2015 Canadian International Autoshow

This year's Canadian International AutoShow theme was Life is in Motion. The organizers promised to deliver more technology, more innovative displays and exhibits, and more promotions.

As usual, over 1,000 new cars and light trucks were displayed in 650,000 square feet of state-of-the-art Toronto Metro Convention Center.

Many features returned to the AutoShow, but there were also some new exhibits to attract attendees.

Auto Exotica was back showcasing cars from McLaren, Tesla, Pagani, Ferrari, Maserati and much more.
AutoConnect returned to educate, inspire and amaze. Showgoers could experience the many advanced automotive technologies already in production and explore the road ahead with the next generation of vehicles.
New for 2015 was Art and the Automobile. The display featured Art about automobiles and automobiles as Art.
Another addition for this year was the Xbox One Gaming Area. Visitors saw the best games and breakthrough technology.
As usual, the winning vehicles, as selected by Canada's most respected automotive journalists, were on hand.

The Canadian International AutoShow also offered some exciting promotions.

CAA offered free gas for a year to one lucky visitor by simply completing their survey.
The Trillium Automobile Dealers Association was providing attendees with a chance to win $40,000 towards the purchase of a new vehicle.
Subaru and Hyundai had contests that would see individuals win a free car.

Below are some of the vehicle highlights from the show.

Appearing in the Art and the Automobile exhibit was this 1936 Cord 810 Phaeton. Cords were manufactured by the Auburn Automobile Company. The 810 and 812 models are the best-known of the company's vehicles. The 810 was designed by Gordon Buehrig originally for Duesenberg. The design features of this car included pontoon fenders, hidden headlamps, lack of running boards and clean surfaces. The 810 was powered by 289 cu. in. V8 with a semi-automatic transmission.

Toyota's FT-1 concept car made its domestic debut at the Canadian International AutoShow. The FT stands for Future Toyota, and 1 means number one or the ultimate one. Two years in the making, this car was created by Toyota's Calty Design Research team. The FT-1 has a front engine 3.0 liter turbocharged DOHC 24-valve Inline 6-cylinder. The rear-wheel drive Toyota has an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Preston Tucker conceived the 1948 Tucker Torpedo. Tucker was an independent automaker who developed a revolutionary car. Several engineers contributed to the project. This unique vehicle included many advanced features. Some of the highlights included a below-the-bumper grille, swiveling Cyclops center headlight, and sculpted fenders. An air-cooled flat-six engine powered the Tucker. Unfortunately, only 51 Torpedos were manufactured before the company declared bankruptcy.

The 2015 Acura NSX debuted at this year's Tokyo Motor Show. The NSX will be available to consumers in December 2015 and at a cost of US$156,000. The car is powered by a gas engine and three electric motors. The engine is a twin-turbocharged 75-degree DOHC V6, which produces 500 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque. It redlines at 7,500 rpm. Two electric motors, which boost torque, are mounted on the front wheels. The third motor drives the rear.

Nissan Canada used the AutoShow to introduce its new racing series. The Nissan Micra Cup championship was designed to provide racers with Canada's most affordable new race series. To keep costs down and ensure all the Micras are equal, a single performance shop, Motorsports in Action, prepares the cars. A race-ready Micra costs $9,999. In the first season, there are six race weekends conducted in Quebec.

The 1959 Cadillac Cyclone Concept Car is one of the last cars designed under the direction of General Motors Styling head Harley Earl. The Cyclone was an exercise in engineering that explored futuristic styling and technology. The car featured a 390 cu. in. V8 engine and rear-mounted automatic transaxle. Some advanced features included a radar-operated collision avoidance system and a transparent bubble roof with UV protection.

The Toyota i-Road is the ultimate fuel-efficient and fun-to-drive small urban vehicle. The i-Road first appeared at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. It is a front-wheel-drive three-wheeler. The three-door hatchback can transport two people. The vehicle has an electric drivetrain, and its two 2.7 horsepower motors are powered by a lithium-ion battery that can be charged using a household outlet. A single charge has a range of 50 km and a top speed of 45 km/h.

A collaboration between Mini and the Italian design and body manufacturing specialist Touring Superleggera resulted in the Mini Superleggera Vision. This concept car presents a modern interpretation of a classic open-top two-seater; interestingly, the car was built by hand. Its electric drivetrain gives the car modern technology. The Mini won design awards at the 2014 Salon Drive and 2015 Festival Automobile International.

The 2015 Infiniti Q60 appearing at the Canadian International AutoShow was based on the Q60 Concept. Plans are for this car to go into production in 2016. The two-door coupe has the engine in the front and will be available with rear or all-wheel-drive. There are two engine options: the 2.0 liter Mercedes-Benz M274 DE20 AL Inline-four cylinder or Nissan's 3.0 liter VR30DDTT twin-turbo V6. The Q60 comes with one of two possible a 7-speed 7R01 automatic or 7-speed 7G-Tronic automatic transmission.

Appearing in the Toyota booth was the company's FIA World Endurance Championship contender, the TSO40 Hybrid. The TSO40 is a Le Mans Prototype 1 (LMP1) built by Toyota Motorsport GmbH. The hybrid uses the Toyota RV8KLM 3.7 liter normally aspirated V8 and a 382 kW electric motor. The total combined output is 986 horsepower. Power is transferred through an Aisin seven-speed sequential transmission. The Toyota weighs 873 kg. The team captured the 2014 WEC Constructors' and Drivers' Championships.

The 2015 BMW M3 Sedan has a base price of $74,000; however, the car at the Canadian International AutoShow was loaded and had a retail price of $95,865. The M3 is powered by a 3.0 liter DOHC 24-valve M TwinPower inline six-cylinder engine, which produces 425 horsepower at 5,500-7,300 rpm and 406 lb-ft of torque at 1,850-5,500 rpm. The BMW accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.1 seconds.

The Italian sports car brand Alfa Romeo has returned to the North American Market. The Alfa Romeo 4C Coupe is a joint effort between Alfa and Maserati. The car is powered by an all-aluminum 1,750 cc direct injection, turbocharged four-cylinder engine with an intercooler. The motor produces 237 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 258 lb-ft of torque at 4,250 rpm. Mated to the engine is a twin-clutch automatic 6-speed transmission. Of particular interest is the carbon fiber monocoque and composite body shell.

The Cadillac Elmiraj was unveiled at the 2013 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. The two-door, four-seater full-size luxury coupe is a rear-wheel drive with the engine mounted in the front. The Elmiraj demonstrates Cadillac's commitment to lightweight, agile cars. Under the hood is a 4.5-liter twin-turbocharged V8 that produces approximately 500 horsepower and 500 lb-ft of torque. The Cadillac's curb weight is 1,814 kg.

This 1932 Packard 900 'Shovel Nose' Roadster was in the Art and the Automobile exhibit. In 1932, the Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit manufactured the Shovel Nose Roadster. Packard, founded by brothers James Ward Packard and William Doud, built cars from 1899 to 1954. Power in the front-engine, rear-wheel-drive vehicle came from a 319 cu. in. flat head straight eight engine.

In 2014, Lexus released an RC F coupe. In parallel, a GT3 version was being built. The Lexus RC F GT3 is planned to be completed and go for sale to race teams next year. The GT3 version will have a 5,0 liter V8 expected to produce 540 horsepower. It should weigh 2,756 pounds. The competition will come from the Porsche 911 GT3, Aston Martin Vantage GT3, and Chevrolet Camaro Z/28-R.

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the D-Type, Jaguar has built the F-Type Project 7 and will produce a limited number of 250 versions. The car will be one of the company's fastest Jaguars. Under the hood is a 5.0 liter supercharged V8 tuned to produce 575 horsepower and 516 lb.-ft. of torque. It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds. The Project 7 uses an eight-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters. The car is expected to retail for $188,000.

The Kia GT4 Stinger Concept premiered at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show. Kia's Southern California design studio created the car. The Stinger uses the same engine found in the company's race-prepared Optima, a 400 horsepower 2.0 liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder. A six-speed manual transmission provides power to the rear wheels. Stopping the GT4 Stinger are Brembo Gran Turismo two-piece 15-inch cross-drilled rotors with four-piston calipers.