Auto Show

Recession? Perish the thought.

At least, that's what all the crowds at this year's Vancouver International Auto Show seemed to be indicating. Sure, more people were there to find bargains on fuel-sippers, but the throng packed around the new Camaro shows that a gearhead is still a gearhead, even when they're shifting up early to save gas.

With a huge number of new and re-designed cars revealed this year, there's plenty to get excited about, from matte-black supercars to game-changing hybrids.

For cool cars that'll warm up the planet, you've got to head straight to the supercar paddock and check out the gorgeous curves of the Aston-Martin DBS and Ferrari 599 GTB. Maserati and Bentley have put in an appearance too, but the filly that really caught my eye was a black Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4. I don't know why they bother with all the numbers as all the brain remembers is “Lamborghini,” but it's a thing of beauty with its perforated tailpipes and bio-hazard symbol brake lights.

Nutcase of the show goes to Dutch manufacturer Spyker, whose new Calgary-based dealership brought in two of their wild convertibles. These cars are a riot of quilted leather and more chrome than all the rap videos between 2003-2005, and the bizarro double-rod gear linkage is insane enough to make you cut off your own ear. By comparison, the Lotuses looked like sensible econoboxes.

Of course, outside of the latest Gran Turismo game, I'm pretty sure a supercar isn't going to make it into my garage anytime soon. Still, there's performance bargains aplenty to be found over at the Subaru/Mitsubishi corner. I guess now that both companies are out of the rallying game, it's safe to put them side-by-side, but I'm still surprised not to find the reps flinging mud at each other. Subaru has their new 265hp WRX on display, but the crowds were even busier checking out Mitsubihi's newer 5-door Lancer Sportback. The new Lancer is by far the prettier car, and is a great compromise between wagon and sports-sedan.

Over at Nissan, plenty of crowds attracted by the still-popular GTR supercar stayed to paw all over the brand-new Z car: the 370Z. This year, the rear-wheel drive, V6 icon brings more power, better handling and lower weight to the table, and (even more enticing) it has a lower price. If the GTR is a half-price 911 Turbo, then this new car takes aim at the Porsche Cayman S, and Stuttgart should be nervous.

However, when it comes to performance bargains, the show-stopper was definitely Hyundai with their Genesis coupe. The 3.8 litre V6 model is a worthy contender to go up against that 370Z, although it has a little less power than the Nissan. However, the real deal is the 2-litre turbo model that can be picked up with a manual transmission, 210hp and 18” rims for just over $26,000. My prediction: it's going to be nearly impossible to find these for the first year as they'll all be getting snapped up as fast as Korea can make them. Don't be fooled by the V6's greater power output either; that 4-cylinder turbo sports a very similar engine to the one found in the Mitsubishi Ralliart. Expect to see 400hp+ tuner versions in the upcoming months.

However, we can't tear around all the time consuming petrochemicals like a Kuwati oil fire. Luckily, this is one of the best years for providing the eco-concious driver with a wide array of choices. The new Prius is here, somehow sporting more power and better fuel economy through some Toyota black magic. But the Prius had better gird its leaf-loving loins for battle because Honda's new Insight hybrid was garnering all the attention. Both cars seem to be jelly-beans from the same pod, but the Insight is touted as having that classic sharp Honda driving feel. It'll be cheaper too.

Eco even got a bit sexy over at Dodge, where their massively over-engined Challenger was parked next to a little yellow bumblebee of a car: the Dodge EV. Based on a Lotus, this little full-electric sportscar would happily outhandle the big bruiser in the corners, and the ludicrously available torque from an electric engine means it would out-drag it to 100km/h too.

Speaking of electric powertrains, this year's show boasted a whole array of electric vehicles on the upper mezzanine, from mini-dumptrucks to converted Toyota Rav4s. Parked right next to them was the Alé concept, a BC-homebrew that's competing for the automotive X-Prize of 100mpg. The spec sheet on the Jetson-looking podcar seemed a bit far-fetched but apparently it's nearing production.

More practical transportation for the rest of us was provided by pretty much every manufacturer there, but don't equate economical with boring. Nissan debuted their funky little Cube, a box-on-wheels that will redefine cheap and cheerful, Kia's Soul is already selling like hotcakes, and Ford even had the audacity to display a bright green euro-spec Fiesta hatchback. They'd better not be teasing, as this little car could provide serious competition on an even footing with the Yaris, Fit and Versa.

Every year it's tricky to pick a must-see car, but this year I had an easy time finding the star of the show, even though it was tucked away on the mezzanine with little fanfare. In the sparse Porsche booth, right between Lexus and Land Rover, there was a 911 that I just instantly fell for. Sure the Lamborghini was the sexiest car, and sure the Insight will probably be the biggest sales success in the coming year, but away from all the fanfare and fins there was a deep green 911 Carrerra S with a tan leather interior.

I've seen plenty of 911s in red, black and silver, but that particular colour combination immediately transported me twenty-five years into the future, where all our cars are pod-like affairs that whirr along in silence and comfort, connected wirelessly to prevent accidents, with AI-controlled navigation systems and automatic pilot. Somewhere in all that oil-starved sterility, someone is going to open their garage on a Sunday morning and pull an old sheet off this car. It'll fire up with that classic flat-six rumble and its driver will ease it out into the spring sunshine in search of some looped ribbon of lonely country road. I hope that driver is me.