Are you ready for more car pictures? Yes? Great!
Not so much? Hmm. You might want to skip this post, then.
So after seeing the Pagani, I figured we reached the pinnacle of greatness at this show and the rest would just be gravy.
First up today, the Lamborghinis. A Gallardo Super Trofeo Stradale:
Then, the amazing Aventador, the Murciélago's replacement. It does 0 to 62 mph in 2.9 seconds. Yeah.
I found this video of the production oddly mesmerizing.
After the Auto Exotica room, we took a quick peek at the north building.
My favorites here were the ridiculous but fun Hot Wheels Camaro. Check out the paint job.
They had the tiny Hot Wheels version as well.
Pretty close, huh?
Right next to the green monster Camaro was the Corvette Stingray concept.
It reminds me of a movie but I can't put my finger on what movie.
Ooh I just loved the rear. Seriously, look at that. Crazy.
At this point we were running out of time (and my phone battery was dying), so we made our way to the Triumph exhibition. These are the ones that really caught my eye.
The 1935 Gloria Southern Cross
The 1948 Triumph Roadster complete with a Dickey Seat.
Such a beautiful color and the dash looked amazing.
A completely original 1974 TR6. It has had just two owners. There are only has 8521 miles on it. It is probably the lowest original mileage TR6. . .ahem, best Jeremy Clarkson voice. . .in the world.
I loved this cover and the badges on some of the cars.
A TR2 with globe hubcaps.
And, finally, a couple of lovely vintage racing cars.
There you have it, a few of my favorites from the 2012 Canadian International Auto Show. Even though I spent over 3 hours there, I didn't even scratch the surface of everything I could have seen.
Did you see anything you'd like to take for a spin?
Warning: Picture heavy post. But if you like cars, it's worth it.
This past weekend felt like a bit of a whirlwind despite being a long weekend. On Saturday I went to the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto with my family. I always look forward to it, mainly so I can drool over the supercars and see whatever exhibition they have going on. This year was my favorite so far. The rooms all had a much nicer layout and each company seems to have stepped up their booth design.
Then, there were the cars. Here are a few of my favorites.
When I arrived, I basically made a beeline to the Fiat section, hoping to see the new Fiat 500 Abarth. I wasn't disappointed. I want one. The car was mobbed with people, it was hard to even get a picture. I hope that means it will sell well.
Next up is the new Nissan GT-R.
This car confuzzles me a bit. Sometimes I love how it looks, sometimes it seems a little vanilla for all of its power. The facts are that it now has 15 more hp and made it around the Nürburgring 10 seconds faster than last year. So the engineers are obviously doing something right.
I did a quick lap around the rest of the south building's main room before heading down to the Auto Exotica room where I found lots and lots of true love.
As I walked into the room a McLaren MP4-12C greeted me. It's name comes from McLaren Project 4 (MP4), 12 for its rating on McLaren's own performance index, and C for the use of carbon fiber. It's McLaren's first non-F1 offering.
Next up were the Aston Martins. First, a nice Vantage S.
Followed by a lovely Virage.
I remember seeing a DBS last year and deciding that despite the lure and flash of Ferarri and Lamborghini, if I had to pick just one supercar to drive daily, it would be a DBS. They have an elegance about them that I think would make me feel like less of an ass as I pulled into a grocery store parking lot. That is, of course, if I couldn't have a Leno-style barn full of cars that I could drive based on my mood, the weather, time of day, etc.
And just as I was thinking about this, I looked to my right and saw this:
And my reaction, if I remember correctly, was something like "Whaooohgggg, oh my God, what is that?!? I want one!"
That is the One-77. Only 77 were produced. Price tag is well over $2 million Canadian. 7.3 L V12 and 750 bhp. Top speed around 200 mph.
Frankly, I think it's just gorgeous. It's a perfect blend of beautiful, elegant lines and powerful, lean aggression. Be still my heart.
You think one of those lucky people who own one will take me for a spin one day? No? Yeah, probably not. A girl can dream, though.
After tearing myself away from the One-77, I was surprised to walk down the line and see a Bugatti Veyron. It was then that I realized the Canadian Auto Show must be moving up in the world because they have some amazing cars this year.
All I could really think was "Come to mama." At this point I just slipped into some dream world. It's stunning, no?
I didn't think anything could possibly top these two cars, so I just wandered off in a cloud 9 haze to see what other beautiful machines surrounded me.
A pair of Ferarri 458 Italias (one Spider).
The new FF. Which I think looks kind of like a boot.
The Fisker Karma
Then, my dad noticed a green 1966 Shelby Cobra with Blue Dot tires.
My dad very nearly bought this car way back when. Maybe not this exact car, but it was the same year, color, tires, and interior. So, who knows? Maybe this exact car. The price is now $1.2 million.
He earned major cool points in my book for at least considering buying this. But he lost all of them and then some for turning it down.
As we walked off, still talking about what a strange coincidence the Cobra was, we ran into a huge block of people. Everyone hovered around this one spot, taking pictures, and buzzing about something. From somewhere in the crowd I heard the word: Pagani.
Then, I saw it. And my heart started beating a little faster and Pagani brain kicked in. I think I started speaking Italian. Ciao, bello.
The Zonda R holds the Nürburgring lap record and this one is the only one in North America. Pictures just do not do it justice. It's breathtaking in person--worth the price of admission to the show.
I don't really know what I can say about this car. It stole my brain and my words. What a crazy beast of a car. So I'll just leave you with this video Jeremy Clarkson giving it a go, because it's fun and it's loud.
That's it for today. Tomorrow, I'll post a few more pictures.
I recently started researching Galicia for a group trip after a few people mentioned an interest in the north of Spain. What struck me most about this place was how different it seems from my preconceived ideas of what the country looks like.
Galicia is an autonomous community located in the northwestern corner of Spain. Situated the Atlantic coast, it is part of Green Spain, with a diverse, lush landscape of mountains, rías, green hills, sandy beaches, and rocky cliffs.
So what does Galicia have to offer? Just to name a few things: Roman ruins, megalithic structures, gorgeous beaches, thermal baths, tiny fishing villages, one of Europe's most visited pilgrimage sites (Santiago de Compostela), and deeply ingrained Celtic roots. It also has some of the best seafood and wine offerings in Spain. Bonus: fewer crowds!
I wrote up an information sheet for the region that includes some ideas of places to visit, food and drink, shopping, and estimated costs (based on my group's needs). Since I haven't been there (yet!) it might change in the future, but I thought I would at least put it out there for some inspiration.
