2005 L.A. Show Wrap-up

John LeBlanc finds out that it's all about the "production" in LA

January 11, 2005 - With the Detroit show getting the majority of the media’s attention, I can understand if it was difficult for the Los Angeles show organizers to get all of the manufacturers onboard this year. But c’mon, there were no Japanese manufacturer debuts. Nada. In a California market that loves its Hondas and Toyotas, what’s up with that?

Except for a two-dimensional design competition asking what the "Ultimate LA Machine" would be from California-based design studios, it was crickets on the concept front as well. All of the show cars, like the Dodge Slingshot or Chevy Nomad, we’ve seen before.

You know it’s a lame show when one of the highlights is a special edition of the soon-to-be-replaced Jaguar XK.

Hopefully when the L.A. show moves to its new November date in 2006 it will be able to carve out its own space with the car manufacturer’s PR folks.

Until then, if you like production iron, then you’ll love L.A.!:



Bentley Arnage Drophead Coupe
Sales of the Bentley GT coupé are going through the roof with the brand’s global volume estimated to reach 6,000 in 2004. Time to celebrate, and what better way than a ragtop. Officially, this two-door convertible is still a concept, but with the imminent Rolls Phantom-based cabriolet, parent Volkswagen is hoping this image-enhancing Bentley can make production next year. Based on the current Arnage sedan—not the new VW engineered GT coupé—this four-seater is definitely "old school Bentley" with its 6.8-litre, 450-horsepower twin-turbo vee-eight, and would be Bentley’s first open-air model since the Azure was canned in 2003
ON SALE: Spring 2006
ESTIMATED PRICE: If you have to ask…
FUTURE COMPETITORS: Mercedes CL, Ferrari Superamerica, Rolls Royce 100 EX



2005 BMW M3 Competition
For those North Americans who pined for the European-only M3 CSL (Competition Sport Light), this is as close as we can get to what will be the ultimate E46 M3. The Competition Package can be had with the optional Sequential Manual tranny, but you really want the standard six-speed stick, right? Other goodies include a quicker steering ratio, tauter suspension settings and 19-inch wheels and tires. The Dynamic Stability Control system (which includes a less-intrusive M track mode) and brakes with compound and cross-drilled rotors, both come directly from the Euro M3 CSL. For Canadian drivers, the regular DSC mode remains. Potentially, the best handling M3 ever. However that’s up to you and your favourite track to confirm
ON SALE: Now
ESTIMATED PRICE: The Competition Package carries a $4,000 U.S. premium—you do the math
FUTURE COMPETITORS: Porsche 911 Carrera



2006 Chevrolet HHR
I guess when you hire former PT Cruiser designer Bryan Nesbitt away from Chrysler, this is what you get. The HHR (it stands for Heritage High Roof) carries the same retro styling pastiches, this time from the 1949 Chevrolet Suburban. Its built on The General's compact front-wheel-drive Delta platform that was developed by Opel in Germany and underpins the Opel Astra, Saturn ION, Chevy Cobalt and Canadian-market-only Pontiac Pursuit. With the Cobalt’s 2.4-litre, 170-hp four-cylinder engine, the HHR is no hotrod. However, its flat load floor with flat-folding rear seats will provide plenty of space for couriers
ON SALE: Fall 2005
ESTIMATED PRICE: $25,000-30,000 Cdn.
FUTURE COMPETITORS: Chrysler PT Cruiser, Pontiac Vibe/Toyota Matrix, Honda Element



2006 Chevrolet Impala
If you thought the Ford Five Hundred was a sleeper, the new Impala will have you in a coma. Where’s the prominent chrome crossbow that Chevy has been sticking on the prow of its vehicles? Where are the circular rear lamps? Oh well, if you want a Chevrolet that looks like an Accord, here it is. Sharing the same front-wheel-drive platform as the Pontiac Grand Prix and Buick LaCrosse/Allure, Officer Friendly should approve of the ’06 Impala’s available 5.3-litre, 303-horsepower and 323-lb-ft of torque vee-eight (for all you NASCAR wannabes out there the slightly warmed over ’06 Monte gets the eight as an option as well). Hiding in the weeds waiting for speeders should be easier with the Impala’s particularly bland styling
ON SALE: Fall 2005
ESTIMATED PRICE: $25,000-35,000 Cdn.
FUTURE COMPETITORS: Ford Five Hundred, Dodge Charger, Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry, et al



2006 Dodge Magnum SRT-8
Coming second to the M-B E55 AMG wagon (that was also unveiled at the L.A. show) as the "the world’s fastest station wagon" is nothing for the Magnum SRT-8 to cry over—especially at less than half the price. Similar to the Chrysler 300C SRT-8, the Dodge version uses the 6.1-litre, 425-horsepower version of the vee-eight HEMI. Chrysler’s Street and Racing Technology (SRT) engineers claim 0-100 km/h acceleration in the low 5-second range. Four piston Brembos combined with big mutha’ rubber—245/45/20 in the front, and 255/45/20 in the rear—stop the wagon from the same speed in approximately 33.5-metres. If the already prodigiously powered Magnum R/T model ain’t enough juice to haul back your lawn fertilizer from Home Depot, then this is your ride
ON SALE: Summer 2005
ESTIMATED PRICE: $45,000 Cdn.
FUTURE COMPETITORS: Used Audi S6 Avants and BMW 545I Tourings, and that’s about it



2006 Dodge Viper SRT-10 Coupe
For those rugwearers who find the convertible Viper a bit, er, anxious at top speed, rejoice! Two years after the launch of the third-generation Viper ragtop, the all-new hardtop Coupe retains details from the original 1996 model. Despite sharing only the front fascia and fenders, hood and doors with its soft-top sibling, its "double-bubble" roof and wrap-around taillamps are historical nods to the original. The last Viper coupe was popular with club racers, and with the new one sporting the same 500/500/500—cubic inches, horsepower and pound-feet of torque—as found in the roadster, we anticipate much of the same
ON SALE: Fall 2005
ESTIMATED PRICE: $150,000 Cdn.
FUTURE COMPETITORS: Chevrolet Corvette Z06, Porsche 911 Carrera S, Ford GT



2005 Ferrari Superamerica
You’ll flip your lid for this Ferrari—literally. As a way to move out the last of the 575M Maranello gran turismos, on which its is based upon, the Superamerica is the first production car with a rearward rotating roof combined with electrochromic technology (this allows the driver to control the level of light entering the cockpit). Named ‘Revocromico’ by Ferrari (which translates into "hand over the lira, Tony",) the lid electrically flips in 10 seconds. Unlike other folding hardtops, the trunk capacity remains unchanged whether open or closed. The glass rear window becomes a wind deflector when the roof is down. Very Italian, very cool
ON SALE: Get on the waiting list now, only 500 examples expected
ESTIMATED PRICE: $300,000 U.S. (estimated)
FUTURE COMPETITORS: Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR



2005 Ford Mustang Convertible
For Ford dealers, it’s almost 1964 all over again. With over 6,000 U.S. buyers waiting for their new 2005 Mustangs to be delivered, for Ford product planners, a ragtop Mustang was a bit of a no-brainer. With aggressive pricing for both the vee-six and vee-eight models, my advice: Get your order in now
ON SALE: Spring 2005
ESTIMATED PRICE: Expect a $3,000 premium over tintop ‘Stang pricing
FUTURE COMPETITORS: If you can find another new vee-eight, 300-horsepower convertible for under $40K, buy it!



2006 Pontiac G6 Coupe and Convertible
The coupe is dead! Long live the coupe! Despite recent cancellations of the Celica and Sebing/Stratus coupes, Pontiac is forging ahead with these variations of its mid-sized G6. In addition to having rear-end styling that would make a Nissan 350Z owner proud, the doors are 152.4-millimetres longer than the G6 sedan’s to help ingress and egress. To further distinguish itself from its GM Epsilon platform Malibu, Saab 9-3, and new Saturn Aura mates, Pontiac is bringing innovation and performance. Novelty is the Karmann-designed retractable hardtop. Legitimate performance comes in the form of the GTP models with their 240-horsepower, 3.9-litre vee-six with a four-speed manu-matic or available 6-speed stick
ON SALE: Fall 2005
ESTIMATED PRICE: $27,000-39,000 Cdn.
FUTURE COMPETITORS: Chrysler Sebring, Honda Accord, Toyota Camry Solara



2005 Volkswagen Jetta
Many a pre-2005 Jetta were sold solely on their distinctively austere German design. In catering to big-boned North Americans, the 2006 Jetta is bigger in every dimension than its predecessor. This space utilization has resulted in a car whose looks have been inspired by, of all things, the Toyota Corolla. Not sure how that’s going to go down with the anti-establishment Gen Y buyers who made this VW’s best-selling North American car. At least VW is providing more oomph in the form of an all-new, 2.5-litre, straight-five cylinder base engine making 150-horsepower. Later in 2005, Volkswagen will offer its excellent DSG manu-matic transmission on TDI models
ON SALE: March 2005
ESTIMATED PRICE: $23,000-33,000 Cdn.
FUTURE COMPETITORS: Volvo S40, Mazda3, Saab 9-2x, Pontiac G6

- John LeBlanc, Publisher, straight-six.com