LA Auto Show: The sublime and the ridiculous on one noisy platform

The annual LA Auto Show had something for everyone this year from radical concepts to innovative technology and design.
The show was full of events and new models that ranged from the sublime Maybach to the weird Chaparral 2X, which is a car designed for the latest version of the Gran Turismo game.
This year the show had more than 20 world debuts and 11 North American debuts. Most prominent cars on display this year are these models:

• Mercedes Maybach S 600: At 5453 mm long and with a wheelbase of 3,365 mm, the flagship of the Mercedes-Benz model range is 20 cm larger in both dimensions than the S-Class Saloon with long wheelbase. Rear passengers benefit from this increased size as well as from standard equipment that includes executive seats on both left and right and other exclusive details such as innovative voice amplification. The market launch of the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class is scheduled for February 2015. The top-of-the-range model is the Mercedes-Maybach S 600. Its V12 biturbo engine has an output of 530 hp. With a displacement of 5980 cc, the maximum torque of 830 Nm is available from 1900 rpm.

• Ford Mustang Shelby: Ford unveiled its latest Mustang Shelby featuring a high performance 5.0 liter V8 engine linked to a six-speed manual gearbox with an aggressive first gear. Inside there are Recaro front seats and 18” aluminum wheels. The Shelby is distinguished by its two longitudinal black lines across its bonnet.

• Lexus LF- C2; This is a roadster sports model with no roof. The company says this is designed to give driver and passenger “the best top-down.” Journalists at the show commented that Lexus may have run out of time before the show so displayed the car minus its roof. The C2 features a 2+2 layout with a center consul that runs the whole length of the interior.

• Infiniti Q80: This is Infiniti luxury concept that will go into production “in the next three to five years.” Infiniti’s European boss, Francois Goupil de Bouille, admitted that putting the range-topping Q80 concept into production was a priority. “The Q80 is way more than a design study, this is our entry into the large saloon segment. Our intention with any prototype is to put as much as possible of it on the road, maybe as much as 90 percent of the concept.”

• Chevrolet Chaparral 2X Vision Gran Tursimo (VGT) concept: This is one of the craziest designs to appear in LA Show for a video game. It is a futuristic vision of Gran Turismo virtual racer. The 2X will be available for download on “Gran Turismo 6” for the PlayStation 3 by the end of this year, joining a slew of other concepts for the Vision Gran Turismo initiative that invites automakers to dream up designs for the game.
In response to the rapid changes that new technologies such as driver assist and cloud-based infotainment, the LA Auto Show organizers have created the Connected Car Expo.
The Connected Car Expo consists of a one-day conference and three-day expo for automotive and technology companies shaping current innovations and designing the future of the connected car space. The event has become the authoritative gathering for auto and tech industry professionals to connect and discuss the future of mobility.
The Los Angeles Auto Show began in 1907 with 99 vehicles on display at Morley’s Skating Rink.
As the auto industry grew, the auto show changed venues four times.
During the 1929 show, an electrical circuit in one of the airplane exhibits caught fire causing the entire show to go up in flames ending in more than one million dollars in damage.
With the help of the community, the show re-opened one day later at the Shrine Auditorium.
Throughout the next 50 years, the show continued to grow becoming the success that it is today.
In the past decade, the show has changed its name from The Greater Los Angeles Auto Show to the LA Auto Show.
In 2006, the show moved its dates from early January to late November/early December, thus resulting in two shows during the year 2006, the second marking the 100 year anniversary show.
The LA Auto Show was the last car show of 2014.
The first show of 2015 is the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) which will be held on January 12-25.