Infiniti Blows Off LA Auto Show for China
by
John Horner
Published: November 11th, 2009
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The New York Times has an update on Infiniti’s Essence concept car. Since the sexy little thing’s March coming out party in Geneva, Essence has been on a tour of Louis Vitton stores in high-end shopping malls for VIP visitors and the commoners. “Guests were invited by the automaker and were typically loyal customers, said Kyle Bazemore, an Infiniti spokesman, in an e-mail message. ‘When we partnered with Louis Vuitton stores, it was half and half — their V.I.P. customers, our customers in the area,’ he said.” But the fascinating part of the article is thrown in at the very end: “It is interesting that the Essence has not appeared at an American auto show. Asked if the concept would return to the auto-show stage in Los Angeles in early December, Mr. Bazemore said, ‘Unfortunately, no. It’s been boxed up and is heading to China for the auto show season there. It should be back for the New York auto show, however.'” Yet more evidence for the ever shrinking role of auto shows, and the ever increasing importance of China’s booming auto market. The Beijing and Shanghai auto shows aren’t until next spring. Sorry, L.A., Infiniti just isn’t that into you, she would rather spend the winter in China.
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Shucks! The Seattle Auto Show starts today for a run until Sunday and it won't be there. I had hopes of waiting until all 153 9-year-olds had jumped in, played with everything that moved, and bailed out so I could experience it first hand.
Infiniti knows their upper end models don't sell well in L.A. , so why bother? The Louis Vuitton crowd won't be eager to plop down that black American Express and cruise up Rodeo to the already late appointment at Burke Williams, for the full body massage. Shunned by the S class crowd would only drive them to additional sessions with the shrink, who by the way would not be seen in an Infiniti either, for fear of losing patients.
Do your research before snarking off. It's not like Infiniti is blowing off the California market. It already showed the car at the Pebble Beach Concours weekend. Anyone with the bucks to afford whatever car comes of the Essence will already have seen the vehicle there. Besides, anyone who saw the trajectory of the Lexus LFA knows there are at least two more years of auto shows where we see this concept so much that by the time a real version comes out, we're bored of it.