Culture|Garage

On Friday 28^th, I attended the Press Preview Day for the Vancouver Autoshow. Of the three top Canadian International Autoshow, the Vancouver show is perhaps the smallest one (Toronto and Montreal being the larger). The west coast is generally one of the last stops of the auto show parade. Having said that, all the major players still showed up, since after all, Vancouver is home to some of the richest population in Canada, with some sprinkling of wealthy foreigners wishing to plunk their base in a relatively calm and peaceful city.

This preview was opened to auto-scribes only and with about 50 in attendance. The atmosphere was intimate and casual. Not to mention, it was great for me to not having to jostle with frustrated parents, nosy children, know-it-all youngsters, and the clueless. The format was very controlled as usual, as each major manufacturer wants their presentations and products to be seen and heard. We were herded like sheep from Acura to Toyota.

I’m not going to go through in detail, but instead will highlight cars that were interesting and worth noting.

Hyundai Genesis

Wow. To say Hyundai came a long way is almost an understatement. I was first impressed with what they did with the Sonata and then the Lexus RX350-inspired Vera Cruz. Now benchmarking against the Infiniti and MB, Hyundai has created the Genesis RWD luxury sedan. Yes. Luxury Sedan! The interior is sleek and well appointed. Hyundai strategically placed all the nice touchy-feely stuff in the right areas. Powerplants range from a 290hp V6 to a 5-series rivaling 368hp V8. Note from the photo that the swooshy H is interestingly missing on the hood. Hmm…..

Jaguar XF

Well I really don’t know what to think about this car. One word – disappointment. And I can’t even blame it on TATA! Cheap grille, cheap headlights, cramped back seat, ugly face and a hideously expensive price tag. Price aside, it doesn’t even look like a Jaguar. The Supercharged XK-R next to it stole the show in my opinion. Well at least the press kit is by far the best of the bunch.

Audi A4 Avant

I’ve always been a big fan of the Avant from the get go. So this pearly white 09 Avant to me is what a sports wagon should be. It looks muscular and I even like that new headlight treatment. Interior is as always spot on. Power now comes from a new 2.0 TFSI engine which supposedly improves on the usual – power, fuel economy, emissions, overall happiness to one’s soul.

I have also taken a liking to the 2009 Audi TT Roadster…. But the star is the Audi R8. Only about 40 were made available to Canadians, in which all were promptly sold. Very beautiful car. What’s not to like – a super car for the price of a Carrera. Certainly looked better too.

Mercedes Benz C230

I am unsure whether our cousins down South will receive this new C-Class variant. Coming this summer of 2008, the C230 will slot below the C300 and C350. It only has 201hp from a 2.5l V6 and is available with 4Matic. I’ve shared my thoughts on the C300 4Matic in my previous review and one of the issue I had was power-to-weight performance. With even less hp and torque, this C230 will appeal to those who care less about vroom-vroom factor. But for a price of around $35,000, which is actually cheaper than a Legacy GT, it may sell very well.

BMW M3 Cabriolet

Well for every die-hard boy racer there are 10 poseurs. And here is perhaps one of the ultimate poseur cars - The M3 Cabby. I never quite understood the reasoning behind the M3 soft-top. M is about delivering highly dynamic driving experiences, so cutting the roof and replacing it with cloth is just all wrong. Folks, if you want a soft-top M car, just get the Z4 M Roadster which is a purposed built sporting convertible.

BMW 135i

Never been a fan of this little pug. The stubby proportions make it look too cartoon-like for my taste. However, I cannot deny that the interior felt cozy and snug compared to the larger 3-series. Functional would be the word. So BMW has gone back to its roots somewhat with this car. BTW, a convertible version is available too.

MINI Clubman

So MINI doesn’t want to be so mini after all. Presenting a MINI for the family man in you. Now your family members will have a whopping 8cm of extra legroom! Best of all, your family members no longer need to be Olympic gymnasts to get into the back seat thanks to the suicide-doors. There will be a regular 118hp and the 172hp S version. Non-S MINIs qualify for the government’s hug-a-tree $1000 eco-rebate!

Nissan GT-R

Ah yes! 50% of the reason why I attended the press preview was due to the presence of this Japanese legend. I think by now all superlatives have been gushed out by other auto-writers. So I will leave it as that and let the images speak for itself. I only have one thing to say, this car is huge! The 350Z felt like a miniature parked next to it.

Lexus IS-F

I’ve always been a fan of the current IS sedans. They look sleek and drive well. Did you know that the median age of Lexus owners is 65? Therefore you can understand why Lexus is desperately trying to appeal more to the younger demographics. I find the IS-F a bit overdone. From its bulbous (albeit functional) nose to house the big V8, to its tacky tail-pipes, this IS version is a far cry from being a Lexus. Maybe that’s what Lexus wants- the thought that one can have fun in a Lexus, too. I thought the background text of this image says it all….

Toyota Hybrid X

High fuel prices, emissions and overdose on Pachinko have resulted in this Windex-coloured weirdness. It will be a future Prius replacement… at least conceptually. This car supposedly has an interactive interior. A Japanese version of KITT?

Well that’s all for now. For more autoshow images you can head over to my photo gallery : http://alai.zenfolio.com/f179388978/

Alwin Lai is a BC-based freelance auto-writer for the Asian Inside Views. He can be reached at alwinlai@gmail.com

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