Scion Fuse at Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto

Besides showcasing hundreds of brand new and future rides every year, the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto always seems to draw big crowds with an excellent selection of feature vehicles and other attractions.

In 2009, the CIAS celebrated the Corvette with several dozen original, restored and custom Vettes from every era on display throughout the show. The GTA in Motion area, Cruise Nationals and Nascar pavilions are also great features.

Those who frequently attend the CIAS may be familiar with the sport compact revolution area inside the Rogers Centre (formerly Skydome). It’s been an important fixture of the show for almost a decade now, giving local tuners and businesses a forum to interact with auto show attendees; and, a chance to start the year with some momentum.

Now known as the “Red Zone”, this year it was a fusion of art, music, fashion and the automobile. For starters, the Scion Centre Stage came alive with live performances by the World Wushu Performance Team, fashion shows and live DJs, breakers and more.

Not far from the stage was the Scion Fuse Sports Coupe concept car. Following a warm welcome in Montreal, this stunning showpiece was drooled over and breathed heavily upon by attendees. Though it’s just a concept and Scions won’t be available here until 2010, the company did have reps on hand tossing out free music and answering questions on the concept and the brand. Even I learned something – those lights on the wheels are actually turn signals! How cool is that?

Of course, there were some cool tuners as well. Teknotik, for instance, had a pair of sweet Honda S2000s in its display. The North Toronto JDM specialist was in the Red Zone “…to show support for the tuning scene and lifestyle and to show people what can be done to their import vehicles,” says Eric Daoust.

“The black S2000 is a full Spoon car,” he explains, pointing to the hardtop roof, racy front fenders and rear under diffuser.” Spoon is a well-known and respected Japanese tuner of Honda and Acura vehicles. Even before I’m told this ‘02 model has a 400-hp supercharged engine do I already want one. Daoust also owns jdmrides.ca, Canada’s largest online JDM community.

Parked a few feet away, the other S2000 boasts a Mugen hardtop, some mix-matched carbon fibre aero pieces and a more potent 440-hp powerplant with which owner Chris Hui will compete in Canadian Sport Compact Series (CSCS) time attack events this season at Toronto Motorsports Park in Cayuga, Ont.

MS Auto Body, another local tuner, had several nice rides on hand too, including a clean GT-style wide body Acura NSX that was flanked by a tuned R32 Nissan Skyline as well as a pair of EK Civic hatchbacks in both right- and left-hand drive configurations.

Up-and-coming drifter Dave Briggs used the Red Zone to show off a new urban camo design and Vertex USA body kit on his Nissan Silvia S14 drifter built by SG Motorsport. The car has been built to compete in the 2009 Castrol Drift Mania Canadian Championships, though it was on display in the CSCS booth. Watch for the car to make appearances in both venues.

Of course, local retailers were on hand too. And, both First Image Car Audio and Wheels Direct all had staff and cool stuff, namely a modded Civic for the former and an Escalade and Ferrari for the latter. Even Jeff Gould’s over-the-top Batman-themed Project Gotham Ford Explorer was brimming with all the latest I.C.E., including a massive LCD monitor in the cargo area, with newly crowned Miss SCR Alisha Lynn putting her John Hancock on poster handouts, when not striking poses for the shutterbugs.

There were lots of great new vehicles at the CIAS, and every manufacturer has something to offer this year. But, while sales of new vehicles struggle to get off the line, I’m confident the aftermarket will be there for us during these tough times.

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