So you’ve bought your car, now what?
Many aftermarket displays have something for everyone
Alongside all the bright, shiny automotive eye candy at the 2018 Canadian International AutoShow (CIAS), are numerous exhibits discerning visitors will not want to miss.
Here’s where you can learn about aftermarket automotive products and services you might not otherwise encounter. The vendors are eager to share their niche knowledge and tips and they almost always have show deals on offer.
For the first time this year, Discovery Dream Homes is building a timber-frame garage to showcase a luxury EV, complete with a high-speed charger. Like everything Discovery Dream Homes builds, the hybrid garage/carport has been custom designed for CIAS. Check it out on the 800 level of the South Building of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
“We were looking for a new opportunity,” CEO Ray King, says. “This is a great car show, and we figured everybody who has a car needs a garage, so it was a perfect fit.”
If you are one of those people who attracts traffic tickets the way flowers bring in the bees, you’ll want to pay a visit to the Legal Auto Protect (LAP) booth (No. 108 on 100 level in the North Building). It’s a subscription-based service that fights tickets.
For an annual fee you become a member, which entitles you to a consultation with one of the company’s paralegals within 48 hours of uploading your ticket to their app. They outline your legal options, and members are entitled to reduced fees for representation. Founder and owner Ryan De Souza is excited about being at this year’s CIAS. “It’s Canada’s largest consumer show that draws about 350,000 people in 10 days,” he says. “I could not think of a better place to advertise my brand.”
De Souza is offering new members who sign up at the show a number of promotions, including a chance to win an all-inclusive trip for two to Mexico.
“I’m expecting to have a very positive 10 days,” he says.
If you struggle to change your own tires there’s another kind of help on display at the show. Galaxy Distribution is introducing the Jack & Jill of All Tires, a trolley device that lets you position a wheel for mounting and removal without struggling or hurt- ing your back with awkward lifting.
For the average person who doesn’t change tires regularly, the hardest part can be hoisting the new wheel into position on the bolts. This trolley lifts the wheel to the required height, allowing you to turn it to align the bolt pattern.
The tool is small enough to be carried in your trunk along with the regular jack, and can help the average motorist change their own tires instead of waiting for roadside assistance to show up.
Galaxy Distribution’s project manager Devan Tommasini sees the AutoShow as the ideal location for the product launch. “Our intention is to really help people feel more comfortable with changing their own tires and to feel safe on the road. We feel that there’s no better way to publicly launch our product than at this year’s CIAS,” she said.
Visit Galaxy Distribution’s booth (No. 336 on the 700 level of the South Building) to learn more about its social media contest and other promotions.
Performance tire and wheels specialist Braidan Motorsport, exhibiting on level 100 in the North Building, has tires and wheels for your car, and track-day accessories, such as helmets, gloves, shoes and custom racing suit fittings. Braidan operates a retail outlet in Markham and has a track-side outlet at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
If you are one of those people who attracts traffic tickets the way flowers bring in the bees, you’ll want to pay a visit to the Legal Auto Protect booth. It’s a subscription-based service that fights tickets
Owner Brad Shimbashi promises some great show deals, and says he’s been exhibiting at CIAS for six or seven years because, “a lot of our base visits the AutoShow. More than 300,000 people come by, and we want to get our name out there.”
Other exhibitors include Ultimate Exotics, which offers exotic car experiences from its home base in Stoney Creek, Ont. From tours to rentals to track days, you can rent and drive a Lamborghini, Porsche, McLaren, Ferrari, or Audi supercar.
A visit to the Silverwax car care products booth will open your eyes to a world of car-care possibilities.
The company promises to take an educational approach to car care, showing auto enthusiasts how to maintain their car to a professional level without needing professional help.
Sportscar Boutique is a European performance-car specialist offering tuning services as well as a variety of aftermarket parts and accessories for street and race cars alike.