It had been ten years since I last attended the LA Auto Show at the Los Angeles Convention Center, and 2025 absolutely did not disappoint. If anything, the show felt amped up; especially with the inclusion of more exhibits highlighting JDM rarities and truly unique builds. Kentia Hall’s “The Underground” was transformed into a more quasi-SEMA experience (though I still have yet to attend the real thing, hopefully this year!). In this post, I’m covering the standout exhibits, much like the video posted above. Plenty more after the jump.
KENTIA HALL
I had parked at the lot adjacent to the Kentia Hall, so I had entered the show straight into "The Underground" which was pretty much their miniature version of SEMA, highlighting local car culture and aftermarket parts. This year seemed to showcase the lowrider and JDM culture even more as you came across plenty of booths highlighting unique builds. I took the time to take a few shots and walk-around videos of these standout builds:
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| Chemical Guys' Nissan GT-R R34 |
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| Larry Chen's GR Supra Camera Car |
SOUTH HALL
After making my way through "The Underground", I headed into the largest of the main halls: South Hall. Right away, it’s impossible not to notice the two biggest booths; Toyota on the left and Hyundai on the right. Hyundai especially stood out, offering an indoor driving experience where staff actually drove attendees within the exhibit. They were able to pull this off thanks to the featured vehicles being fully electric, which made for a surprisingly immersive experience.
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| Sung Kang's "Drifter" Movie Hero Pandem AE-86 |
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| Interior of the Hyundai Elantra N |
Forsberg Racing x NISMO GTZ
Click the title to see the walk-around video.
For those of you just getting to know me, I am a huge Nissan guy; and seeing the Chris Forsberg Racing x NISMO GTZ in person was most definitely a highlight for me.
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| Forsberg Racing x NISMO GTZ |
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| NISMO Wheels Display |
Corvette CX Concept
Click title to veiw the vehicle walk-around
One of the exciting concepts featured was the Corvette CX Concept. It was a vision of what the tenth generation Corvette could look like and it looks beyond amazing:
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| Corvette CX Concept |
CONCOURSE HALL
JDM Underground
Click title for full exhibit walkthrough.
This was hands-down my favorite part of the entire show. Hosted by Sparq AI and curated by The MEET Worldwide, “JDM Underground” was the highlight of the LA Auto Show for me. The hall was transformed into a Japan-style garage meet, filled with standout builds in every direction. From AE86s to GT-Rs, EVOs, and Liberty Walk Super Silhouette kits, there wasn’t a single corner that didn’t demand your attention.
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| DK's 350Z from Tokyo Drift |
There was also a separate section dedicated to supercars and hypercars; McLarens and Porsches in particular. That’s where I captured my favorite shot of the night. It may not seem like much, but I love the accidental glare from the overhead rafters; it gave the moment an unexpected character.
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| Hot Wheels Porsche 991 GT3R |
WEST HALL
The second-largest hall of the show, West Hall, featured brands like Ford and Honda. Click the following titles to check out some of the standout cars, including the Ford Mustang GTD and the long-awaited return of the Honda Prelude.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to make it to the exhibits and booths outside the LA Convention Center this time, as I spent most of the day capturing the footage and photos you’ve seen here. That said, the overall experience was phenomenal, and seeing the LA Auto Show lean even further into local car culture makes it a must-see; especially if they continue to elevate their presentation at this level.
In case you want to see the videos that were not featured in this article:
Full AUTOMOTOMIN 2025 LA Auto Show Video Playlist:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5HlQi3l8UJqycwL2F8kyKJI59DN7ibnh&si=xlXG_TuBUGAp-8-v
Full AUTOMOTOMIN Walk-around Compilation in case you just wanted to see all my favorite closeups in one video: https://youtu.be/FTnLVmj6ebU?si=pkfwMWMg1xhnByBm
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See you in the next one,
PD
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