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.
I know, I know, the Los Angeles auto show was last week, old news, out of sight and out of mind—but there's a ton to cover, and I wanted to offer the Continental opinion on the event. For a few years, the L.A. auto show was touted as the next big thing, on track to become the number-one auto show in North America. The Detroit show, on the other hand, is riddled by bad weather; the exceptionally bad management of this bad weather by the city of Detroit; and the grim necessity of dealing with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and their ilk. It also does not offer much of a market to carmakers. Things have been looking difficult for the NAIAS.
But the Los Angeles show has not managed to pull its act together. After last week's performance, it still feels as though it plays third fiddle to the Detroit and New York auto shows. This year, it even had to hold its own against the concurrently running Tokyo motor show and the Guangzhou motor show, the latter of which is a rising star on the international motor show scene. Here is my take on the Los Angeles show this year, presented in everyone's favorite Best and Worst list format:
The Vision Gran Turismo on a rainy rooftop in Sunnyvale, before the Los Angeles show.
Best Concept: Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo
It is juvenile, garish, and politically incorrect, and somehow I don't believe it would meet the approval of Daimler's long-time chief designer, Bruno Sacco. (Bruno's the godfather of restrained German design epitomized by vehicles such as the W126 S-class and the W201 "Baby Benz.") But the AMG Vision Gran Turismo concept is a wonderful celebration of the joy of driving. It is the first of a series of concept vehicles to star in the Gran Turismo 6 video game. Once kids get sucked into this game, they will hopefully be immunized against the hand-wringing anti-car intelligentsia.
Worst Concept: Subaru Legacy
The Legacy concept's not terrible, and in fact it looks better than the current Legacy—a car that is pretty much a styling abomination—but not by a lot. Disconnected from its predecessors, there is a stubby, tall front end with an aggressive grille and headlight arrangement; the beltline is ridiculously high; and, of course, there is a low and impractical greenhouse that tries to evoke the look of the ever-fashionable "four-door coupe." It is all predictable and unoriginal, and it seems that the Legacy will once more have to live off its all-weather merits alone. And the production car probably will have a CVT, so . . .
The absolutely stunning Jaguar F-type Coupe.
Best Production Car: 2015 Jaguar F-type Coupe
Jaguar does not have the financial or technological resources of Mercedes-Benz or the Volkswagen Group, and so you have to admire them for launching such an incredibly competent and fascinating sports car. It is a matter of personal taste to decide whether the roadster or the new coupe is more beautiful. Personally, I would choose the coupe, and either with the V-6 (cheaper than the roadster) or with the R version's 550-hp supercharged V-8 (which packs 55 more ponies than the top-dog V-8 S roadster). Curiously, all F-types' top speeds are governed. It looks like an imposed hierarchy by the brand's marketing types, and we say no thanks to that.
Tigernose goes Bentley on a Quattroporte-inspired BMW Cadenza .
Worst Production Car: 2015 Kia K900
Kia's chief designer, Peter Schreyer, has assembled one of the most competent design teams in the industry. The K900, obviously designed by a committee in Korea, is not one of their best efforts of late. Not since Kia stopped rebadging Mazdas, a practice that ended more than two decades ago, has a Korean design been so derivative. This one, however, is inspired by BMW, and gets a splash of Maserati thrown in for questionable measure. The oh-so-generic "K900″ model designation doesn't help, either. Behind the wheel, of course, no one will mistake the K900 for any Italian or German thoroughbred, if the current Hyundai Genesis/Equus platform on which it is based is any indication.
I like it, but that's not me.
Best Brand Evolution: Mini
No matter what everyone else is saying, I think Mini has done a remarkable job with the third generation Cooper designed under BMW's tutelage. The design has been sharpened with smaller gaps and a more original rear end treatment. The front overhang, of course, has grown slightly, but what would you expect with all these new pedestrian protection rules cropping up? I believe that the Mini's essential character remains intact, despite the interior being more usable than before.
Thanks to Mitsubishi, it's the '90s all over again.
Worst Brand Evolution: Mitsubishi
The good news is that the brand is still around. The bad news . . . well, where should I begin? For one thing, Mitsubishi claims that the new Mirage is "making a triumphant return to North America." Before this one, every Mirage was well-designed, sporty, and quick. The new model is dull and slow, a hatchback with a skinny tired third-world look to it. Meanwhile, Mitsubishi invokes Einstein and Aristotle in the brochures for the Outlander and the Outlander Sport. Says Aristotle: "Quality is not an act, it is a habit." But do you think he would have approved of the Outlander Sport's styling that seems to stare back at you?
Most Fun: The Parties (Duh)
It was worth coming to Los Angeles for the parties alone. (Wait, there's an auto show here, too?) Jaguar's F-type coupe launch event was stunning; Hyundai had a traditional bash at the Hotel Figueroa; Autobytel brought together a nice splash of journalists and industry types; and the VW Group created its own offsite events with a drive of the Audi A3 e-tron and several Volkswagen prototypes. We even got to drive the stunning Vision GTI, the ultra-efficient XL1, and last year's Blue Beetle SEMA concept. And did we mention it wasn't snowing in Los Angeles?
Biggest Yawn: The Show
Parties and the lack of crummy weather made the hike to L.A. pleasant, but the show itself? Not so much. Even though Mercedes-Benz brought a lot of news and Porsche created a rather impressive "Macan Lounge," there were precious few new models in Los Angeles that we haven't already seen elsewhere. Allocating two press days to this amount of industry happenings seemed generous indeed.
- Instrumented Test: 2014 Jaguar F-type V-S
- Instrumented Test: 2014 Kia Cadenza
- Instrumented Test: 2014 Lexus IS250 F Sport AWD
A truly impressive sports sedan.
Highway Tested: 2014 Lexus IS350 AWD
For this year's show, Lexus put me behind the wheel of the new IS350 AWD. It was an interesting experience, as I am personally only familiar with the two unsatisfactory engines offered in the European IS: A 2.5-liter V-6, standard in the entry-level U.S.-market model, and a four-cylinder gas-electric hybrid powertrain that is governed at a bizarrely low 125 mph.
I like the distinct look of the new IS, and I was impressed by the 350 model's strong, naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V-6, its tight body, and its competent chassis, which is perfectly controllable even at the limit. I disliked the stability and traction control systems, which kick in too early and for far too long. And the six-speed automatic transmission doesn't compare to the eight-speed automatic in the BMW 3-series or the equally ratio'd automatic in the Audi A4. Lexus offers a simple and enticing fix: Skip all-wheel drive, and stick with the rear-drive IS350—which gets a responsive eight-speed 'box.
from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com
Put the internet to work for you.
No comments:
Post a Comment