Chris Stoate
Auto Show Beauty
One option for family fun this weekend or even next week is the AutoShow, at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre until the 26th. Open from 10:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. every day until Sunday the 26th, when it will close at 6 pm.
It’s easy to get to take the GO train to Union and then follow the signs for the Convention Centre, about a 10-minute walk indoors or outside on Front St.
The big news at this year’s show, back after Covid absence, is the transition to electric. New brands and many new models from old brands are on display, and you can touch, sit in and even drive many of them, with an electric vehicle test track on site.
A big Canadian feature is the Arrow, its name honouring the phenomenal technology of the Arrow supersonic plane developed in Canada. This Arrow is a prototype electric car made in Canada to showcase our University and auto parts capabilities. Anyone wanting to do an electric vehicle (EV) startup can see that all the technology is available for free in Canada, and the parts manufacturers and vehicle designers are here too.
Tesla and Polestar are there, but so is VinFast, a new Vietnam-based entry with a full line of products already being built. Exciting entries from Hyundai (the beautiful Ioniq 6) are there to be seen, and you can test drive electric Jeeps on a specially designed obstacle course. Electric Hummers dominate the GM display until you see the concept Buick Wildcat, which took my breath away.
And there is no shortage of classics and exotics, competition cars and supercars. A Tesla plaid that holds the honour of fastest accelerating car in the world (0-100 in 2 seconds) keeps company with McLarens, Lamborghinis, Bugattis, Ferraris and high-performance Ford supercars too, to make Oakville residents feel at home!
There is a genuine Shelby Cobra, of the type that led to the Ford GT that beat Ferrari at LeMans, a 1961 Mercedes 300SL convertible (each worth at least $2 million) and a variety of other unique vehicles. The Cobble Beach Concours d’Elégance has a special room with 75 years of Porsche as the theme, a truly impressive marque in the history of sporting driving machines. Add the Lego car and the Hot Wheels displays, and there is something for everyone at the Canadian International Auto Show.
