South Florida International Auto Show Set With 2012 Models

The Showroom at the South Florida International Auto Show.

The 41st edition of the South Florida International Auto Show opens October 28 for its annual 10-day run at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Each year, some 40 major auto manufacturers fill the hall with several hundred new cars, trucks, crossovers and SUVs and make this South Beach event one of America’s top five in attendance.

Chevrolet Sonic

“Today’s economy has fueled a strong interest in smaller, more efficient cars,” said Lombardo Perez, Auto Show chairman, “and the show this year will be loaded with the latest hybrids, electrics, diesels and conventional vehicles that squeeze more value and performance out of a tank full.”


One lucky person will win this year’s giveaway car, a brand new 2012 Chevrolet Sonic. This exciting new subcompact is the only car in its class built in America. It’s peppy but sips gasoline, comes with 10 airbags and has lots of plug-in options up front. Its crisp handling? It was tuned by Corvette engineers.

The Official Car at this year's Auto Show, the Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Edition.

The Boss Mustang was born in 1969, then it played hard to get, and now it’s back for 2012 as the Boss 302 Laguna Edition, honoring the Monterey Bay track where records are set. And it’s this year’s Official Show Car. The new Boss/Laguna is lighter, stronger, has more grunt under the hood and comes in vintage colors that say “let’s go!” Ford calls it the quickest, best-handling straight-production Mustang ever offered.

Ford Model A

The show’s perennial favorites return. Memory Lane this year features 20 vehicles dating from a 1930 Ford Model A to a 1981 Corvette. And it includes a fuel sipper for its day—the 1961 Nash Metropolitan. In Million Dollar Alley visitors can fantasize about their ultimate joy toy, a six-figure motorcar. Again this year a Green Way special exhibit will feature some of the industry’s most fuel efficient cars. Auto Show Mall features basics and bling to make your ride special. Camp Jeep and an outside test drive program will put visitors behind the wheel of popular new models.


“As always at this huge auto show,” added Perez, “families and individuals can see and sit inside hundreds of new cars under one roof at their leisure. It’s a once-a-year chance to get close to the newest models, to see what’s coming off today’s more efficient assembly lines.”


The 41st Annual South Florida International Auto Show takes place Friday, October 28 through Sunday, November 6, at the Miami Beach Convention Center, 1901 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach. Admission is $10 for adults, $3 for children 6-12, and children under 6 are admitted free.


Hours of operation are:

• Friday Oct. 28th, 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
• Saturday, October 29th 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
• Sunday, October 30th 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
• Monday, October 31st 2:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
• Tuesday, November 1st 2:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
• Wednesday, November 2nd 2:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
• Thursday, November 3rd 2:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
• Friday, November 4th 2:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
• Saturday, November 5th 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
• Sunday, November 6th 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. 

For more information on this year’s event, visit the official Auto Show website, www.sfliautoshow.com, and Facebook page.


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40th Anniversary South Florida International Auto Show Returns to Miami Beach, Nov. 5-14

The South Florida International Auto Show, one of the largest and oldest major auto expositions in the country, celebrates its 40th anniversary this year when it opens Nov. 5 for a 10-day run at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The first South Florida show in 1971 featured fewer than 300 vehicles but shared Top-5 status nationwide with shows in New York, Detroit, Chicago and Los Angeles. Now the annual event features hundreds of vehicles from the world's top manufacturers, including the latest crossovers, SUV's, pickups, concepts and accessories.

Eco-friendly, alternative energy and other fuel-efficient models will be gathered in a new Green Way exhibit this year. Show veterans who saw details of the Chevrolet Volt chassis and battery in previous shows now can see the finished production car. The zero emissions, 100-percent Nissan LEAF will be on display before it becomes available by reservation only this December. Other green vehicles include the Audi A3TDI, the Honda CR-Z Hybrid and the latest Toyota Prius.
Visitors to the show will also be introduced to pre-sale vehicles and those just hitting showroom floors, like the Acura TSX Sport Wagon and the 2011 Nissan Juke.

The Acura TSX Sport Wagon, launching in December, offers a smart solution to modern utility needs with its balanced and efficient driving performance coupled with bold styling and versatile cargo capabilities. Unlike traditional entries in the fast-growing compact hatchback/crossover market today, the 2011 Nissan Juke offers bold styling, unexpected levels of performance and an advanced torque vectoring AWD system with performance technology usually reserved for premium vehicles.

Additional vehicles of note include the completely redesigned 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee with its redeveloped plush interior and added comfort of an independent rear suspension, and the Ideal Vehicle Award-winning 2011 Suzuki Kizashi, which offers a sport sedan with crisp handling typically found in more expensive, premium sport sedans.
Another new exhibit this year is Miami Street Rides, a collection of custom cars chopped, tuned and painted in the spirit of the 1960s movement by California-based designers and hobbyists. Jeep's Rocks & Road Tour returns this year offering visitors trail rated rides through a water trough and over hills, logs and boulders.

Memory Lane is headlined this year by one of only 745 Chevrolet Corvettes built in 1959 with a 290 horsepower fuel-injected engine. The unique 'Vette is joined by a full collection of historical cars chosen by the South Florida chapter of the Antique Automobile Club of America. Million Dollar Alley displays the most exotic and luxurious models on the market, including lines like Ferrari, Porsche, Maserati and Spyker. Motorcycles will fill a room at the show, near The Car Boutique displays of auto and home accessories.

HOURS:
Friday, Nov. 5, 5pm - 11pm
Saturday, Nov. 6, 11am - 11pm
Sunday, Nov. 7, 11am - 11pm
Monday, Nov. 8, 2pm - 11pm
Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2pm - 11pm
Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2pm - 11pm
Thursday, Nov. 11, 11am - 11pm (Observance of Veterans Day)
Friday, Nov. 12, 2pm - 11pm
Saturday, Nov. 13, 11am - 11pm
Sunday, Nov. 14, 11am - 9pm

ADMISSION: Adults $10.00, Children 6-12 $3.00; Discount admission tickets are available at participating new car dealerships and McDonald's restaurants in South Florida.