Car shows

LOS ANGELES--Lincoln hits the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show with a one-two punch, unveiling the 2013 MKS sedan and MKT crossover simultaneously.

The most prominent change to these two 2013 Lincolns is the new design language. Lincoln has simplified and restyled the waterfall grille into something that can only really be described as a windswept mustache. Twin grilles with vertical bars sweep back into integrated headlamps. Meanwhile, the front fenders and hood have been simplified with fewer creases and kinks. I think the MKS wears the look better, partially due to its more compact size. In either case, the result … Read more

LOS ANGELES--Bentley looks to provide the modern customer with connected information and entertainment.

It says something about the typical Bentley customer that the company's connected car concept would focus on rear-seat passengers. With the cost of the large Mulsanne sedan being about $350,000, most buyers can leave the driving to a chauffeur.

And at this level of luxury, there is nothing wrong with sitting in the back seat. But where past Bentley customers may have been content to listen to opera over the stereo system, the modern owner will have the smartphone and tablet out, buying low and selling high.

To oblige this type of customer, Bentley created its connected concept, fitting a Mac Mini and 4G-connected router in the trunk, and iPads in the rear-seat tray tables. The various computers in this system are integrated, so the iPads can control and call up media and files from the Mac Mini.… Read more

LOS ANGELES--Honda says it will begin leasing the electric version of its Fit small car at a price of $399 per month.

Honda joins the ranks of automakers offering electric cars with the new Fit EV, showing off a production version of the car at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show. The standard Fit uses an economical 1.5-liter gasoline engine. Honda removed the gasoline power train, replacing it with lithium ion batteries and an electric motor.

The 20 kilowatt-hour lithium ion battery is packaged under the floor, and impinges on interior space slightly, reducing cargo space. The battery gives … Read more

LOS ANGELES--The 2012 Green Car of the Year was announced at the Los Angeles Auto Show today. It's a 2012 Honda Civic, but it's not the hybrid model.

When the curtain dropped on the stage where the 2012 Green Car of the Year was announced this morning, it was the oft-overlooked 2012 Honda Civic Natural Gas that stood before the room full of journalists.

Green Car Journal cites natural gases abundance in the United States, low tailpipe emissions, and lower fuel cost (by about 30 percent) than gasoline among its reasons for selecting the Civic Natural Gas as … Read more

LOS ANGELES--The JX crossover that took a bow here at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show is a platform for a few firsts for the Infiniti brand.

It's the first model with a continuously variable transmission (CVT), the first implementation of the automaker's Backup Collision Intervention system, and the first model to incorporate the styling cues that debuted on the Infiniti Essence concept.

The JX35 will be the first model in the JX series and will be powered by a 265-horsepower version of Infiniti 3.5-liter workhorse V-6. That engine will send 248 pound-feet of torque through a … Read more

LOS ANGELES--Despite changed proportions, the new 911 retains its iconic look.

By now the 2012 Porsche 911 has been unveiled more times than we can keep track of, but the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show marked the seventh-generation 911's large-stage debut in North America (it had been shown at October's Rennsport Reunion at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, but to a much smaller crowd). It was displayed alongside the latest variant of the Panamera, the GTS, which will be available as a 2013 model.

Perhaps the most intriguing single feature of the latest version of Porsche's most familiar … Read more

LOS ANGELES--Ford's new Escape uses the company's latest tech, under the hood and in the cabin.

In the U.S., Ford has been selling the Escape for many years. In Europe, it sold another small SUV, the Kuga. Taking advantage of economies of scale, Ford has now combined the vehicles into one, launching an all-new, modern, small SUV designed to appeal to buyers around the world.

The new car will keep its Escape and Kuga names in different markets, but in most other regards will be identical. The 2013 Escape unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show benefits … Read more

...and then there were three.

LOS ANGELES--The Toyota FT-86 II and Scion FR-S concepts are joined today by Subaru's vision for the lightweight, rear-driven sports car platform with the unveiling of the Subaru BRZ concept STI at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show. This marks our first official peek at the BRZ in the sheet metal; the previous offerings showed off the drivetrain, but not the external styling.

As a bit of a hat tip to enthusiasts who have been eagerly awaiting the BRZ, Subaru decided that the first concept should showcase what an STI variant of the sports … Read more

LOS ANGELES--If you've ever criticized Hyundai for derivative design, you'll want to have your torches and pitchforks at the ready for this one.

The first thing I thought when Hyundai pulled the wraps off of its new 2012 Azera here at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show was that it looked just like a Toyota Camry. Perhaps that's not totally fair, because as the large sedan spun slowly on its turntable, I also saw hints of Mazda6, Nissan Altima, and BMW 6-Series. For a brand like Hyundai that's been building a ton of steam over the … Read more