timscribbles.com

Words by Matt Willis

Tim and I recently paid a visit to the Los Angeles Auto Show to see first-hand some of the latest vehicles to hit the market, as well as various showcases and premieres. Take a look…

The lower floor had a few gems, including this gorgeous pair of M3s.

Upon arriving in the main hall, we were greeted by this giant ominous Toyota logo suspended from the ceiling…guess this was the Toyota section.

TRD display showing off the Tacoma and 4Runner.

Found this cool glass city model over at the Audi booth.

Volkswagen’s ID-R Formula electric vehicle, designed specifically for the Pikes Peak hillclimb event. This past year, the ID-R, driven by Romain Dumas, shattered records on all fronts by setting a new fast time of 7m 57s.

I really enjoyed Volvo’s latest designs. Over the last decade, I think they’ve really achieved a sleek, refined look across their entire lineup – without being too ostentatious or too bland. They’ve hit the sweet spot.

This particular model was the new V60 Cross Country wagon.

Infiniti P10, which we’ll call a very exploratory EV roadster concept…

BMW’s new, gigantic M850i coupe, which I actually really liked. A nice change from the 8-Sedan, which apparently has come and gone…

Various updated models at the Mercedes display…

Tim and I were most excited to see the new Honda Passport in person. With the legacy Passport truly living up to the “SUV” boom of its time, we were hoping to see the same incorporations in the revised model. Sadly, it really didn’t feel all that unique in comparison to Honda’s current offerings – it seemed like it could simply be badged as a Pilot Sport or something.

I was also excited to see the revived Ranger from Ford. Like its current competitors, the Tacoma and Colorado, it is no longer a small, simple-duty pickup and the price tag will likely follow suit. A Raptor off-road variant of the Ranger is also expected.

Neat displays at the Ford booth.

Over at Jeep, the newly facelifted Wrangler was on display…

…in addition to this, an extended, err, elongated truck version of the Wrangler, officially known as the Gladiator. A Wrangler pickup has been in the works for several years, I think it was probably just a matter of Chrysler figuring out the best time to release it to capture sales. It is, in fact, LONG – it compares to 2500 size pickups with its 140″ wheelbase. That said, like the Wrangler itself, it is unique and it will probably dig its way into a niche market. The open-air top, rugged capability and near 8,000-lb. towing capacity are great starting features that certainly set it apart.

While viewing the interior of the Jeep Renegade, we noticed these subtle little Jeep designs baked into the interior.

Making our way out of the main hall towards the Porsche annex, we came across this block art 911.

Exhibit in the Porsche annex featuring a classic 911.

Three updated ‘992’ 911 Carrera models took center stage.

While there are elements I like about the new back-end (most notably the thin end-to-end brake light), the design has a few atrocities. The third brake light looks it was just slapped there in error (they couldn’t put a matching slim one at the base of the rear window!?) and the ugly plastic trim sections around the exhaust are really bulky; their inclusion forces the aft bumper to sit really low to the ground. Prior 911s all had exhausts situated under a raised bumper, which just happens to be my taste for all cars in general.

Nitpicking aside, the design still fits the 911 profile at the end of the day and I’m sure those who can afford them will not be disappointed…