo six-cylinder engine. It’s also 44 pounds lighter.
Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo
The Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo, a mystery concept car that Merc had whispered about for months. It’s a virtual sportscar created by the in-house design team there for Sony’s new PlayStation 3 game “Gran Turismo 6.”
Rolls-Royce Wraith
This car isn’t debuting in Los Angeles, but it’s the latest, hottest thing from Rolls and well worth a go-see. The fastback coupe DOES THIS.
MINI Hardtop
This is the third-generation hardtop from the BMW-owned British brand. It looks a little different from the original – a boxier nose and bigger headlights – and comes available with either a 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine (134 horsepower) or a 2.0 liter four-cylinder engine (189 horsepower). Both are turbocharged and direct-injected engines and will start around 18,000 euros.
Hyundai Genesis
Hyundai has totally refreshed its high-end sedan, with all-wheel drive and a 3.8-liter V6 engine confirmed for the production line. The car is a sportier version of the plush Equus but retains its smart handling and handsome standard appointments inside.
Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo concept vehicle
People gather around the Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo concept vehicle at the Los Angeles Auto Show on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo concept vehicle
People look at the Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo concept vehicle at the Los Angeles Auto Show on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Monday night in Beverly Hills Land Rover hosted a party for 100 of its most special clients. The British marque planted its evening gala at a private 30-acre estate that includes a pond, pool, polo field and gallery to hold a considerable art collection.
Guests from places as far-flung as Hong Kong and as near as Bel-Air mingled on the back lawn, eating steak tartar and silver-spooning soft-boiled eggs delicately from their shells. Chef Josef Centeno had created a special menu for the event; flames burned through outdoor heaters while the DJ in the corner played pop tracks.
The occasion? The world debut of Land Rover’s Range Rover Long Wheelbase Autobiography Black edition, a $185,000 SUV complete with massage seats and champagne cooler.
“This really is the ultimate of what Land Rover can offer,” Kim McCullough, Land Rover North America’s Brand Vice President, told me. “And we’ve already had people asking if they can buy one tonight! We could easily sell twice as many as we’re making, the demand is so great.”
It’s not surprising. Available in long-wheelbase only for the U.S., the Range Rover Long-Wheelbase Autobiography Black was designed and engineered by Jaguar Land Rover’s ‘Engineered To Order’ (bespoke) division with a unique front grille, side vents, rear lamps and tailgate. The tires are a new exclusive 7-spoke 21-inch with a high-gloss polished finish. The best part? Only 100 will be made, and the first 25 will be made in a special “Valloire White” color that costs $199,500.
Impressive, yes, but that luxury machine isn’t the only car worth watching for this week at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Add to your must-see list the BMW 4-Series convertible, the Audi Audi A3, the Porsche Porsche Macan and the much-hyped Jaguar F-Type coupe.
First, though, one should consider something unattainable but drool-worthy: The Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo, a mystery concept car that Merc had whispered about for months. It’s a virtual sportscar created by the in-house design team there for Sony Sony’s new PlayStation 3 game “Gran Turismo 6.” The car is a thick gullwing coupe that went on view in Sunnyvale, Calif., earlier today but, unfortunately, remain in virtual form. Nonetheless, Mercedes went ahead and provided the physical one with styling (F1-style cockpit) and mechanical cues that we can expect to see in the forthcoming GT AMG that will replace the SLS AMG in mid-2014.
Elsewhere in LA, and slightly more realistic for daily driving, BMW is showing its new 4-Series, a convertible that will replace the 3-Series for 2014. The sleek hardtop retains the shape and speed of its predecessor but includes a new chassis, new engine and a new transmission design, with the option for either a 428i turbo four-cylinder engine or a 435i turbo six-cylinder engine. It’s also 44 pounds lighter. All-wheel-drive is optional, but – sorry, boys — no manual transmission is available.
Meanwhile rival German automaker Audi will show its A3, a 2015 model that will cost just over $30,000 (which undercuts the competitor 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250) and go on sale next spring. Standard equipment on the new A3 includes a panoramic sunroof, Bluetooth, LED daytime running lights, leather seats and xenon headlamps.
“Los Angeles is a very important show for us,” Audi of America President Scott Keogh told me last week over lunch in New York. “That’s why we wanted to debut the A3 there – the energy and reception will be exceptional.”
Expect to see five new A3 models–including convertibles and a diesel version–going for sale as well later next year.
Finally Jaguar, fresh off the heels of its successful F-Type convertible launch—a car that has possibly the best sound and road-connectedness of any brand-new models I drove all year—will show a coupe version of the roadster.
“I think that car will be exceptional,” one Chinese businessman told me at the Jaguar launch. He has long owned cars from British brands and had liked the F-Type convertible—though he thought it slightly overpriced. He also praised the effort at the British marque to turn the tide at the once faltering brand. “I don’t own one, but the F-Type roadster is very fun to drive. I look forward to seeing the coupe.”
That’s just one of the high points this year in L.A. Click through the slideshow to see more.
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