After a two-year hiatus, Canada’s largest auto show, the Canadian International Auto Show, is back in Toronto. Here are six must-see vehicles stealing the show.
1. Buick Wildcat
This is not your grandpa’s Buick. This stunning coupe is the Buick Wildcat electric vehicle concept. It showcases Buick’s new design language as the brand moves toward an all-electric future. Filled with futuristic features including artificial intelligence, biometrics and aromatherapy, the vehicle can detect if a driver is stressed with an elevated heartbeat and then initiate a sequence to calm them down such as dim the cabin lights, activate the massage seats, and dispense scents throughout the cabin.
The Buick Wildcat EV concept, on display at the 2023 Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto, shows off Buick’s new design language as the automaker looks to an electric future.Jordan Chittley/The Globe and Mail
Related: Canadian International AutoShow returns to Toronto, but without many carmakers in tow
2. APMA Project Arrow
If you want to get a glimpse of Canadian talent, look no further than Project Arrow. This zero-emission prototype comes courtesy of Canada’s Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association. Nearly every detail on it from the smart-textured steering wheel to the solar-panel roof to the Canadian maple wood flooring to the 3D-printed chassis comes from 58 Canadian suppliers. Even the ground-breaking SUV design came from Industrial Design students at Carleton University in Ottawa.
Nearly every detail on the Arrow electric vehicle comes from 58 Canadian suppliers.Christopher Katsarov/The Globe and Mail
3. Chevrolet Silverado EV
One of Canada’s best-selling trucks, the Silverado, just got better with the addition of its first ever electric pickup. Developed from the ground up as an electric vehicle, the Silverado EV is an electric workhorse. It has a range of up to 640 kilometres and can tow up to 10,000 pounds. You can bet it’ll give the Ford F-150 Lightning electric truck a run for its money. It’s also one of several new EVs Chevrolet is rolling out alongside the Equinox and Blazer SUVs.
The Chevrolet Silverado was developed from the ground up as the manufacturer's first electric pickup truck.Jordan Chittley/The Globe and Mail
4. Koenigsegg Regera
You can’t miss this transformer-like Koenigsegg Regera super sports car in Nordic light blue. It’s jaw-dropping and a marvel of beauty when the hood, roof and doors open and close. The stats are impressive, too. This 2021 model is powered by a five-litre twin-turbo V-8 engine and three electric motors. Together, they produce 1,500 horsepower and 1,475 lb-ft of torque and can launch this car to 100 kilometres per hour in only 2.8 seconds. The price tag is a whopping US$2,999,998.
The 1,500-horsepower transformer-like Koenigsegg Regera can reach 100 kilometres per hour in only 2.8 seconds.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
5. 1961 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster
It’s not just about glitzy, glamourous new cars on the show floor, classic cars like this 1961 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster are also showstoppers. Beautifully designed, this two seater is in mint condition with its original factory black exterior paint and red leather interior. It was previously owned by a Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance judge. And in 1961, only 250 were built – no wonder it’s valued at US$2-million.
A 1961 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster on display at the auto show is in mint condition, with its original factory black exterior paint and red leather interior.Jordan Chittley/The Globe and Mail
6. Alfa Romeo F1 racecar
If you are a fan of the popular docudrama Formula 1: Drive to Survive, you will definitely want to check out the 2022 Alfa Romeo F1 C42 in the Autostrada section. It is the same as the car raced by Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu. It is hard to tell on TV just how big the wheels are, how small the cockpit is and how there are so many fine details all designed to improve aerodynamics and downforce.
The 2022 Alfa Romeo F1 C42 on display is the same as the car raced by Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu.Jordan Chittley/The Globe and Mail
The Toronto auto show runs February 17-26.
Petrina Gentile