2023 Canadian International Autoshow

The outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020 led to the cancellation of the 2021 and 2022 Canadian International AutoShows. In 2023, AutoShow organizers welcomed the public back to share the many new innovations that have driven the industry since February 2020.

The theme this year was Mobility Reimagined. The AutoShow wanted to respond to a fully electric future and help attendees understand these trends.

The manufacturer s latest offerings are the most essential element of the show. On hand at the 300 level were Alfa Romeo, Fiat Chrysler, Stellantis, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, and Subaru; on the level 800 main floor were Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Vinfast, Tesla, and Lexus. Many automakers were not comfortable returning to the AutoShow.

The AutoShow brought back some of the most popular features and a host of new highlights.

Auto Exotica had a new location and was blended with the vehicles appearing on the 800 level.
Cobble Beach Classics presented an exhibit honouring 75 Years of Porsche.
The Revzone and Castrol Alley appeared on Level 700.
A significant new addition to the 2023 show was a dedicated EV exhibit called Electric City, where the electrification of the industry was showcased with experts on hand to educate and support consumers.

This year s Canadian International AutoShow marked a milestone as it has been 50 years since the first show was held in 1974 at the International Center.

The AutoShow ran from February 17 to 26 at the Metro Toronto Convention Center.

The Cobble Beach Classics presented 75 Years of Porsche, including this 1969 Porsche 917 LH. The 830 kg 917 LH is powered by a 4.5-liter Air-cooled 12-cylinder flat engine. The motor produces 512 horsepower at 8,000 rpm and has a top speed of 320 km/h. Chassis 005 debuted at the Spa 1000km with Joe Siffert behind the wheel. The Porsche was purchased by privateer John Wolfe, who was unfortunately killed at Le Mans. In 2012, the car was bought and restored by David Seabrooke.

The $81,583 Kia EV6 GT is the company's most powerful vehicle at 576 horsepower. The Kia is equipped with a 77.4 kWh battery pack and two motors located at the front and rear for all-wheel-drive traction. The GT accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds and runs through the quarter mile in 11.4 seconds at 121 mph. The vehicle also includes an electronic limited slip differential, adaptive damper and a quicker steering ratio.

The Chrysler exhibit included the 2022 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat. The model shown has the 6.2 liter supercharged SRT HEMI V8. Transferring the power to the rear wheels is an eight-speed TorqueFlite high-performance automatic transmission. Standard equipment includes competition suspension with adaptive damping, dual-scoop hood, heated front seats and steering wheel and SRT Performance Pages with configurable drive models and launch control.

The NISMO Off-Road Frontier V8 Concept takes the midsize truck to a new level of performance. The Frontier is ready for Baja-style desert running. In addition to stirring truck enthusiasts' imagination about personalizing their own truck, the concept shows off a range of new NISMO off-road accessories from Nissan dealerships. The vehicle also features prototype NISMO Off-Road parts.

The Revzone included a 2017 Alfa Romeo 4C Barchetta Spyder. The engine has been upgraded with forged connecting rods and pistons, port and polished cylinder heads, twin-scroll generation 2 Garrett GTX30 turbochargers, and methanol injection with 550cc injectors. The motor has a titanium exhaust down pipe. The chassis has been tuned with a three-way adjustable Nitron suspension. The wheels are forged Titan 7 rims.

The 2023 Subaru Outback Wilderness Edition is powered by the 260-horsepower direct injection Subaru Box engine. Some key features include dual-function X-MODE, heated steering wheel, front and rear seats, all-weather soft-touch upholstery with gunmetal and anodized copper interior trim accents. Also part of the interior package is an 11.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system featuring SiriusXM satellite radio with Travel Link.

The long-awaited mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette C8 appeared in 2020. At the General Motors compound was the 2023 Z06. The Z06 is considerably wider than the regular Corvette Stingray, which includes bigger air intakes and a unique rear wing. However, what you can't see is the significant difference. The car uses a naturally aspirated 5.5-liter V8 engine with an all-new flat-plane crankshaft. The motor produces 670 horsepower with a redline of 8,600 rpm.

On loan from the Ingram Collection was this 1964 Porsche 904 Carrera GTS. With the withdrawal of Formula One in 1962, Porsche switched their focus to sports car racing. The company's first effort was the 904, which won its class at the 12 Hours of Sebring. Almost all 904s were powered by the 2.0-liter four-camshaft flat-four engine from the Porsche 718. The power output for this 655 kg Porsche is 180 horsepower at 7,000 rpm with a top speed of 260 km/h.

Another concept vehicle located in the Nissan compound was the Nissan Ariya Surfwagon. The Ariya was designed to stroke dreams and inspire EV owners to personalize their vehicles to fit their lifecycles. The Surfwagon concept reimagines the 2023 Ariya, the company's first crossover, as a California-style surf 'woodie' wagon. The vehicle was created by South Carolina-based Tommy Pike Customs for Nissan.

This is the 2023 GMC Hummer EV SUV. The Hummer is powered by three motors producing up to 830 horsepower and 11,500 lb-ft of torque. The truck will accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in approximately 3.5 seconds. The vehicle has a 505 km electric range on a full charge. The EV features an 800V DC public fast charging system. Some of the more unique aspects of the Hummer are Crabwalk, which allows the vehicle to drive diagonally, and Ultravision with underbody cameras.

The 2023 Lexus LC500 is available as a standard model or a much heavier and pricier hybrid version. The LC500 uses a 5.0-liter V8, which produces 471 horsepower and 398 lb-ft of torque. The engine is paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. On the other hand, the hybrid is powered by a 354-horsepower gas / electric drivetrain. A 3.5-liter V6 works with a pair of electric motors, a 1.1 kWh lithium-ion battery and a constant variable automatic transmission.

Another vehicle in the Revzone exhibit was the 1998 Nissan Skyline R34. All Skylines are imported as they were never available for sale by North American Nissan Dealers. This R34 is the fifth generation of Skyline built from 1998 to 2002. The early models were equipped with a 2.6-liter twin-turbocharged inline-six-cylinder engine called an RB26DETT. Connected to the engine is a 6-speed Getrag 233 manual transmission. This R34 has been upgraded with an intercooler and 550cc fuel injectors.

A modern version of a Nissan performance car is the Z. Unlike its predecessors, which had an alphanumeric name, Nissan's newest offering is called Z. The model is powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 (VR30DDTT). This motor produces 400 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque. Prospective buyers can choose a six-speed manual or a nine-speed automatic Jatco transmission.

FEL Motorsports had three cars on hand from their racing series. This Ford Mustang competes in the GT4 category of the Sports Car Championship Canada. The naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V8 in the Mustang produces 405 horsepower and will travel from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds. The rear-wheel drive car uses a Holinger six-speed sequential paddle shift transmission. The Mustang is driven by Jack Polito, who finished third in last year's championship.

The Cobble Beach Classics exhibit also included a Janis Joplin tribute car. The Porsche on display is a 1962 356B 1600 Roadster powered by a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder air-cooled Boxer motor that produces 59 horsepower at 4,500 rpm. Joplin's original Porsche was a 1964 model. She paid one of her roadies, Dave Richards, $500 to paint the car. The 356 portrays the universe's history and includes every colour of the rainbow. This was Joplin's daily driver.

VinFast, a Vietnam-based multinational company, is new to the automotive industry. On display at the AutoShow was the VinFast VF8. This model is available as an ECO or Plus model. The crossover uses dual electric motors. The ECO version produces 349 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque. Meanwhile, the Plus model has 402 horsepower and 457 lb-ft of torque. Other differences are wheel size, power seat adjustments and sound systems. VinFast offers a 10-year or 200,000 km warranty.

This Alfa Romeo C42 is a show car; however, it is true to the vehicle used in Formula One. The C42 was designed by Alfa Romeo for the 2022 World Championship and built to the new generation of technical regulations. The C42 was powered by a Ferrari 1.6-liter direct injection turbocharged engine and a kinetic and thermal energy recovery systems electric motor also by Ferrari. Power goes to the rear wheels using an 8-speed semi-automatic transmission. The cars were driven by Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu.

The Legendary Motorcar Company brought this 2022 Ford GT MKII valued at $1.5 million USD. Legendary Motorcar custom ordered this special livery to commemorate one of the most important GT40s. It is modeled after the 1966 GT / 106 MKII prototype that Ken Miles and Dennis Hulme shared at Le Mans. This newer version is powered by a 3.5-liter V6 twin-turbocharged EcoBoost engine, which produces 700 horsepower.