2010 Canadian International Autoshow

The Canadian International Autoshow (CIAS) is the county’s largest consumer show with nearly 300,000 people attending. The message for this year’s Canadian International Autoshow is The Vision. Explore new directions. Explore Innovation. With that in mind show organizers ensured visitors saw and experienced vehicles that are leading edge in every way:

Higher fuel economy
Lower emissions
Greater safety
Higher levels of comfort and convenience
More economical to purchase or lease

In addition to the latest offerings on display from manufacturers there were concept cars and exhibits, which included:

Center Stage Entertainment and Accessory – featuring music and fashion

Tribute to Carroll Shelby – with 40 significant Shelby related cars on-hand

Test Drive Program – in cooperation with General Motors, Subaru and Mercedes-Benz

The NASCAR Challenge

Family Day Program

There was something for everyone from economy cars to exotics.

Lexus brought their LF-CH concept car to the Canadian International Autoshow. The vehicle is a creation of the company’s California-based research and design center. The LF-CH is a four-seater, five-door compact. The design team hid the entry buttons for the rear doors with chrome molding and blackened the B-pillars to give the car the look of a coupe. The LF-CH also features the latest generation of Lexus Hybrid Drive technology.

This Ford GT P1037 was purchased from Shelby American by Charles Rathgeb and competed in Comstock company colours. The car is only 40 inches and 13 feet long. It is constructed with a steel monocoque and fiberglass body panels. An independent suspension design is used on all four corners. Stopping the Ford GT are four 11.5-inch rotors. The engine is a 4.2 liter V8 matted to a Colotti Type 37 four-speed gearbox.

The replacement for Ford’s wildly successful GT40 was the 1967 Ford GT40 Mk. IV is referred to as the J Car. The name came from the FIA’s Appendix J for International racing rules. The cars were designed with weight and durability in mind to meet the demands of the 24 Hours of LeMans. Engineers developed a bonded aluminum chassis and equipped the Mk. IV with a 7-liter engine. The cars, of which ten were built, won at Sebring and LeMans.

If you’re on a budget and want Ferrari’s most inexpensive model, California is for you at $262,000. California boasts several notable features, including the first Ferrari with a front engine V8, the first to use a dual-clutch automatic transmission, and the first with a folding hardtop. Under the hood is a 4.3 liter DOHC V8, which produces 460 horsepower at 7750 rpm. The top speed for the California is 310 km/h.

In 1953, A.C. Cars Limited introduced their new Ace roadster designed by John Tojiero. The vehicle used a tubular ladder chassis, fully independent suspension and aluminum bodywork. Under the hood was a six-cylinder, 120-horsepower Bristol engine. Unfortunately, Bristol went out of business, leaving the company without a supplier. As luck would have it, this is precisely the type of car Carroll Shelby was looking for to install Ford’s 260 cubic inch V8 motor.

This is the first racing Cobra with serial number CSX 2002. The original AC chassis was fitted with a 260 cubic inch V8 Ford motor. With SCCA racer Bill Krause behind the steering wheel, the Cobra dominated its main competition, the Chevrolet Corvette. After a successful stint, the car was sold to Canadian Chuck Rathgeb’s Comstock Racing team, with Eppie Wietzes performing the driving duties. The Cobra was a winner in Canada.

The first generation of the Nissan Cube was produced in 1998. At this year's Canadian International Autoshow was the company's third iteration, which was introduced in 2008. On display is the new Nissan Cube Krom, which features exterior and interior treatments. The Krom has sportier styling and more aggressive dimensions. These features include a chrome grille, rear roof spoiler, front and rear bumper facias and 16-inch allow wheels.

This is the new Ford Focus that will appear in Canada later this year. The Focus on display is not a remake of the Focus that has been sold here for many years but an entirely new car sharing 80 percent of its parts with the European version. This is the second of Ford’s new global platforms, which are meant to be nearly identical in all markets. The Focus is powered by a new 2.0-liter four-cylinder DI Ti-VCT engine.

Infiniti's Essence was one of the cars attracting a great deal of attention. The Essence was built to showcase many of the designs and technologies that will appear in future Infiniti's. The front-engine vehicle is powered by a twin-turbocharged V6 hybrid that produces 592 horsepower. Part of the new technology includes Back-up Collision Prevention. The car is a two-seater, which includes Louis Vuitton custom-fitted luggage.

This is an FIA-prepared 289 Cobra Roadster. Only five were constructed and this is one of two that still exist. Occasionally, the car sees action at vintage events. The Cobras were built in 1964 to comply with FIA rules for competition in the World Manufacturer’s Championship. The Cobras beat the previously dominant Ferraris in 1965 for the title.

To address the aerodynamic limitations of the Cobra, Carroll Shelby had Peter Brock design a new car called the Daytona Coupe. The vehicle on display at the Canadian International Autoshow is the 1964/1965 Cobra Daytona Coupe CSX 2299. Brock’s creation allowed the car to achieve a speed of 200 mph. This particular Daytona Coupe earned class victories in 1964 at Goodwood and LeMans and a year later at Daytona and Sebring.

One of the Supercars on display was the Maserati Gran Turismo S. This model was introduced in 2007; however, it has evolved over time, with the company also producing a convertible version. The base model of the Gran Turismo is powered by a 4.2 liter V8. A Ferrari 4.7 liter V8 is used for the Gran Turismo S. This engine produces 434 horsepower and will go from 0 to 100 km\h in about five seconds.

Of interest in the Scion compound was this wide-body tC. The modifications were performed by John Pangilinan. The engine has a GReddy turbocharger kit and Exedy Stage 1 clutch. Also under the hood is a Braille carbon fiber battery. The exhaust system is a full titanium catback and stopping the tC is a Brembo big brake kit. The tires are Toyo Proxes. Pangilinan has the car painted with BASF Mexico Blue.

Mercedes-Benz took the opportunity to present their 2011 SLS AMG. This car replaces the outgoing Mercedes McLaren SLR as the company’s supercar. The SLS also takes a design cue from the 1954 300SL which featured gull-wing doors. Powering the vehicle is a 6.2-liter V8, which produces 563 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque. The 1620 kg SLS AMG will go from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.8-seconds.

One of the many Cobra’s appearing in the Shelby Collection was the famous Essex Wire 427 Competition Cobra CSX3009 called ‘Ollie the Dragon.’ Essex was a major supplier for the Ford Motor Corporation. The Cobra was piloted by Skip Scott, Ed Lowther and Dr. Dick Thompson. The team collected victories at Riverside and Daytona in 1966 and won the 1967 US National Championship. It went on to be the winningest Cobra of all time.

The smart car on display is a second-generation electric version for the European market. Sales in North America are not scheduled until 2012. The car’s motor produces 20 kW (27 horsepower) and the torque is 120 newton-metres (89 lbf-ft). The electric model is equipped with a 16.5 kWh lithium-ion battery. The range for the vehicle is 135 kilometers or 84 miles. The smart car has a top speed of 100 kilometers or 62 miles per hour.

Round ten of seventeen for the 2010 IZOD Indycar Season is being held in Toronto on the grounds of the Canadian National Exhibition. The track is a 1.755-mile eleven-turn temporary street circuit. The event organizers had a booth to generate interest in this year’s Honda Indy Toronto, held on the weekend of July 16-18. On display was a Honda-powered Dallara IR5.

The ‘Flip Top’ Cobra was Carroll Shelby’s answer to the threat from the new General Motors factory-backed lightweight Gran Sport Corvette. Shelby’s development driver, Ken Miles, was tasked with building this particular Cobra. Miles lightened as many components as possible, including the frame and body, which resulted in a reduction of 500 lbs. Finally, the 289 motor was replaced with Ford’s new aluminum 390 cubic inch NASCAR engine.

If you desire an American supercar and have a budget somewhere between $99,859 and $111,510 you can own one of Dodge’s three Viper models – SRT10, Coupe or ACR. The V10 8.4 liter engine, which produces 600 horsepower and 560 lb-ft of torque, separates the Viper from the competition. Fitted to the motor is a 6-speed manual transmission. The ACR version (American Club Racer) has proven very competitive.

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