The Los Angeles Auto Show recently announced its theme for the 11^th annual Design Challenge called “Sensing the Future: How Will Cars Interact with Us in 2029?” The theme's goal is to insinuate how future cars will be able to interact and connect with its driver and passengers.

Participating in this year's event will be BMW Group DesignWorks USA, Honda USA, Honda Japan, McLaren Automotive, Nissan, Peterbilt Motors (as a guest entry), Qoros Auto, China and SAIC Motor MG. Each participant will be judged based on comfort, attention to human sense and emotional connection, ecological sensitivity, creativity of concept, control and function of concept and reflection of the brand. Determining each work will be reviewed by a panel of judges that include Tom Matano, Executive Director of the School of Industrial Design at Academy of Art University, Stewart Reed, Chair of Transportation Design at the Art Center College of Design and Alexander Klatt, Associate Professor, Chair of MFA Transportation Design at the College for Creative Studies.

“Los Angeles is one of the world’s most dynamic cities constantly keeping its eye on the future of technological advancements that largely affect our daily lives. This makes this year’s theme of the human reliance on machines especially fitting, as it continues to connect to our senses, feelings and patterns with our cars,” said Lisa Kaz, President of the LA Auto Show.

Specifics of each concept will be announced and displayed at Pasadena's Art Center College of Design Car Classic 2014 that will be held on October 26, 2014. The selected finalists will be showcased in the Design Gallery of the LA Auto Show and will be joined with other global auto studios during Press & Trade Days (Nov. 18-20, 2014) as well as during the public event (Nov. 21-30, 2014) The winner of the Design Challenge will be picked on November 20, 2014 during the Design LA Open House.