For a gathering of the automotive world within the same smog basin as Hollywood, the Los Angeles Auto Show lacked a lot of star power. The hottest car in Los Angeles -- the new Lamborghini Aventador Spyder -- never made an appearance. Neither did the industry's car of the year, the Tesla Model S, perhaps influenced by the fact that auto shows are organized by auto dealers, which are suing Tesla over its plans to bypass them and sell directly to customers.
And the show reflected the strange state of the industry; massively profitable, but increasingly passionless, with many models stuck with designs dictated by regulations more than aesthetics. Yet the best were able to stand out and offer a promise of something different, and better. Here are the three new models that impressed us most, and the three that left us cold.
Read More »from The best and worst of the L.A. Auto Show, or why passion matters