Toronto Auto Show 2013
Like most men, I have interest in cars, despite not owning one. My limited knowledge actually comes from video games, and I wanted to educate myself a little at the last year's Toronto Auto Show.
The venue, Metro Toronto Convention Centre, holds many events, and I have been to many professional networking events held there before. The Auto Show had a completely different look and feel to it, mainly due to the sheer number of visitors.
It was so crowded that it was nearly impossible to prevent the other show-goers from walking into the foreground. Years leading up to the visit, I had heard of announcements being made at the Toronto Auto Show, but my actual visit almost felt like a visit to the show room rather than a place to showcase innovation in the automotive industry.
There were a few concept cars, which rather seemed ordinary. I wish the overall experience were more tactile rather than visual, as we now have access to wide array of information including photos and videos. It was disappointing to see that many of the cars that were accessible to the public were consumer-grade at best. Undoubtedly, ultimate goal of the manufacturers would be to increase sales of their products, and most people would be not able to afford any of the higher-end vehicles, which may depreciate in value if left in area directly accessible by the public.
For example, vehicles by companies like Lamborghini or Maserati were for eyes only, kept behind a rope, maintaining their exclusive status. People who could prove their monetary affluence could, however, talk to the dealer to be let into the display area, which seemed a little demeaning to the others.
Overall, I was disappointed by the Toronto Auto Show and did not manage to learn anything that would help me decide on my first car. If anything, I think the show exemplified consumerism and highlighted the growing income disparity between the middle class and the so-called 1% of the society.
The venue, Metro Toronto Convention Centre, holds many events, and I have been to many professional networking events held there before. The Auto Show had a completely different look and feel to it, mainly due to the sheer number of visitors.
It was so crowded that it was nearly impossible to prevent the other show-goers from walking into the foreground. Years leading up to the visit, I had heard of announcements being made at the Toronto Auto Show, but my actual visit almost felt like a visit to the show room rather than a place to showcase innovation in the automotive industry.
There were a few concept cars, which rather seemed ordinary. I wish the overall experience were more tactile rather than visual, as we now have access to wide array of information including photos and videos. It was disappointing to see that many of the cars that were accessible to the public were consumer-grade at best. Undoubtedly, ultimate goal of the manufacturers would be to increase sales of their products, and most people would be not able to afford any of the higher-end vehicles, which may depreciate in value if left in area directly accessible by the public.
For example, vehicles by companies like Lamborghini or Maserati were for eyes only, kept behind a rope, maintaining their exclusive status. People who could prove their monetary affluence could, however, talk to the dealer to be let into the display area, which seemed a little demeaning to the others.
Overall, I was disappointed by the Toronto Auto Show and did not manage to learn anything that would help me decide on my first car. If anything, I think the show exemplified consumerism and highlighted the growing income disparity between the middle class and the so-called 1% of the society.
