2013 Ford Escape
2012 Dodge Charger Super Bee
2012 Jaguar XKR-S convertible
2012 Subaru BR-Z concept
2012 Porsche Panamera
2013 Chevrolet Spark
2012 Honda CR-V
2012 Mitsubishi Lancer SE
Having often vied for the attention of the world’s automakers with its great rival, the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the LA Auto Show has experienced somewhat of a renaissance in recent years, thanks to a change in dates, which now sees it pushed forward several months ahead of the latter.
As a result, there’s been a growing number of vehicles that are selected to make their North American and world debuts in the City of Angels, and the 2011 event, which ran from November 18-27, was no exception.
This year, Canadian auto dealer was on hand to witness some of the newest vehicles launched into the North American auto market, ranging from frugal city cars to monster muscle machines and high-end luxury and exotic automobiles. Here’s a look at some of the vehicles that made their world debuts in LA.
Chrysler
Performance was very much the emphasis for Detroit’s number three automaker at this year’s LA Auto Show. A limited production Dodge Charger SRT-8, the Super Bee, made its world debut. It will be offered in either Stinger Yellow or Stealth Black with special graphics and Super Bee logos.
Powered by the 6.4-litre 470 hp Hemi V8, just 1,000 examples will be built, finding their way into showrooms in the first quarter of 2012. Another special edition muscle machine was the Dodge Challenger Yellow Jacket, named after a 1970 show car that curiously, was actually painted gold. This one follows a similar theme to the Super Bee, being based on the SRT 392 model and finished in special Stinger Yellow paint with unique touches. It’s also slated to be introduced in the first quarter of 2012.
Ford Motor Company
Things were busy on the Ford stand in LA. Most noticeable was the debut of the 2013 Mustang models, V6, GT plus the specialty Boss 302 and Shelby GT500 models. All Mustangs get a facelift for 2013, with new HID (High Intensity Discharge) headlights and LED taillights.
GT models get a slight increase in power to 420 hp on the 5.0-litre V8, while the Boss 302 gets a new exterior colour, School Bus Yellow, revised (now reflective) stripe package and standard SYNC voice activated info/entertainment system. The Shelby gets aerodynamic upgrades of its own and a new engine in the shape of a monster 5.8-litre supercharged V8 that cranks out an astonishing 630 hp. This results in the first factory built production Mustang capable of reaching 320 km/h (200 mph).
The other big news was the launch of the new 2013 Ford Escape, expected to be a volume seller here in Canada. It very much follows Ford’s current design language and features a standard 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine along with optional 1.6 and 2.0-litre direct injection, turbocharged EcoBoost motors, which combined with a standard six-speed automatic transmission are said to deliver top fuel economy for the segment.
The 2013 Escape will arrive in dealerships during the summer of 2012. Ford also displayed its updated 2013 Flex crossover, which sports a revised front end treatment, revamped interior and an upgraded SYNC/MyFord Touch info entertainment system.
General Motors
The biggest news here was the world debut of the 580 horsepower Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 convertible, which will join its coupe counterpart. Using parts from the Corvette ZR1, including a version of its 6.2-litre supercharged V8, six-speed manual gearbox and Magneto selective ride suspension, the ZL1 promises to be the best performing factory Camaro ever built.
At the other end of the spectrum, Chevrolet also unveiled the 2013 Spark city car, powered by a 1.2-litre four-cylinder engine. The Spark will be offered in a variety of different high impact colours and is aimed at first time buyers and young, urban dwellers.
Honda
One of the most widely anticipated unveilings in LA was the fourth generation CR-V crossover utility. Clearly evolutionary, despite a major sheetmetal and interior revamp, the 2012 model is said to boast better fuel economy despite a 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine and five-speed automatic transmission that are essentially carried over from its predecessor.
The biggest improvements are in the areas of refinement and standard equipment, for example all CR-Vs now come with Bluetooth capability and a rear back up camera. The 2012 CR-V will be built at Honda’s Alliston, Ont. plant and is scheduled to hit Canadian showrooms in January 2012. Honda also debuted an electric version of its Fit subcompact, though initially availability will be restricted to parts of California, Oregon and the U.S. North East.
Jaguar
Los Angeles is probably the perfect place for Jaguar to introduce a new model to North America and the company elected to do just that with its 2012 XKR-S convertible.
Following on from its brutally fast coupe counterpart, the convertible features the same hardware, namely the 550 horsepower 5.0-litre supercharged V8 and performance tuned suspension. However, Jaguar says it will only allocate 25 examples for North America in 2012.
Porsche
Hot on the heels from releasing its latest 911 in Frankfurt (which also made its North American debut in LA); Porsche announced the world debut of its Panamera GTS sedan in the City of Angels.
A high performance derivative of the existing 4S, it features a 4.8-litre V8 with an extra 30 hp (for a total of 430 horsepower), coupled with Porsche’s 7-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission.
Volkswagen
The big news here was the unveiling of the latest CC sedan, which Volkswagen labels a four-door coupe.
Major changes on the 2013 model include revamped front and rear styling with Bi-Xenon headlights and LED tail lamps, an updated wheel design, newly available exterior colours (Black Oak Brown and Fortuna Red), plus a revised interior with a more practical rear bench seat, in place of the previous individual buckets and centre console arrangement. The 2013 CC goes on sale in spring 2012.
Volvo
Although not a huge amount was new on the Volvo stand in LA, a limited edition C70 cabrio the “Inscription” model, made its world debut.
Offered in two exterior colours, Black Sapphire or Ice White, it features unique 18-inch alloy wheels, special interior fixtures, including a leather covered dash panel and Inscription logos on the seats, plus aluminum accents. Just 500 examples are earmarked for North America, with the first ones rolling out the door in late 2011.
