Star Wars, toy cars and weird SUV convertibles: Highlights from the 2015 L.A. Auto Show
From the Kia Optima A1A to the Fiat 500e Stormtrooper concept car, there's a lot to see at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
Here's a few of the highlights.
Baron Margo's spare-part contraptions
Silver Lake artist Baron Margo used to make toy cars out of aluminum, copper and brass — until 2000 when he decided he could build the real thing.
Every year or so since then, he's created a new contraption. At this year's show, we caught up with him riding in a futuristic jalopy powered by a Volkswagen engine on the wheels of Model A.
And yes, it's street legal.
A drive on the Dark Side
The Force was strong this week with Star Wars concept cars. Too bad there wasn't a Millennium Falcon.
A Darth Vadar car and a Fiat 500e Stormtrooper concept car at the L.A. Auto Show. (Michelle Maltais / Los Angeles Times)
Even the engine sound evil. So much #StarWars at #LAAutoShow pic.twitter.com/bUTjuGbwr2
— Michelle Maltais (@mmaltaisLA) November 18, 2015The 2016 Range Rover Evoque
The new 2016 Range Rover Evoque Convertible.
The new 2016 Range Rover Evoque convertible. (Range Rover)
The Range Rover Evoque bewildered us. With two doors and a ragtop, this SUV makes quite the odd mash-up. Nissan recently tried to sell a convertible SUV with the Murano CrossCabriolet, but it sold poorly until it was canceled after the 2014 model. (Read our review of the Range Rover Evoque here.)
A tale of two Kias
First there was a baby blue beauty. The Kia Optima A1A teased guests on the auto show floor with its suicide doors, convertible top and 245-horsepower engine. Unfortunately, it's only a concept and not for sale.
Take a closer look in the video below.
Every year, there's a car that doesn't really do it for us. This year, it was the Kia Forte TGD.
Maybe they'll roll out that Optima after all...
A big name for a small(er) price
Known for its luxurious sport sedans, Jaguar is looking to break out of its niche with the 2017 XE model and its more affordable price point of $35,000.
At about half the price, the XE could draw many more buyers than Jaguar's F-type. And we admit, we're tempted.
(Jaguar)
The auto show through the ages
Electric and hybrid vehicles caught the eye
The Chevy Volt was named green car of the year at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
Chevy Volt (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
The Chevy Volt was named green car of the year, but there were plenty of other EVs and hybrids on display.
Audi Quattro E-Tron
Audi Quattro E-Tron
Audi Quattro E-Tron (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Ford C-Max Energi
We also took a look inside the Honda Clarity, the carmaker's first leap into the hydrogen fuel-cell space. (Read our review here.)
Porsche even announced a fully electric vehicle by 2020.
And we took a short -- and silent -- ride in VW's electric car, the e-Golf.
Honorable mentions
The imposing Cadillac XT5.
(John Locher / Associated Press)
The "Fiata," a Miata inspired Fiat 124 Spider. (Read our review here.)
MORE FROM THE L.A. AUTO SHOW
In detail: The cars of the 2015 L.A. Auto Show
Revisit all of our coverage from the L.A. Auto Show
Our favorite cars at the 2015 L.A. Auto Show
California emissions rules charge debate over all-electric cars vs. hybrids
