2006 Canadian International Auto Show

February 6, 2006

Preview: Canadian International Auto Show

2005 Toronto Auto Show

By Jil McIntosh

As a chance to compare all of the new models, and see what's coming in the future, you can't do better than a new-car show. The automakers have everything currently offered on display, and most models are open, so you can sit inside. You can view one-of-a-kind concepts, some 2007 models, and get all the information you'll need to help make your next car-buying decision.

This year, Toronto's Canadian International Auto Show (CIAS) runs February 17 to 26 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and Rogers Centre (formerly Skydome). Some 300,000 spectators flock to the event each year, which features over 150 exhibitors spread over 260,000 square metres.

Unlike most new-car events, the CIAS is also a consumer show – its promoters say it's Canada's largest – with numerous auto-related displays including antique cars, tuner cars, a NASCAR pavilion, Toyota Truck Test Track and Career Academy, where students can discover career options in the automotive industry.

There are also numerous contests and promotions, including car giveaways such as a Mercedes-Benz B-Class, Dodge Caliber, Hyundai Sonata, Pontiac Torrent and Toyota RAV4.

The CIAS is open from 10:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily, with final Sunday hours 10:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. For maps, ticket information and on-line ticket ordering, go to www.autoshow.ca.

Vehicle highlights and premieres

Of course, the Toronto auto show is all about previewing new models and concept cars, and at least thirty previews are planned – and they're only a small sampling of cars and trucks on display that you'll be able to see, and buy, in 2006 and 2007. Here's a look at what to expect, along with a few unveilings that the manufacturers are still keeping secret:

2007 Dodge Nitro
2007 Lexus ES 350
2007 Honda Fit
Acura RD-X concept
Chevrolet Camaro concept
Aston Martin V8 Vantage
Audi RS4
BMW Z4 Coupe Concept
Chrysler Akino
Chrysler Firepower
GM Sequel
Saturn Aura
Pontiac Solstice GXP
Cadillac XLR-V
Jaguar XK Convertible
Kia Magentis
Lexus LS 460 and RX 350
Mazda Senku
Mercedes-Benz GL Class
Maybach 57 S
Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder
Nissan Sentra
Nissan Versa
Subaru R1e
Suzuki PX
Toyota Camry
Volkswagen Golf
Volkswagen Passat Wagon
Volvo C70
Volvo XC70 & XC90 Ocean Race Editions

Events and displays

Don't just snoop around the new cars; take some time to see everything on display. That includes:

Vehicles appearing with "Cruise Nationals" 1965 Corvette Roadster belonging to Wayne MacDonald of Toronto. Contains a 327 cid engine, has leather seats and Lipstick Red paint. 1963 Dodge Polara belonging to Neil and Rhonda Miller of Oshawa, Ontario. 426 Max Wedge engine with original manifolds and heads, 727 pushbutton Torque-Flite transmission, and original interior. 1958 Chevrolet Impala convertible belonging to Allan White of Mississauga, Ontario. 283 cid V8 with 2-barrel carb and dual exhaust, two-speed automatic transmission, Cashmere Blue paint, restored to factory interior. This is a 1932 Ford Roadster owned by Norman Mulloy of Paris, Ontario. It contains a 1994 Corvette LT-1 engine and has full air suspension. Photos: Jil McIntosh. Click images to enlarge

Cruise Nationals – Unlike the museum-quality classic cars that will also be on hand at the event, the Cruise Nationals celebrates antique vehicles and hot rods that their owners often build at home in the garage, and then shine up for weekly "cruise nights", informal events where car owners get together in the evening at a local mall or doughnut shop to show off their vehicles. Over the summer of 2005, sixty cars were selected from various cruise nights across southern Ontario, and were eventually whittled down to the nine finalists that will be on display throughout the show. A panel of judges, combined with on-line public voting, will determine the winners, who will share $10,000 in prize money. The display is on the 600 level of the South MTCCC.

Be sure also to visit the "History Room", which will feature "Octagon Dreams: A History of the MG Car Company". Seventeen MGs will be on display, fifteen of which depict the most significant marques in MG's history. In the centre will be Old Number One, a one-off variation that was customized to run in different races to see if there would be a market for an MG sportscar. There was, of course, and many of them will be there, along with a 1980 MGB LE that was the last MG ever imported to North America.

NASCAR Pavilion – Back for the second year, the NASCAR Pavilion offers a chance for fans to get close up and personal with Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s #3 GM Goodwrench Service Plus Chevrolet Monte Carlo and Kevin Harvick's #29 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet Monte Carlo. There will also be two 42-inch plasma screens carrying live NASCAR broadcasts, along with the Full Throttle Stock Car Simulator and the NASCAR Pit Challenge presented by Raybestos Brakes and Wix Filters. It's on the 800 level of the South MTCCC building.

Sport Compact Revolution – One of the most popular displays at the event, the Sport Compact Revolution is known as the "show within a show" and occupies the 100 level of the Rogers Centre (formerly Skydome). It consists of several features, with the Castrol Centre Stage as the main attraction. Focusing on the cultural aspect of the tuner-car phenomenon, the Castrol Centre Stage showcases martial arts with Team Ryouko, Extreme Action Sports Theater and DJ Danny D from Z103.5.

ShoZone, presented in conjunction with Dark Knights, features ten to fifteen sport compacts, all radically customized, while an adjacent vendor area offers such items as custom accessories, parts, model cars, vintage car ads and automotive lighting.

Toyota 4x4 Track – Here's an exclusive opportunity to take a brand-new Toyota and get it good and dirty. Directly adjacent to the South MTCCC building, the outdoor track features a 45-degree hill climb, traction demonstration, railway tie crossover, rock course, bump-and-depression run, and culvert depression. Qualified participants have a choice of several Toyota vehicles, from the Tacoma pickup truck to the all-new FJ Cruiser, and will be accompanied by members of the Central Ontario 4x4 Club. To register for the track, visit the Toyota booth and speak with a customer service representative.

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