Cadillac ATS-V

“Low-Gloss Crystal White Frost.” The menacing Cadillac ATS-V that appeared in Los Angeles is so cool that it merited the creation of an icy new hue, which Cadillac chief engineer Dave Leone proudly noted was a production colour – not a one-off custom job.

Under the ATS-V’s chiseled white flanks sits a 455hp 3.6-litre twin-turbo V6 gasoline engine, backed by either a maximum-fun six-speed manual transmission or a maximum-efficiency eight-speed automatic. The ATS-V is claimed to hit 60mph from a standstill in a BMW M4-menacing 3.7 seconds, and a top speed in excess of 185mph.

This littlest of Cadillacs has full-grown performance features, including titanium connecting rods, six-piston Brembo front brakes and a 25% improvement in chassis rigidity courtesy of a slew of braces added to the car. That bolstering is necessary, owing to the extreme forces generated by the car’s capability, which includes more than 1.0g of lateral grip and 2.0 lateral gs when tested on the fiendishly tricky Carousel turn at Germany’s Nürbürgring circuit, Leone says.

That is cold-blooded, no matter the paint colour.

Toyota Mirai

Toyota seems bent on performing a grand social experiment with the Mirai, the first hydrogen fuel-cell car that (some) consumers will be able to buy and keep rather than lease and return.

The test: can environmental virtue overcome styling that suggests a Prius victimised by an over-exuberant body-kit purveyor?

The Mirai is environmentally virtuous, and it is indeed novel to give drivers the option of buying rather than borrowing their fuel-cell vehicle. This is a big deal, as fuel-cell cars are electric vehicles with a 300-mile driving range and the ability to refuel in just minutes rather than hours – where hydrogen fuelling infrastructure exists, of course.

That caveat explains why Toyota is initially limiting sales to select communities in California, where hydrogen stations – some built with financial assistance from Toyota – have gone up over the past five years.

The Mirai’s $57,500 sticker price represents something of a bargain considering the stunning technology beneath the sheetmetal. Now, if only that sheetmetal held up its end of the bargain.

2016 Jaguar F-type

Jaguar USA’s “Villain Academy” advertising campaign would have us believe that it is “good to be bad”, but the new manual-transmission edition of the 2016 Jaguar F-type suggest that it is better to be backward.

Indeed, the addition of a stick shift – that disappearing, once-critical sports-car accessory – will be catnip for die-hard traditionalists. Available all-wheel drive will also please would-be F-type drivers who have disqualified the comely cat for its lack of manners in the snow. There are caveats, however. The manual will be available only for F-types fitted with a six-cylinder engine driving the rear wheels. Six-cylinder cars with all-wheel drive are automatic-only, as are all V8s.

The F-type also switches to electric power steering for 2016, which could be a worrisome development given electric racks’ propensity for numb feel, but Jag engineers insist they’ve got it sorted. Then again, drivers may be having too much fun running through the manually shifted gears to care.

Mazda CX-3

John Krafcik, late of Hyundai Motor America and currently president of the online buying service TrueCar, was liberated by his departure from the Korean carmaker. In between soliloquies about Porsche 911s, he now freely professes his admiration for Mazda’s products, especially the new CX-3 compact crossover SUV.

The car is a sure hit, thanks to its svelte lines – a challenge for an SUV on a compact car platform – and its surprising levels of equipment. Despite the diminutive 168.3in (4.3 metre) length, the CX-3’s back seat had space for the TrueCar executive and your reporter to fit comfortably.

The view from the back seat gave Krafcik the opportunity to admire the stitching on the faux leather dashboard, which conveys a premium impression in an entry-level vehicle.

But perhaps the real source of the CX-3’s appeal is its gas pedal. The CX-3’s accelerator, like that of Krafcik’s beloved Porsche 911, is floor-hinged rather than hung from above as in nearly every other car on the road. Perhaps there is room in the executive’s garage for two loves.

Volkswagen Golf R Variant

Europe’s largest automaker rolled out unapologetic car-journalist bait in Los Angeles, hitting us squarely in our weak spot for wagons and all-wheel drive with the introduction of the Golf R Variant: a Golf wagon packing the drivetrain of the ferocious, ego-stoking Golf R.

That means a 296hp turbocharged 2-litre four-cylinder gasoline engine and full-time all-wheel drive, with suspension lowered 0.8in from the standard version.

Power courses through a six-speed dual-clutch transmission, producing acceleration of 5.1 seconds to 100kph and a top speed of 250kph. It goes on sale in Europe in spring 2015, but Volkswagen is shtum on US availability.

Mercedes-Maybach S600

Daimler, the Mercedes-Benz parent, made the slightly embarrassing decision a couple years ago to mothball Maybach, the ultra-luxury marque it had resurrected from a 60-year hibernation in 2002.

With the development of the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class, however, the company was able to revive the label as an indicator of the absolute pinnacle of the S-Class family. Though it now wears the Mercedes-Maybach badge, this S-Class sees the return of Maybach-calibre goodies such as a refrigerator, champagne flutes and dual reclining rear seats.

The Mercedes-Maybach S600 is 8.1in (20.5cm) longer than a regular S600, with most of that length being earmarked for rear legroom. Fortunately, the reclining seats have pop-up footrests to keep occupants’ Ferragamos off the lambskin carpeting.

Upgraded door seals and sound insulation lead Mercedes to proclaim the Maybach S600 the world’s quietest production sedan. The company’s new aeroacoustic wind tunnel in Sindelfingen, Germany, provides the evidence, they say – and lacking such a facility for independent verification, we’ll take the engineers at their word. The car’s stunning execution would certainly lend credence to any claims that the parent company planned this course for the brand all along.

Mini Citysurfer concept

It may be called the Los Angeles auto show, but that didn’t stop Mini, the BMW Group subsidiary, from bringing an electric two-wheeler it deems ideal for making that crucial “last mile” of travel between parking spaces and ultimate destinations.

The battery-powered Citysurfer scooter can travel as fast as 15mph over distances of 10-15 miles. And you don’t have to unload the Citysurfer to recharge, because its 12-volt plug adapts to a Mini’s onboard outlet. The two-wheeler weighs just 40lbs (18kg), and folds to fit in the luggage compartment of the Mini three-door hatchback. In that respect the scooter evokes Honda’s Motocompo mini scooter of the early ‘80s, which was designed to fit flush inside Honda superminis of its day. Granted, the Citysurfer does without the Honda’s irredeemable machine-age styling and gas-burning engine.

A word about power: some human-derived propulsion is required to launch the Citysurfer, whose electric drive provides assistance only after the rider has pushed off.

Lest the Citysurfer user feel tethered to the mothership, the scooter has a few tricks of its own. It will charge a mobile phone while underway, for example, further feeding the rather frightening impression that, short of a kitchen, Mini vehicles have all the tools to sustain modern life.

Ford Shelby GT350 Mustang

There was no larger legend revived at the show than that of the Shelby Mustang. The original Shelby GT350 debuted in 1965, and was subsequently flogged by Carroll Shelby’s team in Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) contests.

And arguably no other debutante delivered a more breathtaking impression in Los Angeles than the GT350, when it rumbled out of the shadows for the first time. “Flat-plane” crankshafts are a racing staple that contribute to more power potential, but they are typically reserved for racing, not passenger cars, owing to the increased vibration they typically produce. Ford claims to have eliminated this unwelcome byproduct.

The car also eschews the Mustang GT’s V8 purr in favour of a higher-pitched howl. We’ve heard it from Italian exotics, but not much from US muscle. Ford engineers admitted they were near defeat at times, but persevered to produce this 500-plus-horsepower race engine for the street. When you hear one pass by, you’ll know their toil was worth the effort.

Lexus LF-C2 concept

Toyota’s luxury subsidiary wants to prepare customers for a shocking development: the company will offer a drop-top version of the sexy new RC F coupe, and it will look something like this gaudy, golden LF-C2. The 2+2 roadster is more than the production model with the roof lopped off, however.

The concept eliminates a roof of any kind, which freed stylists’ hands considerably. (Occupants could always pack sou’westers, but rain would do the lovely off-white leather upholstery no favours.)

The gold paint works its way inside, too, coating most hard surfaces. The glittering metallic effect is certainly eye-catching, suited to unrepentant extroverts – a new target for Lexus, a brand giddily emerging from its conservative shell.

Audi Prologue concept

By most accounts the Los Angeles show’s most striking design, the appropriately monikered Prologue mega-coupe forecasts the brand’s future aesthetic, which should include Mercedes S-Class-challenging sedans and coupes that will be sized and proportioned similarly to the Prologue.

The concept’s creases and hexagonal grille foretell styling themes across Audi’s coming product line, according to Audi’s chief exterior designer, Andreas Mindt. Cars will get the six-sided grilles, while SUVs’ apertures will be octagonal.

The Prologue is powered by a 605-horsepower twin-turbo 4-litre V8 gasoline engine that features a 15-second overboost mode, yielding 553lb-ft of torque. This punts the 4,365lb coupe to 100kph (62mph) in a very fleet, manufacturer-estimated 3.7 seconds. Given the broad consensus on the design, it would seem Audi’s already-hot sales will be in for a boost when the Prologue’s cues begin trickling down – or overboost, as the case may be
http://www.bbc.com/autos/story/20141121-the-top-10-debuts-at-the-2014-los-angeles-auto-show