This really is auto show season. Following the annual kickoff car event in Detroit as well as the Montreal show and Chicago’s auto offering, attention turned to Toronto. The Canadian International Auto Show (aka the Toronto Auto Show), which wrapped up on Sunday didn’t disappoint.
This year’s event, held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, had its fair share of SUVs, off-roaders and green cars, but the real star this year was luxury – and a look into the future.
Luxury Was Everywhere
This year’s show featured plenty of cars that auto sales college graduates could make a fortune selling. Some of the more noteworthy high-priced vehicles were:
- Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II: Rolls-Royce brought its Ghost Series II luxury sedan to Toronto. In one of the more interesting automotive painting choices, they presented an orange-ish red model (almost looks coral). In addition to its unusual colour, this Ghost offers a 6.6 litre twin-turbo V12, 563 horsepower and 8-speed automatic transmission.
- Infiniti QX80 and Q80 Inspiration Concept: Infiniti had two luxury offerings at this year’s show. There was the rather-large-for-luxury, 400 horsepower QX80 with a 5.6 litre V8 engine. For a much more sleek option, they had the 550 horsepower hybrid sports coupe concept car the Q80 Inspiration.
- Bentley Continental GTC Speed: It’s a convertible which seats four. It gets 626 horsepower and has all-wheel drive. It’s also a Bentley, which means luxury and prestige.
- Cadillac CTS-V: Cadillac has always been known for class and style and the CTS-V is no different. However, this third generation caddy is also quite powerful. There’s 640 horsepower and 630 pounds per foot of torque for starters, but also a v-shaped engine that allows the car to go from 0-60 miles per hour in 3.7 seconds.
A Glimpse at the Future?
Among the offerings in Toronto there was an auto exotica section. This featured vehicles that looked decidedly unique and, in some cases, downright futuristic. People receiving their auto technician training should take note, because these may be the types of models they’ll be working on in the next few years. Some standouts are:
- Pagani Huayra: While gull-wing doors aren’t new by any stretch of the imagination, they still look very futuristic, especially when included on a handmade Italian supercar. That’s exactly what you get with the Pagani Huayra. You also get a twin turbo V-12 engine and over 700 horsepower.
- Toyota iRoad: No, this isn’t that new car by Apple everyone has been talking about. The iRoad, however, is quite a unique offering that could represent the future of auto desgin. It’s a three-wheeled steering vehicle that leans through corners. To call it compact would be an understatement, as it’s closer to the size of a scooter than a coupe. Have a look at this futuristic three-wheeler being road-tested in Japan:
