I fly to LA in the morning for business and hope to squeeze in some automotive fun while there. What would you folks recommend I go do/see? I will probably only have a few spare hours here and there.
My only thought so far is to visit the Petersen Museum.
Any other "can't miss" destinations?
take a trip up PCH, lots of fun! Watch out for any Ferrari 355 Spyders you might need to "Smoke em!"
LA Auto Show. Dec. 4-13
http://www.laautoshow.com/
jrw1621 wrote:LA Auto Show. Dec. 4-13
http://www.laautoshow.com/
Awesome! I am definitely interested in going to this. I've been to these events in minor cities (Atlanta, Charlotte), but never one of the biggies (Detroit, LA). Thanks!
Duke, I've been on the PCH previously and always take in at least a few miles of it. The downside is I'll be in some little beater rental. 
Go! I frequent the Detroit Show but have never been to LA Show. The architechure of the displays are almost as impresive as the Cars. It truely is a world class event. If you go by yourself (and pass stuff that does not interest you) expect that you can get through the whole thing in about 3-4 hours. You can even shorten that if you really cherry pick.
Please take a camera and report back on:
CTS coupe
Ford Fiesta
Mazda 2
http://www.laautoshow.com/Debuts.aspx
As for comparing to other city shows.... Think of the local shows as being put on by the Dealerships (with some input from the manufacturer) with the dealerships promoting the models that they think will sell.
Detroit and LA are more of an Industry Tradeshow promoting capabilities and future with little attention given to returning same style models.
Also report back how Pontiac, Saturn, Hummer and Saab are handled at the show. Are they even present at all?
you wont be too far from Laguna Seca...
jrw1621 wrote:Go! I frequent the Detroit Show but have never been to LA Show. The architechure of the displays are almost as impresive as the Cars. It truely is a world class event. If you go by yourself (and pass stuff that does not interest you) expect that you can get through the whole thing in about 3-4 hours. You can even shorten that if you really cherry pick.
Please take a camera and report back on:
CTS coupe
Ford Fiesta
Mazda 2
http://www.laautoshow.com/Debuts.aspxAs for comparing to other city shows.... Think of the local shows as being put on by the Dealerships (with some input from the manufacturer) with the dealerships promoting the models that they think will sell.
Detroit and LA are more of an Industry Tradeshow promoting capabilities and future with little attention given to returning same style models.Also report back how Pontiac, Saturn, Hummer and Saab are handled at the show. Are they even present at all?
Excellent information. Thank you! I will definitely pack my (wife's) camera and pay close attention to the models you listed. I'm excited!
The Show hours are as follows...
Weekdays: 11am – 10pm
Saturdays: 9am – 10pm
Sundays: 9am – 8pm
http://www.laautoshow.com/HoursAdmission.html
My experiance in Detroit are to avoid the "family hours." I typically would schedule some morning appointments in Detroit with my customers (non-auto industry) and make it to the show by 2pm on a Tuesday. My goal was to get out of there by 6pm when the "afterwork" crowd would start to show up. The earlier you can attend, the better.
Of couse, traveling alone can really shorten the experience.
jrw1621 wrote:The Show hours are as follows...
Weekdays: 11am – 10pm
Saturdays: 9am – 10pm
Sundays: 9am – 8pm
http://www.laautoshow.com/HoursAdmission.html
My experiance in Detroit are to avoid the "family hours." I typically would schedule some morning appointments in Detroit with my customers (non-auto industry) and make it to the show by 2pm on a Tuesday. My goal was to get out of there by 6pm when the "afterwork" crowd would start to show up. The earlier you can attend, the better.
Of couse, traveling alone can really shorten the experience.
Thanks for the tips. My only option may be Wednesday night though, based on my meetings. Either way, it would be a great thing to see.
I guess this makes you the type of person that I try to avoid. Ha ha.
How close will you be to the convention center?
Do you understand the travel congenstion that you could be facing?
jrw1621 wrote:I guess this makes you the type of person that I try to avoid. Ha ha.
How close will you be to the convention center?
Do you understand the travel congenstion that you could be facing?
Work comes first, so, if I get to go, it will have to be when the windows of time are there. I'd much rather go during the day, but it doesn't look like my meetings will permit that.
4cylndrfury wrote:you wont be too far from Laguna Seca...
Yeah, only about a 6 hour drive. 
wlkelley3 wrote:4cylndrfury wrote:you wont be too far from Laguna Seca...
Yeah, only about a 6 hour drive.
I'm worried about getting to the LA Convention Center, which is in town, much less getting to Laguna Seca! 
jrw1621 wrote:Go! I frequent the Detroit Show but have never been to LA Show. The architechure of the displays are almost as impresive as the Cars. It truely is a world class event. If you go by yourself (and pass stuff that does not interest you) expect that you can get through the whole thing in about 3-4 hours. You can even shorten that if you really cherry pick.
Please take a camera and report back on:
CTS coupe
Ford Fiesta
Mazda 2
Also report back how Pontiac, Saturn, Hummer and Saab are handled at the show. Are they even present at all?
So I went to the show late today. It was fantastic! Thank you very much for the recommendation. The only downside is that I forgot my camera while packing last night.
Regardless, here are some random thoughts, including the reviews you requested.
CTS Coupe - As much as I loved the CTS-V (that is now on my list), the CTS coupe looks ungainly. The c-pillar treatment is odd and looks overbearing. It was up on the turntable though, so I couldn't paw around it.
Ford Fiesta - Ford devoted an entire display within their display to the Fiesta. Pretty neat looking, though it looked/felt a little cheap. Overall, the Ford display was very impressive.
Mazda 2 - Very cool, as was the Mazda display. They were playing up their racing efforts and had a current Speed World Challenge car there. The Mazda 2 looks a little too much like a Kei car in standard trim. But they had several in various trim/tuner versions that were very cool looking. All it took was some bigger, wider wheels and tires. The new "grin" on the 3's is terrible.
Pontiac, Saturn, Hummer - MIA
Saab - Present and accounted for, very clean, cool display and very few cars.
Other thoughts:
Lexus super car - Very interesting looking car, but not sure how many they'll sell at $375k.
AMG SLS (gullwing car) - I considered the car ungainly looking in pictures, but it is incredibly impressive in person. Wow!
BMW M3 - I sat in the driver's seat and felt like I was home. Put that one on the used car list.
BMW 5 series GT - Who on earth greenlighted that design? It's flat out terrible.
Audi R8 Spyder - It made the R8 coupe sitting behind it look ugly. What a gorgeous car.
Chevy Malibu - I've rented several of these recently and they are great driving and looking cars.
Mitsubishi EVO - The best seats of any car I sat in all night, including the M3. But why can't they make doors that sound like BMWs or Mercedes when they close? The EVO sounded like shutting a tin can. Ditto for the STi.
Hyundai - These guys are on fire. Great looking products.
Acura - The TL went from one of the better looking cars out there to being beat with an ugly stick.
Porsche - A hall unto themselves. They were right about the Panamera. Pictures don't do it justice. It's even worse looking in person! It looks like the person in charge lost a bet and to settle up, he had to produce that car. The new GT3RS is radical. Wow. And it was funny seeing a Carrera 4S sticker for $95k and then tally up the $51k in options for a total of $146k!
Dodge - They had a pretty neat Viper display, including the overall 24 hours of Daytona winner from 2000. But they still claim the production car record of 7:22 on the 'ring with a Viper ACR. Didn't someone best that?
Honda Crosstour - They copied the BMW 5 series GT design for reasons that escape everyone.
Spyker - Cars that look like watches. Very cool.
Fisker Karma - Perhaps the neatest looking car there.
Aston Martin - Stunning. I would kill for a DBS.
Lotus - Couldn't get close the cars, but the Evora looked neat sitting there.
It was also fun seeing all of the tuner cars (lots of DUBs). Who knew that a murdered out Bentley Continental GT would look so miserable?
Well done!
Thanks for the report.
Agreeded? Truely a world class event?
I will miss the show by exactly one month. My next California business trip gets me out there Jan 11th. Instead of cars for me it will be boats as I stay a few days and help a friend bring his sailboat up from Oceanside to Newport Beach. Follow that with some Saturday sailboat racing in Seal Beach. Sure beats January in Cleveland.
jrw1621 wrote:Well done!
Thanks for the report.
Agreeded? Truely a world class event?
I will miss the show by exactly one month. My next California business trip gets me out there Jan 11th. Instead of cars for me it will be boats as I stay a few days and help a friend bring his sailboat up from Oceanside to Newport Beach. Follow that with some Saturday sailboat racing in Seal Beach. Sure beats January in Cleveland.
Happy to report. I just wish I had my camera. Lots of cool cars to drool over.
World class? Certainly the best car show I've been too, but the only one I've ever been to of that caliber.
Have fun out in Cali. It's a strange world out here!
Friday night, you MUST go to the Big Boy in Burbank around 7pm. Every friday for the last 6 million years they have had a cruise-in.
Otherwise, check out http://www.socalcarculture.com/ for everything happening.
