LA Auto Show - Discussion and Photos

[SaMaster18]

Went for a few hours yesterday and was honestly a bit underwhelmed, especially from the car companies themselves. Porsche was exceptional, as always, and it was fun to see Maserati there, even though they only brought 4 cars. Otherwise, everything was quite… pedestrian … and electric.

We did enjoy Toyota, though, since my girlfriend has a 2004 4Runner with almost 250k miles on it and has been thinking of upgrading to a newer model, so it was fun sitting in the Toyotas!

Some video edits:
Porsche: https://youtube.com/shorts/H9RzbmnRt...UrQKabk7Pmie8Q
Sparq (ton of the cars from F&F): https://youtube.com/shorts/-LyCtM5RK...4FHoUwuy8o51m4
Maserati: https://youtube.com/shorts/vB7hoggpw...dw9wH1bYLzHIRX

And here are some photos from the event

Porsche:

[SaMaster18]

Maserati, JDM, etc.

[SaMaster18]

And saved a couple of BMWs for last!!

[BlkGS]

Is that a real M3 GTR or just a YouTube build to look like the Most Wanted car?

[SaMaster18]

Originally Posted by BlkGS

Is that a real M3 GTR or just a YouTube build to look like the Most Wanted car?

I’m honestly not sure. Unfortunately nobody was at the booth to talk about the car :/

[StradaRedlands]

I used to go to the LA show when BMW CCA hosted preview nights. Always a blast!

[Toad]

Originally Posted by BlkGS

Is that a real M3 GTR or just a YouTube build to look like the Most Wanted car?

100% Youtube

[Efthreeoh]

Was that LA or SEMA? Lots of combustion for the sunshine state...

[BlkGS]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Was that LA or SEMA? Lots of combustion for the sunshine state...

The sunshine state is Florida, lol. California is "the golden state".

[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by SaMaster14

Maserati, JDM, etc.

The Maserati's look far better than the previous offerings.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by BlkGS

The sunshine state is Florida, lol. California is "the golden state".

Considering Cali has over double the installed PV solar systems that Florida does, my comment was related to sunshine-powered automobiles - the Nirvana of Life. California. Using the sun is MANDATED! Goddammit.

[SaMaster18]

Originally Posted by M5Rick

The Maserati's look far better than the previous offerings.

Absolutely agree there. They look premium, although the SUV still carried over some of the cheapness from the Ghibli days and the original Levante.

Maserati diluted its brand horribly when fiat/chrysler first took over. Listing Ghiblis with MSRP of like $80k+ but leasing them out for like $399 or $499/mo.

Biggest depreciation hit of any car manufacturer I know of, too… worse than Range Rover and Jaguar

[BlkGS]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Considering Cali has over double the installed PV solar systems that Florida does, my comment was related to sunshine-powered automobiles - the Nirvana of Life. California. Using the sun is MANDATED! Goddammit.

Yeah the authoritarian state doesn't have the same ring to it lol..

The funniest part to me about FL being the sunshine state is how much rain we get. During the winter we will go mot ha with just nothing but blue skies and sunshine, but in the summer we get daily intense thunderstorms, especially in South Florida, lol.

[BlkGS]

Originally Posted by SaMaster14

Absolutely agree there. They look premium, although the SUV still carried over some of the cheapness from the Ghibli days and the original Levante.

Maserati diluted its brand horribly when fiat/chrysler first took over. Listing Ghiblis with MSRP of like $80k+ but leasing them out for like $399 or $499/mo.

Biggest depreciation hit of any car manufacturer I know of, too… worse than Range Rover and Jaguar

Well when people don't buy your cars as premium to the price point you out them at that happens.

The Ghibli should have been $40-50k like a 3 series, not $80k like a nicely equipped V8 5 series.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by BlkGS

Yeah the authoritarian state doesn't have the same ring to it lol..

The funniest part to me about FL being the sunshine state is how much rain we get. During the winter we will go mot ha with just nothing but blue skies and sunshine, but in the summer we get daily intense thunderstorms, especially in South Florida, lol.

Yup, know the weather there well. My former employer is headquartered there, never liked travelling to HQ. No offense meant; just not the best weather for one with Nordic Alpinian DNA.

[BlkGS]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Yup, know the weather there well. My former employer is headquartered there, never liked travelling to HQ. No offense meant; just not the best weather for one with Nordic Alpinian DNA.

Just gotta buy sunscreen by the 55 gallon drum, lol.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by BlkGS

Just gotta buy sunscreen by the 55 gallon drum, lol.

For me it's the summer humidity. Killer. I'd die if I lived there. LOL.

[BlkGS]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

For me it's the summer humidity. Killer. I'd die if I lived there. LOL.

I'm that way with dry. When it gets less humid here in the winter I have to moisturize constantly or my skin gets all dried out. My hair gets super frizzy too. It's annoying, when I lived up in NC I was a mess all winter.

[thebmw]

So the best part of the LA Auto Show were cars from 10-30 years ago. Seems about right. I have been to an auto show every year since the early 80's. This year was the first time I didn't go and I didn't miss it. Have no plans on going next year either.

All they have at the auto shows now are toaster ovens in different shapes and colors with no name "influencers" hogging up the space with their photoshoots:

"Hey guys! I'm here next to the 2026 Kia Toaster Oven. OMG, it's like so fast and I can go 150 miles before I have to recharge."

[SaMaster18]

Originally Posted by thebmw

So the best part of the LA Auto Show were cars from 10-30 years ago. Seems about right. I have been to an auto show every year since the early 80's. This year was the first time I didn't go and I didn't miss it. Have no plans on going next year either.

All they have at the auto shows now are toaster ovens in different shapes and colors with no name "influencers" hogging up the space with their photoshoots:

"Hey guys! I'm here next to the 2026 Kia Toaster Oven. OMG, it's like so fast and I can go 150 miles before I have to recharge."

Unfortunately that seems to be the trend the last 3 or 4 years 😓

[thebmw]

Originally Posted by SaMaster14

Unfortunately that seems to be the trend the last 3 or 4 years 😓

I have been fortunate to attend during media preview days. The influencer fungus exponentially became worse post-Covid.

Media days used to be awesome...real professionals, the actual engineers, designers, CEOs, real celebrities, and prototype cars that made your heart race. Now, it's just bland people and bland cars. No real prototypes, few actual engineers and CEOs (if they do come, it is just for a presentation and they are out), no real celebrities (just the lame tiktok stars, many with 1K followers).

[BlkGS]

Originally Posted by thebmw

I have been fortunate to attend during media preview days. The influencer fungus exponentially became worse post-Covid.

Media days used to be awesome...real professionals, the actual engineers, designers, CEOs, real celebrities, and prototype cars that made your heart race. Now, it's just bland people and bland cars. No real prototypes, few actual engineers and CEOs (if they do come, it is just for a presentation and they are out), no real celebrities (just the lame tiktok stars, many with 1K followers).

To be fair, it's not like there's anything coming out to be excited for. I can honestly say the only thing that is coming out "soon" I am at all interested or excited for is the rumored SRT Ram sport truck that is only a.hope, nothing official on it.

So if a real.car guy,.with some.pretty decent means to purchase whatever, is only excited about ONE vehicle that doesn't even exist yet, how is someone who needs a more affordable car,.or someone who is maybe not that into cars going to feel?

Enshittification of the car industry has ruined it. We are in another malaise era where people are looking back on cars from the late 90s to late 00s and saying "damn those were the best years".