This is part 2 of this review. For part 1, click here.
Making my way back towards the centre, I passed Lincoln. Its display bordered Kia’s and both had all white cars, so it was difficult to not wander too far.
A new Navigator resided towards the rear. If I’m honest, up close I wasn’t impressed. This hulking track apes the styling of the sedans and stands apart from the rest of the sleek-looking fleet.
In that spirit, I had a look at the MKZ. It’s long and low, and the sweeping roofline extends almost all the war to the rear bumper.
The last manufacturer on this level was Audi. No surprises were found here, but the R8 Spyder at the heart was worthy of a few pictures.
After seeing everything, I followed the herd up to the skywalk and over to the South building. It was a bit of a trip, but at least I didn’t have to go out into the bitter cold.
Coming down, the first floor held the Accessory Marketplace and the VW Children’s Playcare Centre. Nestled in the corner was the Muskoka Brewery restaurant.
I’m glad didn’t miss the next floor down, as this was the AutoConnect showcase. This area was all about inspiring the future of driving.
Partnered with the Trillium Automobile Dealers Association, several universities and colleges were present showcasing their abilities to get you a job in the auto sector.
Special mention goes to Humber and its automotive design program, whose fascinating display allowed you to watch demonstrators live sketch and carve clay models.
The University of Waterloo was displaying an electric car that runs on either a 12-volt or 24-volt battery – oh, did I mention it was built by high school students.
Centennial College had an interactive display, which let you try your hand at welding and paint spraying.
After planning my future, I had a look at the past in the Art and the Automobile exhibit. If you think today’s cars have curves, check out the ’36 Delahaye.
Now that I had seen everything on this floor and was feeling inspired, I made my way down one last escalator to the rest of the manufacturer displays.
Starting at one end, I found Ford’s large showcase. Several custom cars from notable tuners greeted me at the entrance.
The car everybody wanted to see, the new GT, was central to the display. Up close, it’s even more astonishing how long, low and wide it is.
I don’t doubt the GT will do well at Lemans next year. The aero tunnel between the rear wheel arches and the body are massive and the exhaust pipes look like cannons.
Not far away was the also new Shelby GT350R. A huge wing, large side vents and front splitter distinguished it as a special Mustang. I appreciated that the wheels were not too flashy to draw away from the overall package.
Next door was Lexus. The highlight of its booth was the RC F. From the side, it almost looked understated, if it wasn’t for the orange paint. Smooth lines flow from the subtle vent to the electronic adjustable rear wing. However, looking at the front and rear give a much busier impression.
Which made me realize something I’m surprised I hadn’t noticed before: All the current Lexus’ have awkward angles around their split headlight assemblies. I guess I needed to be surrounded by them for me to see it.
Moving on, I stumbled upon Hyundai – and I mean stumbled. Maybe I was tired, but I kept walking around the Equus, looking up to make sure I was still in the Hyundai booth, and then walked around it again. I did the same with the Genesis sedan.
Like with the Lexus’, even though I’ve seen them several times before, I was still surprised by what I saw. No luxury car buyer should discount Hyundai off their list.
Also on display was the Tucson BlueDrive. This is the first hydrogen fuel cell vehicle commercially available for sale in Canada.
In that spirit, Hyundai was also showing off its Intrado concept. Originally unveiled at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show, the Intrado is a hydrogen-powered crossover for tomorrow.
Leaving Hyundai, I came upon Chevrolet and was immediately drawn to the Corvette Z06 and Camera Z28 in the corner.
Both sport many sporty, race-inspired bits; such as the Corvette’s carbon fiber rear wing with its massive Gurney flap.
However, once I moved away from the other Stingrays and Cameros, I was quickly into fleet-car land.
I had to seek out the new Bolt EV concept, which didn’t have much surrounding fanfare. It did appear production ready though and should be an interesting option for people living in the city with families.
While the Chevy booth was quite large, there was little else noteworthy. The new Colorado pick-up was there, but all I could think to write down was: “Smooth, clean lines. Small side windows.”
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