Some special attractions at the Montreal auto show
A number of familiar special attractions return to the Montreal International Auto Show for 2013, some designed to get your heart racing, and one to help keep someone else’s heart beating. This year’s collection of exotic cars is found on Level 5 and includes a number of Canadian premieres, among them the 2014 Aston Martin Vanquish and the 2013 DB9 Volante, Bentley’s 2013 Continental GT Speed and GT Convertible V8 models, and McLaren’s MP412C. Rolls Royce joins its British counterparts in this exhibit along with a number of stylish Italians from Ferrari, Lamborghini and Maserati. California-based Fisker will make an electrifying appearance with its high-end plug-in hybrid sedan, the Karma. Electric cars, to some, are just as exotic as a supercar with a sixfigure price. CAA-Quebec and the Electric Circuit (a network of electric-vehicle charging sta- tions in Quebec) have arranged an opportunity for show visitors to test-drive a number of electric vehicles.
These include the Focus Electric, Fusion Energi and CMAX Energi, Mitsubishi i-MiEV, Chevrolet Volt, Nissan Leaf, Smart Fortwo eDrive, and Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid.
Test-drive registration is located on Level 2. In addition, Electric Circuit has set up a number of mobile-phone charging stations throughout the show, on Levels 2, 5 and 7. Centennial Avenue, on Level 5, is this year’s historical vehicle display, and it’s a group as varied as you’d expect, featuring one vehicle from each decade of the past century.
The starting point is a 1916 Ford Model T; another Ford, a 1924 sedan, represents the ’20s.
Next up are a pair of Plymouths: a 1934 sedan and a 1940 PT. A unique-to-Canada 1957 Pontiac called the Pathfinder is followed by a 1967 Ford Mustang Shelby and a 1978 Pontiac Trans Am. The last three decades are represented by imports: a 1982 Honda Accord ,1993 Mazda Miata and a 2005 Mini Cooper. The Kia childcare centre returns to Level 2 of Palais des Congrès, providing a safe place for parents to leave little ones while they peruse the auto show’s new-car offerings. Activities include colouring, face painting, and making disguises; there is no charge upon presentation of a show ticket. And Héma-Québec is back, in partnership with CTV Montreal, for its annual auto-show blood drive. To donate, go to La Grande-Place, at 2 Complexe Desjardins, from Jan. 21-25 (9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday).