Peculiar timing to have motor shows in Los Angeles and Tokyo at the same time, but there you go.
Tokyo had lots of concept cars on show, while Los Angeles mainly featured cars that are going to be hitting the showrooms soon. So let’s focus on LA, especially because one of the stars of the show is homegrown – the coupe version of the Jaguar F-Type. And yes, it will be cheaper than the roadster.
Jaguar F-Type coupe
The F-Type is some car. It’s no E-Type, but it’s not exactly ugly, either.
The good news, as we’ve already mentioned, is that it’s cheaper than the roadster. The entry-level coupe is the F-Type with the same 335bhp 3.0-litre supercharged V6 that’s fitted to the convertible – yours for £51,235 or six grand less than the entry-level roadster.
The headline version is the R Coupe, with the same 542bhp V8 motor fitted to the XKR-S (the F-Type R Roadster has 488bhp). That extra power plus the stiffer bodyshell make it a serious weapon. Should be at £85,000.
Porsche Macan
It’s Porsche’s answer to Audi’s Q5, BMW’s X3 and, of course, the Range Rover Evoque. It’s the Macan, and it arrives next April.
All Macans will be powered by V6 engines, two petrol and one diesel. The petrol engines are Porsche’s own, with the entry-level twin-turbo 3.0-litre producing 335bhp and a 3.6-litre Turbo S version with 394bhp. The diesel comes from Audi and produces 254bhp. Performance? The hottest Macan will do 165mph and 0-62mph in 4.8secs. Smaller engines will be available from 2015, which should bring the entry price down from the current £43,300.
BMW 4-Series Cabriolet
As we explained recently, BMW now calls its two-door 3-Series cars “4-Series”, so the new Cabriolet is actually a 4-Series Cabriolet. Easy really. The range starts with the 420d SE at £36,675 and tops out at £44,970 for the 435i Luxury.
Mercedes-Benz GLA 45 AMG
It’s a concept, but it’s more than likely Merc’s GLA 45 AMG will hit the showrooms. The compact SUV uses the same 355bhp 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo as the A-Class A45 AMG and will do 0-62mph in under 5secs. As Merc is aiming at younger customers, a hot one makes sense.