Kart Racer

Anyone heading out to the Toronto auto show this week?? I have a friends working the mazda and GM dept. Im off all week for reading week, but not too sure what day im gonna hit it up......

herbert

I'm probably going to head down but , like you , i'm not sure which day yet. I'm looking forward to heading over to the Mazda area and telling everyone that's peaking at the RX8 that I'm already the proud owner of one :D

I wouldn't mind hearing from others that have gone what shouldn't be missed, and what could be skipped.

Murray16

I'm going tomorrow... I'll be there early because I need to be home by 4. I'll let you guys know tomorrow evening whats up.

HELAS

im going down on tuesday afternoon. Let me know if anyone is gonna be down there that day.

Shamblerock

I'm going on Sunday for the better part of the day.

Murray16

well I just got home less than an hour ago. I had a good time seeing as it wasn't too packed. There is alot to see, but if you are looking for more of the exotics you have to hunt around... they're scattered. Anyone who has been last year will recognize alot of the same exhibits. There's three 8s at the mazda exhibit. Nordic green GT, Titanium grey GS and a Velocity red with apperance package (didn't check if it was GS or GT). The green one surprised me seeing as we don't get that colour option here. Then theres three different 8's on the concourse level for the skydome... my favorite is the yellow mazdaspeed racecar, but there was no one there to talk to about it.

But other than that its pretty standard. I was surprised that I didn't see the new viper coupe. And there is no new Z06 on the floor. You ave to watch GM's little goofy play to get a glimpse of it. And no Lexus LF-A. But there is a Fort GT (and 2 GT40s), Viper, NSX, F430, DB9, Continental GT, the new Rolls, Murcielago and roadster and Gallardo, Carrera GT and others.

But my favorite, most surrising car at the show this year was the Maserati MC12. Wow!

But all in all definately worth checking out if you are a car fan!

Bindon

Droooooool MC-12!!!

I saw an enzo in a dealership abotu 2 months ago, time to see if they compare is sexyness



Haaaaaaaaaw yee

Shogun

I'm going on Tuesday; from what Murray16 says it looks like Toronto loses again to the Chicago Auto Show, which is on about the same time (no Z06 Corvette; Viper Coupe and Lexus LFA). The missing cars were at the Detroit Show in January and all looked really cool. It's good to hear there are more RX-8's here than at Detroit (1 Mazdaspeed dressed RX-8). Was the Shelby GR-1 at the Toronto Show?

Murray16

No Shelby GR-1... sorry

Hellbreed

I haven't decided if I'm going yet, every year they say that there will be many prototypes just like detroit then they don't have them. I used to go every year until 2 years ago but just fed up with the empty promises. What's the use of going if there are hardly any prototypes to see, thats what makes it interesting to see where the industry is going. Just to go and see the cars I see on the road everyday or at the dealerships like Ferrari's and Lamborghini's is a waste of time I think. The handful of prototypes they do bring isn't really worth it to me.

What really pissed me off was the first year the RX-8 was going to be there, I decided to go on the Sunday and made my way down. It was really crowded, I checked out a few exotics on the way to the Mazda display. I finally get there and the RX-8 is not there, just an empty turning display with a rotary symbol on it. I ask where the car is and I was told it was only here for 1 day on saturday. The show runs for 10 days and the 8 was there for 1 of them, I went to the autoshow that year to specifically see this car in person and got shafted. I thought I would then venture to see the new 350Z next, make my way to Nissan and what do I see? an empty display. I ask what is going on and I am told "Oh, the Z will be here tomorrow night". I was pissed and went home.

What was cool was that the Lamborghini Murcielago was close to the Mazda display, everyone I talked to about the 8 said that there was a much larger crowd around the 8 then there was on the Lamborghini the whole day it was there.

Hope it's a great show for all of you.

Neo

I'm with you Hellbreed.

I stopped going 4 yrs ago... I don't care if it's been given International status now... They always leave you feeling shafted...
It's always crowded, 90% of the people there don't know **** about cars, you can't sit in any of the cars (except for the "econo" cars), some of the cars you can't even see in them (in the middle of a platform, revolving), did I mention it was crowded!!

When the RX-8 debuted I headed to Detroit. I thought it was going to be like the Toronto show but I was very wrong! If you want to go to a car show to check out the cars (I mean really check them out!) then head to Detroit. They allow you to sit in all the cars (minus the real exotics like Ferrari, Lamborghini... the rest are game).
We got to examine the RX-8 from head to toe at the show...
If there's a car I'm really interested in seeing I would head to Detroit for their Autoshow... Nothing compares (afterall, it's the Motor City.. )

Good luck to those heading to the T.O. show... Don't say we didn't warn you..

Lates,

01Racing

Mazda also has a limited edition 2005 RX-8 in the display as well 2005 Mazdaspeed Miata (Titanium Color) and the all new Mazdaspeed 6. G.M. does have a new Z06 on display it is silver and on the floor. BMW has a new M5 and Ford has a GT40 on display in there area with a CAV GT40. In the aerodyamnics display area there is a real 1967 GT40 ex-Lemans race car with a dual quad 427 side oiler in it. Awesome car, probably worth about 1.2Million us. I havent seen the whole show yet, I was working at the CASC booth yesterday and will be working at Mazda on Feb 26 during the day.

Battousai

I went yesterday, you did get to sit in most of the cars, but I wouldn't have gone if I actually had to pay the $20 or $15 to get in. My friends company handles all the online ticket purchases for the show so I got to go with him for free. Was done in a couple of hours and well really not that impressive.

Though as I mentioned in another thread it was good to see the Nordic Green 8 in person as I really liked the color, not at all what you would expect by looking at the photos, but still think I will go with the Tit gray.

That was pretty much it, just looking at the 8's again was the highlight for me :D

Shamblerock

Just got back. In a nut shell:

- many Mustangs.
- The new Vettes were nice.
- The new concept pick-up trucks from Ford and Toyota really kicked ***.
- The Mercedes "B" class wagon was very cool looking for a 6 passenger vehicle
- Several RX-8's at Mazda and in the aftermarket shops at the Skydome
- The Shinka Edition RX-8 looked Brown under those lights. Would never choose that colour.
- Ferrari didn't let you within 25 feet of their cars
- The Porcshe GT and and Lambo's were the best things there.

Hellbreed

Yawn.

Looks like I won't be paying the price of addmission for that. I think I'm going to detroit next year, caught some of it on tv and it looked pretty good.

Ferrari, might as well go to Maranello's and see them without the ropes.

Shamblerock

Ya, save your money, unless you are interested in a pickup or van.

Rotarx-8

I understand what Neo said about Detroit vs Toronto car shows but it doesn't seem to be the same every year. I'm not a regular at these things so I can't make comments based on a lot of experience, but I went to the Detroit show in January and it's obvious that it's real big. Everything is there. However, it sounds like there were a lot more 8's to look at in Toronto than in Detroit this year!

I thought Mazda's display in Detroit was rather disappointing. Unless they had them hiding somewhere I did not go (I was kinda dead by the time I got to Mazda), I only saw one RX-8, red, MazdaSpeed which you could sit in but could not open the hood or the trunk! I thought they would have showed off a hydrogen motor or something else exciting, but it was pretty basic.

There were so many Mustangs, Hummers and Land Rovers that one could have spent a whole day trying to figure out the differences between each one of them! Go figure!

racing8

I got the free ticket that's why I went. If not, I don't think I'll go everyyear, may be once in two or three years. The Porsche Carrera GT was the best I've seen there, didn't expect to see that in this show. And the Ferrari new F430 was very nice.

Hey I have a feeling that the Mazda area is getting bigger each year!?