2012 L.A. Auto Show Preview

La-auto-show II

The auto-show season typically begins with the L.A. Auto Show, which kicks off with media preview in the middle of next week. It's aimed at the green-friendly core of the auto industry, but it can also be a great place for car and truck makers to steal a little thunder from the big debuts set for Detroit, Chicago or New York. 

Unfortunately, we haven't heard of any of the pickup truck makers wanting to make a big splash in Southern California (all we know about are cars and crossovers), but that doesn't mean there won't be some interesting pickup trucks spread around the show floor. It has happened once or twice that a new option package or piece of technology finds its way into a relatively familiar-looking model as a way to gauge consumer interest. 

The L.A. Auto Show has always done a pretty good job of including some of the more, shall we say, "interesting and flashy" vehicles that are more popular with some insecure Hollywood celebrities. And sometimes there's an interesting pickup or two in that style as well. 

Regardless of what's on the show floor, we'll see if we can't track down a few "in the know" types and squeeze them for any pickup truck news they might have to offer. And feel free to pass along any questions you want us to ask as well. The auto show season starts next week, and we'll be there to bring it to you. 

 

Comments

Insecure Hollywood celebrities... couldn't have said it better myself. Not long ago, they were driving the Hummers, Navigators, and Escalades; now it's all about the small hybrids. It's just about fashion statements for them.

If we're going to see the new Scion/Prius pickup this year, the LA Auto Show seems like the place we'll see it...

I live in SoCal and the LA Auto Show doesn't cater to the celeb's? Truck's are huge here and literally there is more lifted trucks and customized trucks here than just about anywhere on the planet. Even the dealers like Galpin Ford has its own customization shop GAS (Galpin Auto Sports - Featured on Pimp my Ride). All the Ford and some GM and Dodge dealers sell trucks with lift kits and custom wheels right off the lot because trucks are so popular here not to mention all the desert running trucks and shops as well. The hybrid crowd is small and mostly Northern California and a maybe a couple celebs that even we SoCal people could care less about. SoCal is truck headquarters second to only maybe Texas as far as most trucks sold. So to say the LA Auto show is all about hybrid and electric cars because politics and celebs are pushing them doesn't mean they rule here by any means.

@MikeFX4 - steriotyping at its finest or pandering to the Republicans on this site ;)
I'll get flamed for that comment.

Who the heck cares what the celebs drive,it has no effect on 99.98% of the people.If a crazy left wing celeb drives a Prius who cares ! Celebs are out of touch with reality(proven they believe in their new Religion of man made global warming its not science based as science doesnt believe in man made global warming)

Furthermore,its funny celebs preach about made up global warming,they drive a Prius but then they fly all over the world daily,using more fuel,more polution then the average person driving to and from work in his truck for a lifetime !

And another thing these so-called wal-street protestors we had last year,its odd they dont bash the i-phone companies,the internet providers,StarBucks ect (as they make a profit) but it was only against oil companies,banks ect..funny how they pick and choose what they like,and they didnt bash their favorite actors/singers or athletes,odd..just odd !

Now you Americans voted Obama/dems in and now Global warming and the war against the car/truck is full speed ahead ! Dont get excited about 44 mpg trucks as to do that they will lose power/shrink and get expensive and it will cost more to drive a 44 mpg truck due to the fact gas will sky rocket (go up in price)And dont for a minute think, electric vehicles are the way to go because your man is on record saying he will skyrocket electricity rates,basically saying only the rich will drive !! So much for you fools thinking Mr.O was for poor people and the middle class,A fool , fooled a bunch of fools !

@Canadian from B.C - isn't that obvious? or is that one of your racist slurs? I guess you could be an Asian from BC or an East Indian from BC since you feel those people aren't Canadians.
Got tired of "Canadian Ram Owner" or one of the other alias' I've seen lately?

@ Lou
Yup you nailed it, these journalist stereotype Californians based on a very very small percentage of celeb tree hugers and politicians when the majority of vehichles here are trucks 3 to 1 and the rich people on the cost all drive Lambo's, Ferrari's, Austin Martin's which get miserable gas mileage. Just Google Images "Socal trucks" and that's what we drive here.

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&sugexp=les%3B&tok=13xQE6yH_OGqC55e0DDn6Q&cp=13&gs_id=3&xhr=t&q=socal+trucks&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&bpcl=38897761&biw=1920&bih=955&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=gmStUNXBOoHoiwLmjoC4BA

The least GM could do with the left coast Liberal pussies is bring out their god Obama 'Government Motors Corp.' Sierra truck. Bring the new bling bling Denali to celebrate their leaders second term.

I do agree real trucks like Ford, Chevrolet and Dodge should be represented for guys like Mike FX4.

The least GM could do with the left coast Liberal pussies is bring out their god Obama 'Government Motors Corp.' Sierra truck. Bring the new bling bling Denali to celebrate their leaders second term.

- Obummer would not approve of a "bling bling" Denali. He needs the Triple Bling edition for his GovtMoCo truck. Liberal Pussies is right on the money when it comes to GMC. The truck brand of Socialists everywhere.

Mark Williams is from California and is just telling it like it is: what to expect from the LA Auto Show.

@Big Al from Oz - some refer to BC or at least the lower mainland and Vancouver Island areas as British California. The 'left" or west coast of USA and Canada are usually to the "left" of the political spectrum and the "right coast" or east coast is more conservative. Odd how that is. Probably because the "west" is newer and made of new money. The east coast is older and made of old money.
Our BC Liberal party is acually centrist and to the right and the New Democrat party is as left wing as it gets.
We had a "Social Credit" party that by name sounds pretty socialist but they were right wing pro business.
BC has always had odd politics.
Probably stems from the fact that our second Premier had his name changed to Amour DeCosmos.

@Big Al, Australia needs more conservatives. We need to get rid of all the speed cameras there for one thing! America needs to stop listening to out-of-touch celebrities, especially when it comes to politics.

@Alex
How else can the state governments get tax without taxing:)

The problem is our conservatives are like most conservatives in the world at the moment. Populism and not real policy. Middle class welfare is what they use. Why not get rid of a lot of the subsidisation, including welfare for those who don't require it and just pay less tax and be reliant on less government.

The Western World needs to rethink how we do business. We aren't much different from the States and Europe when it comes to policy.

The only difference for us is that SE Asia (China) is buying our resources so we can afford to be wasteful. If that changes we are screwed.

The least GM could do with the left coast Liberal pussies is bring out their god Obama 'Government Motors Corp.' Sierra truck. Bring the new bling bling Denali to celebrate their leaders second term.

@tim, I hate, and I mean HATE GMC! I just lost my job with Hostess today. Where the hell was Our bailout??? Oh, that's right. It wasn't politically beneficial to help us. Eff Obama and Eff GovtMotors!! Government Motors Corporation is dead on. Nothing but a far left Mob. Chevrolet could have survived without that Sh***y Evil organization. Chevy's the Only Good thing outside of Cadillac about that worthless company yet GM urinate's on Chevrolet every chance they get. Where's my 'Piss On GMC' calvin sticker??? I need to order one.

http://www.ultimatedecals.com/thebrowser.php?catsub=151

There ya go Marcus. I never liked GM'c' either. I just might order one too.

I think trucks should be shown in California though. Anywhere there's roads, trucks should be.

@Lou
We have the Liberal coalition which is our right of centre party. The name Liberal infers leftism, our left of centre parties are the Labor party and the Greens.

The Labor party in Australia couldn't survive without the unions.

@Robert Ryan
I think we can't lift more than 4". Or it is quite awkward to get an engineering certificate to do so.

Up here we have some lifts of 2" mainly, and some kids lift the full 4" on some older live axle 4x4s.

@Big Al from Oz--The Republicans are not really conservatives anymore, they are Rightwing extremists who are into government control of individuals when it comes to certain issues such as a woman's right to choose and gay rights. As for business they want to eliminate all regulations and go back to the era of Robber Barons. The Republican Party has been taken over by fanatics who are not too different than the Muslem extremist. I was raised in the a Republican family and the Republicans use to be a party of conservative fiscal policy and did not get involved in issues such as abortions, gays, and guns because that was considered an individual choice. Republicans such as "W" shows that fiscal policy is espoused and not practiced. The Democrats are far from liberal but they have a strong element of wanting to regulate everything and passing laws that do not always change human behavior or do not change things for the better. Case in point were the fuel standards that lead to the demise of station wagons and small trucks. All those standards did was to encouraged consummers to buy more inefficient SUVS, crossovers, and full size trucks whether they want to or not.

Special interest groups control both parties and propaganda is used to manipulate the general public because most are not informed. The Koch brothers could care less about the average Americans, they just want to pay less tax and benefit from government contracts. Years ago when I worked for an oil company and I handled the PAC fund accounts (political campaign contributions). The owners of the company were Republicans but they gave to candidates in both parties in local, county, state, and federal elections. These owners were buying influence and wanted the ear of those politicians. The reason we do not have a political system for the average citizen is that it takes lots of money to run campaigns and the big contributions come with a price.

Getting back to the LA auto show, any show like this has to appeal more the the average customer than the celebrity. It is Joe Six Pack that is looking at the latest trucks and is ready to buy not the multimillion dollar celebrity. There are more Joes out there and they will have a bigger impact on auto and truck sales than all of the celebrities. Yes they will show one of a kind vehicles and the message of environmental friendly and efficiency will be out there but the auto show organizers and the manufacturers know who their core customers are and they know they have to draw them to the show in order for the show to succeed. This show is a business and will be run as a business. This is my take on the auto and truck shows.

You should see some of the women car models at the show. Hot, Hot, Hot, The auto show is always cool. Love to see and touch the new cars. One year jeep had a Hurricane concept with all wheel steering and two Hemi engines. One in the front one in the rear. The thing could do a complete circle on a dime.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3b5zH0G5pxE

@Hemi V8 - what???? one on the front and one in the rear???
This isn't a lifestyle blog.

Since alot of people are talking about B.C., here's mine: wished I had went up there and took a look around 22 years ago when I was at Ft Lewis, Wa. In the words of Forrest Gump "That's all I've got to say about that!"

At the LA Auto Show a couple of years back we were rubbing shoulders in line with actor Michael Keaton, whom the locals were giving respectful space despite his humorous attempt at civilian camoflage (sweatshirt, ball cap and shades). What "flashy" car line was he looking at? Volvos! Later in the day we were walking between the South and West Halls and XM satellite radio had a display with the Batmobile from the film which Keaton starred in. When Keaton saw the car he really went out of his way in a hurry to avoid getting near it. It was pretty funny. Another day at the LA Auto Show.

Alright... This website is so full of s*** if its not a RAM troll, it's an ignorant leftist. You people are the biggest joke of the truck community. I used to be a huge fan of this site even with all of the brand bashing, but now... I cringe at the ignorance of some posters. And btw... To the employees of hostess, fun with those unions.



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