Car lovers were revved up and ready to go as they filed into the opening of the Orange County Auto Show at the Anaheim Convention Center on Thursday evening.
Running through Sunday, the event is being held in conjunction with National Drive Electric Week and features hundreds of new cars, trucks, crossovers, SUVs, exotics and electric vehicles. Owned by the Orange County Automobile Dealers Assn. and produced by Steve Freeman Events, the O.C. Auto Show is designed to celebrate Southern California car culture and offer a first look at the latest 2024 model vehicles in a non-selling environment.
Guests test drive electric cars on the SoCal Electrified Ride Experience track during the O.C. Auto Show at the Anaheim Convention Center.
(James Carbone)
Electric vehicles in particular are highlighted on the SoCal Electrified Ride Experience, a large indoor EV test track that gives show attendees the chance to experience all-electric vehicles from Cadillac, Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, Volvo and Volkswagen.
Lorenzo Edwards, sales and leasing consultant at Simpson Cadillac of Buena Park, answered questions about the 2024 Cadillac LYRIQ, an electric vehicle from the luxury car manufacturer.
“The range is 312 miles on a full charge,” Edwards said.
A family checks out a minivan at the O.C Auto Show on Thursday, Oct. 5.
(James Carbone)
The LYRIQ has a horsepower of 340 to 500, and average battery charge time is 10.7 hours at 220 volts, but Edwards said there are other features that make the LYRIQ stand out.
“What sets us apart from other EVs is the luxury, the style and the ride,” said Edwards.
Another big draw at the show is Camp Jeep, where professional 4×4 drivers take passengers on an off-road test track.
Driver Israel Gonzales ferried riders in a 2024 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon through the course that includes 35-degree-angle climb.
“Of course these Jeeps are phenomenal at climbing,” said Gonzales as he approached the climb. “This is 18 feet up and we are just going to go for it.”
On the steep drive, a forward-facing camera helps drivers navigate the ascent and decent.
A Jeep Rubicon on the Off-Road Track during the O.C. Auto Show at the Anaheim Convention Center.
(James Carbone)
“Our forward-facing camera shows exactly where we are but also where we are steering,” Gonzales said, demonstrating the camera’s movement.
Other attractions include driving simulators, a scavenger hunt, photo opportunities and car collectibles from vendors like Burning Rubber Toy Co., which sells die-cast cars from a large orange “toy truck.”
Families walk through the Anaheim Convention Center looking at new model cars.
(James Carbone)
“Basically everything is organized by make, model, year — and that is why people like us,” said Katie Meck, who owns Burning Rubber with her husband Paul. “So say you want a ’62 Corvette, we send you right to it.”
Burning Rubber sells at shows in Southern and Northern California and online, but Meck said at Orange County shows, the crowd skews younger.
“This show is a lot of the younger set, so JDM cars are huge, especially in Orange County,” said Meck. “And because we are so close to Disneyland, all the character cars are huge too.”
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