2012 Canadian International Autoshow

This year's Canadian International AutoShow theme was 'The Next Dimension.' This seemed appropriate as the industry continued to evolve. The AutoShow ran from February 17 – 26 at the Metro Toronto Convention Center – North and South buildings.

As is the case every year, new vehicle offerings are the show's centerpiece; however, there were several features for attendees. Some of these included:

Auto Exotica: Last year Concorso Exotica debuted with high-end cars from Ferrari, Lamborghini, Lotus, Aston Martin, Bentley and Rolls Royce. This year, it was back with a new name – Auto Exotica. Vehicles from Pfaff Tuning and Legendary Motors were also on display.
Eco-Drive Showcase was presented by CAA. This was a brand-new feature at the 2012 AutoShow. On hand was an array of clean, fuel-efficient vehicles and technologies available in the market now or soon. Automakers showcased their most fuel-efficient offerings.
A feature returning from 2011 was the Cruise Nationals. The vehicles featured at the Canadian International AutoShow are the top-ten from this summer's Cruise Nationals. One of these cars will be voted the Grand National Champion.

At the 2012 AutoShow, there was a large exhibit celebrating the history of the Triumph Motor Car Company. Over 40 different examples of Triumphs were on display.

The Canadian International AutoShow continues to be the largest consumer show in Canada.

This is just one of the many cars in the Triumph exhibit. It is a TR8, produced by the Triumph Motor Company from 1978 to 1981. There were plans as early as 1972 to build a TR7 with a V8 motor; however, an engine shortage prevented this from happening. The TR8 was eventually fitted with a 3.5 liter V8. The car on display was one of the first in Canada to be converted to a race car.

BMW premiered the BMW Vision ConnectedDrive Concept at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. The two-seat roadster is an intelligent future car that integrates the outside world with a network of innovations. For example, the vehicle's windshield acts as a three-dimensional display, which can provide the driver with navigation and music information. The BMW showcases many features expected to appear in future vehicles, such as automated self-parking.

The Lexus LFA is a two-seat sports car with a limited production run of 500 models. The vehicle designation is LF for the car line and A for apex. Lexus's front engine obtains its power from a 4.8 liter V10 motor, producing 563 horsepower. Bolted to the power plant is a six-speed Aisin SA6 automated manual transmission. The LFA has a curb weight of 3,559 lbs.

The Scion IQ is new for 2012 and is designed to attract the younger market. Its main competition is the Smart ForTwo. Unlike the Smart ForTwo, it is longer and has room for a small back seat. The engine in the IQ is a 1.3 liter DOHC four-cylinder, which produces 94 horsepower and 89 lb-ft of torque. Driving the front wheels is a Scion continuously variable transmission. The Scion IQ retails for $16,760.

In 2009, General Motors debuted the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Concept car at the Chicago Auto Show. It was initially thought the Stingray would be the new C7; however, that has proved not to be the case. The front suspension is a bell-crank design, as used in Formula 1 with coil-over shock absorbers. The rear is from a C6, and stopping the Stingray concept are ZR1 brakes. Chevrolet suggests that this car would use a hybrid powertrain.

This red TR6 was on display in the Triumph collection. Another vehicle from the Triumph Motor Company, the TR6, was built from 1968 to 1976 in Coventry, England. The body's design was by Karmann, a German company responsible for many aspects of vehicle components. The Triumph TR6s are powered by a 2.5-liter straight six-cylinder engine. Over its run, 91,850 TR6s were produced, with most of them exported to the U.S.

Honda was showcasing the 2013 Accord Coupe Concept. This is the company's first plug-in hybrid. The two-motor system has three modes – all-electric, gasoline-electric and gasoline. The main power comes from a 2.0-liter four-cylinder Atkinson cycle engine that uses an electric continuously variable transmission. The other component is a 120-kw electric motor and 6-kw/h lithium-ion battery pack. The car will be available at the end of 2012.

The fastest car on the property was this Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4. This mid-engine sports car was designed and developed by Volkswagen and Bugatti. Since 2005, several different versions have been released. However, all vehicles are powered by an 8.0 liter W16 cylinder engine with four turbochargers. The transmission is a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. In 2005, the average top speed for the car was 408.47 km/h; however, the fastest ever recorded is 434.211 km/h.

The Mazda Shinari Concept is a four-door coupe that is a collaboration between Mazda's Japanese, American, and European offices. The car adopts the 'Kodo style, which refers to 'the soul of the movement.' The Shinari will likely be the basis for the next generation of Mazda 6. The front-wheel drive car is designed to accommodate the 2.0-liter Skyactiv-G gasoline engine or 2.2-liter Skyactiv-D diesel power plant.

One of the two Hyundai Genesis that competed in the 2011 Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship was on hand at the Canadian International AutoShow. The G1 Racing / Hyundai Canada fielded cars for Bob Attrell and Sasha Anis. Attrell finished third in the final Super Touring points chase with victories at ICAR and Montreal. Anis was fifth in the standings and collected two wins at ICAR and another at Mosport.

In a bold move, Cadillac brought its Urban Luxury Concept to the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show, and it was now on display in Toronto. The car is a departure from what consumers expect Cadillac to produce and sell. The Urban Luxury Concept is 151 inches long, 68.1 inches wide and 56.9 inches high. From the grille to the B-pillar, the design is unmistakably Cadillac. Interestingly, the car uses Lamborghini-style doors.

This is a Triumph TR4 that was in production from 1961 to 1965. During that period, 40,253 were built. Like most Triumphs, a majority of them were exported to North America. The two-door sports car has a 2.1-liter four-cylinder under the hood. Transferring the power to the rear wheels is a four-speed manual transmission. The entire package weighs 2,130 lbs.

The Mini Coupe Cooper, Cooper S, and JCW are new cars for 2012. Unlike the other Minis, this is a two-seater. The three model options have resulted in different engine tuning packages that provide additional power outputs. The base model has a horsepower rating 121, the Cooper S engine is advertised as 181 horsepower, and the John Cooper Works model produces 208 horsepower. Six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmissions are available.

The badge on the front of this car says Scion, but it could easily be changed to Subaru. A joint effort between Subaru and Toyota has resulted in the Subaru BRZ and Scion FR-S. Both cars are equipped with Subaru's 2.0 liter horizontally opposed 'boxer' four-cylinder engine, producing 200 horsepower and 151 lb-ft of torque. The price, which drew much attention, is yet to be announced.

This is a race-prepared version of the Triumph GT6, which competes at vintage events. The GT6 was designed by Giovanni Michelotti for Standard-Triumph. Michelotti worked with clients such as Ferrari, Lancia, Maserati and British Leyland. The GT6 was produced from 1966 to 1973 and used a 2.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine. It came standard with a four-speed transmission, but there was an optional overdrive.

One of the new offerings in 2012 was the Chevrolet Sonic Hatchback. There is also a Sedan version. The Hatchback is about $1,000 more expensive; however, there is more cargo capacity. There is a high-end version called the LTZ, which has the same horsepower at 138 from a 1.4 liter DOHC turbocharged engine but more torque at 148 lb-ft. The standard motor is a 1.8 liter DOHC four-cylinder. The Sonic on display has an aftermarket body kit.

The Red Bull RB8 appeared at the Canadian International AutoShow. Including Adrian Newey, seven designers created Red Bull's Formula One racing car. The RB8 uses a carbon composite monocoque chassis and double wishbone suspension. The vehicle is powered by a Renault RS27 engine. The 2.4 liter naturally aspirated V8 motor produces 750 horsepower. In 2011, the car captured seven victories in twenty races.