Many observers would agree that the 2013 LA Auto Show was something of a damp squib, a feast of functionality epitomised by identikit modern muscle cars, drab saloons, dull SUVs and ever more boring trucks. The landscape of the bulk of the American auto market is relentlessly uniform, with the only glimmers of interest coming from the big car buying communities on each coast. It's here you'll find streets strewn with sports cars, advanced hybrids, the latest electric cars and hyper-luxury imports.
See the highlights from the LA Auto Show
California is also the place that the show's star, Jaguar, hopes to sell most of its latest car, the F-Type Coupé. It's also a perfect environment for sibling Land-Rover's newest model, the vast Range Rover LWB. The two British stars aside, there were other gems on offer, including a return outing for the concept version of Jaguar's new SUV, the C-X17, as well as notable offerings from Porsche and Mini.
As for the rest, there wasn't all that much to see. Most car designers spent the show cloistered within interview suites giving endless answers to familiar questions, courtesy of the world's media. If any of them managed to venture down to the show's basement displays, they would probably have been pitched into a profound depression, such was the prevalence of hideously modified cars in LA's notorious 'aftermarket' section. Here lurked the people who pimp rides, throwing out carefully crafted forms in favour of big rims, faux carbon trim and lashings of dubious taste.
The lacklustre showing might also be down to the absence of innovative Euro brands like Citroen, Alfa Romeo and Renault, none of whom have any presence in the US market. Perhaps it's the ongoing dominance of SUVs and trucks in the American market. But whatever the reason for the show's faintly lacklustre feeling, there were a few things that stood out from the crowd. View the image gallery above for our guide to the LA Auto Show 2013
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Under the skin: Mercedes-AMG ply sober elegance with the new GT -
Jaguar F-Type Coupé: Wallpaper* gets behind the wheel -
Jaguar’s new F-Type Coupé makes a triumphant debut -
Jaguar’s new F-Type harks back to the brand’s racing heyday
