The weekend’s here, which means it’s Happy Hour at Automobile Magazine. What do we talk about when that friend of a friend comes over to ask us what’s new, over cocktails? Here are a few thoughts:
Exemption?: Mercedes-Benz design boss Gorden Wagener tells us the company won’t build vulgar cars to chase new money. Did he mean to exclude SUVs? Mercedes’ new Ener-G-Force concept at the L.A. Auto Show looks like a cross between an Infiniti QX56 and a 1950s bathyscaphe. – Jamie Kitman, New York bureau chief
Too much heritage: Lincoln’s had a difficult time convincing buyers that it can keep the glitz and glamour it once had, but for L.A., it had a great idea. On opening press day, its modern, chic stand was filled with old Lincolns—nothing later than the ‘60s, and no new product at all. They were replaced with 2013 Lincoln MKZs on the second day. The plan initially went well, but then backfired: the old cars got way more love and attention than the new ones. The takeaway seemed to be “damn, Lincoln, you used to make some awesome cars…what happened?” – Ben Timmins, Associate Web editor
Safety Fast: I always felt like the Chevy Camaro drove like a safe-room on wheels. My theory was confirmed by Bobbi Kristina’s crash Wednesday — she was uninjured. – Kelly Ryan Murphy, Creative director
Salt Season: Don’t let the calendar fool you—winter is officially here. For the first time this season, I saw road salt last Sunday … and all over the darn place. I love Michigan’s four seasons, but I wish the road commission didn’t stave off ice and slick roads with sheetmetal-eating salt. – Rusty Blackwell, Copy editor
BMW M5: It’s not news that German automakers have some of the best lighting in the business, but BMW played its trump card with the 2013 M5 sedan. Unlike Audi, which uses a headliner-mounted LED projecting onto the console to light the shifter, the team from Munich has backlit the shifter itself. When the interior lights are on at night, the shift pattern on the knob is illuminated in the same fashion as all the other buttons. It’s a very neat touch (not to mention helpful at night) that makes the six-speed-manual M5 that much cooler. – Donny Nordlicht, Associate Web editor
Bigger, cheaper Touareg?: Volkswagen’s continuing strides toward world domination will continue next year with a new three-row SUV. It will be built in Tennessee on a stretched Passat platform to make it more affordable than German-built models. I hope that keeps the price reasonable enough for it to sell better than the costly Touareg two-row SUV. – Jake Holmes, Associate Web editor
Names dropping: Fisker CEO Tony Posawatz, GM’s former Chevy Volt product chief, hired ex-GM/ex-Nissan/ex-Hyundai marketing guru Joel Ewanick as “interim” marketing chief. He replaces the retiring Richard Beattie (himself, a former Jaguar North America and Mazda exec) while the company looks for a new battery supplier. Is “interim” Fisker-speak for “unpaid?” Later in the week, Henrik Fisker told the detroitbureau.com that Fisker Automotive is “quietly” looking for a well-financed partner. Has he tried Manchester United? – Todd Lassa, Executive editor
Tuned by Toyota: Toyota just revealed its answer to the likes of Mercedes’ AMG or BMW’s M: it’s a wild, 641 hp, Nurburgring-tested version of the (rather boring) Lexus LS 460. The super-wide flares and air extractors may not be the most attractive, but who cares? It’s a Lexus LS with 641 freakin’ horsepower, capable of hitting more than 198 mph. — Evan McCausland, Associate Web editor
Sparks fly: The Chevrolet Spark has an 84-hp engine, a 9.2-gallon gas tank, and a roof rack to compensate for its small cargo hold. I wasn’t expecting much more than a weather-tight cozy coupe and yet I was pleasantly surprised to find a well-rounded car. In terms of driving dynamics, the diminutive Chevy puts the Fiat 500 and Scion iQ to shame. Too bad it does nothing to advance the aesthetics of micro cars. — Eric Tingwall, Senior editor
Rolling right: Jamie Kitman and I were chauffeured from the Los Angeles Convention Center by a young woman in a white-over-cream Rolls-Royce Ghost. We are not so jaded as to deny that it was pretty cool to be wafting along Wilshire Blvd in the back seat of a white Roller. When we arrived at the “Rolls-Royce Villa,” which was in a fog-shrouded neighborhood above Beverly Boulevard in Beverly Hills, we found a platinum-colored Phantom Coupe Aviator sitting regally in the driveway. Thirty-five total were built, eight of which were brought to the United States, and this was the last one available. The interior was a spectacular caramel-colored leather extravaganza. Even the floors were upholstered in leather. Price: $500,000. Inside the modern, slightly overdone house, we interviewed Rolls-Royce chief Torsten Muller-Otvos, nibbled on canapes, and heard that actress Kristen Stewart (“Twilight”) had visited the villa the previous day, arriving in a beater Toyota Camry that is apparently part of a rotating fleet of crappy old cars that she drives to avoid detection by the paparazzi. Our own ride away from the villa was decidedly better: a gunmetal gray Phantom Coupe that I got to drive back to Santa Monica, our attractive chauffer riding shotgun and Kitman comfortably ensconced in the rear seat. Not a bad way to spend a Thursday afternoon in Los Angeles. — Joe DeMatio, Deputy editor
Focus on the Fiesta: It’s interesting, but not surprising. Ford chose the Fiesta instead of the Focus to introduce the 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine here. Although the tiny engine will eventually be available in both cars for the U.S. market, the Fiesta needs every bit of attention it can muster to counter sluggish sales. (The Focus has been riding a wave of publicity from the ST launch.) Still, you’ve got to wonder whether adding an expensive engine option to an already expensive subcompact will help move the metal. — Phil Floraday, Senior Web editor
Pulling a fast one: I was disappointed by the Honda Civic update unveiled at the LA Auto show. The new front and rear fascias are busier than they were before, but not more upscale, and the new soft touch interior panels have the patchwork look of a mid-‘90s General Motors product. I do give credit to Honda for trying to rectify problems with the car, and I reserve final judgment until I drive it. But my first impression confirms what I’ve always been told: it’s very difficult to make substantive changes to a car within one year. Better to get it right the first time. — David Zenlea, Associate editor
Waiting to exhale: As Chrysler marketing chief and Fiat brand director Olivier Francois worked his accent for all it was worth at the L.A. auto show while showing us the provocative yet good-humored broadcast commercials for the Fiat 500C Abarth, Fiat 500E and Fiat 500L, there was a sharp intake of breath as he acknowledged the star of the commercial, Romanian supermodel Catrinel Mengia. Sadly, it was followed by an exhale of disappointment when she stood up. Someone near us whispered, “Aww, she’s wearing a big, old baggy sweater.” – Michael Jordan, West coast editor
Climate change: With the launch of the all-electric Fiat 500e at the LA auto show this week came a campaign to “Stop Global Warming, Start Global Hotness,” and Fiat claims the 500e is “the only electric that turns you on.” Don’t know about the car but the 60-second spot of a make-out session between a scantly clad man and woman might. Head of the Fiat brand Olivier Francois wholeheartedly believes sex sells. – Christopher Nelson, Road test editor
