'97 LA Auto Show Comments (Audi & Non-Audi)

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Hola:

Went to the first day of the LA Auto Show last night (and of course
parking was more than admission).  Checked out everything, including the
semi-expanded aftermarket/upgrade section, which was better than all
previous years.

(Note: these are all my personal impressions and thoughts.  I am not
intending to start some lame flame thread here, nor am I trying to
slight/defame/slander/libel/etc. any manufacturer, model or person.)

1.  Commanding Audi presence this year.  Four A8's, Four A4's,
Cabriolet, A6, Two A6 Wagons.  Actually had the yellow A41.8T
(automatic) there, looks as impressive in person as in the ad
campaigns.  Nonetheless, I cannot say I was impressed with the 1.8T
inside.  The interior fit/finish was somewhat cheap, and I think that
carbon fibre/fiber is a nice way of saying "plastic".  The 2.8 V6 has a
much nicer layout inside (i.e. better leather, wood, etc.)  I know this
does not matter to many of you, but to me at that price I would like
something better than a Jetta Gl interior.  Aftermarkets were there as
well (A!Avantgarde, etc. see below).

Western Regional Factory Guy told me A4 1.8T manuals are on the boat,
and will be ready FOR SALE IN LA by the END OF JANUARY.  "Interior" and
non-coastal cities away from shipping points get them in February.

The A8's were sweet, and the sticker was less than C&D reported (the 4.2
loaded was 68k).  Checked 'em out from all angles, and I must admit, not
worth the hype or ballyhoo.  For that much cash, I would be looking at a
740il (sans AWD :( of course).  In sitting in it, and having driven one
a month ago, I do not see that the price point justifies the cash
outlay, let alone the hassle of fixing a bent ASF (Audi Space Frame) at
three months downtime.  The old "If you have to ask, you can't afford
it" cliche does not work either, as my insurance guy told me casually
that you will pay 40% more in California to drive the A8 vs. a comprable
BMW, MB, etc. b/c of the frame (even with one of Audi's four USA ASF
shops being in LA).

The A6 is a big A4 with more gauges.  I liked the wagons, but at 41K I
feel a better deal can be had elsewhere (see below).  The wagon weighs
in the ballpark of 5k lbs., and I don't feel that 172bhp is enough to
get me around in that weight setup.

2.  BMW is the same old story.  The new 6 cyl. Z3 is nice, but maybe go
with a Boxster or SLK instead (see below).  New 540i is like an old M5
at a lesser price.  The 740il/750il have no real competition, and the
new integrated Navigation/Cell Phone/On-Board Computer system is awesome
(std on 540i/740il/750il).  The goodies you get with a combined
roadhandling setup make the 540i a good buy.  The M3 sedan speaks for
itself, and with a Dinan chip, you can rule your neighborgood.

BTW, I am somewhat amazed at the crap that some Q-Listers banter about
re BMW's and the cliches therein.  My dad owns an M5, and it is a sweet
ride (albeit w/o AWD).  What really gets me is the nonsense about
"Blondes like BMW's, etc."  My blonde girlfriend will be getting a 328i
convertible in the next few months, and you can say what you want, but
she nonetheless has a masters degree and will smoke an Audi Cabriolet
any day of the week.  Enough of those racial/gender slurs.

3. Mercedes is Mercedes, and paying 133k for a 600 sedan is nuts.  It
was not that impressive.  The interesting Mercedes cars were the SLK and
the E320 Wagon.  The SLK roadster will be 40K with the supercharged
engine.  Looked nice, but the 0-60 was 7.2.  Bzzzzzzt.  The new E320
wagon was totally restyled, and the body looked clean.  No price yet,
but I am sure it is too much.

4.  Porsche has their own enclosed section at the show, with all of
their models on display, including four boxsters and one 24 Hour Daytona
prepped ride.  The Boxster looked really clean, and will also be around
50K.  People were flocked to this car, and Porsche looks like they have
a hit.  I, of course, would but the Cabriolet or Turbo first (yeah, I
need 400bhp, AWD and 20k in insurance premiums per year).

5.  Volkswagen was the same as last year.  With the exception of taking
a new Jetta with the VR6 to one of the VW tuners in SoCal, I really
wouldn't buy another (I had a Scirocco 16v).  They looked a little
frugal inside.

6.  Volvo is all new for this year.  The Volvo Western Sales Guy told me
that the new 1998 models are available in April, and the "box" style is
even less apparent now.  The new models are called C70 (coupe), and the
S70, S90, V70 and V90 (sedan and wagon).  The S70 and V70 have a T-5
version (both sedan and wagon were at the show).  The engine is a 2.3
liter, 236 hp, 5 cylinder DOHC Turbo, and in JUNE OF 1997 THERE WILL BE
AN AWD TURBO WAGON AND SEDAN.  He could not give me any real info on the
type of AWD system, but it will be around 43K for the turbo awd setup.

The new Volvo styling is very subdued, and a big improvement over 1997
models.  More rounded and sleek, and the interior has been redesigned as
well.  For my money, this is the only car that will compare to the S6
sedan or wagon, if I could find one.  Volvo has integrated the SIPS
system to the back seats as well, so it will be an airbagh festival.  It
apparently has sensors in all children prone seats for safety on/off
functions.  Nice cars.

7. Aftermarket:  I saw two A4's in the midst of all 100k Suburbans with
10 million watts of stereos and Sony Playstations inside.  The first was
a silver one from a shop called Wheel Power, Inc.  The A4 had a very
good looking body kit, smoked tail lenses, side markers, lowered, H&R
springs, new front air dam and grille, Remus cat-back exhaust, bigger
throttle body (their own, not Schaumburg), K&N filter and 18 INCH MAE
WHEELS (yes, 18 inch wheels).

This car looked very clean, and not aftermarket.  The wheels had about
1/2 inch of clearance, and I think if they were turned in a bump
situation it would be a nightmare.  It also had an unknown chip (+10
hp).  The guy I spoke with was not that helpful, but alleged that he can
get ABT kits and parts, as well as any other Audi tuners in US or
overseas (except A!Avantgarde).  E-mail me direct for more info.

The other A4 was the first A!Avantgarde I have seen in person.  It was
red and it looked AWESOME.  The sales guy said it had just arrived from
Germany the day before, and he knew nothing about price or the exact
upgrades made.  This outfit was the European Car famous CEC (Claus
Ettensberger Corp.).  They will be the only A!Avantgarde importers in
the states.  E-mail me direct for more info.

BTW, the Ferrari display (all US available models on display) received
some of my attention as well.  The new Spyder F355 convert and the rest
of them excited me so much that they made all other cars at the show
pale in comparison.  Sorry, simple facts here.

Final thoughts:  I think it obviously is up to the individual as to what
type of car is best, but for me the new BMWs and Volvos are pretty hard
to beat.  Being in the market for a new car, I have tough choices to
make.  Quattro is nice, speed is better, and both combined are best.

Todd

Former QCUSA #356
'90 80Q