The 2,000-horsepower Drako Dragon on display at the 2024 Los Angeles auto show.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
There are hundreds of vehicles on display at the Los Angeles auto show, which runs until Sunday, Dec. 1. Here are some that stand out.
Fiat Topolino
It’s a throwback to Fiat’s first micro-car, and no, you can’t buy it in North America. But the Topolino – “little mouse” in Italian – is the smallest of the small, measuring 2,535 millimetres (8.3 feet) from front to back.
It’s all-electric with a motor that’s good for just eight horsepower, with a top speed of 45 kilometres an hour and an optimistic range of 75 kilometres. If you buy one in Italy, it’ll cost about 10,000 euros before any rebates, and there’s no trunk, just a chic luggage rack. It can at least be upgraded to provide doors, though the driver’s door swings open from the rear while the passenger door swings from the front, just to keep you on your toes.
The tiny Fiat Topolino on display at the 2024 Los Angeles auto show.
Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
Drako
You like horsepower? There’s at least 2,000 horsepower in the four electric motors of the Drako Dragon, which the California maker calls the world’s first carbon fibre SUV. Because you need a carbon fibre SUV. Zero to 100 kilometres an hour comes up in less than two seconds, and the whole thing weighs less than 5,000 pounds before you sit in it. Base price will be US$290,000 when it comes on sale in 2026. Don’t expect any rebates.
If you prefer your supercar to look like a supercar, Drako built the all-electric 1,200 horsepower GTE, based on the Fisker Karma. It has four 225-kilowatt motors, one for each wheel. It’s good for more than 320 kilometres an hour, but only 25 were made when it debuted in 2019, and they were listed for US$1.25 million each.
The 2,000-horsepower Drako Dragon on display at the 2024 Los Angeles auto show.
The 1,200-horsepower Drako GTE on display at the 2024 Los Angeles auto show.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
Hyundai Initium
It’s still just a concept, but the Initium is expected to replace Hyundai’s Nexo next spring as the Korean maker’s hydrogen fuel-cell production SUV, which itself replaced the hydrogen-powered 2007 Tucson in 2018. The fuel stack will produce 150 kilowatts of power, up 15 kilowatts from the Nexo, and will have a range of about 650 kilometres.
The Initium is the first reflection of Hyundai’s new design language, which is called “art of steel.” It has a rugged look, with pixelated lighting similar to the rest of the maker’s vehicles.
The Hyundai Initium concept on display at the 2024 Los Angeles auto show.
Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
Chrysler Halcyon
The Halcyon is Chrysler’s vision for an all-electric future, and while the final car may look quite different from this concept, it’s due for production in 2028. The hoped-for price will be around US$60,000.
The car here is intended to provide Level 4 autonomous driving and has a fully retractable steering wheel. Its expanse of glass gives all passengers an almost 360-degree range of view, and the roof and windshield also offer a massive augmented-reality display. When luggage space is needed, the rear seats fold into the trunk – even a futuristic concept can benefit from Chrysler’s Stow’N’Go minivan success.
The Chrysler Halcyon on display at the 2024 Los Angeles auto show.
Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
Kia WKNDR
The WKNDR van was debuted at the SEMA show in Las Vegas earlier in November, alongside the ADVNTR SUV – has Kia forgotten about vowels?
Its open interior is “akin to a Swiss Army Knife on wheels,” says the maker, and it features solar panels and hydro turbine wheels for recharging batteries. It’s “an ideal escape pod for extended weekends in nature,” provided you want to lock yourself away from nature when the need arises.
The Kia WKNDR van on display at the 2024 Los Angeles auto show.
Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
Tesla Cybercab
Tesla showed its Cybercab to mixed reviews in October, when chief executive officer Elon Musk estimated it will cost about US$30,000 ($41,000) when it “probably” comes on sale in 2027.
We don’t know much more except it’s basic in the extreme, with just a pair of seats and a large display screen to keep its passengers occupied. It might not be driving as we know it, but it may be the future of transport.
The Tesla Cybercab has just a pair of seats and a giant screen.
The Tesla Cybercab on display at the 2024 Los Angeles auto show.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
Camp Jeep
Jeep put its money where its mouth is and brought its display track to the show, where company drivers carry passengers in a succession of different Jeeps to show how they handle steep slopes and off-camber terrain.
Camp Jeep has become a fixture at many auto shows – here’s hoping it will stay at Canadian auto shows too. It’s a lot of fun.
Camp Jeep is a fixture at auto shows.
A Jeep going through Camp Jeep at the 2024 Los Angeles auto show.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
Subaru dog rescue
Auto shows offer a chance for Subaru to give some of its booth space to local dog rescue societies, and at Los Angeles, the Westside German Shepherd Rescue Society benefited from the exposure. King Tut the shepherd was found wandering without any identification, said handler Laura Shovlowsky, and now he’s available for adoption by a suitable owner.
Such dogs can be loyal companions. Detroit-based automotive journalist Paul Eisenstein adopted a Labrador-cross named Miles from the Subaru booth at the Chicago auto show this year; when he felt faint in September but didn’t realize he was suffering a heart attack, Miles leapt on him and wouldn’t stop kneading his chest. Eisenstein called 911, and paramedics told him later that his dog’s actions, prompting him to make the emergency call, likely saved his life.
Subaru teams up with the Westside German Shepherd Rescue Society at the 2024 Los Angeles auto show to raise awareness for adoption.
Handler Laura Shovlowsky says King Tut the shepherd is available for adoption.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
The writer was a guest of Hyundai and Genesis. Content was not subject to approval.