Impreza Sedan Concept
The LA Auto Show 2015 opened its door to the media and shows us a glimpse of what is to come for the following years.
LA Auto Show 2015, EVs, Not So Much
The first thing you’ll notice walking in the LA Auto Show is that electric vehicles, EV, are no longer center stage. Whereas a few years ago, after the effervescence of the 2008 to 2010 green years, EVs were relegated to behind the front stage as a testament of how much an industry can achieve in dire times. With cheaper gasoline, end of year fleet budge loosening, pickup trucks and SUVs are back en force.
LA Auto Show 2015, Alfa Romeo, They’re Back
This green car guy can’t forget his first love, Alfa Romeo. It was quite a sensation to see the Alfa Romeo logo in the main hall, next to Maserati. And Alfa Romeo put on the full show. An Alfa Romeo TZ2, a 33 Stradale and a slew of Giulias Quadrifoglio ready to take on the best Germany has to offer. And to prove this, the Giulia Quadrifoglio packs an impressive 505 HP from its Ferrari designed 2.9 L V6, with 443 lb-ft to push this Italian from a standstill in 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 191 MPH. Can you say Alfa Romeo is back? We can. More to follow on this topic soon.
LA Auto Show 2015, Subaru Unveils Its Vision of the Future
Subaru also unveiled its vision of the future with its Impreza Sedan Concept, which continues to sell faster than they can make them. The Impreza and Subaru’s overall design shows a tendency towards a more elegant flow. We’re interested to see how this will translate to the bigger SUV and crossovers, as well as the WRX/STI family. In fact, Subaru’s high brass was proud to remind us that Subaru is a brand you can trust. Certainly this was a poke at the VW stand in front ready for the next media unveiling. And to be fair, Subaru still claims 98% of its cars are still on the road and that it has doubled its production capacity since 2008. Simply put, Subaru found its mojo, is shining its image and is technically on top of its game.
LA Auto Show 2015, VW
We were wondering how VW would handle the so-called scandal. To its credit, it confronted it honestly. There was bigger than expected crowd gathered and the top brass didn’t disappoint. The company treaded a fine line between optimism and honesty, something everyone will welcome and something we would encourage more automakers to embrace.
LA Auto Show 2015, FIAT’s 124 Spider is Back (also)
Fiat also unveiled the rebirth of its 124 Spider, which we assume is riding on Mazda’s new MX5 platform. We will confirm this tomorrow. A year ago, we were told Alfa Romeo would unveil its new Spider based on the Mazda platform, but its seems Marchionne decided to tackle German sedans head on. The Spider 124 looks great and respect the original size of the 1970s 124, hung on the wall. 
LA Auto Show 2015, GM, Bolt ‘n’ Volt!
GM is proud to show its award winning Corvette and its many declination. It truly is an amazing car, but when are they going to put a proper electric motor in it and show the German and Italians that we can also make hybrid performance? Until then, you’ll have to do with the new and improved Chevy Volt that boasts a few more miles and a very clean redesign. The new Volt will seduce more people.
LA Auto Show 2015, Overall
The LA Auto Show 2015 puts the accent on sedans. Every car company has more sedans than you could ever want to consider. Pickup trucks and SUVs are taking a left stage importance.
- Noteworthy are Volvo’s cutaway of its future plug-in hybrid, PHEV platform.
- Aftermarket Hall. You just have to see the crazy stuff that goes on there, especially Baron Margo!
