2017 LA Auto Show

DeusExMackia · 30 November 2017 09:42

Press Days 1 and 2

Welcome back to Los Angelese, where the 2017 auto show of the same name is well underway, and certainly being far more interesting than the teasers would have had you believe.

Kishiwo, a Japanese start up that, no, I haven’t heard of either, introduced the Yoko E Drive concept. It’s set to release with both a conventional ICE, electric or hybrid powertrain, the first of which is connceted to an 8 speed automatic. The styling is decent, if uncohesive at the front, and I seriously don’t see anything paying $16k for a petrol supermini, let alone $35k for a hydrogen. If anything, it’s the cost that really confuses me here, when other companies are offering far more car with similar drivetrains for much less money.

Scagliati gave us a right show with a new version of the Cinquetorri. Holy god it’s vulgar at the front, and I’m fairly sure I could fit inside that front grill, but I am weirdly attracted to it. The rear end is stunning, and that’s the first time I’ve ever said that about the SUV. You don’t need any explanation of the interior, it’s simply astonishing, and it even has a 7 seater trim, something unheard of at this end of the market. Naturally, it’s way too pricey for its own good, but then again, you’ll need a Title and a claim to a mansion house in the UK just to own one.

As if it couldn’t get anymore spectacular, they unveiled a new trim for the La Serenissima. Called the Quattrocento, it takes the brilliantly different GT cruiser I drove last month and shoves nine-hundred and twenty-two italian horses down its driveshaft. It’s amazing it can’t go from 0-60 without bending space time around it, but flat out, it’ll top 250 mph. God its so stupid, but of course you want one. You’d have to be clinically unintelligent not to.

Miller gave a very minimalist presentation of two cars. The Arghonaught, which they teased earlier on, was revealed with one photo and some very basic information, and the same again for the smart looking Prestige. Perhaps its part of a new marketing strategy, which their marketing executive seems to have taken on board when it comes to revealing new cars. It isn’t that “some people made it clear that they don’t care”, it’s that Miller, for me at least, haven’t given me enough reason to care that they’re releasing new cars.

Zenshi presented the facelift Gamaru SUV along with some new engines for it, as well as facelifts across the board with the new Shinka Ken design languge. They’re shaping up to be handsome cars, even if the rear lacks some of the finesse and fineness of the front end. Of particular note was the Nimessa Newman R/A, a more-faster-sportier-but-not-quite-as-sportier-as-the-Newman-R-Zero-variant variant of my (beloved) Nimessa Newman R…starting to become a bit of a tongue twister that. It’s slightly more powerful, slightly lighter and has a smacking great wing on the rear! Certainly one for the more extreme driver then. Think I’ll be sticking with the standard model for now.

AL Autos were up next. It really says something about how far the company has come recently in that they’re now pricing their cars reasonably, and with this new Volatillis, they’ve put a huge amount of work in to develop a well equipped and affordable sports coupe. The low end RGS trim, with the 3.3l i6, is of particular note; at a price of around $30k, it’s an awfully tempting alternative to the hot hatches in this class, especially with its performance.

However, there is something to be said about the styling. It’s a little hard to explain, though I feel this rather adequatley sums it up: I was hosting a dinner date a few years back at my flat, with this girl I was really keen to impress. I’d cooked everything perfectly, the mood was just right and she certainly seemed to be enjoying herself. It was all going so well that my dog decided to come and poke his nose in - he’d obviously smelt the lamb joint I’d cooked - and leapt up at me, which we all found very funny, before promptly being sick in my lap and walking off.
I had the gall to think nothing could possibly be worse than wiping yellow vomit from your shirt in front of a girl I was trying to impress. I spoke too soon.

Conan gave us the majestic CS67. It looks a little Beverley Hills, circa 2007 with that chrome grille and sharp-curvy design style, but there’s no denying there is an elegance to it. V12 engines, proper GT performance figures and plenty of luxury. It continues a heritage of Coupe S models, and certainly seems to tick all the boxes for a luxury coupe. Price wise, not a clue, but it’s worth keeping on your radar - if you can deal with the styling.

Deponte’s exceptionally bland advert couldn’t have been further away from the smartness of the Atem’s styling; the new supercar is a classy and well sculpted MR machine, named after (and do correct me if I’m wrong) the Egyptian ‘God of Gods’. A 200+mph supercar for £123k sounds particularly good value, although someone might want to correct them on their spelling of “Howitzer” (not that it isn’t a great name for an engine). A number of other trims are planned, though where they will find their place in the saturated supercar market is another question.

DiMarino’s range of cars look absolutley incredible, and I was blown away by…nope, wait, this isn’t 2001. DiMarino’s cars certainly stand out on the spec sheets, but they look positively outdated, and the double crhome chrille of the Elbrus is hardly a picturesque feature. The DE30, which apparently has been restyled and renamed to the Hussar (great name by the way) may still look very old, but it certainly seems to offer a lot of comfort and a lot of performance. The only catch? That 1990kg weight; it’s considerably heavier than a lot of its mid-size performance sedan rivals.

Contendiente gave perhaps its most cohesive display to date. Of particular note was the new Conquista lineup; the companies mid-size sedan (I think) has a lovely new range of engines (efficient, decently powerful etc etc) whilst the S trim is getting something properply phenomenal: a 500hp 3.0l Turbp I6. Wow. That’s a hell of a lot of power even for a performance sedan, and with a quoted 0-60 time of 3.4 seconds and an asking price of just $35k, this might be the bargain of the century. The rest of the competition ought to be worried, though one does wonder what corners they had to cut to get to such a price.

The company also revealed its Crossover-Wagon-crossover thing with the Enemgio Tourer (mmmm yes) and the Efecto (mmm no). Little needs to be said about the Tourer, the transition from sedan to estate has been handled well and its a lovely looking car, plus the same bargain prices and good range of engines can be had on this model too. The Efecto however, well, suffers from the fundamental flaw of being a crossover…nope, wait, I’m not allowed to get that opinionated with these reviews. It’s quite a bit more expensive than the Tourer, and you are only paying for that extra ride height. I certainly don’t think it’s worth it, but then again, I’m not one of the Yummy Mummy’s who’s going to buy one of these things. At least they’re pushing it’s AWD capability to some extent…

Then, Abra appeared. No word, no warning, no specs either, Abra revealed some sort of sports sedan. It looks like a fish at the front, has very odd 80-spoke wheels in the middle and looks like someone from the Burnout 3 developers team designed the rear. What is it, where it comes from and what its even for? Not a clue.

Another unusual and unexpected appearnce came from Arrowhead. They claim their Ayla V8 Blackmamba Coupe is “one of the best looking cars your can find in the market”. I claim to have the ability to walk on water but there’s no prizes for guessing that I can’t. Hence, I beg to differ.
Still, 630hp sports coupe? Could be worth a look.

Cornaldie appeared with Project Ghost, an LMP2 race car that’s been developed by a factory team…er, unless they intend to sell that to other teams before it gets raced, the FIA are gonna want to have a word with them.

Well, LA certainly threw up some surprises, and I didn’t even have time to cover them all properly! Don’t worry, they’ll be covered in the next update. For now though, it’s adios from me, I need to find a bar and an insider at Contendiente to see if they’ll reveal any drunk secrets about what they’re working on to me…

- Gavin Anderson

Edit 30/11/17: corrected Zenshi section re: aircon on Nimessa Newman R/A

abg7 · 30 November 2017 11:14

You were right on all counts regarding each of these reveals. I reckon the four-door sedan shown by ABRA is meant to be a competitor to high-performance sports sedans like the M3, C63, Giulia QV, etc. I can’t wait to see what the next batch will bring!

And you have forgotten to mention that DiMarino’s flagship will now be called the Scythian.

Grandea · 30 November 2017 14:43

A bit of correction on the Newman R/A, the AC is standard on it, and can be requested to be removed.

DeusExMackia · 30 November 2017 15:59

@Grandea Thanks for that, I’ll correct it right away!

Dorifto_Dorito · 30 November 2017 16:06

Merciel @ LA Auto Show

Its time to get the show rolling…

Last, but certainly not least, we have our new 2018 Merciel Corsaire GTE. With a more aggressive stance and an new upgraded 3.5L i6 Turbo powerplant, the new Corsaire GTE will now not only look good, but will be much faster. While the technical details are unavailable at the moment, all that is known is that the Corsaire GTE is has a lightweight and durable kevlar reinforced fibreglass body fitted to the standard Merciel Corsaire’s glued aluminium monocoque and subframe chassis. For those who want to purchase a car like this, it is sadly not for sale. However due to FIA regulations, those willing to spend up to $295,000 for the homologation spec of the car can do so. Only a limited number of these homologation specs will be made so if you’re interested, make sure to send in an order to the Merciel Sport Touring Car Team.

vmo · 30 November 2017 16:16

Ladies and gentlemen!

Thanks to come to the Montes stand!

Today, we have the pleasure to announce, a very special car: a limited edition car. But not of any kind of car. It is very special, and unique today.

That car is the…

MONTES D25

And, yes. It is not an error. This is the model. Is the classic Montes D25. A very special and unique model, how I mentioned before.

And, you may ask, what is special about presenting a model 60 years ago, right?

Well, for those 60 years, this car is just special. A car that revolutionized the concept of sports GT in 1947. A car with a design ahead of its time. A car that perfectly mixed sportsmanship and luxury.

And for that reason, we decided to make a limited edition of the “new” D25. To commemorate his sixtieth anniversary.

Made exactly like the original, stamping the aluminum panels in the original molds to create the elegant suit you saw, and using the same engine as the original, but obviously with improvements in terms of materials, design and adjustments, we want transport the essence of D25 from 1947, to today.

Now, let’s talk about the technical characteristics.

The chassis, tubular steel, has a design similar to the original, but improved in both rigidity and material, welding quality and safety.

The engine is the same as the original. A v8 with banks at 90º and 2.5l, manufactured entirely in steel, DOHC 16v and crossplane, but with technical improvements. From the internal components, totally new both in design and materials, through improvements in the level of tolerances in all sections. And, now, it makes 170hp at 6600RPM, and 227Nm at 3200 RPM, if you choose MPFI. With the quad carb configuration, the specs are 173hp at 6500HP, and 219Nm at 3200RPM.

With regard to the feeding system, we decided to continue using a carburizing system, to maintain the essence of the car, but improved. Moving from three simple carburetors to a confiiguration of four DCOE carburetors. Although, if the client decides, it can be changed by a system of indirect injection multipoint.

In safety, safety belts have been added, the structure of the car has been reinforced and the drums have been replaced by ventilated brake discs on both axles. Three pistons in front and two behind.

As for the interior, it is two-seater, and for its manufacture supreme quality materials are used, such as Poltrona Frau leather, walnut root wood and aluminum, creating a sphere that teleports you in the late 40’s. Lacks screens to give that classic touch, but comes equipped with air conditioning and AM / FM and digital radio.

About when the model, the price and the units are available, tomorrow begins the deadline to request a unit of the 60 that is planned to be built.

The requirements to acquire a unit, valued at $ 207,000, is to pay in advance $ 40,000 only.

The deadline starts tomorrow.

And that’s all. Thank you for your attention!

Now, the question time.

NEWS: Due to different complaints, we have decided to remove the required semi-annual mileage.

Deponte · 30 November 2017 16:26

Yes it’s named after Atem from Egypt, also Howitzer is correct according to Wikipedia.
The car is a race car at heart (This is why I mentioned that it took ideas from old supercars as they were often race cars in street disguise) and 3 trims are born to lap the Green Hell track and other tracks, and it’s currently one of the fastest cars ever around the GH (Correct me if I’m wrong).
So I’m expecting it to do well in both the street and the track (If in-game market scoring is anything to go by).

Dorifto_Dorito · 30 November 2017 16:42

Important question here. Who exactly is this car for?

You would assume it was for people who collect old cars/old Montes, except you’re forced to drive the car every 6 months, and if you’re a classic car collector, you know you dont do that because it makes the value of the car depreciate faster. And when you consider the price, $247,000 overall, there are probably loads more classic cars that you would be able to buy without the hassle of driving the car twice a year.

Besides, if this isnt for car collectors, then it must be for driving enthusiasts. Except of course its $247,000. You could buy, better, faster, more reliable, safer and probably better looking cars for so much less. And if it has to be a classic car, then there’s still plenty of options.

My point is, that this car is not going to sell at all if you force the owner to drive the car twice a year. The car at the moment with the requirement to drive twice a year and the steep price has a very niche market that really doesn’t exist. You’ll only sell a handful of cars, maybe 10 if you’re lucky, but 600? No chance. There aren’t 600 people in the world who a) can afford the car and b) are willing to drive it at least twice a year. So for the sake of being sensible, drop the requirement to drive it twice a year, because its just plain stupid.

vmo · 30 November 2017 16:55

That car is for the classic collectors, who loves to drive the cars, but not for people that bought the car to speculate, and not because they liked the car.

Not everything in this life is speed. In addition to that in many countries, there are speed limits. It is also getting carried away by the heart. Drive something other than what exists.

And about reliability, it’s a very reliable car. Since it does not use complex electronics, and what is mechanical, it is redesigned with respect to the original, and using the current tolerances.

And about the semi-annual mileage, it’s minimal. 4km will be required every six months, so it is feasible. With exceptions.

And about the units, it’s the most we’ll accept.

And, I forgot to say, you can only order the car until December 11th.

EDIT: Corrected. I put a 0 more. Corrected. Thanks!

Due to different complaints, we have decided to remove the required semi-annual mileage.

conan · 30 November 2017 18:31

A few more stuff from Conan’s exhibit.

Conan S56: New Engine, Old Recipe

Another thing of note with this year Conan is the adoption of new ConanTech Suffolk Inline 6 in the sporty mid-size executive model, Conan S56. The car might still looks exactly the same as last year S56. But under the bonnet is a brand new, magnesium block Inline 6 that displace from 2.7 up to 3.5 litre. Available as both traditional naturally aspirated and turbocharger option. We’d suggest you buy it instead of the fleet special Surrey Inline 4 as this might be one of the last proper N/A Inline 6 available on the market. The exhaust note is indeed quite sonorous and it’s smooth delivery is everything you could hope for with internal combustion engine.

But if you’re boring like that, you can just buy the downsized Inline 4. In it’s native Europe you can even get this car with the ConanTech 1.5 Inline 3. Only god knows why.

Is this it? The end of Conan’s most luxurious car?

Conan S66 was introduced in 2014 after the introduction of compact executive S47 in 2012 and midsize executive S56 in 2013. The S66 has always been a sale disappointment, with explanation from some speculator being that it’s sharing it’s face and badge with the low rent Conan Compact series not helping it’s case.

It being at the L.A Auto Show at all is a surprise. But even then we must say we’d be sad to see if it go away. With nearly 60 years of Conan finest luxury sedan heritage. Top of the range S66 is available with Naturally aspirated V12 shared with the aforementioned Conan CS67, albeit with tamer setting, muffled exhaust and smoother tune. While the lesser S66 equipped with either the current Suffolk Inline 6 or Birmingham V8.

It’s a mere speculation. But with news about the next development being so quiet unlike it’s little sister cars. We can’t help to think Conan is giving up on it’s luxo-barge range.

Classics Corner: Conan SC7 Prototype

Remember this car? This is the 1987 Conan SC7 Prototype. This car was unveil at 1987 London Motorshow with promise that it’ll arrive on the market in 1989. Alas, it didn’t happen

Promising a V10 engine, full carbon fibre monocoque, and smooth, yet striking exterior design that put you immediately in 1990. We were very surprised that Conan decided to put one of only 3 working prototype (the other two were branded S99, the name it’d have had it went into production) on display here at L.A. This car usually lives in Conan Heritage Centre in Surrey, England.

11alualhati · 30 November 2017 19:44

An Unexpected Turn here at the AL Autos Booth

’

Hello one and all! Remember how we said we only had two vehicles for you? Well… our design team decided last minute that they wanted to showcase their latest creation. This will be the last car that we will feature for the 2017 LA Auto Show. Now, without further a do, the AL Oriens!

GIF Link Above Pictures!

The AL Oriens RGXLEC

RGXLEC

The Looks

When designing the Oriens, we wanted something that was just simply elegant, a car that had flowing lines, the perfect looks, make the driver feel special, and had the ability to catch the look of any passerby and have them think, “That car looks exquisite”. It doesn’t matter whether you’re going down Highway 1, LA’s highways, or even the city streets, the Oriens will always shine. As the car shines, the driver will as well with the roof down.

The Underpinnings

The Oriens features a 4.7 L Naturally Aspirated Flatplane V8 producing 506 HP sent to the rear wheels. The engine is also partnered with a 7 Speed Double Clutch Sequential Gearbox, electric LSD, Double Wishbone/Multilink Comfort Tuned Suspension, and solid disc brakes tuned for comfort. The Oriens will do 0-62 MPH (0-100 KPH) in 4.4 seconds, achieve a top speed of 179.3 MPH (288.6 KPH), and clock a 1:21.9 on the Top Gear Test Track. When all things considered though, this is a luxury convertible with a beast at heart.

The Luxury

While looking great on the outside, a luxury convertible must be looking good on the inside. AL Autos stuck to this philosophy: Premium Nappa Leather Seats, a 10 speaker premium Bose sound system, automatic climate control, leather/wood trim combo steering wheel, and our AL Connect Infotainment System: USB/MP3 Capability, AM/FM/SAT radio, hands free satellite navigation with real-time traffic, and AL’s WorldConnect which allows the user to check nearby attractions, make reservations, check sports team scores, weather forecast, and so much more! The Oriens will also feature the ALJourneyCamera. This optional feature starts recording a 1920p view of the front of the car and a 1080p view of rear of the car automatically from the moment the car is started. The ALJourneyCamera also has the ability to record several different parameters including if there is a car in the driver’s blind spot and how fast the driver is going and display it in the video. In the incident of a crash/incident, JourneyCamera will automatically save 2 minutes before the incident and 1 minute after the incident. All the videos recorded by the JourneyCam can either be uploaded to the JourneyCloud which is accessible on your mobile device, or can be saved on a micro SD card. Of course, if the driver doesn’t want the JourneyCamera to record his drive, this feature can be turned off. Finally, the Oriens will also feature the ALPotholeResponse. Sensors placed underneath the front end of the Oreins reads the level of the road. If a sharp level change is detected, the system quickly adjusts the suspension to the point that the effects of the pothole are minimized. This system leads to a longer tire lifespan, less risk of wheel misalignment, and an overall more comfortable ride.

Pricing:

RGXLEC
Fully Loaded: $71,820
Base: $65,105

wassy4 · 30 November 2017 19:57

The Wasserschmitt Booth

Wasserschmidt is very excited to announce the mid-life cycle refresh of our C30 sports sedan. The first variation of this model had some flaws that were made clear to us by owners and critics alike, and we intend to perfect the series C with this next-gen iteration. What we have today is a pre-production version of everyone’s favorite sports sedan.

PRESENTING THE ALL-NEW 2018 C30R

We’ll skip right to the information you wanted to know. In with the 4.0L N/A V8, out with the turbo I6. The lower trims will retain the turbo inline-6, but our engineers felt the V8 would accomplish the performance we wanted from the R with the least compromise. You’d expect the V8 to be heavier than the I6 right? Think again. The old R weighed 3,900lbs which is 300lbs over the base model. The new one? 3,300lbs. That’s 300lbs LIGHTER than the base model. We don’t have production power numbers just yet but we expect the engine to make over 500hp/400tq at the crank.

Improvements to the rest of the drivetrain and suspension have been made as well. We’ve decided to ditch the 8-speed torque converter auto for a 7-speed DCT, which will propel the car to 60mph in 4.1s. We’ve also fine-tuned the suspension to be less harsh day-to-day while still retaining the famous handling characteristics that Wasserschmitt is known for.

If you look at the side profile you’ll see we’ve flared the fenders in order to fit wider tires in the front and rear. 255mm/275mm front/rear to be exact. Not only will this help with putting the power down to the ground, but recent testing on the skidpad showed max cornering Gs of 1.16. With the wider tires comes the ability to fit bigger brakes, which will bring the car from 60mph to a stop in just 94ft.

Last but not least, an active, fully detachable spoiler has been added to the car. It has the ability to raise and retract in seconds, aiding downforce in the corners but lessening drag in the straights. A car that can go from grocery getter hero to race track legend? Yes please. Pricing will start at $63,600 (200% markup)

OFFICIAL LEAK OF PURPORTED “SERIES S” SPORTS CAR

Rumor has it that Wasserschmitt will introduce it’s new engine architecture with their next sports car, the Series S. This new engine is said to be able to balance high performance with high (and we mean very high) MPGs. They’ve left six strings of binary but no one has figured out what they mean. The numbers:

00110010 00110110 00110000
00110010 00111000 00110000
00110011 00110100
00110010 00110000 00110111
00110100
00110001 00110010

Radster · 30 November 2017 20:00

The demon has been summoned.

Maine Motors is proud to present the 2018 Guayota V8.

Awildgermanappears · 30 November 2017 20:31

I honestly didn’t intend on attending. But then it just happened. Consider it an update. Working Title: 260 R-Concept

2588, 6, 2, 425, 460, 1470, 320

Hshan · 30 November 2017 20:47

That… everything I’ve seen the Verona on Discord, but still I’m amazed. The beauty of purity. And when I think of your first iterations of the Verona - they are not just two worlds, two universes. Vixen - my first thought was “looks like a Scirocco, just 10 times better”. Aggressive, yet not chaotic. Everything matches. And the Corsaire… wild monster. Maniac, maniac, on the… track. And what’s best, they are all distinctive, yet distinctively Merciel.

@Deponte Well fcuk. There goes Hypera’s record, just a few months (lore wise, as mine is 2017, yours 2018, and probably in reality, as I had few months of delay between making the car and publishing it) What you achieved is just purely mind-blowing.

@Awildgermanappears 2588 cc, 6 cylinders, 1470 kg and 320 km/h? Did I get anything right?

Hshan · 30 November 2017 22:53

Kee not dead yet! And sorry for a double post.

Let’s play the music! (I had no fitting idea so just put sth cool here)

Zavir is a half American company, yet we never made a real muscle car. Or… have we? What is the definition of a muscle car? American made 4 seat coupe with a powerful V8 and rear wheel drive? Many various Zavirs throughout the years fit this vision, but is that all that defines a muscle car? Most of these cars weren’t named such - they were big and luxurious GTs rather, good for long distance cruising, not daily commute with a quarter mile run now or then. Others were more supercars, with their ahead of the time performance and extreme costs. So is it entirely true? Zavir made no muscle car ever?

A muscle car should be dailiable. Practical, easy to drive, and economical? Quite uncommon, but definitely won’t hurt. Powerful, aggresive looking and just incredibly fast? Sure. Rear wheel driven and powered by a naturally aspirated V8? That’s a classical formula, and a good formula. And if we define a muscle car like that it turns out that Zavir makes such car now - and here is it’s latest iteration, the 2018 Nova Volante Z Sportivo.

With our full-alloy mid size platform housing 4 full seats and sedan-sized boot it definitely is practical. Tests shown that it’s about as easy to drive as our compact Luna and getting 30 MPG also economical. All this despite having 533 horsepower from a 4.5 V8. Incredible speed is ticked too - just 3.7 s to get to 60 MPH and a quarter in 11.7 s are hard to be considered slow. And the looks? Just judge yourself.

A bit more details here: [Kee museum] Zavir Legacy thread - FUTURESIGHT: A glimpse of the future - #51 by Hshan

Zavir. Il vantaggio della tecnologia.

stickmaster62 · 30 November 2017 23:21

There’s going to be a new Miller Argonaught. Great.

… it’s that Miller, for me at least, haven’t given me enough reason to care that they’re releasing new cars.

And it’s comments like these that haven’t given a good enough reason to go out of their way to give info, post more pics ect…

DoctorNarfy · 30 November 2017 23:24

Please tell me since when it was the job of reviewers to incite new products. Their job is to present their thoughts on what they are given.
If you want your cars to be praised, perhaps consider making something worth praising.

stickmaster62 · 30 November 2017 23:26

I’m not looking for praise. All I’m saying is if you’re going to give constructive criticism, then make an ACTUAL EFFORT and say what you think needs to be improved…

Peace out.

Radster · 30 November 2017 23:28

Giving the middle finger is not a good way to prove your point, you see.