ABOUT THE LOS ANGELES AUTO SHOW
Last year, organizers moved the Los Angeles auto show to December, ahead of the shows in New York, Chicago and (most importantly) Detroit. This year's show runs even earlier, in November -- right over the Thanksgiving holiday.
Because it's being held so early in the year, there aren't many new-for-2009 models premiering at the show -- instead there are a lot of North American introductions, vehicles that premiered at other car shows in other countries and are now being shown in the US for the first time.
WHEN TO GO
The Los Angeles Auto Show is open to the public Friday, November 16 through Sunday, November 25th, 2007.
Hours:
Friday, Nov. 16: 11 am - 10 pm
Saturdays: 9 am - 10 pm
Sundays: 9 am - 8 pm
Monday - Wednesday: 11 am - 10 pm
Thanksgiving (Thursday, Nov. 22): 9 am - 8 pm
Friday, Nov. 23: 9 am - 10 pm
Tip: The show tends to be packed wall-to-wall on the weekends. Go Monday through Friday during the day if at all possible -- and I'd venture to guess that Thanksgiving evening will be pretty empty.
Admission:
$10 for adults, children 12 and under free with a paid adult, seniors $7 on all days except Friday the 23rd. Discount coupons are available at 7-Eleven stores and many car dealers. You can buy tickets online, but there is a $1.25 service fee per ticket.
Tip: Opening day tickets are only $5 (plus service fee) when purchased online.
HOW TO GET THERE
The LA Auto Show is held at the Los Angeles Convention Center, 1201 S. Figueroa Street in Los Angeles.Directions to the Los Angeles Auto Show
Parking is available at the convention center for $12 per day. There are several independent lots in the area, some less expensive, some more.
Tip: A cheaper alternative is to take public transportation; the Metro Blue Line train's Pico Station is a block away. Metro Rail information
WHAT TO SEE
South Hall
Nissan GT-R: Nissan has been selling all-wheel-drive supercars in Europe and Japan for years, and now they are finally bringing one to the US. The GT-R is right near the South Hall entrance, so expect a big crowd.
Pontiac G8: It's buried in the back, but the road-ready version of Pontiac's rear-wheel-drive sedan is here to see.
BMW 1-series coupe: Looks much better in person than in pics. The convertible will be shown at the Detroit show.
Subaru Impreza WRX STI: Surprise, surprise -- the hottest Impreza variant is only available as a wagon! Subaru also has a right-hand-drive version of the original 22B STi. Not far is Mitsubishi's STI challenger, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution.
Chevrolet Malibu: Okay, not terribly exciting, but you have to poke your head inside and see what a spectacular interior Chevy did for this car.
Concourse Hall
Lamborghini Reventon: Take a good look, because you may never see one in person again. Lamborghini plans to sell just twenty Reventons, and only eleven of them in the US.
Ferrari F430 Scudiera: There are two -- check out the one on the left. It's painted Old Man Buick Blue and yet it still looks fantastic. How cool is that?
West Hall
Toyota racing and Scion vending machine: This year's show is a little short on interactive activities, but Toyota has video-game racing and Scion has one of those claw prize-getting amusement machines built into the back of an xD. The difference: With the Scion machine, it's actually easy to get a prize (in this case, a miniature stuffed Scion).
Mazda clay concept: At the press preview, Mazda revealed a big, vaguely car-shaped lump of clay, and set their designers to work; by show's end, it will be a full-size clay concept-car mock-up. Very cool. Also check out the white '67 Cosmo Sport displayed nearby.
Honda FCX Clarity: Could this be the future of motoring? The FCX hydrogen fuel-cell car will be available to the public this summer. Honda's set up a big exhibit with lots to learn about how the FCX works.
Lincoln MKS: If this is the future of Lincoln, things are definitely looking up!
Petree Hall
Porsche exhibit: Around the corner from West Hall, Petree is easy to miss but well worth seeing. Porsche is the sole occupant, and their display includes a see-through Cayenne Hybrid and what they say is the world's first zero-emissions vehicle, the 107-year-old Lohner-Porsche.
