No Limits to Grand Prix of Toronto Auto Expo
This show could seriously help put Toronto on the map. I’m not talking about a North American road atlas, mind you, but as a destination to see the hottest rides and a meeting place for all things fast, tuned or dropped. I could hardly say that it has arrived without getting flamed from here to the deepest oblivion the web could reach, but it has the kind of potential to eclipse even the Canadian International Auto Show and its own Sport Compact Revolution, or whatever SCR stands for. There was a whiff of fledgling garage tuners to be found, but many major manufacturers mixed with the roots of the tuner world, the tuners and the objects of their love and re-creation: their own cars.
The GPT Auto Expo is a small car show that could easily grow into a major tuner show and if the people who run the winter show know what’s good for them, the biggest Auto Show in Canada. Can you name another major car show going on right now? The nearest is the British Auto Show taking place July 20-30, and nothing in North America, and while some conventional thinkers argue the necessity of introducing cars well ahead of the major automotive selling season (spring and summer), I think a better argument can be made for striking while the iron is hot, or more appropriately, heating it up for a big strike.
In the heat of midsummer, when dealers are making their biggest push with incentives and discounts and free barbecues, why not get every car nut in a 100-mile radius that double incentive to make the trip to the ol’ Indy this year or, inversely, give all those folks coming up, down and around for the former Molson Indy some great purchase possibilities to think about on their long ride home. Though Ford currently has a monopoly on the manufacturers’ segment of the floor, they did a fantastic job of it, presenting the Ford Reflex (one of their latest and brightest concepts from the Detroit show of this year); the SYNus personal urban utility concept; two Funkmaster Flex projects, introduced by the MC himself along with some giveaways; and an auto show’s worth of production models and technology displays, altogether perhaps more impressive than last winter’s CIAS effort with its failed attempt to drive a Shelby GT500 on stage for its press introduction (it never started, so they pushed it on–kind of a sad moment, in truth).
If the possible Champ Car-Indy merger grows legs, multiple engine suppliers could easily support a much bigger Auto Expo next year. Oh, and all those secondary stands for taking in the race suddenly seem a lot more appealing when there are acres and acres of concept, new production and, of course, tuner cars, and the Grand Tuner Challenge that was so well represented at the Auto Expo. Am I making sense yet?
For anyone following the automotive industry, particularly from the internet, you will be aware that the Toronto auto show (CIAS) gets a few token introductions and some recycled, albeit spectacular concept cars from such venues as Paris, Tokyo and Detroit, but we often miss out on the freshest, coolest, soon-to-be production models and groundbreaking concepts because the dates are too hot on the heels of the biggest show in North America, and one of the biggest in the world (Detroit) and running simultaneous to a show in the epicenter of one of the largest markets in the United States (Chicago) and another show in the second largest market in Canada taking place at the same time (Montreal–not to mention the stress it puts on those poor Canadian PR people who have to divide and conquer). Even though dealers might like to have early introduction to the year’s models, the incredible amount of publicity and excitement that surround a world class auto show could push a lot more people into showrooms and into that new car they have been lusting after and finally had a chance to see.
Another aspect where the GPT trumps the isolated, yet fragmented CIAS that takes place in the arbitrarily divided halls of the Convention Centre and the Skydome is weather. While the walk from the MTCC to the Skydome isn’t life threatening, or even damaging, it still sucks, and the same weather that is perfect for racing would be perfect for hosting the biggest car show in the country on a mixed indoor/outdoor stage. Granted, some automakers late to the game may get relegated to the farthest reaches of the Ex grounds, you can obviously price display space to make sure all the spots get filled.
In reality, that means that some of the aftermarket suppliers and builders that took centre stage at this years Expo may get shunted to left field in old Exhibition stadium, it will give every fan of Indy something to contemplate and admire between practice runs and qualifying sessions and a good reason to spread out on the track. There is so much space on the Ex grounds, and is such a perfect occasion for car enthusiasts of all types that it befuddles me why it hasn’t been that way all along.
What kind of auto show wouldn’t want tens of thousands of guaranteed people walking around the vicinity, all of whom are interested in cars, or at least auto racing. They could even get away with charging more for the entire event. If the show needs more time, well, start it a week before and let early race lovers explore the grounds and a chance to walk or get a ride on the Indy course in a pace car–that even trumps helicopter rides at the Ex. Just make sure they don’t hire Pizzonia as the driver. While filming for promotional material, he flipped a car full of Jaguar execs when he was their F1 driver. After that he wasn’t their F1 driver. Go figure. If that’s the choice, I think I’d rather walk the track.
Marrying the biggest race of the year with the biggest car show of the year would create a spectacle that will do more than draw local and surrounding area residents. It would be a world-class spectacle, especially if it could aggressively attract stars of both Champ Car and the Indy Racing League to one of the premier cities in North America and one of the most hair-raising, adventurous road courses of the season.