On February 15, 2020, I decided to venture off on the five-and-a-half-hour drive to Toronto to visit the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and see the Canadian International Auto Show. This marks my third year in a row visiting the show, and this year did not disappoint one bit.
Being the largest auto show in Canada, each year, CIAS offers a wide range of models and attractions for all car enthusiasts to appreciate. Here’s a look at my personal TOP 10 from the show:
1 – BUGATTI LA VOITURE NOIRE
The Bugatti La Voiture Noire was undoubtedly the highlight of the show. I never thought I would see this car, let alone in Canada! Being a uniquely modern reinterpretation of the Type 57 SC Atlantic, this car does not come cheap. It is in fact the most expensive new car of all time, with a price tag of over $16.1 million CAD.
2 – AUDI RS6 AVANT
It took nearly 30 years, but we’re finally getting an RS Avant in North America. I had rarely been so excited to see a new “family” car and let me tell you, I wasn’t disappointed. The new 2020 RS 6 Avant is low, wide and powerful. Very few cars can do 0–100 km/h in 3.5 seconds while offering close to 570 litres of cargo space and seating for 5, but the RS6 checks off all those boxes.
3 – MINI JOHN COOPER WORKS GP
Some people might disagree with me on this one, but I think the GP was one of the most exciting cars of the show. I’m a fan of hot hatches, and this Mini is one of the most aggressive looking in its segment. Not only does the GP have over 300 hp, but it is also very exclusive, being limited to 3000 units worldwide. As if the extensive exterior aero was not enough for you, the JCW GP is also lighter thanks greatly to the fact that it has no rear seats.
4 – MCLAREN SENNA CAN-AM
Knowing that only three Senna Can-Am’s exist, I never would have guessed I was going to see two of them over a two-month period (the first being at the Montreal International Auto Show). The Can-Am was made exclusively for the Canadian market, and some of its most distinctive features include unique wheels, more power, more aggressive exterior and a different exhaust. Lastly, its colourful paint scheme dedicated to Bruce McLaren guarantees that it will stand out among the rest.
5 – Ford GT MK II
With its 700-hp twin-turbocharged V6 EcoBoost engine, the Ford GT Mk II is the most powerful Ford GT ever produced. While the standard GT is street legal, the Mk II is a track-only weapon. Limited to 45 units only, the GT Mk II is hand-built by Multimatic, the same team that engineered and built the Ford GT race cars. Its price tag? Approximately $1.7 million CAD.
6 – PORSCHE 935
The Ford GT Mk II is not the only track-only car that made it onto the list. Say hello to the new Porsche 935. Based on the GT2 RS, the new 935 features spectacular aerodynamics that pays tribute to the 935/78 Le Mans racecar, which fans dubbed “Moby Dick” due to its elongated shape, massive fairings and white base colour. Limited to only 77 cars worldwide, the bare carbon fibre exterior makes this particular example truly special.
7 – AUTO EXOTICA
On top of specific cars, the CIAS also featured four breathtaking exhibits. A recurrent one is Auto Exotica, presented by Autostrada, which consists of a massive room where some of the show’s most desirable cars are all parked next to each other to create a unique experience for petrolheads. Some of the highlights there included the Pininfarina Battista, one of six Jaguar XJ220S, a Porsche 959, a Ferrari Enzo, three generations of the Ford GT as well as the Quebec-built and designed Felino CB7R.
8 – COBBLE BEACH CLASSICS
The Cobble Beach Classics exhibit was quite a surprise for me because I did not see any photos of it prior to attending the show. The room was packed with some of the most beautiful classic cars I had ever seen, and I was literally taken aback when I saw the green Bugatti Type 57 Atalante Coupe; one of my favourite cars of the entire show. Other notable classics featured in the exhibit were a 1912 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost, a 1938 Delahaye 135M Coupe, a 1959 Corvette Stingray Concept, and an original 1963 Shelby Cobra 289.
9 – ‘A TRIBUTE TO MCLAREN RACING’ EXHIBIT
Even though it was quite a small room, pretty much the entire space was occupied by McLaren race cars from different eras. Every car had a story to tell, and plenty of die-cast cars and racing helmets also added to the ambiance.
10 – OBLIVION EXHIBIT
Do you know what rad means? Because the OBLIVION exhibit was Rad with a capital R. This exhibit had a goal to celebrate the cars from the ’80s and ’90s. There were eight cars to look at, from a replica of the DeLorean Time Machine to a Subaru BRAT. There was also a 1989 Volkswagen Jetta GLI, which is one of 500 Canadian-market Trophy models. This particular one was sold brand-new by Auto Hamer Inc. in Montreal. How cool is that?
Learn more about this year’s show via autoshow.ca
Photography by Olivier Lessard