Today my Dad and I checked out the Calgary International Auto Show. He was intent on checking out a few particular cars, as they’re looking to buy one in the next little while. I was going to see what was new and interesting, and also to see the exotics. Calgary recently got a Bentley dealership and there’s a Maserati dealership on the horizon, so we knew there’d be a few models on hand.

All in all it was a decent show. Audi had their new, rear-engine powerhouse R8 on hand as well as the new S5 which is a gorgeous coupe, and at $70K is competing against the Infiniti G37, the Lexus SC430 and the BMW 6 series. Fans of Infiniti’s FX series will love the new EX35, which is a mid-size version of the sleek crossover, and while it’s an attractive vehicle for $45K, good luck getting 4 people inside it. Toyota had their full compliment of hybrids on hand, including the Prius (08 model only – still waiting for the new and improved 09 to be released), the Camry and the Highlander. I’m still puzzled why Toyota doesn’t have the Corolla or RAV4 in gas/electric hybrid. One new hybrid model that caught my attention was Nissan’s Altima. At $35K it’s potentially very good value, but I’m not familiar with, nor have I heard any popular opinion on Nissan’s hybrid technology.

And yes, there were Bentley, Maserati and Lamborghini.