Auto show season is always an exciting time of the year and the measuring stick for the Canadian auto shows is definitely the one held in Toronto. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Toronto event known as the Canadian International AutoShow (CIAS), which will open to the public starting on Friday, February the 15th and run all the way to February 24th.

The theme of this year’s 2013 show is “The Legacy” which takes a look at the past, the new attractions of the present and visions of the future. The combination of the three are typical in most events, so it will be a wait and see to find out what Toronto will do to make this year special.

The day before the doors open, Canadian media members will have a private viewing of the new unveils and displays, as well as learning who the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) have chosen as the Canadian vehicles of the year. Last year’s winners were the Hyundai Elantra and the Volkswagen Touareg TDI Clean Diesel for car and utility vehicle, respectively. 

This year’s finalists for vehicle of the year are the Honda Accord Sedan, the Porsche Boxster and once again the Hyundai Elantra in its GT version. The two cars in contention for Utility vehicle of the year are the Ford Escape 1.6 L EcoBoost and the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0T.

The CIAS brought in over 300,000 people last year throughout their ten days in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and they’re excited to increase that number once again. There’s a lot to check out in both the north and south areas of the convention centre including 125 exhibitors with approximately 1,000 cars and trucks on display and 40 new Canadian reveals. Is it a coincidence that there are exactly 40 reveals on the show’s 40th anniversary? Probably not! 

There’s also plenty more to see as the CIAS will be bringing back the Auto Exotica section featuring the Ferrari 599XX, the Maserati MC12 Corsa, the Alfa Romeo 8C Spider; there’s the Cruise Nationals section filled with classic vehicle exhibits from the weekly car cruises; and finally, the Hot Rod and Canadian Custom Builders Showcase showing off some auto enthusiasts’ custom creations.

If you’re thinking of heading down to the auto show this year, here’s a little taste of some of the hottest and most intriguing cars on display at the CIAS:

BMW M6 Gran Coupe is a luxurious and performance-minded four-door coupe that’s joining the BMW family. It’s fitted with a 4.4L twin-turbo V-8 with 560 horsepower (hp) and 500 lb.-ft. of torque. The M6 will have a seven-speed dual –clutch automatic transmission and it apparently goes from 0-60 mph in 4.1 seconds.

Chevrolet Corvette Stingray is the seventh-generation Corvette to be released and the most powerful ever. It’s estimated 450 hp and 450 lb.-ft. of torque will be generated by its all-new LT1 6.2L Small Block V-8 engine. The numbers achieved by the LT1 engine are aided by the combination of modernized technologies such as direct injection and a continuously variable valve timing with an advanced combustion system. 

Mazda6 SKYACTIV-D Clean Diesel hopes to capitalize on the rising gas prices and consumers seeking an alternative. The new Mazda6 SKYACTIV-D 2.2L clean diesel engine will be available in the second half of this year following the already launched SKYACTIV-G 2.5-L gasoline engine version. Once launched the diesel edition will be the first Asian manufactured vehicle to offer a modern-technology clean-diesel engine in a non-commercial vehicle.

Honda Accord Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) will be the first Honda vehicle to join the plug-in fray. It will use the same all-new Accord platform and will be powered by a new Earth Dreams 2.0L i-VTEC 4-cylinder engine with 137 hp and a 124-kilowatt electric motor. It will be able to go in an all-electric mode for up to 28 kms and the rest of the time can be in either gasoline-electric hybrid mode or direct engine drive. 

Jaguar F-Type is a sports car you don’t want to miss at the show. It’s a two-seat, convertible sports car that comes with your choice of a 3.0L supercharged V6 (340-380 hp) or 5.0L V8 (495 hp) engine.  It’s been built using a lightweight aluminum-bodied front-engine assisting in a total low weight of 3,521 lbs. 

Maserati Quattroporte has been redesigned for the sixth time and is the fastest and most powerful four-door Maserati ever built. For the first time an all-wheel drive option is provided in its 3.0L V-6 model that has 404 hp. The top end 3.8L V-8 model possesses 523 hp and can go from 0-60 mph in 4.6 seconds.