LA Auto Show

As the 1960s drew to a close, the American muscle car arms race reached its apogee. Engine displacement grew, quarter-mile times dropped, and the performance cars from the Big Three (and AMC) got altogether more raucous. It was truly the golden age of muscle cars…

Or at least, it was the golden age until the segment’s current halcyon days began. The current boulevard bruisers from Ford, GM and Chrysler are not only faster in a straight line and more powerful than their Nixonian Age ancestors, but also handle better, stop shorter, run smoother, require less maintenance, produce barely a fraction of the pollution, use less gas and are much nicer to drive and ride in. And yes, there’s another horsepower war going on, and Ford has just dropped a nuke on the hapless heads of the General and Ma Mopar.

As native Angelenos, we’d like to debunk a few common myths about us. Not all of us have people who will call your people. We don’t all eat anything that has “soy,” “acai” and/or “free range” in front of its name. And a few of us actually know that “like” isn’t really a preposition.

One story about us that is true, though, is our culture revolves around the automobile. So it’s no surprise that the Los Angeles Auto Show has become one of the biggest new-car parties on the international calendar, with manufacturers from this continent and others premiering their newest wares. Many reflect the rapidly accelerating trend toward environmentally-responsible motoring, while others shower you in the delightful decadences of luxury and speed (sometimes both at once). Here are the ten newbies that got our attention.

With all the talk of tighter Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) requirements lately (35.5 miles-per-gallon in 2016, and some legislators calling for 60 mpg nine years after that), a lot of us gearheads are understandably worried about the future. However, forcing automakers to devise substantially more efficient new cars might not be all bad news; to make such quantum leaps in fuel economy, cars will have to be noticeably lighter than they are now, because clean diesels, hybrid systems and the like won’t be enough by themselves. And in addition to increased efficiency, less mass also means better acceleration, braking and handling.

Against this backdrop, the people behind the Los Angeles Auto Show’s annual Design Challenge drafted the rules for this year’s contest thusly: Create a four-passenger vehicle weighing 1,000 lb. or less that is comfortable, safe, and delivers satisfactory performance and looks. When all was said and done, nine concepts from seven automakers (Daimler created one for each of its three passenger car brands) were submitted and, if you ask us, they’re all significantly less depressing than other people’s visions of our automotive future. But don’t take our word for it; make the jump and judge for yourselves.