Alfa Romeo And Lamborghini Get Hollywood At The 2016 LA Auto Show
The city known for rolling out the red carpet will host a distinguished group of international starlets this weekend, though I dare say these beauties look much better in the flesh than their paparazzi-courting counterparts which generally congregate in the Hollywood Hills. Three RSVPs of note: We have a versatile rising star in the making, courtesy of Alfa Romeo, a debonair Englishman with fresh upgrades straight from Q division, and a topless Italian diva which many a man will fall for, though few will ever lay their hands on. Now without further delay, on with the show.
Alfa Romeo Stelvio
Keen to make a good first impression on one of its hottest potential target markets, Alfa Romeo will debut the first SUV in their company’s history, the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, in top-of-the-line Quadrifoglio specification at the 2016 LA Auto Show.
The Stelvio takes it namesake from a famous mountain pass in the Italian Alps and is underpinned by the same aluminum chassis as the Alfa Romeo Giulia sedan. A 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 producing 503hp, also shared with the Giulia Quadrifoglio, will power the Stelvio Quadrifoglio.
Alfa Romeo is looking to vulture some sales from other dynamic SUVs such as the Porsche Macan Turbo and the Mercedes-AMG GLC 63, so its not surprising that the Stelvio, when ordered as the top Quadrifoglio model, will come with carbon-ceramic brakes, quad exhausts, torque vectoring technology and a Race mode setting.
Expect to see the Stelvio in the U.S.A in mid-2017 as a 2018 model year vehicle. The entry-level Stelvio will start at around £35,000 in the U.K. (at today’s exchange rates $43,529), but we reckon the flagship Stelvio Quadrifoglio’s price in the U.S.A. will be around $60,000 to $80,000 before options.
Aston Martin Vanquish S
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As manufacturers tend to do at the tail end of a model’s lifecycle, Aston Martin will introduce a revamped version of the Vanquish, the Aston Martin Vanquish S, this week at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
Its 6.0-liter V12 gets a 30hp bump for a total of 595hp, thanks to a redesigned intake manifold which also offers improved throttle response. Aston claim the Vanquish S will do 0-62mph in 3.5 seconds vs. the 3.8 of the standard Vanquish, with top speed remaining the same at 201mph.
To compliment the additional power, the engineers at Aston have also made extensive changes to the suspension and aero of the Vanquish S. Upgraded anti-roll bar bushings, firmer springs and dampers with new internals are fitted to the “S,” as well as an aero package including a carbon-fiber front splitter and rear diffuser.
Deliveries are expected to begin in April 2017 with pricing starting at $294,950.
Lamborghini Huracán LP580-2 Spyder
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If ever there were a car to drive straight off the convention center floor and straight into the glitzy, upscale Westside of Los Angeles, the Huracán LP580-2 Spyder would be it.
Lamborghini have put a lot of thought into making the Spyder a uniquely different experience from the coupe. When the “Huracán Rear-Wheel Drive Spyder,” as Lamborghini calls it for short, has its soft-top lowered, two fins rise up beginning behind the headrests and continue at an aggressive downward angle before meeting the rear, creating a “low, powerful appearance.”
They’ve also paid special attention to wind buffeting inside the cabin — I’d assume Huracán Spyder owners have other cars to drive when the weather’s bad. A special duct reduces turbulence within the cabin when the top’s down, while two removable lateral wind-guards protect against excessive wind noise.
I don’t really know why you’d want to listen to anyone or anything else other than the 580hp 5.2-liter naturally-aspirated V10 crescendoing all the way to 8,000rpm, but it’s nice to know you have the option.
