The end of the year is approaching and the cold weather and snow is covering a good deal of North America. Therefore, all the automotive journalists are going to LA for better weather and the Auto Show. (not me unfortunately)

So what if you are heading over there, what is worth seeing?

Mercedes
G-Force: I like hydrogen cars. I also like the old G-wagen. Combine the two in order to update the classic and you get the G-Force concept. Mercedes is proposing a concept to showcase what the G-Wagen of the future could look like. Personally, I think it looks great. It has that menacing look you need for a good off-roader and seems capable enough. What I love most is the fact that it is hydrogen powered. They say there are reservoirs on the roof that capture rainwater in order to transform it into hydrogen power. This makes the G-Force a sustainable SUV, which is even cooler as it will confuse the environmentalists. The system probably only works in the designer’s head, but if they even come close to developing it, I would personally applaud them.
SLS AMG Blackseries: By now we all know what the SLS Blackseries looks like. We also know it produces 622 bhp and is lighter than the standard SLS. But it is such a good car, here it is again, in yellow. That body kit is still too much though.

Jaguar
XFR-S: The M5 is a good car, but everyone wants one, making it the obvious choice. If you had a bit of style, you would go for the Jaguar XFR, however it seems to be lacking in the power department. This is where the XFR-S (or XF-RS, not sure) comes in. The V8 is now producing 550bhp, allowing the 0-60mph time to drop to 4.4 seconds. The chassis is updated and a more free-flowing exhaust is added for a much better sound. I’m not too sure on the body-kit though, that rear wing really does not go with the car’s overall grace.
F-Type V8S: I think we can all agree that the Jaguar F-Type is one beautiful car. Seriously, it is stunning. But what if you add a 5.0 litre V8 in it? After all, any car is just better with a V8. Well, you get the F-Type V8S. Power is up from 380 hp in the standard S to 495 in the V8S. Nothing else to say, apart that I want one badly!

Porsche
Cayman 981: After revealing the updated Boxster last year, it was now time for Porsche to show us what the new Cayman would look like. They did this in LA, and for a non-Porsche fan, I have to admit that I really like the new Cayman. The curves are now more pronounced giving it a sportier look, with updated front and rear ends. I particularly like how the rear tail-lights include part of the spoiler. The front is also a little more angular making it feel more modern in a weird way. Power is up also, with 275 hp for the standard Cayman and 325 for the S.

Volvo
Polestar S60: A fast Volvo? That is a bit of an oxymoron (except for the actually pretty good V70R). However, when the C30 Polestar was shown, everyone instantly wanted one. High costs meant that it never came out in production form. After that, Volvo showcased the Polestar S60, with a 508 bhp turbocharged inline six, and we instantly wanted that even more. Volvo seems to have listened, but there is a catch. First off, the car they showed us is for sale, but for $2 million. The second bad part of news is that you can only get your standard S60 updated with a 25 bhp boost to it, which is still far from the car we all want. Come on Volvo, just build it already!

Hyundai
Veloster C3: Hyundai make good cars and the Veloster is one of them. But what if it had a convertible roof and a tailgate? The result would be the Veloster C3 concept. The convertible system is similar to the Fiat 500C and Citroen DS3’s ones, meaning it is not a full system, more of a way to have an open ceiling. I can see this being a hit in hip cities.

Ford
Fiesta ST: The US version of the little warm hatch-back was presented in LA. Similar to the European version, but with a simpler dashboard and 200bhp (the European version is rumoured to only be at 180bhp for some strange reason). In North America it will only be available as a 5 door, with a manual 6 speed transmission. It would be interesting to compare the North American and European versions to see how Ford’s ‘One World, one Ford’ strategy is going. Watch this space.

BMW
I3 coupe: Finally, in order to meet with emissions standards for automotive articles, here is the BMW i3 Coupe.