By Jake Lingeman, AutoWeek

Sure, most of the glitz and glam of the Los Angeles auto show is in the three main halls. There you can find everything from the Fiat 500 Abarth to the Bentley Mulsanne and the new Subaru BRZ. But if you're looking for some custom jobs, or some matte paint, or the Italians for that matter, Kentia Hall in the basement of the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Platinum Motorsports has a stand. They specialize in customization of some of the hottest cars on the market--think Bentley, Porsche and BMW M. The company must be channeling its inner SEMA because all the cars have giant custom wheels, blacked-out windows and booming sound systems.

By AutoWeek

Lamborghini is adding a rear-wheel-drive convertible version to the Gallardo range, offering 550 hp for open-air speeds.

Lamborghini revealed the Gallardo LP 550-2 Spyder at an event on Wednesday evening as part of several days of festivities surrounding the Los Angeles auto show. The V10 supercar was retuned to handle the prodigious power going to the rear wheels, and it has different damper settings and aerodynamics than its all-wheel sibling.

By Greg Migliore, AutoWeek

The Los Angeles auto show kicked off in typical fashion on Wednesday, with car companies rolling out the familiar lineups of convertibles and green machines tailored for the Southern California audience.

Yes, the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and the Jaguar XKR-S are sinister, and the Honda Fit EV will be eco-friendly. But you knew that. So here are a few nuggets we learned after a day of prowling the floor that you won't hear other places.

By J.P. Vettraino, AutoWeek

Ford's redesigned 2013 Escape, unveiled at the Los Angeles auto show, carries more risk than might be apparent. That's because the current Escape remains the best-selling compact SUV in North America and it's selling better than ever in its final year of production.

By appearance, the 2013 Escape is a fairly radical departure from the stout, boxy, pseudo-truck we've known for years. The new one bears a strong family resemblance to the new Focus, which shares Ford's global C platform, and its front end creates almost a cow-plow effect to meet pending worldwide pedestrian-protection standards. The new Escape is about three inches longer and slightly wider than the current one, on a longer wheelbase with a lower roof height.

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By J. P. Vettraino, AutoWeek

The all-new Escape SUV might be more important to Ford’s bottom line, but the 2013 Mustang line being unveiled at the Los Angeles auto show is more exciting--starting with the 650-hp GT500.

Yes--650 hp for the 2013 Mustang Shelby GT500. It’s the most powerful Mustang ever, and it will almost certainly be the least expensive 650-hp new car money can buy.

Credit Ford for not letting the Mustang get stale or soft. A year after the debut of the Boss 302, the lineup remains the same, with a V6, GT 5.0, Boss and GT500. Yet all get a mild facelift for 2013, with improvements across the board. There’s a more aggressive shark snout in front, standard HID projector-beam headlights trimmed with LED strips, and three-bar LED taillight/turn signals that flash sequentially. Puddle lights in the outside mirrors cast light in the pattern of the Mustang pony logo.

By Greg Migliore, AutoWeek

Mercedes-Benz is revealing its next-generation ML63 AMG at the Los Angeles auto show, bringing hot-rod attitude to its brawny SUV. The ute launches in early 2012, pumping out a beefy 518 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque from the biturbo V8 channeled via all-wheel drive.

And for the first time, enthusiasts can check the box for the performance pack, an AMG option that raises output by 32 hp and 44 lb-ft of torque, with visual features that include a performance steering wheel, a carbon-fiber engine cover and red brake calipers.

By Greg Migliore, AutoWeek

Summoning the colors of coffee, saddles and wine, Buick has crafted an upscale concept car to illustrate its potential for interior design. The LaCrosse GL debuted on Wednesday afternoon at a Detroit concert house, ahead of a showing next week at the Los Angeles auto show.

The Buick LaCrosse GL features brown and caramel-colored cocochino leather inside, ice-blue stitching and an expensive-feeling suede headliner as Buick tries to lure new customers by promoting top-shelf interiors. The car also has ambient lighting and an upscale suede steering wheel.

By Jake Lingeman, AutoWeek

Dodge--or more accurately, the new SRT division--is bringing updated versions of past icons to the Los Angeles auto show. On Nov. 16, the 2012 Charger SRT8 Super Bee will break cover along with its partner in crime, the Challenger SRT8 Yellow Jacket. They'll both arrive in showrooms in the first quarter of 2012.

The Super Bee was first introduced in 1968 as a member of Dodge's Scat Pack performance group. It was based on the Coronet and was offered with either a 335-hp, 383-cubic-inch V8 or the 426 Hemi. In 1969, the 440 Six-Pack was added. Later, the Super Bee package was switched to the Charger with the same engine lineup. The resulting 1971 Charger Super Bee had a 0-to-60-mph time of 5.7 seconds--downright fast for its era.

By J. P. Vettraino, AutoWeek

Beyond the all-new Escape and 2013 Mustang lineup, Ford's Los Angeles auto show reveals will include a facelifted Flex people mover.

The 2013 Flex has a mildly revised look, starting with love-it/hate-it F-L-E-X script along the leading edge of the hood. Projector-beam headlights are standard, inside a bright, oblong ring circling the light clusters and grille, with integrated LED segments around the projector beams. In back, dual exhaust tips are spread near the edges of new under-bumper valance. 

Bing: Deals on the Ford Flex

By Dale Jewett, AutoWeek

The stylish Volkswagen CC four-door is in line for a mild makeover for the 2013 model year. The public gets a first look at the makeover at the Los Angeles auto show later this month.

On the outside, high-intensity-discharge headlamps with an active system that directs light in concert with the steering wheel are standard. The front and rear fascias are restyled. The tail lamps use light-emitting diodes.

Through the first 10 months of this year, Volkswagen has sold 25,354 copies of the CC in the United States, up 12 percent from the same period last year.