California Legacy Plates

The California DMV has an awesome program which will enable you to order reproduction 1950 (yellow and black), 1960 (black and yellow) and 1970's ( blue and yellow) style number plates for your car or bike registered in California. This was created as California Vehicle Code Section 5004.3 and was added by Assembly Bill 1658 (Gatto), enacted in the 2012 Legislative session.

For the program to be implemented and for the plates to be made, at least 7500 of the style of plates need to be ordered and paid for. The plates can be put on any vehicle and is not part of the YOM program, which is for 1972 and older vehicles only. Currently the most popular is the black and yellow plate which has 5383 orders. 

I would like the blue and yellow plate for my 74 vehicle, since the DMV and YOM program currently will not allow me to put the original blue and yellow plates that came with the vehicle originally to be re registered to the car. I hope that we get to 7500 in the Blue and yellow plates, or the DMV changes the YOM program to enable all cars with blue and yellow plates originally issued, to be able to re register if you have the original plates.

The DMV website says that they have until January 1st 2015 to get the required 7500 paid orders of any one type of plate to start the program, so time to get cracking and order your legacy plate, or one as a gift for your friends and family.

 Assemblyman Mike Gatto of Los Angeles 43rd district came up with this bill and I like it.

@CA_DMV @MikeGatto #CaliforniaLegacyPlates

 

 

Cadillac CTS Vsport, Escalade, Elmiraj and ELR at the 2013 #LAAutoshow

It is no secret that I am a fan of Cadillac's, even though my father in law calls them cataract's and suggests my car makes me older. Cadillac is on the up and up, with the recent release of the top selling ATS, new CTS, ELR, Escalade the XTS. It is rumored that Cadillac is working on a S class and 7 series rival and it may well be based on the Elmiraj which was showcased at the 2013 #LAAutoshow.

Reminisent of the 1967 Cadillac Eldorado, the Elmiraj has a long dash to axle front profile, which is a Cadillac signature.

 1967 Cadillac Eldorado

The Cadillac Elmiraj is rear wheel drive, as opposed to the 67 and is powered by a 4.5 liter twin turbo V8 pumping out 500hp. This engine may well be the base for the next CTS-V engine, which I would expect to have about 600hp to keep in line, or in front of the competitors. 

 

 

2015 Cadillac Escalade: 

Rumored to be GM's biggest earner per vehicle, the Cadillac Escalade, is popular with rappers, limousine companies and sports stars amongst others. The 2015 model will be powered by a gasoline 6.2 liter V8 with 420 hp and will be available in 2 or 4 wheel drive. The ESV model which was at the auto show is 20 inches longer than the standard version and is large. It would be nice if Cadillac explored a high power diesel version in the future for fuel economy and export.

Cadillac ELR:

The ELR is Cadillac's upmarket version of the Volt. it is certainly better looking than the Volt and has the classic Cadillac design cues that you'd expect in other models in the range. A well put together vehicle, but with a price of just under $76,000 time will tell if Cadillac or Tesla have the biggest market share?

Cadillac CTS VSport:

The 2014 Cadillac VSport (as opposed to the V which is still for sale as the previous generation CTS) will be powered by a 420 hp twin turbo V6. The VSport comes with electronic limited slip differential, Brembo brakes and magnetic ride control, a la a Corvette.

Cadillac must have taken a BMW 5 series apart when they designed the new CTS, as there is a 50/50 weight ratio, very high end interior and lots of power. The sound the door makes when it is open and shut, is even sounds the same. Prices are jumping up though to that of BMW and Mercedes territory, I expect the new CTS-V edition to be $100,000. Watch this space.

 

Mercedes Bens S65 AMG, AMG Vision Gran Turismo and the SLS AMG GT Final edition at the #LAAutoshow 2013.

The Mercedes Benz presentation at the Los Angeles auto show this year was high energy with the release of some fine automobiles.

The 2015 S65AMG is powered by a twin turbocharged V12 putting out 621hp and 738 lb-ft of torque and is the 3rd generation of S65's from AMG. The S65 will have 2 more gears than it's predecessor with the AMG SPEEDSHIFT PLUS 7G-TRONIC transmission, complete with ECO start/stop function.

Just like the recently launched S63, the S65 will feature a lithium-ion battery which offers advantages over your ordinary every day auto battery. It is more compact and is unaffected by super cold temperatures. The lithium-ion battery replaces both the starter and backup battery, carving over 44 pounds of weight. The S63 and S65 are the first volume produced vehicles to use such a battery.

The S65 will go from 0-60mph in about 4.2 seconds, making int fast, but not as fast as the twin turbo V8 S63 4 matic, which will do the same slightly slower than a McLaren F1 at 3.9 seconds.

 S63 AMG

AMG Vision Gran Turismo

This show car which is showcased in the upcoming 6th rendition of the Gran Turismo game and was developed at the request of Kazunori Yamauchi, President of Polyphony Digital Inc which produces the GT game. It is powered by a twin turbo AMG V8 with 577hp and 590 lb-ft of torque, has large wheels and very low profile tires and is complete with no less than 8 exhaust pipes. The car weighs 3053 pounds giving it an unrivaled 5.2 lbs per hp.

 

 

If you want to drive the AMG Vision Gran Turismo, buy Gran Turismo 6 and crank up the Playstation.

SLS AMG GT FINAL EDITION

350 of these final edition models of the SLS in either gullwing coupe, or roadster will be produced as of March 2014. The vehicle will be powered by a 6.3 liter AMG V8 pumping out 583 HP and 479 lb-ft of torque. This final edition will race from 0-60 MPH in 3.6 seconds, utalizing the 7 spees AMG speedshift DCT transmission. A the name states, this will be the final edition of the iconic SLS, but we were told that AMG is working on something new and special which we will see in the next couple of years.

 

AMG has ambitious goals and is expecting to expand to 30 models and sales of 30,000 vehicles worldwide by 2017. Mercedes Benz is also expecting to release 30 new products over the next 7 years. Exciting times.

Mercedes Benz GLA45 AMG at the 2013 Los Angeles auto show.

Mercedes Benz AMG division had the world release for the GLA45 AMG 4matic at the 2013 Los Angeles auto show.

The 355hp turbocharged 2.0 liter 4 cylinder engine with 332 ft-lb of torque, will be the most powerful 4 cylinder engine available worldwide in a production vehicle when it becomes available next year. The vehicle looks to be designed for the younger and showoff market as the large wing on the back panel and loud exhaust certainly announce that you have arrived. The concept vehicle in LA has 21 inch wheels and the AMG speedshift DCT 7 speed sports transmission and will do 0-60mph in less than 5 seconds with low fuel consumption.

The GLA will slot in below the GLK SUV and will surely take a hit out of the BMW X1 market. The interior is classy and will appeal to a large audience, especially in LA.

 

Technology at the #LAAutoshow 2013

This is the first post by guest blogger Glenn Perkins

 

If it’s November, that means there will be a thrilling conclusion to the Formula 1 season. It also means that the Los Angeles Auto Show is town, an event that has grown exponentially in size and has become an annual tradition for families, friends and anyone interested in the latest automotive styles, technology and trends. It’s also a great excuse to get out of the house and see some cool cars!

This year’s iteration of the show included an industry-only event called The Connected Car Expo which, as its name implies, focuses on in-car technology, i.e. the features that will assist the driver (driverless  cars, self-parking cars, voice and data systems, on-board apps) all while providing underway connectivity.  The CCE provided a forum for key automotive and tech personalities to pool resources and share their knowledge in ways that will shape the future of transportation.  Panelists and guest speakers include highly influential personalities from Honda, Ford, BMW, Google, NHSTA, Stanford University Faculty and others.

When considering the present state of automotive in-car technology, and its rapid integration, much remains to be sorted out.

To illustrate that point, panel discussions included such topics as “Infotainment Standard Time - One for All or Every Automaker for Themselves? “  This ongoing dialog is essential to reaching consensus and streamlining the whole idea of in-car tech with features that will enhance the driving experience. At this point, the Manufacturers seem to be at a crossroads, with some favoring a universal system that will support all smart phone platforms versus others that have made a sizable investment in proprietary in-dash systems that work well with just a handful of consumer electronic devices, useful to some but a customer satisfaction disaster to others. This area of study is still a work in progress.

The panel discussion titled “Connected Car Critical Dialogue: Overcoming the Distracted Driving Roadblock” addressed the current obsession with gadgets and social media in particular, which has a reached a critical point where drivers want to compress time and space and perform more tasks while driving. With technology being far more advanced than social mores; texting, sending e-mails and talking on the phone have increasingly put the public at risk and more stringent measures need to be taken to eliminate this behavior.

There were several panel discussions neatly dove-tailing with each other, with much consideration being given to the future of transportation. The underlying themes of both the L. A. Auto Show and Connected Car Expo complement each other well. While the CCE brings together the knowledge of an industry; innovators and influence's that will chart the future course of an industry and consumers, the Auto Show educates and assures show goers as to how automobiles are designed and manufactured to the highest quality while maintaining the latest in ‘green’ standards, with the latest technology. Public relations and marketing efforts heighten the all-important emotional reactions and affiliation needs in an effort to forge a connection with the consumer. You will hear words like ‘branding’ and ‘conquest sales’ bandied about, but this is where the rubber meets to road, in the literal sense. 

The 2013 L.A. Auto Show and CCE are a strong reminder that we are living in an exciting time; a golden age of innovation and automotive design and the Industry has the pedal to the metal.

The Los Angeles Auto Show will be open from Nov 22 to Dec 1. Visit laautoshow.com for more information and enjoy the show.

2015 Subaru WRX released and Legacy Concept at 2013 #LAAutoshow

Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd released the 2015 Subaru WRX at the #LAAutoshow to a large crowd of interested press and brought the Legacy Concept with them as well. The popular pocket rocket which is renowned and loved around the world for it's ability to rally, drift and handle, has a new boxer 4 cylinder engine pumping out 268 hp from it's direct injected block and 258 ft lbs of torque. 80% of the bodywork on this vehicle is unique to the 2015 Subaru WRX which is on a new chassis and has a 1 incl longer wheel base. The WRX has symmetrical all wheel drive, a large boost gauge display screen, tidy interior and promises to be the best handling WRX ever. This is until they bring out the STI hot rod version at a later date.

The Legacy Concept is handsome and reminiscent of a GM design. The Legacy will also have symmetrical AWD and we hope to see this model on the showroom floor as a competitor to the Mazda 6 and mid size sedans asap.

World premiere of Porsche Macan and US premiere of Porsche 918 Spyder at 2103 #LAAutoshow

Porsche always has a very nice stand at the #LAAutoshow and this year they outdid themselves with the world premiere of the Macan and US premiere of the 918 Spyder. I was not overly excitable when I heard about the just released Macan, thinking it may be to much of a Q5 lookalike, until I saw it in person. I was wrong. The #PorscheMacan has been designed very well, is pleasing to the eye and is going to be a popular addition to the Porsche stable setting the benchmark for the compact SUV market.

 Both the Macan S and the Macan Turbo are powered by twin-turbo V6  engines.

 

For the US market, the Macan S will have a base price of $49,900, will come with all wheel drive and 7 speed Porsche Doppelkupplung PDK transmission and a 3.0 liter, 340hp engine with 339 lb-ft of torque. With the optional sport chrono package, you will be able to blast from 0-60 mph in 5.0 seconds to a top speed of 156 mph. Not bad for the base model.

 

The Macan Turbo with a base price of $72,300 will have the Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), adaptive sports seats,  Leather package, navigation and BOSE surround sound in addition to the S and will also have the PDK transmission. The engine is 3.6 liter with an output of 400hp at 6000rpm. 406 ft-lbs of torque and the optional sport chrono package propel the Macan Turbo to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds, with a top speed of 164 mph.

 

Both the S and Turbo have 19 inch wheels, so I am not sure how you'll be able to go hay bailing in the Macan ( not sure you can get a tow package anyway ) , but it will certainly be a street warrior.

918 Spyder

The US premiere of the electric hybrid 918 was at Los Angeles. The 918 is to be built in limited numbers and will quickly be snapped up by collectors and speculators. This race hybrid has, 4 wheel drive, a 4.6 liter V8 which revs to 9150rpm and has 608 HP and 2 electric engines with a combined output of 887 hp. The 918 Spyder with all engines ago will launch to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds and is capable of a 0-60 mph run of 7 seconds in full electric mode. The 918 Spyder also is capable of a sub 7 minute run on the Nurburgring, which puts it in the legendary category. Look for it at a charging station near you.

2013 Los Angeles auto show BMW

The Autoreports team went to the 2013 Los Angeles auto show today. We attended international releases from BMW, Mercedes Benz, Porsche, Subaru, Jaguar and Range Rover.

Below are details of today's vehicle launches.

BMW

X4: Like the GT, X5 and X6 this new BMW will be made in Spartanburg South Carolina and will start production summer 2014. BMW produces the largest number of vehicles made and exported from the USA in this segment. The X4 was released exclusively today.

i8: A lightweight, high performance plug in hybrid. The i8 which is expected to list for approximately $128,000 when it heads to US dealerships when summer comes in 2014. i8 is powered by a turbocharged 3 cylinder petrol engine, plus an electric engine. It is expected to go from 0-62 mph (100 kph) in 4.4 seconds while getting 94e MPH on the European cycle. The fuel tank will take you 300 miles in style. The i8 is made of carbon fiber by BMW from their plant at Moses Lake in Washington State, which is powered by renewable energy in hydro power. The i8 is a very good looking vehicle in person.

 

4 Series convertible: This new convertible by BMW has increased track, wheelbase and stance over it's predecessor. The 4 series has a 3 piece retractable hardtop and for the first time is available with optional xdrive four wheel drive. An option for folks who like in colder climates is a neck warmer. This new BMW convertible will be available soon.

i3: This vehicle will take LA by storm by those who like to produce a low carbon footprint, when it starts flowing into showrooms shortly. It is simple and looks small, but has plenty of room for 4 folks and a good amount of luggage. This car also looks better in person, at least from the front.