The LA Auto Show will take place a little later on the calendar than usual, running from Dec. 1 through Dec. 10 at the LA Convention Center. The change in schedule puts it just a month ahead of the Detroit auto show while also eliminating the overlap with Thanksgiving holidays and their inevitable travel nightmares, giving the show a little room to breathe.
LA has become more tech-focused in recent years thanks to predictions of the impending autonomous future (along with threats to "rethink" or "reinvent mobility" by just about every major participant); fortunately, this year mostly will still showcase new cars you'll actually be able to drive.
Here's an early look at the major debuts you can expect to see in a few short weeks. We'll update this list as more confirmed LA Auto Show reveals trickle in -- there will be more than a few major surprises this time around.
You may feel like you've already seen the i8 Roadster debut, but it has yet to take place.
BMW: The Bavarians are expected to finally take the wraps off the i8 Roadster, a car that has been promised and teased so many times it's easy to forget that it still hasn't debuted. The LA Auto Show is by far the best venue for this reveal, and not just because Detroit in January is not convertible-friendly -- the i8 desperately needs this version before it sits on the shelf any longer.
Besides the i8 Roadster, expect to see the X7 Concept make a U.S. appearance after its debut in Frankfurt earlier this year, as well as the M3 CS.
Infiniti: Nissan's luxury arm has teased something that could turn out to be the replacement for the QX70, which was recently put out to pasture. Infiniti showed a minimalist sketch that depicts what appears to be a crossover but released no other details save from a promise that it will be the "most advanced" vehicle in the brand's history. We'll be ready to learn a new alphanumeric badge on Nov. 28 if the QX70's replacement materializes.
Infiniti teased a new concept or production car with this minimalist sketch, suggesting a QX70 replacement.
Jeep: The 2018 Wrangler, bits and pieces of which have been trickling out for the past year and a half, will make its official debut in LA. This will be one of the headline debuts of the show, and the biggest question right now is how many body styles/engine variants Jeep will bring to LA, and whether we'll see a hybrid version in December or some time later. With the Detroit show coming up, it makes sense that Jeep will want to space out the debuts of various Wrangler versions a bit, so don't expect to see them all in LA.
Land Rover: The company has indicated we'll see plug-in hybrid versions of the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport before the end of the year, and the end of the year approacheth. The two PHEV models are expected to make good on Land Rover's promise to electrify its entire lineup before the decade is out.
Mercedes-Benz: We expect to see the all-new third-generation CLS-Class make its debut in the metal in LA, replacing a model that has been on sale for some time. The next-gen CLS-Class is not expected to radically alter the E-Class four-door coupe formula much.
Beyond the CLS-Class, we may see another EQ electric sub-brand concept from Mercedes, as we have at recent auto shows, but the bigger question with Mercedes and electrics is when we'll see a production version of its first EV.
Gallery 2017 Mini Electric Concept
Mini: The Anglo-Germanic automaker will bring the Mini Electric to LA after it made its debut in Frankfurt earlier this fall, previewing the brand's first mass-market EV after a small-scale experiment earlier in the decade. This model will be a big deal for Mini and for corporate parent BMW, which seeks to expand its i Division beyond the relatively small gas-electric lineup that it has offered for a few years.
Porsche: Expect to see the 718 Cayman GTS and Boxster GTS debut in LA, with more powerful versions of the 2.5-liter turbocharged flat-four.
The 2018 Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid Sport Turismo will also make an appearance, showing off its long name as well as its 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V8 connected to a 136-hp, 295-lb-ft electric motor powered by a 14.1-kWh liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery.
Volvo XC40: The XC40 is expected to make its first major auto show appearance in LA, a few weeks after Volvo took the wraps off its smallest SUV in Milan. The XC40 is expected to greatly expand Volvo's volume in the U.S., and it will arrive on the heels of several other major debuts for the Swedish automaker, whose SUV lineup has been completely revamped over the course of the last 24 months.
Jay Ramey grew up around very strange European cars, and instead of seeking out something reliable and comfortable for his own personal use he has been drawn to the more adventurous side of the dependability spectrum. Despite being followed around by French cars for the past decade, he has somehow been able to avoid Citroën ownership, judging them too commonplace, and is currently looking at cars from the former Czechoslovakia. Jay has been with Autoweek since 2013.
