By Kyle Smelter

Gotta go to the Auto Show! Come on, it’s pretty catchy. Roaring into the Minneapolis Convention Center this weekend and putting it in park for the week is the 44^th Annual Twin Cities Auto Show.

From Mar. 11 – 19, the Twin Cities Auto Show is your one stop shop for all the gears, engines and tires your little heart desires. Instead of cruising all over the metro to compare price tags and models, the Twin Cities Auto Show will house more than 575 models in all shapes and sizes from 37 foreign and domestic brands, including Alfa Romeo, Mitsubishi, Maserati and more—talk about convenience.

All week long, gearheads and car enthusiasts can satisfy their motor fix with the latest models, technology and luxury on the market. But perhaps most importantly, remember when we were younger and our parents were always telling us not to touch the items in the store because they were afraid we would end up breaking something? Or was that just my parents? Either way, you get to throw those parental concerns out the window when you get behind the wheel and take to the streets of Minneapolis for a test drive. That’s right, now you can live out those dreams of driving the most stylish luxury vehicles and exhilarating sports cars. And for those of us with an affinity for the classics from yesteryear, a classic car walk will be available for you to take a trip down memory lane.

But if hydraulics, crankshafts and horsepower aren’t quite your forte, Camp Jeep sports a rock climbing tower and Jeep Kids Course. Music buffs can meet and greet their favorite iHeartRadio personalities, and athletes from the Minnesota Wild, Vikings and Timberwolves will be making appearances for autograph signings and photographs. And if that still isn’t enough for you, visitors can win free gas for a year from Super America, snatch up giveaways from the St. Paul Saints and witness the cars of the future with the University of Minnesota’s Solar Vehicle Project.

Whether you’re in the market for the latest and greatest, or just looking for a great way to spend the afternoon, the Twin Cities Auto Show has a little something for everyone.