Photo By Nicholas Maronese

The FC Sport concept gives show-goers a glimpse into Honda’s fuel cell powered future.

Photo By Nicholas Maronese

It’s the ’70s all over again as the new Camaro (left), new Challenger (right) and Mustang go head to head.

Photo By Nicholas Maronese

Check out ‘Corvette: An American Legend.’

Photo By Nicholas Maronese

The new Nissan Forum puts families first.

When it comes to the automotive industry, we are entering a new era. However, unlike the organizers of the 2009 Canadian International AutoShow (CIAS), when I say “new era” I’m not referring to “new set of criteria” automakers are forced to meet. I’m not talking about the cutting-edge technology (read “electric cars”) that will soon flood the market. I’m referring to the fact that today “your influence [in the auto industry] has never been stronger.” Consumers generally appear uninterested in automobiles today – and it shows. Frankly speaking, the 2009 CIAS, like its U.S. counterparts, has been hit by the weakening economy. The glamour is still there, but it feels subdued: the number of far-out concept cars is limited and the new emphasis is placed on new products that are soon to hit the market. In other words, whereas the show used to be the stuff dreams are made of, it’s now decidedly more down to earth.

The Red Zone, located in the Rogers Centre, is back again; the highlight, I would argue, is the Scion FUSE Concept.

That’s right: Toyota is bringing the Scion brand to Canada in 2010.

That being said, you can still have one heck of a good time there. Audi hosted the media day opening ceremonies this year and played up both their 100th anniversary and age-old slogan, “Vorsprung durch Technik,” German for “Advancement through technology.” The lights went out as smoke began billowing out from behind the stage: curtains dropped from the ceiling and the audience was treated to an interesting slideshow that featured stock footage of vintage car technology, influential people (don’t ask me what Muhammad Ali has to do with automobiles) and closed, for some reason, with an image of Barack Obama. We then moved on to Mercedes-Benz where Mercedes-Benz Canada CEO Marcus Breitschwerdt unveiled the 10th anniversary Brabus-styled smart fortwo; only 10 of these grey two-seaters will be produced, and one of them will go to a CIAS-show-goer. The SL65 AMG Black Series, the most powerful AMG to date, is also on display.

Over at the BMW booth, I spoke with BMW North America representative Tom Baloga about the look of the newly redesigned Z4. The new Z4 is a definite improvement over the previous generation, and I wonder if the all-female design team had anything to do with it. Chevrolet took the wraps off of their new Volt, which is apparently what General Motors likes to call an “EREV,” or “Extended-Range Electric Vehicle.” The new Camaro coupe was also on display and if you’re wondering, yes, the sports car definitely has headroom issues. Hyundai (“like Sunday!”) had plenty to be happy about: their new luxury-segment Genesis grabbed the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) Car of the Year award that morning, adding to their already-large collection of accolades. The Korean automaker debuted the sporty Genesis Coupe, as well as their hybrid Blue Drive technology. According to Hyundai, “Blue is the new green” (I think Mercedes, with their BlueTec clean diesel technology, would agree). Hyundai also made a major announcement – they would be bringing fuel cell technology to the market by next year. It looks like the little company that could is on a roll and there’s no stopping them.
Ferrari’s simply stunning Scuderia Spider 16M makes its North American debut at the CIAS this year. The 510-horespower stallion is a work of art: expect to spend about an hour gazing at the four incredibly sexy Ferraris on display.

Tata-owned Jaguar has decided to put an emphasis on their “R” performance models – seriously. This past November, the British marque took their four-door XFR to the Bonneville flats and clocked a blistering 225.6 mph, outdoing their old XJ220 super-car. Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Aston Martin and Lamborghini round out the exotic auto manufacturers there this year; each brought one or two cars, just to tease us. Ford pulled the covers off of their new European-styled Fiesta compact car and restyled Taurus, two sharp-looking automobiles soon to hit the market. They also boasted about their new efficient EcoBoost technology, as well as their “oh-my-God-the-car-is-parking-... Park Assist gizmo – a new option they’ll be releasing on a few of their mid-range sedans. The 2010 Mustang, which just enjoyed a minor facelift, will be there alongside the current pony car, allowing you to compare the subtle differences. Jerry Chenkin, executive vice-president for Honda Canada, informed the crowd of a milestone

Photo By Nicholas Maronese

Chrysler vice-president of design Ralph Gilles comments on the Ram’s new taller grille.

Photo By Nicholas Maronese

You can find the Scion FUSE Concept in the Red Zone.

the popular brand had just reached: they had just churned out 20 million North American-made cars. That number makes sense when you find out that last year the Civic was the best-selling vehicle in Canada. The Japanese automaker had their new FC Sport concept on display – not my cup of tea, but you may disagree. Truck-loving Dodge unveiled the new Ram dually with some help from its designer, the versatile Ralph Gilles. However, they also shed some light on their more environmentally-friendly projects, including their secret ENVI electric vehicle division. ENVI CEO Lou Rhodes promised Chrysler would have an all-electric vehicle for sale by 2010. You can expect the Cerberus-owned manufacturer to turn out 24 new models over the next four years – they’re serious about giving their lineup an overhaul. I just hope that, as Chrysler Canada CEO Reid Bigland stated, Chrysler is in a position to weather the financial storm until then.

Nissan chose the CIAS as the site of the global premiere of their NV 2500 commercial vehicle; they also unveiled the new Cube, the family-oriented Forum and the sporty 370Z.
While Porsche ducked out of all North American auto shows, tuner Pfaff Tuning shipped a truckload of 911s to the show. The representative promised me that as soon the new Porsche Panamera hits the market, they will jump on it. Don’t you just love the aftermarket? The 700 level of the South Metro Toronto Convention Centre is abuzz with exhibits. At the GTA in Motion exhibit, you can check out the infamous electric ZENN, which are still not allowed on Ontario roads. The low-speed urban driving auto manufacturer
has been working with their research team in Texas to develop a highway-capable car by the end of this year. Mississauga-based Electrovaya will also have a low-speed electric vehicle on display; the up-and-coming company is now working with Tata and selling cars to the forward-thinking Scandinavian market.

The Cruise Nationals are back again, complete with random life-sized cardboard cutouts of nostalgic icons. Nothing quite compares to these beautifully restored vintage autos – nothing, of course, except for the “Corvette: An American Legend” gallery. Count ’em: 25 mint condition ’Vettes from across the marque’s 56-year life span. Included are four pace car Corvettes, several anniversary editions, an authentic Yenko, and the Manta Ray concept car. The most stunning ’Vette, however, has to be the Mako Shark concept, shipped to the show straight from the museum in Michigan. Again, you can literally kill an hour just looking at these two-dozen sports cars. The Red Zone, located in the Rogers Centre, is back again; the highlight, I would argue, is the Scion FUSE Concept. That’s right: Toyota is bringing the Scion brand to Canada in 2010. The FUSE is one very interesting concept and is worth a look; as an added bonus, the booth attendants will be handing out free CDs.

Do not fear, motorsports fans – the NASCAR pavilion is up and running. Two-wheel enthusiasts can also look forward to a swarm of Ducatis, Harley-Davidsons and Triumphs.
While my initial prognosis may sound pessimistic, I would still recommend giving the 2009 CIAS a look. It’s still one incredible show that will satisfy your automotive appetite.

- The 2009 Canadian International Auto Show runs from Feb. 13 thru 22 at the Rogers Centre and Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Tickets are $20. See www.autoshow.ca for more information.