Auto Shows (Page 9)

Lincoln is hoping to expand on the Navigator's popularity in 2019 with all new Lincoln Aviator. The California market is especially hot for the Navigator and the Aviator has new bells and whistles sure to please the energy efficient market.

In my frustrating effort to keep pushing the movement toward full electric cars, I often get frustrated by the lack of enthusiasm and missed steps the legacy car makers have taken. If they really were enthused and eager to adapt to electric cars, they would have an all electric option for both their halo sports and pony cars. They don’t. Still. With lackluster Camaro sales, Chevy needs a “comeback kid” car. The eCOPO Camaro is it.

The Los Angeles Auto Show issued a press release this morning and in it, the organizers announced that the long-awaited Jeep Wrangler pickup will debut in California, ending speculation as to when the trail rated truck will finally meet the world.

The organizers of the 2018 SEMA Show in Las Vegas have announced their annual awards and for the ninth-straight year, the Jeep Wrangler was named the Hottest SUV at SEMA – an award that it has literally never lost.

Ford Motor Company has claimed three of the four awards given out by the organizers of the SEMA Show in Las Vegas for 2018, with the F-Series, Mustang and Focus being the most popular model in the truck, car and sport compact segments.

The biggest surprise from Chevrolet at the SEMA Show thus far is the introduction of two new COPO Camaro drag cars – one being the 2019 production car and the other being an all-electric, 9-second concept.

Unofficial reports indicate that the concept front end on the Chevrolet Camaro SS show that set to debut next week at the SEMA Show could be the new production front end very soon.

We will soon see classic Chevy muscle cars cruising the streets with the 755-horsepower LT5 from the C7 Corvette ZR1, as Chevrolet Performance will soon be offering supercharged V8 in the crate engine portfolio – with the official announcement coming later this month at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

Chevrolet has previewed the first of their customized Camaro show cars that will debut later this month at SEMA and in addition to a handful of components from the brand’s accessory catalog, this car introduces the world to the new “Shock” exterior color – coming to dealers early next year.

Four years in the making and now its second year of production, the first European full production full electric response to Tesla is a British SUV already on its way in Jaguar fashion toward iconic status. If this represents the latest theater of battle in the cultural British invasion of America between David Beckham, tea and toast, the Mini, Elton John, James Bond, Range Rover, fish and chips, the BBC, Duran Duran, Bentley, the Beatles and so forth, then bring it on!

Although the annual Orange County International Auto Show is the eighth largest auto expo in the world, it’s not the show New York, Geneva, Paris, Frankfurt, Tokyo has. What the show does do, however, is it gives you quality time for serious car shopping, and for us all a preview of the chicks to hatch without giving away the auto henhouse. That’s what the annual LA Auto Show is for, just eight weeks and 30 miles way.

In a segment that was once considered exclusive to Americans only, that no foreign pedigree need apply, the French automaker in a bold and daring attempt to go where no foreign car maker has gone before, produces a concept in electric form with a warning to Ford and Chevrolet, that there’s a weakness with their own muscle pony cars, and Peugeot is ready to take advantage it, in the electric car market.

9/24/2018 UPDATE TO ORIGINAL STORY: A source apparently close to Chrysler is indicating that the rumors that Chrysler is looking to cancel the 300 and Charger sedans are not true. And instead of building the Portal minivan Chrysler is looking to have the Dodge Grand Caravan replaced by a mini MPV based on the Portal Concept instead.

With Type 1 Beetle Mark 3 in its swansong, VW decides in good timing that it’s ready to try its luck and good fortune on another storied halo, that some say as a van, has more potential of being even more popular and longer lasting than Beetle, even as an electric. Let’s hope Samba reaches its 100th Birthday in 2049 that Beetle almost made in 2038 (or earlier?), but didn’t quite live as long.

2013 was only a few years ago, a long time for most, lightning fast time in the electric car universe, and after all the talk, the drafts, the drawings, the concepts, the rumors, the prototypes, and camouflaged pre-production vehicles since, Audi finally presents its first full electric car. With a price point of about $80,000 USD, the Audi e-Tron Quattro aims to take its throne as a heralded German electric, while finally taking on the American Teslas.

Instead of going over the top like most car makers do, especially startups when introducing autonomous technology in their concept vehicles, BMW took a more practical approach recently with theirs, called iNext, a new electric driverless capable concept CUV but still a human hands on driving car which includes a steering wheel and pedals. So practical they intend to put something much like it into production in as little time as in 2021.

Instead of waiting to wonder what a Mustang BEV CUV will come to, rogue ex-Forder Aston Martin shows their former boss they don’t even need an SUV platform to electrify one of their products, they can do it on a current production car: their flagship saloon, the Rapide. Attention American Cops: this ex-Ford is definitely a Crown Vic and Explorer Inceptor Killer!

After abandoning plans for Zil, the storied Russo-Soviet official state car builder that was supposed to make Vladimir Putin’s next set of wheels back in 2012, the Russian Federation tapped and funded a government entity to develop a LWB car. Here’s the thing: instead of relying on unreliable Russo-Soviet engineering, they German engineered and are now ready to market this SWB car with Europe in mind. Both cars have Porsche developed engines. I get it now. A Zil this is not. Not bad at all.

During a year when it seemed that the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance seemed more about all of the previews it is still nice to see a classic winning Best in Show, which it has.

This week's Pebble Beach Automotive Show had lots of interesting iron available both new and old. One of the more interesting models was Audi's PB18 electric. Made for ontrack moves as well as daily errands, the PB18 features a unique driver's seat. Read on and see.

Will the VW Tanoak be built? Looking at all of the potentials, there's only one firm answer to this question: only VW knows the answer and it isn't talking.

GM’s race for 20 electric cars by 2023 is underway with two concept cars that most likely will go into production. They’re both Chinese Buicks, for now, one is a wagon, the other, an SUV with the potential to become something so much more.

Dodge has announced that the brand will be sponsoring the 4th consecutive Roadkill automotive festival in Metro Detroit on August 18th, with the main attractions once again being organized street racing, Dodge-themed displays and a massive Show-N-Shine field.

Fans at Boxerfest were the first to see the new 2019 Subaru WRX and WRX STI Series.Gray. Hurry if you want one.

Subaru Corp announces a new 2019 Forester Hybrid for the Chinese market. Will it see U.S. shores?

Buick just unveiled what appears to be the perfect SUV for America. Unfortunately, it debuted in China and no word if it is heading for the U.S.

Walking through the Denver Auto Show, I was struck by the appearance of the Rhino GX. It is a massive vehicle perched on 38" Toyo M/T tires.This is why USSV calls the Rhino GX "the ultimate luxury SUV".

The all-new 2019 Subaru Forester remodel doesn’t look extreme on the outside. Did Subaru do enough to get consumers to rediscover it?

Volkswagen's Audi subsidiary continued its winning ways by taking two "Best Car" awards from U.S. News and World Report. The Q5 took the award for the third year and the A6 took it for 2018.

The second media day of the 2018 New York International Auto Show is winding down and once again, we did not get to meet the next Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 – and that could signal a long wait until the 700 horsepower pony car is introduced.