rlauferblog

This was my fifth time attending VIP Night at the Canadian International Autoshow so I knew what to expect. Namely, a party atmosphere with well-dressed industry folks surrounded by free food, alcohol, DJs, live music (Blue Rodeo!) and of course, amazing cars! Most of the cars are unlocked too!

As usual, I started out in the Auto Exotica section at the Autostrada booth. I heard they were bringing the Pagani Huayra R that I saw at Pfaff a couple of months ago. At the time, I thought it was one of the most beautiful cars that I have ever seen, possibly even topping the Zonda R. It is the only one in Canada and has been sold for $5 million so this may be my last chance to see it again.

Full shot of the Autostrada booth

F50

F40

Diablo

Countach

Carerra GT

Lexus LFA

Cobble Beach Classics Tribute to Mercedes featuring a collection of the brand’s cars spanning 135 years (from 1886 to 2021!)

2021 Mercedes-Benz AMG GT Black Series “P-One Edition” with 730 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque. There are only 275 of these available exclusively to AMG Project One buyers.

2015 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT Final Edition (I have driven this car at an AMG event)

2006 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Coupe

I’ll cover the other booths on this level later but first, Grand Touring who brought another Pininfarina Battista, this time a red Edizione Nino Farina. Thanks to its 1,900 hp it can rocket from zero to 100 km/h in 1.8 seconds!

Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport with almost 1,500 hp, and one of only 60 in the world

Aston Martin Vanquish

Bentley Continental GTC Speed. I could use one of these! So beautiful.

Lamborghini Revuelto, the first super sports V12 hybrid plug-in HPEV (High Performance Electrified Vehicle)

Rolls-Royce Cullinan

The “coach doors” (do not call them “suicide doors”!) were open for us to take a look inside

The Spirit of Ecstasy, don’t touch it!

Ghost with an incredible green metallic paintjob

The Ghost interior

Maserati MC20 Cielo, which features butterfly doors and a cool retractable electrochromic (smart glass) roof. Even better, its Nettuno V6 engine is equipped with an innovative Formula 1-derived pre-chamber combustion system unique to Maserati. This system, along with dry-sump lubrication, large twin-turbos, and optimal cooling design, allow it to produce 621 hp from just 3.0 litres.

The GranTurismo Trofeo also has an Formula 1-derived V6 engine, inherited from the MC20 super sports car, with 542 hp in this incarnation.

Barbie Maserati

Ferrari 296 GTS

 V12-powered Ferrari Purosangue

Ferrari Roma Spider

Now on to the Barrett-Jackson display

My favourites were the 1970 Chevelle SS

and 2017 Viper ACR

Lotus Emira and Elise courtesy of Gentry Lane

Aston Martin at SimStaff’s booth

Lamborghini Huracan

BMW at RClub

McLaren at Pfaff’s booth

Matching Lego Technic and actual McLaren P1

And another McLaren at BetMGM

Alfa Romeo Giulia and Tonale PHEV

Ok now the German cars! Good to see Mercedes, BMW, and Audi back at the show! Mercedes had 12 or 13 cars, my favourite of which was the Maybach EQS 680 4MATIC SUV.  

It definitely had the coolest wheels I have ever seen, made of little Maybach logos.

Luxurious interior

The G-580 EQ Technology was also impressive. It can climb up to a 100 percent grade (45 degrees), as showcased on this 11.5-foot-high display!

AMG E53

AMG GT

AMG SL 63

Not at the Mercedes booth but I came across a Sprinter

BMW really went all out for this year’s Autoshow. They are the first automaker to ever occupy Level 600, which is between the North and South buildings,  as this level has never been taken over by a single brand. Labelling the area the “Level ///M” takeover, BMW is showcasing several cars and motorcycles from their M lineup.

Including an actual racecar

And the rare M4CS (so happy to see this) which will do 0-60 in 3.4 seconds with its 550HP.

For even more of a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” the M5 Touring has a twin-turbo V8 with electric power to produce 727HP and will do 305 km/h

The M2 puts out 480 HP for a 0-60 of 4.0 seconds flat.

In case you were not aware, BMW also has ///M Performance versions of their motorcycles.

In addition to the ///M display, BMW had booths to cover all parts of their lineup including internal combustion, battery-electric, and Sport Activity Vehicles, as well as MINI. They were also offering test drives of the all-new X3 M50, the award-winning i4 M50, i5 M60, iX M60, MINI JCW 3-door, and MINI Countryman SE. Attendees also have the opportunity to capture memorable moments with a special photo opportunity, as well as the chance to enter a draw for a grand prize travel experience.

I almost missed the Audi booth as I was about to head home but remembered there is usually a display in that area. Glad I stopped in as I really liked the “vibe” and there were some great cars to see, like the Audi RS6 Avant GT. I love performance wagons and this one fits the bill with 621HP and 0-60 in 3.3 seconds.

Performance sedans are my favourite and the RS3 is a great one. Although it has a 2.5 litre 5-cylinder with “just” 401HP, it will do 0-60 in 3.6 seconds, all for under $65,000.

The venerable R8 V10 that I am sure you have seen in countless movies

RS Q8 Performance if you want an SUV that accelerates to 60 in 3.4 seconds and does 190MPH

RS e-tron GT Performance with two numbers you need to know: 912 and 2.4.

Now some American cars. The Mustang GTD, powered by a supercharged 5.2L V8 engine, set a lap time of 6:57.685 around the Nürburgring Nordschleife in Germany, making it the first American production car to complete a sub-seven-minute lap!

The Corvette ZR1 is gunning for the GTD’s ‘Ring record with 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8 engine that generates 1064 horsepower and 828 lb-ft of torque. With optional carbon fiber aero package, it generates 1,200 pounds of downforce at top speed!

I loved the styling on the Corvette’s Z06 GT3 car

A bit more discreet but highly capable with a 6.2L supercharged V8 putting out 668 HP and 659 lb. ft of torque, the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing. It’s incredibly comfortable inside. Definitely high on my list when it comes time to buy a new car.

I actually prefer the styling of the CT4-V Blackwing and it is also very comfortable but I prefer a V8 over its twin-turbo V6

If you want essentially the same engine (tuned to an even higher 682HP) as the Blackwing in a giant SUV body, the Escalade-V is just for you. I think it’s beautiful, especially in all black.

Some concept cars from Cadillac, the Celestiq

And Sollei concept

I love the Willy’s variant of the Jeep Wrangler! This spec adds 33” offroad tires, LED headlamps and fog-lights, locking rear differential, trailer-tow and auxiliary switches. And it looks GREAT!

If 33” tires aren’t enough….

The Dodge Charger Daytona, the brand’s first all-electric vehicle and the world’s most powerful muscle car, with Track, Drag, Donut, and Drift modes

Ok I know I have been focusing on super expensive cars so here is one of my show favourites in a much more reasonable range, the Toyota GR Corolla now available with automatic transmission and still 300HP.

Ineos Grenadier from France

Awesome Terradyne armoured vehicle

Not sure what this was, but I liked it!

Blue Rodeo in concert!

So which were my absolute favourites? Too many to pick just one, even by category. So here is a my attempt at a shortlist. Guess I need a bigger garage.

Hypercar: Pagani Huayra R, Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport

Performance car: Mustang GTD, BMW M4CS, Bentley Continental GTC Speed, Toyota GR Corolla

Performance sedan: Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing

Performance wagon: BMW M5 Touring, Audi RS6 Avant GT Performance

SUV: Terradyne, Cadillac Escalade-V, Tesla Cybertruck, Maybach EQS 680, Jeep Willys

RL

Wow this was one of the best motorcycle shows in a while! It wasn’t the biggest in terms of number of bikes but whatever was there was straight FIRE!

Case in point, upon walking in to the show I saw this bike from a distance and stopped in my tracks to say “is that a Buell?” It sure was! The 2025 Buell 1190SX!

Even better, they had two of them! The 2025 Buell Hammerhead 1190!

Off to a great start!

Next, I went over to MV Agusta. I thought their Superveloce S was the most beautiful bike at last year’s show but understandably there were always crowds around it so I want to get another look (we’ll come back to this one in a minute). MV Agusta one-upped me though with the 1000 Serie Oro version! I think there are only 6 of these and almost every part is carbon fiber or titanium. It is able to go 300+ km/hr with its 208HP engine. Cost is a staggering $95,000!

Although a bit tamer, the 800CC Superveloce S is still an absolute stunner.

Next to it, their 3-cylinder F3

And the Brutale 1000 RS

Triumph had an amazing booth this year! Loved the paint scheme on this Daytona 660

Rocket 3 GT with its monster 2500CC triple

All new TF 450-RC Edition. Wow it looks good!

Tiger 900

Speed Triple 765

And the new and bigger Speed Triple 1200 RS

New Scrambler 1200 X Icon Edition

Ah I forgot to check if they had the Bonneville Elvis edition or the Speed Triple Breitling edition on display.

I just saw the BMW ///M bikes on display at VIP Night at the Autoshow but they are certainly worth another look in the better lighting here.

Wow did I not tell you there is fire at this show! We are not done yet!

Aprilia RSV4

RS660

Tunono V4

Moto-Guzzi V85

KTM Duke 990

I love how you can get a Trak Pack on this one

Ok on to the Japanese bikes! Starting with my favourite Honda, the Africa Twin

Fireblade

Yamaha R1 with its crossplane crankshaft engine

Tenere 700

The XSR900 was quite popular so it took me a while to get these pics

Suzuki and Kawasaki did not have booths this year (or if they did, I missed them)

Royal Enfield Himalayans

Last but not least, some American iron. Indian FTR 1000

and 101 Scout

So glad Harley brought a CVO Road Glide in their Hot Lap paint scheme (that’s a $5,000 paint option!) as I really wanted to see that in person.

I also liked the camo paint on the CVO Pan America

And of course my favourite Harley, the Fat Boy

I already have the Terminator glasses and Arnie watch, now I just need this bike and the Chiappa Tmodel

The Harley stunt demo was awesome! The wheelies were cool but I especially liked the drifting. My video does not do justice to the sound and exhaust fumes lol

So once again, fantastic show! Hard to pick a favourite as there were soooo many that I liked and about 15 that I would actually buy lol. I guess if I absolutely had to choose, it would be the Buell.

RL

In anticipation of attending Meta/Gem Expo next month, I was doing my usual pre-show research on the exhibitors when I came across Sovereign Souls. I was very impressed with his talent and creativity. I liked the way he makes Malas, tying a knot between each bead. I also liked the “vibe” of his website, which details the associated benefits of each stone used and his Instagram page full of great videos with great music lol.

What I liked the most though, was Sovereign Souls’ idea of making Malas inspired by Tarot cards. What a great idea! It inspired me to get a custom one for my favourite card, the Three of Swords, which seems to describe my perpetual state lol.

I wanted the Mala to represent both positions of the card, upright and reversed, heartbreak and recovery (image source: Labyrinthos).

Rather than following traditional Mala patterns like Japa, Tibetan, Mantra, Zen etc. I wanted something that literally portrays a sword plunging through a heart just like the Tarot card! A metaphysical weapon is so in keeping with my collecting physical weapons!

And here he is presenting it to me!

Sovereign Souls clearly understood the mission!

The “handle” of the sword is made of Black Obsidian, a powerful protector and remover of negative energy (image source for all crystal meanings: New Moon Beginnings).

Following the handle is a “guard” (note the double meaning lol) made of Rhodonite, a Heart Chakra stone that soothes relationship issues and facilitates unconditional love and Smoky Quartz, which is also protective and relieves stress and worry.

Next, we get to the sword blade made of Hematite, a Root Chakra stone that removes negativity and restores balance, plunging through the Rhodonite. There is also a layer of Smokey Quartz in keeping with the intention to have both the upright and reversed positions of the card representing heartbreak and resilience.

Finally, the Rose Quartz, a Heart Chakra stone of unconditional love that opens you to re-discover love.

The Mala is finished with a caged heart pendant with Rose Quartz stone. Once again, this captures the two meanings of the Three of Swords Tarot card as on one hand the pendant can be seen as a “captured heart,” on the other as a “protected heart.”

So, this Mala should do a great job of healing and protecting my heart.

As backup to my metaphysical heart protection, more protection from Nepal in the form of Khukuris lol

I should mention that it was great to work with Sovereign Souls. We had a lengthy discussion about my intention and then I was shown a work in progress with the opportunity to make any adjustments. I opted not to make any changes as I wanted to “trust the process.”

Thank you once again to Sovereign Souls for exceeding my expectations in bringing my vision to life. I am glad the Universe brought me to you in my healing journey.

RL

Since seeing the Nor-tech 400 Supersport at last year’s show, I have done a lot of research about it, including lots of videos of sea trials. Needless to say, it performs as good as it looks! I was glad to see Nor-tech back at the show and for the opportunity to embark for a closer look.

The Nor-tech 400 Supersport has a top speed of 92.8 MPH

Courtesy of Quad Mercury Racing 400R V-10

All with space to sleep

Rest

Or sunbathe

If 92.8MPH isn’t fast enough for you, how about a racing cat from C.J. Grant Racing that will do 140!

You might end up with one of these guys in your rearview mirror! So happy to see the Zodiac Milpro again! Thank you Toronto Police!

So badass

The helm

Cool to see inside the tube

Interesting that the Police are using Salus gear. I thought they use Mustang Survival

What’s better than one Zodiac Milpro, why two of course! This one courtesy of York Region. Slightly smaller but faster than the TPS boat.

Cool dive helmets

More police boats! OPP brought their Boston Whaler

Also great to see Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary

Looks like they are also using Salus floatation vests

BTW, some civilian Zodiacs for comparison to the Police Milpro boats

They use some of the same technology, like the Shockwave seats

No SAR boat from Stanley this year

But this landing boat had the same type of bumpers that we saw on the SAR boat last year

As I mentioned last year, the I love the way the windscreen is protected on the Tiller 17DC. It is definitely my favourite of this style of compact runabout boat.

The Hewescraft Alaskan 270 was one of my show favourites last year. This time they brought a slightly smaller 250 that shares many of the same great features.

private head closet

10 different styles of cabin configurations

the helm

lots of adjustments on the captain’s chair

Captain’s view

You can also steer from the rear deck

Diesel for the heating system

More great boats from Hewescraft

More aluminum boat options from Stabicraft. I don’t think they were at the show last year so it was great to see them in person.

Kingfisher had a 3025 Destination last year, which was very nice, but I think the all new 3025 XRS on display this year was much nicer

Ok now here is an interesting option for fishing, the Kawasaki Ultra 160 LX-S Angler Jet-Ski

Complete with rod-holders (1 in the front, 4 in the rear)

ORCA 55-litre hard cooler

And Garmin Echomap UHD2 7cv chartplotter

This thing is so cool!

Boston Whaler

Reputed to have an unsinkable hull

To that point, they had a really cool display with a cross section of their hull

Beautiful boats

While I am not usually into large cabin cruisers, I gotta say the 380 Realm was pretty stunning

At the other end of the size spectrum, the super sport

Or if you prefer a more classic look, Rossiter

Or Ranger Tugs. They are so beautiful and always draw long lineups at the boat show.

No Brabus this year but still some nice luxury boats from Axopar

A couple of others that caught my eye, the Formula 27BR bow rider

Whally!

Last but not least, some interesting motors, such as this V12 from Mercury Marine

6.2L V8, coincidentally my favourite configuration for car engines lol

First hydrogen powered outboard from Yamaha

And if your stock engine needs more power, talk to Riversports Recreation who had an Argo to showcase their work

I usually like to end my reviews with a recap of my show favourites. It should be no surprise what they are here, the Zodiac Milpro and Boston Whaler police boats along with the Nor-Tech 400 Supersport. I will give some honourable mentions to Boston Whaler for their cool hull display and beautiful 380 Realm, to Kingfisher for their new 3025 XRS, and to Kawasaki for the Angler Jet-Ski, it’s so cool!

RL

Given the current turmoil in the world, I think it’s appropriate to start my review of the North American International Motorcycle Supershow 2025 with Mad Max themed bikes. Yes, Toecutter or Lord Humungus would feel at home on this one.

and for his crew…

Perhaps this is the Feral Kid’s ride?

For those who need to make a speedy getaway, some race bikes

Ok I don’t think that engine is stock lol. This was actually one of my favourite bikes of the show.

The Ducatis seem tame by comparison

Corse Panigale V2

Panigale V4

Multistrada V4S

950 S

I tried to capture the crazy finish on this Diaval but no luck

Streetfighter

They also had some classic Ducatis, such as this 848, on display in the Century of Motorcycles section

I liked the classic Norton 750 Commando

V-Max

Royal Enfield

What could be more classic than a Harley?

Especially the Fat Boy

Electric Harley (or as I call it, Hoover Davidson)

Not sure why this one was roped off

Peel Police bikes

Altered Sound showcasing Rockford Fosgate audio in some custom Harleys

We started with wild customs, let’s end with those too

some trikes even

Good to see my friends from Madhatter Industries

and Widows Sons

For my post show meal, I hit Zet’s as usual but this time I tried the gyro dinner for the first time. I am not sure they gave me enough though…

So that was a pretty good start to this year’s show circuit. I did 25 shows last year, we will see how this year goes lol.

RL

Time for a recap of 2024 highlights! It was a busy year as I attended and reviewed 25 shows/events! I am not sure how many pics I posted, but I know that I took over 5000 on my DSLR plus another 2000+ on my phone over the course of the year. My personal “highlights” pic gallery has about 600 pics, which is too much to re-post here (you can see them throughout my various reviews). Instead, here is a list of my favourites/the most interesting things that I saw in each category.

Guns: HK MP7, Glock 45 ETF spec, Chiappa Tmodel, Akdas Masterkey, Canuck Wrangler Blackout

Knives: Noveske Strider, Microtech Halo, Rob Simonich’s personal knife, Todd Bolce build-along, Nicolas Bayley/Farmboy Customs Metro 2033, Murray St-Amour stag-handle filet

Watches: Omega Ultradeep, Rolex Deepsea, IWC Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar TOP GUN Lake Tahoe

Pens: Sailor 1911L Wicked Witch of the West, Fellhoelter TiBolt Mud Flap Lady

Audio: JBL 4329P, Epos ES-14N, Michell Gyro SE, Nagra Reference Turntable and streamer, Focal Utopia headphones/Naim Atom amp, Audiovector Trapeze

Cars: Pagani Huayra R and Zonda R, Bentley 1929 Blower, Singer, TVR Sagaris, Lamborghini Sterrato and Murcielago, Cybertruck, Ferrari GTO, F40, F50, and Enzo

Boats: Zodiac police boats, Nor-Tech 400 SuperSport, Donzi Classic 22, Hewescraft Alaskan

Motorcycles: MV Augusta Superleggara, Honda Africa Twin, Harley Fat Boy & CVO

Clothing: Retro Rifle, 221B tactical jeans, Silver Cedar Studio fur

Store visits: Urban Tactical 10 Year Anniversary, 416 Tactical, Prefair, Camouflage

Experiences: Aquino Gulf-War tank battle re-enactment, Banksy exhibit, axe throwing, finally trying APNVG panoramic night vision goggles

Celebrities: Mr. Nobody/The Tracker from John Wick 4, Richard Hammond, Mate Rimac, YouTube influencer Audiophile Junkie

Food: Lancaster Smokehouse, Camp31, Duff’s,  Zet’s, Zorro’s, Blessed Love Café, Bar Isabel, Shake Shack, Sushi Rock, Rolltation, 8 Mile, Dic Ann’s, barBURRITO, Dave’s Hot Chicken, Duke’s Refresher

Drink: Pappy Van Winkle, Blanton’s, Screwball, Teremana, Black Hole, Maple Cider

What are your highlights?

RL

My birthday celebration started right at midnight by watching the co-main event of UFC 310 at Urban House!

I was rooting for Shavkat Rakhmonov and he did end up winning.

For the main event, I had high hopes for Japanese star Kai Asakura but alas he lost to Pantoja

Thank you to the generous patron for the Jameson birthday shot

I popped over to say hi to my friends at Duke’s Refresher where I was treated to another great birthday shot, this time Sheep Dog Peanut Butter Whiskey mixed with Chambord. It really did taste like peanut butter and jelly!

Now for some rest before the real celebrations begin….

I met Steve from Bad Llama Forge at the Great Lakes Custom Knife Show and later learned that he is one of the coaches at Bad Axe! He graciously invited me to visit and I thought my birthday would be a perfect time to try axe throwing for the first time!

Even better when accompanied by a real bad axe, Morgy!

My first few throws didn’t go so well as the axe bounced off the target without sticking. I soon realized that taking a step forward as I throw made a HUGE difference! I managed to hit five shots in the 5 ring and even a 6 in the bullseye!

Once they stick, they stick

A few more target pics for perspective

Meanwhile, Morgy was doing two-hand overhead throws

Note to self, do not piss her off

She got some in the 5 ring too

In fact, we both did so at the same time! This is not staged or AI, we really hit these simultaneously!

We set a target score of 100 to end the match and I was at  99 so needed to hit the one ring …

Success!

Thanks for throwing with me Morgy!

And now for some pics…the Queen of Blades

I felt like Crom from Conan the Barbarian

I clearly wore the right shirt for this

Once again, thanks so much to our host Steve from Bad Llama Forge and his lovely fiancée Mayu (holding one of his custom throwing axes)

After a brief wardrobe change, we had some time before dinner so back to Duke’s Refresher for a quick snack. Duke’s did an amazing job with the Christmas decorations

And the Jalapeno Popper Dip was amazing as usual! This is one of my favourite dishes and I have had it many times including with meat added as well as with some of the ultra hot sauces that I keep at home.

Now on to our dinner at Bar Isabel, number 44 on the list of Top 100 Restaurants in Canada!

We got a nice end table for some relative privacy in a packed place

Being a Spanish tapas-style resto, we ordered several appetizers to sample.

First the Boquerons En Vinagre, which had a very pronounced lemon flavour. Don’t get me wrong, I love lemon, just letting you know this is more lemon than vinegar.

Next the Hand Cut Jamón Ibérico, billed as “The best Jamón in the world.” It is like a cured meat or at least it has a more dry/solid texture than a greasy salami, if that makes sense. Again, very good.

Finally, what turned out to be imho the best dish of the evening, the Roast Veal Bone Marrow! They serve it unseasoned but do provide a green sauce as well as sea salt. I tried it every way and it was best with the sea salt. Just awesome and what a visual presentation!

On to our main dishes. I opted for a ¼ Octopus. It was great and I am not sure what the white sauce was but I liked it!

Morgy had the Grilled 10oz Picanha Steak and it was great too!

We also shared a side of Patatas Bravas. Note you can add Boquerones to these and I would probably do that next time.

Last but certainly not least, the Basque Cake with Hot Sherry Cream (incidentally a $1 from each cake is donated to charity). This was awesome! Morgy said it reminded her of a dessert her Grandmother used to make and it was her favourite dessert she has eaten this year.

You would think we were done here but on the way out I stopped at the bar to check out their selection. Lo and behold, Pappy Van Winkle 20-year! I have wanted to try this for a lonnnggggg time and hey, it’s my birthday! That is some good stuff!

All in all Bar Isabel was great! It certainly lives up to its reputation and I would definitely come back.

I had a great day and thanks to Morgy for making it more memorable!

RL