Five Automakers Rev Up New Sports Cars for North American Debut
20 October 1999
Five Automakers Rev Up New Sports Cars for North American Debuts At L.A. Auto Show LOS ANGELES, Oct. 19 -- Exciting new sports cars from
European, Asian and American automakers are set to make their North American
debut in January at the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show. These powerful and
sporty cars from BMW, De Tomaso, Honda, Panoz and Porsche are part of the more
than two dozen confirmed World and North American debuts.
Automakers point toward Californians' fondness for powerful, fun sports
cars and the strong contingent of media who attend the show's Media Days as a
key consideration for selecting L.A. as their announcement venue. The L.A.
Auto Show's California Dreamin' 2000 theme, which explores the trend-setting
and unique California car culture, is also proving to be an ideal complement
to many of the production and concept vehicles receiving their debut.
BMW raises the sports car stakes once again with the introduction of its
aggressive, 1950s-inspired Z8. As the featured car in the upcoming James Bond
film The World is not Enough, the Z8 roadster is capable of traveling 0-60 mph
in under five seconds and is powered by a 400-horsepower, V-8 engine.
De Tomaso returns to America after a 25-year hiatus with its luxurious
Italian-bred Mangusta. "The L.A. Auto Show is the perfect venue from which to
launch the De Tomaso Mangusta," explains Bruce Qvale, president and CEO of De
Tomaso Automobiles, Ltd. "Besides being a terrific show, there's the added
benefit of the Southern California location, our largest anticipated sales
market. The all-new Mangusta will appeal directly to the expressive,
fun-loving, dare-to-be-different attitude that is found in California."
Honda executives will drive out the new S2000 Hardtop just one year after
storming onto the two-seat sports car scene with the S2000 Roadster.
According to American Honda Motor Company Vice President of Sales Dick
Szamborski, the L.A. Auto Show provides numerous opportunities. "Honda
received significant media coverage for the S2000 Roadster world introduction
last year, and we look forward to returning to conduct this important S2000
Hardtop debut," says Szamborski.
An all-new entry into the luxury sport convertible category is the
Esperante from Panoz Auto Development. The Georgia-based company, which is
receiving accolades within racing circles for its American LeMans-winning race
cars, will utilize the L.A. Auto Show to dramatically introduce its new
320-horsepower, V-8-powered two-seater. The sleek, handcrafted Esperante will
feature a modular aluminum chassis with aluminum body panels.
Porsche will end months of anticipation when it introduces the new
911 Turbo. "As Southern California represents one of the largest markets in
America for Porsche," comments Frederick J. Schwab, president and chief
executive officer of Porsche Cars North America, "the L.A. Auto Show is a
particularly important event for us. With this in mind, we have created
special displays at the show designed to generate passion and excitement for
Porsche among customers and potential customers alike. They have helped us
launch the Boxster, 911 Carrera and 911 Carrera 4. For the 2000 show, they
will kick off the launch of the incredible new 911 Turbo."
The L.A. Auto Show's Media Days are January 6 and 7, 2000 at the Los
Angeles Convention Center. For additional information, visit
http://www.laautoshow.com or contact VL Communications Group at 916-362-3400, or via
email at vlcomm@aol.com.
