The layout
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| Bertrand Godin, spokesman of the 2007 MIAS. |
Coming back from Detroit, it's always hard to get fully excited about the new cars showcased at the Montreal International Auto Show (MIAS). But Montreal still has something special; after all, it's home. My first hand of applause goes to the show's layout. Indeed, this year's reconfiguration of the exhibit areas and stands works wonderfully and makes the visit easier and more fun. I liked starting off with the exotic cars: seeing all these beautiful and famous Italians and English in the same area, along with an outstanding lineup of Prestige Porsche cars, was like dreaming the ultimate dream.
The Plethore |
| Locus Plethore |
Impressive, masculine, racy... There's no other way to describe the "Quebec Bomb", designed by Luc Chartrand and his team. Since they worked till the very last minute to build their supercar prototype, there was still some body polishing to be done and the interior wasn't finished yet. Anyhow, the silhouette of this machine is, again, ultra racy -- a shrewd blend of speed and character. We'll soon meet this brilliant designer and take a closer look at the final product.
The green road |
| The ZENN electric car, built in St-Jerome, Quebec. |
Montreal is one of the few autoshows in North America that dedicate as much floor space and attention to alternative powertrain vehicles. For many years, Quebec has been producing brainy engineers, but they need more material and financial support to achieve their goals. At the NAIAS, GM's engineers unveiled the Volt, but they're waiting for more powerful and longer-lasting batteries. If only a few more millions were at their disposal -- a tiny drop compared to the profits of oil companies -- such vehicles would be on our roads today, even in Quebec. But that's another issue. Congratulations to the MIAS for allowing some of our brightest minds to shine.
Canadian competition |
| The 2007 MINI made its Canadian debut in Montreal. |
Also, kudos to all the manufacturers who decided to unveil their new models in Montreal instead of waiting a few weeks for the Canadian International Auto Show (CIAS). It seems as though, each year, we're losing out because the organizers of the CIAS put pressure on automakers to launch their products in Toronto. If they don't, they're told they can't showcase their new models to the press. However, most companies understand and respect the fact that Quebec is the second largest auto market in the country.
Quebec talents |
| Callaway C16 |
Other than the Plethore, look out for the T-Rex and Silence (electric T-Rex). Lots of cars are worth a stop, including Simon Lamarre's
Volvo C30 and Paul Deutchman's
Callaway C16. The new Jeep Patriot (the cheapest 4x4 in Canada) has been designed by the team of Ralph Gilles. Clearly, our local designers are not lacking talent!
