Mustangs everywhere

While much of your attention at the Ford stand may be diverted by the headline-grabbing 540-hp Mustang Shelby GT500KR (for "king of the road"), it was actually a couple of the less-extreme, less-expensive Mustang variants that really caught my interest. The 2008 Bullitt Mustang recreates the movie star car with a rorty exhaust, a clean exterior and a nicely upgraded cabin; it'd look great screeching around the streets of San Francisco. The second variation I liked a lot was the glass-roofed Mustang, which gives much of the feel of driving outside without ruffled hair - and without that awkward convertible roofline.

(Performance) car of the year

A lot will no doubt be written over the next few days and weeks about the $140,000 Audi R8 winning the award for overall Canadian Car of the Year. About whether it's right that something so fast, so expensive and so hard to get should even be eligible for such an award. Shouldn't the Canadian Car of the Year be a car that is accessible to at least a large number of Canadians (even if you had the cash, you can't get an R8 right now)?

Putting aside any ideological considerations about the award, the R8 is a worthy winner. Never mind the way it looks; it's packed with technology that makes it a supercar you can drive all year. It's also, relative to its competitors, very well priced. Even though it's priced out of the reach of most of us.

Searching for speed at the Toronto Autoshow

For a good number of the media - especially the Wheels reporters - trudging around the show floor during the autoshow's two media days, the Toronto show can feel a bit like deja vu. Didn't I see that concept car in Detroit a few weeks ago? Wasn't that production car shown in Chicago recently? We are both lucky and spoiled to be so blase about the hundreds of cars packed into the two convention centre halves and the Rogers Centre. For the Toronto Autoshow is, in fact, bigger than Detroit and for showgoers, offers plenty of new metal to see, touch and dream about.

This is particularly true if you're a fan of fast cars like I am. Hot new production models making their debuts here include GM's awesome new Corvette ZR1 and Cadillac CTS-V, both packing supercharged V8 engines; the latest version of Maserati's sporty Quattroporte luxury sedan; Nissan's world-beating GT-R supercar and Porsche's road-biased Cayenne GTS.

But the production cars are, of course, just the start of it. In addition to the concept cars you'll find on almost everybody's show stand, don't forget to check out the 100 level of the Rogers Centre, where performance aftermarket companies will be showcasing their wares, or the area just outside the main South building exhibit halls, where companies like Pfaff tuning will be showing off complete high-performance tuned cars. It'll be a feast for the eyes - and if you're lucky enough to hear one of those big engines fire up, your ears as well.

it's not just pretty women...

Someone has already noted the return - in full force - of models to this year's Detroit show. And, indeed, most of them are beautiful women.

Lexus, however, chose to buck this trend, posting a guy beside its mid-engined, 500-hp LF-A roadster. He looked pretty lonely.

Eating my way around the show

"Where the heck are the smoothies?" I yelled at the closest Mini representative I could find (who happened to be the brand's Canadian marketing guy, Marc Belcourt). If there's one thing I've been able to count on every year at Detroit, it's been the Mini smoothies. But no more.

The second-most asked question at Detroit is, "what's new?" The first is, "who's got food?"

I found smoothies eventually. Nissan had them, in banana and strawberry, but they gave editor Richardson more than they gave me. Acura had the best coffee, with a barista that could whip up a Starbucks-quality latte in just a couple of seconds (kudos for the chocolate-covered pretzels, as well). There was refreshing lemonade at Mitsubishi and Saab was serving snacks in the middle of the morning.

For the first time in many years, I found myself upstairs at the Michelin media lounge for lunch. The environment - a giant conference room - wasn't the best, but the wraps were tasty and the cookies seemed freshly-baked. The quiet (compared to the noisy show floor) was a boon as I tried to juggle food in one hand and a blog-posting BlackBerry in the other.

Standard of the world - again?

I've spoken to a couple of colleagues about this now, so I know it's not just me. The new Cadillac CTS-V looks, at least from the front, a lot like the old one. This, despite being based on the brand-new '08 CTS, which in base form, looks a *lot* different. It is, I think, the mesh grille, which is smaller on the V than on the base model, as well as the mesh-trimmed air intake set into the bumper.
Familiar looks or not, the V is set to be a real scorcher, with a 550-hp supercharged V8, rear-drive, Brembo brakes and Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 tires. GM claims that, at least as of this writing, it's the fastest production sedan you can buy.
You may soon be able to get the CTS in forms other than four-door, too. One of the real surprises of the show (and a well-kept secret) was a CTS coupe concept car. With a high rear end and an interior that tries out new and very cool finishes, it looks fantastic - and would be a logical addition to the product portfolio.

Who needs an Evo?

Just got back from Mitsubishi's press conference, where they unveiled the 2009 Lancer Ralliart. For what will likely be a lot less money than the Evo, it comes with most of that car's goodness. Same sequential dual-clutch manual transmission. Same all-wheel-drive system. Same aggressive front-end design. The differences? A bit less power from the 2.0 turbo four (235 hp instead of just under 300) and a rear wing that doesn't completely obsucre your view to the rear. With less-extreme suspension tuning than the Evo, it'll likely be better suited to the daily drive, while still offering plenty of fun when you're in the mood.

Much as I love the Evo (though I haven't yet driven the latest version), it, like the Subaru STi, may be a little too hardcore for some customers. It may also be a little too expensive to ensure, particularly for younger enthusiasts. For a lot less money, the Ralliart (and its major competitor, the "regular" WRX), will offer plenty of speed with most of the same driving thrills. And a bit more comfort to boot.

Can a supercar have a 5,000-rpm redline?

If you're Audi, the answer apparently is yes. While it's officially a concept car, the R8 V12 TDI looks almost production-ready. It's a bit more aggressive than the standard car, with a low, low carbon-fibre splitter, high-mounted central air intake and big wing. But the drivetrain is the real centrepiece - a twin-turbo diesel V12 that produces 500 hp and 737 lb-ft of torque.
Diesel performance is, of course, not new to Audi. Its Le Mans racers have deployed the high-torque, fuel-saving engines for years with impressive race results.

A green *Ferrari*?

The beige F430 spyder seemed kind of out of place there on Ferrari's stand, where everything else was bright red (except for the featured car, a baby-blue 430 Scuderia coupe). Weird, the muted colour scheme.

Weirder still, the green "bio-fuel" stickers all over the hood and the doors. Is this, I wondered, some kind of joke?

It isn't. Yes, this F430 wlll run on biofuel. And yes, despite being probably the raciest car brand on the planet, Ferrari is committed to greening its fleet. With European regulations on the way to force down CO2 emissions, it's going to have to.

To that end, a biofuel F430 is only the start. Ferrari has already shown us the Mille Chilli, a concept that looks like an Enzo but weighs just 1,000 kg (hence its name). With vastly reduced weight through the use of high-tech materials and design, Ferrari will be able to build more environmentally-friendly cars that will be faster as well.

Racing Mazdas

Mazda claims that, on any given weekend, there are more cars powered by its engines out on racetracks than any other brand. So it's no surprise that its two major show stars this year were the facelifted RX-8 (now racier than ever, with revised styling and a new R3 performance package) and the Furai, the company's latest concept car to feature the flowing surfaces of its "Nagare" series. Unlike most concepts, which are often slapped hastily together out of fiberglass and wimpy electric motors, the Furai rolls on a full Courage race-car chassis and is powered by the company's signature rotary engine.
It's got lots of cool stickers too.