I have been attending the Canadian International AutoShow for decades including several VIP nights. This year was my first time attending Media Preview Day and it was quite the experience.
I must admit that going in I just assumed we would roam around the show just taking pics in the absence of crowds but that was only a small portion of the day. Instead, we had a jam packed schedule (starting with breakfast at 7AM!) full of Canadian, North American, and even Global debuts!
As such, I will divide this review into two parts: 1) coverage per the Media Preview Day schedule 2) my “free” time roaming the show. BTW, don’t think that all the good stuff is in part 1, I assure you, there are quite a lot of exotics in part 2!
PART 1 – The Media Preview Day Schedule
I was one of the first ones down to the lower level and on my way to the seating, I saw some commotion. Naturally I had to investigate and what did I find, this beauty!
Hmmm who is that gentleman in the beige jacket?
Risers set up
And the show is off with opening remarks from Black Book
Followed by words from the show organizer
Who then invited to the stage Mate Rimac, CEO of Rimac, and the President of Grand Touring Automobiles, celebrating its 50th year as a premier retailer of luxury automobiles
It was very interesting to hear about Mate’s history of how he went from living in a country with a poor background in cars to starting Rimac and buying Bugatti. Let me emphasize, he didn’t buy A Bugatti car, he bought the company! Rimac now has 2,500 employees and provides EV technology to key players.
Of course we were all eager to see the Rimac Nevera and here it is!
Who could the driver be?
None other than Richard Hammond!
Someone take this man’s key!
Richard joined the panel and the discussion turned to the astonishing performance of the Rimac and how it changes or warps your perception of how a car should perform. Indeed, with 4 electric motors, 1900+ HP, 0 to 100 km/h in 1.81 seconds and a top speed of 451 km/h it is quite unlike anything else.
Sadly the Rimac had to go
But I got to meet Richard! Thanks so much for stopping to take a pic with me. Too bad I didn’t get to tell you how I bought my C63 thanks to Top Gear’s review of it vs. the M3 and RS4. When Clarkson said “it is an axe murderer trying to kill you” I knew it was the right car for me lol.
Thanks also to this kind gentleman for taking the pic. Only fair that I reciprocate with a pic of you with Mate lol
Next, the Canadian Car of the Year Awards in four categories and presented in English and French
And the winner for 2024 Canadian Car of the Year, the Toyota Prius!
Accepting the award, Stephen Beatty, Vice President and Corporate Secretary of Toyota Canada Inc. I have worked with Stephen in the past and it was great to see his personal gratitude for this achievement of the Prius in his heartfelt acceptance speech. Congrats Stephen!
He didn’t have to sit down for long as Toyota also won 2024 Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year with the Grand Highlander!
Meanwhile, 2024 Canadian Electric Utility Vehicle of the Year went to the Genesis Electrified GV70
With the head of Genesis Canada accepting the reward
As he did for 2024 Canadian Electric Car of the Year for the Genesis Electrified G80! So 2-2 Toyota-Genesis!
Alright on to Porsche! We were greeted by the Vision GT, a wild concept literally designed for a video game! Gran Turismo 7 for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 to be precise.
My favourite Porsche of the day though was the world record setting 911 Carrera 4S that drove to the summit at 6,734 meters (22,093 feet) of a volcano while running on eFuel made from water and carbon dioxide using renewable energy.
Porsche had several more unveilings for us. Pretty big wing on this one
Always exciting to watch the wrap come off
A unique 911 GT3 RS to commemorate the opening of the 10th Porsche Experience Centre (PEC) right here in Toronto! Visitors to PEC Toronto will be able to experience vehicle dynamics, technology and emotion first-hand with expert guidance from Porsche instructors through various driving modules all year long. The PEC will feature a 2km track, vehicle exhibits, a Porsche shop, café etc. I cant wait to visit!
But wait there’s more! Two more in fact.
First…
The new Taycan! Apart from a new front- and rear-end styling with new headlights and taillights, the new Taycan Turbo S is the most powerful and quickest Porsche ever, with 938 hp and a 0 to 100 km/h of 2.4 seconds! It also recharges faster than previous generations even though it has a larger battery capacity.
Next up…the 2024 Panamera! It offers a crazy active suspension that leans like a motorcycle towards the inside of the bend and reduces the lateral forces for the occupants. It also raises or lowers the vehicle on the front and rear axles during acceleration and braking.
In addition to all the new releases, I was also happy to see the 911 Dakar
Check out those fender flares
Even bigger ones here though lol
Love the bag made from seat material
Porsche Design watch
Next on the agenda, VinFast
First
The VF3 electric city car
Next
The VF Wild, an electric pickup truck concept
On to Volvo
For the unveiling of their new …
EX90 7 passenger SUV. Believe it or not, the standard safety features on the EX90 are higher than any Volvo car before it. Apparently it gets “smarter and safer over time” as it learns from new data and receives updates.
In addition to the EX90, Volvo was showcasing several of its Recharge models as the brand makes moves to reach its goal to have its entire vehicle roster fully electric by 2030.
One would think that bringing Rimac and Richard Hammond to the show would be enough of an accomplishment for Grand Touring but no. They wanted to celebrate 50 years by bringing FIRE to the event with three cars and four brands that have never been seen at a Canadian auto show!
First up, The Little Car Company, a UK based manufacturer of scale versions of iconic cars
My favourite was the Bentley Blower Jnr. Astonishingly, there is a full-size Bentley Blower at the show for comparison purposes (as you will see in Part 2 of my review)
Ferrari TestaRossa J
Bugatti Baby II, a 75% scale, fully electric reincarnation of the iconic Bugatti Type 35, developed using a full 3D scan of an original 1924 French Grand Prix car! How cool is that!
Now three brands we have never seen here before
The Zagato…
Porsche 356 Coupe, inspired by lost drawings of an elegant coupe based on the 356 Carrera. Only nine of these vehicles were produced.
The Pininfarina …
Battista, an electric Italian hypercar with a top speed over 350 km/h and 0-100kph in 1.86 seconds
The two side by side
Finally, the Himalaya…
Mariner, a modern-era Land Rover Defender
In addition to these introductions, Grand Touring also brought several cars from their lineup. Another look at the Rimac
The last Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport ever made (It is marked as such inside the doorsill)
Lamborghini Revuelto, which pairs a 6.5L naturally aspirated V12 with a power-boosting electric motor to produce 1,001 horsepower.
The new Countach!
Stunning Bentley Continental GT Convertible “The Canadian Collection” edition, designed by Bentley’s Mulliner department exclusive to the Canadian market
Rolls Royce Spectre the brand’s first fully electric model. Funny, I was wearing my James Bond Danner Spectre boots, perhaps a sign?
Aston Martin DB12 Volante
Next, we visit INFINITI for two unveilings
My sister’s first car was a G20 back in the day and the brand has evolved quite a lot since then. It was interesting to hear the perspective of Alfonso Albaisa, Senior Vice President of Global Design for Nissan Motor Ltd., on how INIFINITI differentiates through design elements. He went through the intricate design details on the two show cars…things you might not even notice but impressive when you discover them.
Vision concept Vision Qe, a preview of INFINITI’s direction for its first all-electric model. A neat feature is the “full-width digital piano key” lighting.
The QX Monograph concept truck
At this point I needed a bit of a break so I didn’t attend the Genesis, Kia, and Mattel/Hot Wheels unveilings. I did snap a pic of the Barbie car though lol.
Last but most certainly not least of the scheduled events, Richard Hammond in Conversation at Pfaff! Check out Pfaff’s incredible lineup
Richard shares his thoughts on Pagani, starting with the Huayra Roadster
You will see why in a moment he is looking so closely at the interior
Next the Zonda R
Before moving to the other side
And being joined by Pfafff Motorsports driver James Hinchcliffe, Pfafff Motorsports GM Steve Bortolotti and Pfaff CEO Chris Pfaf for a discussion on motorsports and the auto industry
After the discussion I had a chance to take a closer look at Pfaff’s amazing lineup, starting with the Zonda R
Huayra Roadster in a fantastic purple carbon fiber
I have to admit I haven’t always been a fan of Pagani interiors but this black and gold spec is one of the nicest interiors I have ever seen. Just stunning!
Or if you prefer something “more subtle” how about a black carbon fiber Huayra Coupe
McLaren-Mercedes SLR HDK — one of only 12 in the world
Pfaff McLaren 720S GT3 EVO
I am a huge fan of tuner cars and in the world of Porsche, Techart is legendary. Typically they are associated with 911s though so it was quite special to see a Techart Taycan
That covers the scheduled media events. It was certainly a great way to experience the Autoshow. I will add some closing thoughts and a recap of highlights in Part 2. Stay tuned.
RL
Links to both parts:
rlauferblog 
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