The Import Car Show phenomenon is alive, well and still expanding in Canada. The latest entry being the Canadian Autotech Show which kicked off the 2002 season with their inaugural event in Toronto April 19th.

Canadian Autotech is the brainchild of Kevin Yee and Ben Woo. Both gentlemen have great track records when it comes to producing Canadian Import Car Shows (Kevin with Darknights and Ben with Sport Compact Performance). With strong automotive backgrounds their prime focus or idea was to showcase new automotive aftermarket trends and technology not just to the retailers (like the SEMA show in Las Vegas) but also directly to the consumer. In other words create some consumer excitement about what's just around the corner. This was not to be a retail sales show; more an opportunity for the consumer to peek into the future.

To broaden the appeal Autotech producers added various "lifestyle" elements to the menu; not only was the consumer treated to the latest in auto performance upgrades and accessories but also vehicle and home audio/video, security, fashion and culture.

The show covered 200,000 square feet and ran for a total of 3 days, attracting 17000 enthusiasts.
There were 172 vehicles on display; 57% Japanese nameplates, 22% European and 21% North American.

The big difference at the Autotech Show was that virtually all the vehicles on display were equipped with the latest gear since most were there to showcase the new products offered by the exhibitors.

Toyo Tire Canada has not been actively involved in vehicle sponsorship; under these circumstances it is significant to note the Toyo market share among all vehicles on display was the highest at 28%.

One can perhaps extrapolate that since these vehicles were there to showcase the latest state of the art options they would no doubt endeavor to reflect existing market trends. That being the case the future for Toyo high performance tires will be bright indeed!