2008 LA Auto Show Gals

Source: carscoop

2009 Audi Q5 makes its North American debut at LA 2008

Although we've already seen the Audi Q5 in a variety of forms after its initial unveiling in Beijing this past July, the four-ringers decided to finally show off their cute 'ute in North America for the first time at the LA Auto Show.


The compact(ish) CUV is packing the award-winning 2.0-liter TFSI gasoline engine putting out 211 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque through the seven-speed, dual-clutch S tronic transmission, and Audi is quick to point out that with a drag coefficient of just 0.33 and a turbocharged four, the Q5 will be one of the most fuel-efficient offerings in its class. Check the galleries below for more and see our previous post for all the details.




More Photos



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Car News: Los Angeles Auto Show Design Challenge Winner is...Mazda Kann

Designs were judged by multi-discipline design professionals. Their selection criteria included originality of the creative concept, and how every component integrated to improve power, performance, safety and speed.


A design submitted by Mazda R&D of North America has won the Los Angeles Auto Show's 2008 Design Challenge. Chosen from designs entered by nine studios in the Southern California region, the challenge was to envision and depict what a sports car from the year 2025 will look like, taking into account global conditions from that time period.


Studios involved included those of Audi, BMW, GM, Honda, Mitsubishi, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Volkswagen, and of course Mazda.


"The scope of the entries this year was very impressive," said Chuck Pelly, director of Design Los Angeles and partner in The Design Academy, Inc.


"and in the end it came down to which team had the most innovative and artistic design that could go beyond the expectations and challenges of racing today. Mazda's designers created an optimistic vision of 2025 and ultimately brought unique styling back to motor sports."


The winning design, called a Mazda Kann, won because of how it integrated technology, innovation and design into a unique concept. Mazda Kann is an electrically-powered car which is capable of 250mph (420km/h) and yet it exhales no harmful emissions.




via: World Car Fans



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All New Electric Mini E in Detail

Another unique feature of the Mini E is that the electric motor can act like a generator when the driver lifts off the accelerator. This acts as a brake and the resulting kinetic energy is used to recharge the battery. The company says that when driven in city traffic this feature reduces the need for traditional braking by 75% and results in a 20% increase in the vehicle's range.


The Mini E will initially only be offered as a two-seater as the batteries take up the space where the rear passenger seats are normally located. Using the same basic battery technology as cell phones and laptop batteries, the Mini E will be able to be charged from a special wallbox unit that will be installed in owner's garages. Charge times will vary, but the company estimates that the wallbox will be able to fully recharge the batteries in two-and-a-half hours.


The exterior is all Mini, but this special model will only be offered with Dark Silver body paint and a Pure Silver roof. Special yellow E badges are applied to the exterior and are echoed by yellow touches on the roof edges, mirror housings, and inside the interior. The standard Mini gauge cluster is replaced by a new version which features displays for the battery level, power consumption, and power recuperation.


In order to keep Mini's trademark agility and handling, the Mini E features a specifically tuned suspension in order to evenly distribute the added weight from the battery pack. All Mini E's will come equipped with a retuned version of Dynamic Stability Control which has been setup to handle the car's 3,230 lbs weight.


Under the hood is a 150 kW (204 hp) electric motor which receives power from a high-performance rechargeable lithium-ion battery. Thanks to the high-tech battery pack the Mini E can travel up to 156 miles per charge. 0-62 mph takes 8.5 seconds and the Mini's top speed is limited to 95 mph.


Mini will use the Los Angeles Auto Show to debut the new Mini E. They will begin offering one-year leases of 500 Mini E's to select private and corporate customers. More Photos





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Los Angeles Auto Show: Toyota CNG Camry Hybrid Concept

Hearing any news from Toyota these days inevitably sounds like a taunt to the Big 3. It's not their fault, really. They're getting pummeled in sales too but they're not in jeopardy of imminent collapse and still have plenty of revenue streaming in and cash on hand to weather the storm.

The CNG Camry Hybrid is a concept car but it does provide some interesting numbers. With the natural gas equivalent of about 8 gallons of gasoline, the CNG Camry Hybrid gets a range of about 250 miles (or 400 km). That's an impressive pocketbook stat. It also emits lower levels of harmful emissions like NO-x, CO, CO2 gases as well as polluting particle matter.


So while the US automakers are drowning and begging for cash just to meet their payrolls, Toyota is rolling out its latest in hybrid technology: a natural gas hybrid.


But the car requires natural gas tanks, which must be cylindrical, in the spare-tire well and therefore come with runflat tires. Natural gas is also less dense, hence, less powerful, than gasoline or diesel fuel.


It's only a concept and there are no plans for production.

The CNG Camry Hybrid goes on display at the Los Angeles Auto Show on Wednesday.
via:World Car Fans



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