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Each week, our German correspondent slices and dices the latest rumblings, news, and quick-hit driving impressions from the other side of the pond. His byline may say Jens Meiners, but we simply call him . . . the Continental.
From a friend's place in the hills above West Hollywood, I am looking down on foggy and rainy Los Angeles. Even though I spent two days at the show and surrounding events, I am not quite sure what to make of it. A few years ago, the German carmakers tried to move away from the Detroit auto show and shift their presence to Los Angeles; Porsche even pulled out of Detroit completely. But the attempt failed spectacularly. Detroit remains the most important U.S. show, not least because of the presence of the Big Three. Porsche returned to the Detroit show through its association with Volkswagen.
Even the position of Los Angeles as the second-most important show in the U.S. is debatable. That status also is claimed by the New York auto show, which offers the additional appeal of announcing the World Car of the Year every year. Full disclosure: I am on the Steering Committee of that jury, so there could be a slight bias. An L.A. Letdown I was slightly appalled by the L.A. auto show's "design challenge" to showcase a "highway patrol vehicle 2025"—which subsequently resulted in the Mercedes-Benz Ener-G-Force concept. It asked carmakers to come up with, and I quote: " . . . a highway patrol vehicle that meets the challenges of a specific region's transportation and societal conditions in 2025. The vehicle should empower highway patrol officers to meet new demands and effectively both 'protect and serve' the public while considering not just enforcement needs but emission concerns, population growth and transportation infrastructure, among other trends." I know that many of us think police vehicles are cool. But in the Western world, we live in an environment where traffic regulation is about the lowest common denominator, where draconian penalties threaten us, where the "speed kills" lie prevails. An even better, stylish highway patrol vehicle? Whatever, but I don't think it's cool. One particular carmaker, which shall remain nameless, pulled out at the last minute. A heartfelt thanks!
The Evolution of Kia Design I thought that the Kia K9/Quoris was a singular aberration, but the second-generation Forte, launched here in Los Angeles, proves me wrong. The sculpted surfaces and the overall playfulness of the design suggest that the brand is abandoning the rigid, clean, product-design-like styling language for which it was heretofore known. It's difficult to design a compact four-door sedan, but the previous Forte has shown it can be done. Not this one. The front grille is twisted, the surfacing is overwrought. Is Kia trying to emulate the old Hyundai? Meanwhile, Hyundai's design is getting cleaner, more European. The sister brands, which share their technological underpinnings anyway, are suddenly converging in more ways than anticipated, or desirable. The Quoris, by the way, won't be marketed under this moniker in Europe. A Hamburg court ruled the name was too similar to Qoros, a new brand co-financed by Chinese automaker Chery Automobile and Israel Corporation. Head of styling for Qoros is Gert Hildebrand, former Mini chief designer. The prototypes I have seen are highly promising; unlike the Kia Quoris, they don't copy BMW.
BMW Electrics, 20 Years On BMW's i3 coupe concept reminded me of the E1, BMW's attempt at an electric car that literally went down in flames 20 years ago. This time around, it sounds as if BMW was serious. Or is this just further proof of the 20-year-cycle of the electric car that engine guru Fritz Indra has been speaking about? Roughly 20 years before the E1, BMW launched an electric 2002 to coincide with the Munich Olympics. Its performance and range were remarkably close to that of today's electrics. No wonder it didn't fly.
California Cruising Getting from A to B in California was a huge pleasure with the Cadillac CTS-V I was generously provided. This car cannot be praised enough. More than five years after its launch, the CTS still looks fresh, and more aggressive and exciting than both the more recent ATS and the XTS. The interior is full of clever solutions, such as the navigation screen that displays the top portion of its readout even when it is retracted into the dash. My test car was fitted with a six-speed automatic; a six-speed manual is offered as well, and it is the transmission of choice. The CTS-V got a lot of thumbs-up reactions. from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com | |||
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Wednesday, December 5, 2012
The Continental: My Los Angeles Notebook
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