2018 Canadian International Autoshow

This year's Canadian International AutoShow was held from February 17 to 26.

The show is more than just the over 1,000 new cars and trucks. There are also features and promotions to attract the public.

AutoShow 2018 brought many fast-and-furious features throughout the ten-day event. A daily schedule provided Show content, including prizes, promotions, engaging speakers, and special events each day.

Auto Exotica has become a permanent fixture of the AutoShow. It once again featured all the Exotic Marques available across Canada and hosted a unique showcase of rare exotics owned by the country’s most passionate collectors.
A couple of unique displays celebrated 70 years of Porsche and the 50th anniversary of Hot Wheels. Returning were the Tuner Culture and Art and the Automobile.
For the first time, the AutoShow featured the world’s fastest cars, including the Koenigsegg Agera RS.
eSport Gaming, the online global phenomenon reaching millions of competitors, fans and viewers worldwide, made its debut at The Canadian International AutoShow.
As usual, the winning vehicles, as selected by Canada's most respected automotive journalists, were on hand.
There were several promotions where attendees could win everything from a car to a trip and discounted gas.
Finally, 40 vehicles made their Canadian debut at the 2018 Canadian International AutoShow.

There was something for everyone at this year's Canadian International AutoShow.

The Kia Stinger GT is the company's entry into the competitive sports-sedan market. Kia offers a 2.0-liter rear-wheel-drive version. The GT has a 3.3-liter all-aluminum V6 under the hood with twin turbochargers. The motor output is rated at 365 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 376 lb-ft of torque at 4,500 rpm. This vehicle is also all-wheel-drive with an 8-speed Sportmatic automatic transmission. The Stinger GT retails all in at $51,894.

The Velocity Motorsports Club Honda Civic SI was displayed in the Honda compound. The car competed in the Canadian Touring Car Championship and was driven by Scott Nicol last year. The Honda is powered by a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, which produces 225 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. The Civic is equipped with Pirelli PZero tires, Bilstein shock absorbers, and upgraded sway bars to improve handling. Wilwood calipers and rotors stop the Honda.

In many ways, the appearance of the 2018 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon mimics the original Jeep manufactured for the United States Army in WW II; however, there have been many advances in vehicle technology. The latest offering from Jeep uses a 3.6-liter Pentastar VVT V6 with Engine Start/Stop technology and an 8-speed automatic transmission. Standard equipment includes a 7-inch touchscreen display, Keyless Enter 'n Go, Dana front and rear axles, 4.10 rear axle ratio and a heavy gauge skid plate.

On November 4, 2017, a Koenigsegg Agera RS driven by factory driver Niklas Lilja used a single morning to set five new speed records. Lilja and Koenigsegg set the highest top speed for a production vehicle at 277.87 mph. The Agera RS is assembled in Angelholm, Sweden, using a 4.7-liter V8 engine with twin turbochargers. The RS version produces 1,341 horsepower. The transmission is a 7-speed dual-clutch unit.

General Motors' 1958 Firebird III concept car was in the Art and the Automobile exhibit. The vehicle is said to represent the 1950s obsession with fins. This was the third and final of the experimental Firebirds, all powered by a gas turbine engine. The vehicle is also significant, breaking several GM designer Harley Earl's styling rules. The Firebird has very little chrome and no parallel lines.

The Hot Wheels display included this 1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS. This Hero car was used in the 2017 Hot Wheels TV spot 'The Drive.' The build was completed by AVE. The base engine in the 1967 RS was a 250 cu.in. straight six. The Camaro was fitted with a 383 cu.in. Stroker Block Chevrolet V8 produces 615 horsepower at 6,800 rpm. It is finished with five-spoke US alloy mags and high-performance tires. The car accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds.

The 2018 Infiniti Q60 has a retail price of $60,495. The Infiniti includes advanced features such as Advanced Vehicle Dynamic Control, Traction Control System and Anti-lock Braking System with Electronic Brake Force Distribution. The Q60 also consists of the Sport Brake package, which has 4-piston calipers on the front and 2-piston calipers on the rear with a rotor upgrade. The vehicle is powered by a 3.0-liter V6 twin-turbocharged engine that produces 300 horsepower.

Infiniti's Prototype 9 resembles a vintage Mercedes-Benz race car with modern-day design cues. Prototype 9 is the vision of the company's design chief, Alfonso Albaisa. The car evolved in Japan's Atsugu Studio. The vehicle was built at Nissan using traditional car-building techniques. Project 9 uses an electric powertrain similar to that in the next-generation Leaf. It produces 148 horsepower and 236 lb-ft of torque and will accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in less than 5.5 seconds. It has 19-inch wire wheels reminiscent of an early Talbot-Lago or Maserati.

McLaren Toronto brought this McLaren 650S Spider to the Auto Exotica exhibit. The McLaren can be purchased for $339,350 plus taxes. The engine in the vehicle is a 3.8-liter aluminum V8 with twin turbochargers, which produces 641 horsepower at 7,250 rpm. The 650S travels from 0 to 100 kph in 3 seconds. To stop, the car is equipped with 15.5-inch rotors on the front with 4-piston calipers and on the rear 2-piston calipers with 15-inch rotors.

McLaren's 2004 entry into the Formula 1 World Championship was their MP4-19. The car was designed by Adrian Newey and driven by Kimi Raikkonen and David Coulthard. Unfortunately, the MP4-19 was plagued with problems, and mid-season, an upgraded version called the MP4-19B was launched – this is the McLaren appearing in Auto Exotica. Raikkonen earned three podium results with the new McLaren, one of which was a victory in round fourteen in Belgium.

The e-tron FE04 represents Audi's future vision of motorsports. After their victories at Le Mans, Audi joined the Formula E series. The Audi e-tron FE04 was developed from their experience in 2016 and 2017. The company worked with its technology partner, Schaeffler, to create a new powertrain. The Audi Schaeffler MGU02 produces 272 horsepower and uses a lithium-ion battery. The car will accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.5 seconds and has a top speed of 225 km/h.

Porsche built the Porsche Carrera GT from 2004 to 2006. The GT was ahead of its time. The development of the Carrera GT can be traced to the 911 GT1 and LMP1 race cars. The mid-engine car was equipped with a 5.7-liter DOHC V10, which produces 603 horsepower and 435 lb-ft torque and can travel from 0 to 100 k/hr in less than four seconds. A twin-plate ceramic clutch with a six-speed manual transmission is bolted to the motor. The car tips the scales at 3,042 pounds.

This 2018 Ford GT, the 1967 Heritage Edition, was at the Ford booth. This limited-edition Ford GT celebrates the GT40 Mark IV entry that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1967. Inspired by the original's car livery, the Ford GT '67 Heritage Edition features a Race Red exterior with white stripes and the No. 1 on the doors and hood. Every Ford GT '67 Heritage Edition also features a unique serialized identification plate. Limited quantities will be available in 2018.

Art and the Automobile included this 1954 Alfa Romeo 1900CSS Touring Superleggera Series 2 coupe. The Alfa Romeo, introduced in 1950, was the company's first post-war production model. It was a necessary car for Alfa as it was their first vehicle built on an assembly line and the first with unibody construction. This model features Boranni wire wheels and a 1900-cc 4-cylinder DOHC alloy engine with two Solex carburetors.

This 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon starts at $114,040. The muscle car is equipped with a 6.2-liter Supercharged HEMI SRT V8 Hellcat. This combination produces 808 horsepower and a vehicle that will cover the quarter-mile in 9.65 seconds at 140 mph. An 8-speed TorqueFlite high-performance automatic transmission transfers this power to the rear wheels. Brembo six-piston calipers are used to stop the Challenger.

Another car from the Hot Wheels collection was this 1966 Pontiac GTO, nicknamed The Goat. The GTO was unveiled at the 2006 Speciality Equipment Market Association Show in Las Vegas. It features Hot Wheel's custom rims and special paint from PPG. Under the hood is a 455 cu.in. V8 with an Edelbrock carburetor and intake manifold. The exhaust system consists of Hedman Headers and two Flowmaster pipes and mufflers.

The Mercedes AMG ONE is a limited production plug-in dual hybrid sports car. The powertrain shares features with a Formula 1 car. The AMG ONE has five motors that serve different functions. The combined output of these engines is 1,049 horsepower. The transmission is a 7-speed single-clutch automated manual. Six-piston aluminum calipers on the front and four-pistons on the rear stop the car.