Here are four big things I learned about new models and new technologies coming from car companies poised to be successful regardless of what bickering politicians and greedy, irresponsible bankers do anywhere in the world:
Lesson one: Muscle cars are not dead.
Ford brought out its 650-horsepower 2013 Shelby GT 500. Yikes. Ford says it can do 300-plus kilometres an hour. Oh, and the made-in-Canada 2013 Camaro ZL1 convertible creates 580 horsepower.
The Germans brought the 2012 Porsche 911 (the 991).
"We had to completely recreate the 911," said the auto maker's press materials. "The result is no fewer than 90 per cent of all 911 components are either new or have been fundamentally revised."
A new 3.4-litre, flat-six-cylinder engine produces 350 horsepower in the base Carrera. In the Carrera S, the same engine grows to 3.8 litres of displacement and gets 400 hp. Look for 0-100 km/h sprints in the four-second range.
From Fiat, well, who wouldn't like to take a run in the upcoming Fiat 500 Abarth. It had its global launch in L.A. and would surely look right at home on Sunset Boulevard.
The Abarth will have the first turbocharged version of Fiat's 1.4-litre engine with MultiAir technology: 160 hp, up from the 101 hp of the standard 500 and 500C. The Abarth will have a stiffer suspension, wider tires and performance-oriented exterior and interior design.
Lesson two: Family haulers can be almost sexy and responsible.
The 2012 Mazda CX-5 is one of several new five-passenger crossovers and the Mazda, like the new Ford Escape, looks fun to drive – long hood, curvy body and a strong 2.0-litre, four-cylinder engine (155 hp) under the hood, one mated to either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission.
The 2013 Escape will be offered with a 2.5-litre base four-cylinder, as well as two optional EcoBoost engines — a 1.6-litre four-cylinder or a 2.0-litre four-cylinder.
Who doesn't like the way this wagon looks? Using design from the Vertrek concept, this Escape is swept-back and car-like in its design. This one screams "winner."
Honda also showed its 2012 CR-V. While a conservative, wagon-ish design with fewer visual conceits than the Mazda and the Ford, the redesigned CR-V is, and will remain, a popular family hauler thanks to great reliability, fuel economy and safety features.
The Ford Flex is also a family hauler, but bigger than the Escape, CX-5 and CR-V. That said, Ford is giving the 2013 a rounder, more streamlined look and loading up on more features.
All in all, the family vehicle of this decade is not a boring station wagon, but a crossover with some visual pizzazz and many innovations.
Lesson three: The future of premium is complicated.
Consider the 2013 Infiniti JX. With its long body and sculpted sheet metal, the JX is interesting. Inside, it seats seven and will come next spring with a slew of features. Under the hood is a 3.5-litre V-6 producing 265 horsepower. Look for a starting price well under $50,000.
Also take a long look at the 2012 Azera. We're not getting this one in Canada, but we should. With a direct-injection V-6 and "fluidic" design elements, the Azera seems ideal for Canadian premium car buyers. Too bad. Maybe Hyundai Canada will reconsider.
Then there is Land Rover. Ready for the new Defender, yet? The teaser for now: two concepts, the DC100 and DC100 Sport. A new Defender is coming in the middle of the decade and these two hint at the styling direction. So far we like what we're seeing.
What you can't see is the next-generation of Terrain Response system that not only allows the driver to dial in the AWD system for snow or sand or other conditions, but also benefit from a three-dimensional map of the topography ahead.
Ford's Lincoln premium brand is getting a boost from the revised MKT and MKS. There is more horsepower from the V-6: 300 versus 274 for the 2012.
And let's consider the 2013 Cadillac XTS. It replaces the discontinued DTS and STS and in a very good way. The design is elegant and the engine is a 3.6-litre, direct-injection V-6 producing 300 horsepower with a six-speed automatic transmission. The XTS will arrive in spring 2012.
Lesson four: Electric vehicles are interesting and are driving innovation in the industry, but they are, and will remain, mired in a niche.
Consider the 2013 Honda Fit EV. A 20-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery and a high-density 92-kilowatt coaxial electric motor are at the heart of this car. Hooked to a 240-volt charging port, the Fit EV can fully recharge in as little as three hours, says Honda. The range is said to be as much as 200 km.
We're unlikely to get the Fit EV in Canada, but Honda will distribute it in California and Oregon in summer 2012, followed by selected markets on the U.S. East Coast.
Honda, then, had the biggest EV news coming out of Los Angeles. Not breathtaking. If you were to conclude that EVs are a long way from becoming mainstream, affordable transportation, you'd be correct.