LA Auto Show 2009: Audi A3 TDI named 2010 Green Car of the Year in diesel repeat
At the LA Auto Show this morning, the Audi A3 TDI was crowned the 2010 Green Car of the Year, wresting the title away from last year’s winner, the Volkswagen Jetta TDI. Even though three hybrids made this year’s list of finalists, the A3′s win marks the second year in a row that a TDI diesel car took top honors in the Green Car Journal competition.
The other contenders were the Honda Insight, the Mercury Milan Hybrid (we still don’t get why this car beat out the better-selling and nearly identical Ford Fusion Hybrid) and the Toyota Prius.
Each year, Green Car Journal picks the five finalists and then hands over selection duties to celebrity jurors (Jay Leno, Carroll Shelby, and the Sierra Club’s Carl Pope, to name a few). During the award ceremony, Green Car Journal editor Ron Cogan said that the five finalists are notable because they are all mainstream vehicles that are available today. They exist because that’s what the market is asking for. Whaddya think? Is the A3 TDI this year’s rightful Green Car of the Year?
Categories: Audi, Hatchback, LA Auto Show, Los Angeles Auto Show Tags: Audi, LA Auto Show
LA 2009: BMW ActiveHybrids get North American debut; 7 Series model priced from $103,12
BMW took advantage of California’s proclivity for greenwashing to give its ActiveHybrid models their North American debuts at the LA Auto Show. Just for good measure they also brought along the incredible Vision Efficient Dynamics sustainable supercar concept. While we know a great deal about BMW’s first true hybrid, the X6 ActiveHybrid, from our first drive, we still had to admire its incredible combination of horsepower and technology, even if the mileage isn’t really spectacular enough to warrant a truly green halo.
The BMW 7 Series ActiveHybrid is a mild hybrid with the electric motor filling one of three roles while in motion. It alternates between being a motivator, a generator and a booster depending on load and demand. It can go 37 mph on the motor alone, it gets 20% better overall mileage than the straight gas engine, and it does the 0-60 trot in just 4.7 seconds thanks to its 455 horsepower and 515 lb-ft of torque. BMW’s Peter Miles did add one bit of information to the Active 7 equation when he announced pricing. The regular wheelbase model will start at $103,125 while the long-wheelbase “L” model will start at $107,025.
Categories: BMW, Concept Cars, Convertible, Coupe, Crossover, Hybrid, LA Auto Show, Los Angeles Auto Show, Sedan Tags:
LA Auto Show 2009: 2011 Ford Mustang V6 on show floor with little fanfare
You would think that with all of the new powertrain improvements to the 2011 Mustang V6 that Ford would be making a big deal about the car here at the LA Auto Show. Not so. While the Fiesta display took up nearly a third of the West hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center, a sole V6-powered Mustang sat alone on the show floor. We can understand why Ford would want to turn the spotlight on its new B-segment small car, but thought that its legendary pony car deserved a little more love.
What’s the big deal, you ask? For starters, the new 3.7-liter V6 is putting out 305 horsepower and 280 lb-ft torque, a significant improvement over the aging 4.0-liter engine that it replaces. As a bonus, the new engine will net an expected 30 mpg on the highway thanks in part to new 6-speed transmissions, available in both manual or automatic. The updates were a long time coming, and we fully expect them to put the Mustang back in the lead of the pony car sales war.
Categories: Coupe, Ford, LA Auto Show, Los Angeles Auto Show Tags:
LA 2009: Volkswagen shows off “Final Edition” New Beetle models
Signifying the end of what has been a long run, Volkswagen has introduced “Final Edition” models of the New Beetle coupe and convertible. Each will be limited to a run of just 1,500 units. Under the hood is VW’s familiar 2.5-liter inline-fine (rated at 150 horsepower) sending power to the front wheels through a six-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission – nothing new there. However, the German automaker has fitted a full sport suspension and unique 17-inch alloy wheels to each of the New Beetles to add a touch more driving excitement.
Cosmetically, the Final Edition models feature Aquarius Blue paint. The hardtop version breaks up the color with a black roof and integrated fog lights, while the convertible model has a two-tone Aquarius Blue/Campanella White paint scheme and a white top. Special badging is found on the front quarter panel and on the steering wheel. The hatchback version hits showrooms with a base MSRP of $20,240 and the convertible starts at $27,170.
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LA Auto Show 2009: Porsche debuts lightweight 2011 Boxster Spyder
Porsche rolled out the 2010 Boxster Spyder, the third model in the Boxster lineup, for its world debut at the LA Auto Show, with an entirely new look and – we are led to believe – a driving personality nearly on par with the 911 GT3 RS.
Hidden deep and low in the belly of the Spyder is a tuned version of Porsche’s 3.4-liter flat-six, rated at 320 hp (ten more than the Boxster S). While the added horses are welcome, it’s the 176 pounds of mass lost that really raises our interest. To achieve these savings, Porsche has fitted the Spyder with a lightweight carbon fiber-ribbed soft top, unique rear decklid, low side windows, aluminum door skins and interior door panels with straps swapped from the 911 GT3 RS. Air conditioning, cupholders and an audio system have been left back on the factory floor (don’t worry, Porsche will let you add them back for a price). With a curb weight of just 2,811 pounds, it is the lightest model in Porsche’s lineup. With a power-to-weight ratio rivaling the Carrera S, the Boxster Spyder with a dual-clutch PDK transmission will now rip to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds.
Categories: Convertible, LA Auto Show, Los Angeles Auto Show, Porsche Tags: LA Auto Show, Porsche
LA Auto Show 2009: MINI Coupe & Roadster Concepts are so LA
Mini brought its birthday presents to itself out to the LA Auto Show for their North American debut today. The Cambden and Mayfair were there, but we spent a lot more time ogling the Coupe and Roadster. As you may recall, Mini created these two sports cars to celebrate its 50th anniversary and showed them off alongside the two special edition Coopers at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The changes are slightly less obvious on the open-top roadster, but you can definitely see that there’s no back seat and the windshield is laid back a claimed 16 degrees over the standard Cooper. The backwards baseball cap on the coupe is a bit odd looking in pics and the real world view doesn’t do much to change that impression.
None of the display vehicles sported any detail changes but it was still fun to see all of them packed into a booth the size of Toyota’s Venza section. Ian Robertson of BMW did share a few more details about the future of MINI, with the “R60″ 4-door-4-liter-4wd about to get a real name and even more models in the works.
Categories: Concept Cars, Convertible, Coupe, LA Auto Show, Los Angeles Auto Show, Mini Tags:
LA Auto Show 2009: Honda P-NUT concept gets cracked open
Turns out that the Honda P-NUT is not some sort of twist on the UX-3 unicycle thing we saw in Tokyo recently. Instead, the concept vehicle is a three-seat thing enclosed in lots of glass and angular lines. Honda says the P-NUT is ready for one of three possible powertrains: an efficient gas engine, a gas-electric hybrid, or a pure electric set up. There’s not a whole lot of room for any of these powerplants up front because the driver’s leg room extends almost all the way to the front of the concept. Good thing the power source is intended to be mounted in the rear.
Let’s be clear, this is a pure concept car. There are no side mirrors (but there is a back-up camera). Bumpers? Bah, Honda barely put headlights on this thing. Still, the Honda ‘Personal-Neo Urban Transport’ could make for a pretty sweet ride through a city, with lots of sight lines for the three inhabitants (a driver in the front middle, two passengers arranged behind and to either side) to see out of. The P-NUT does succeed in Honda’s stated goal to get the most space out of a small footprint, and we wouldn’t mind some sort of production version BEV someday. Chances are, though, that this is the last we’ll ever see of it.
Categories: Auto Show, Concept Cars, Honda, Hybrid, LA Auto Show, Los Angeles Auto Show Tags: Honda, LA Auto Show
LA Auto Show 2009: 2010 Infiniti G37 unveiled, 2011 QX coming and EV re-confirmed
Although the 2011 Infiniti M was the star of last night’s show, as suspected, the wraps came off the 2010 Infiniti G37, a mid-cycle refresh of the automaker’s bread-and-butter model.
It’s far from a radical redesign, but as previously spied, the fog lamp clusters moved further down the reworked fascia, a new grille sits front and center and a tweaked rear bumper joins a new set of 17-inch, five-spoke wheels.
Inside, it’s more of the same, with a nip here and a tuck there. White gauges and an LCD screen are the most obvious changes, along with a new center console, aluminum trim and available Maple accents. Real-time traffic and weather are included in the navigation system (XM subscription required), and everything’s accessed through a seven-inch touch screen monitor that carries forward for 2010.
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LA Auto Show 2009: Cadillac CTS Coupe vogues, dazzles
Cadillac invited us down to a dance hall south of downtown Los Angeles and the convention center for a little lunch and a lot of talk concerning their new CTS Coupe. In fact, they brought a CTS Coupe along with ‘em. A production CTS Coupe we should point out. The exact same car you’ll be able to purchase from Cadillac in just a few short months (most likely May 2010 as a 2011 model).
First thing is first and WOW – what a fabulously stunning automobile. Those of you in the LA area owe it to yourself to schlep down to the Staples Center just to see this here Caddy Coupe live in the flesh. Yes, it is another in a long lined-trend of modern vehicle that looks ten times better in person than in photos. For reals, this Caddy Coupe is a knockout. Make the jump to continue reading.
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2009 LA Auto Show Preview: 2011 Ford Fiesta for America revealed, hits 40 mpg
he Ford Fiesta has proven to be a very successful small car wherever it’s sold in the world. Ford has sold 12 million Fiestas over the vehicle’s lifetime and the new-for-2009 model has moved half a million units already this year in Europe and Asia. It’s a smash hit in spite of the fact that the Fiesta is not for sale in the U.S., a.k.a. the world’s biggest car market. That all changes in the spring of 2010 as the Fiesta finally makes its way stateside.
Ford appears to be focusing its efforts in the U.S. small car market at exactly the right time, as consideration for B-Segment vehicles is at an all-time high and the trend appears to be upwardly mobile. And while Ford would love for us to believe that it was clairvoyant when deciding to bring the Fiesta to the U.S., it just isn’t true. In fact, the Fiesta wasn’t originally designed for the U.S. market, but the shock of $4 per gallon gas and a new-found interest in eco-friendly transportation led the Blue Oval to rethink its strategy. Ford didn’t start readying the Fiesta for the U.S. market until many bits and bolts of hardware were already settled, so Team Blue had to go back to the drawing board to make its small car ready for Americans. The result is a U.S.-spec Fiesta that has only 60% of its parts in common with the Euro Fiesta. Will Americans be missing out?
Categories: Ford, Hatchback, LA Auto Show, Los Angeles Auto Show, Sedan Tags: LA Auto Show
