Published: January 18, 2019, 9:30 PM
Updated: January 26, 2019, 2:13 AM
The bright and the brawny
The first Canadian show of the year is well-known for bringing out the power and luxury, and this year’s edition of the Montreal International Auto Show doesn’t dissapoint. Here are 20 displays you’ll want to visit at the show.
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Toyota Supra
Days after its world premiere in Detroit, the long- and highly-awaited Supra made its Canadian debut in Montreal. The new sports coupe, reborn after a 16-year hiatus through the joint efforts of BMW and Toyota’s Gazoo Racing division, is built on the same CLAR architecture as the all-new Z4 and powered by a turbocharged, 3.0-litre inline-6 with 335 hp, mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox only. Alas.
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Acura NSX
The high-tech, hybrid-powered, all-wheel drive Acura NSX super sports car is getting a subtle restyling and a number of mechanical and technical tweaks and upgrades for 2019. Among them, retuned suspension components with firmer settings and new performance tires. No doubt it will stand out at this year’s show in Montreal in this optional Thermal Orange Pearl paint job.
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Mitsubishi e-Evolution Concept
As Corporate Vice President of product strategy at Mitsubishi Motors, Vincent Cobee knows what the carmaker is developing for the next decade. He flew to Montreal from his base in Japan to give journalists hints about where concept vehicles such as this e-Evolution might lead the latest member of the much-discussed Renault Nissan Mitsubishi alliance.
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Lamborghini Urus
Montreal show visitors will witness the Canadian premiere of the Urus “super-sport-utility” that should merely double Lamborghini sales in Canada, in short order. Absolutely unrelated to the blocky, V12-powered Lamborghini LM002 brute from the late ’80s, the Urus is powered by a twin-turbocharged, 641-horsepower V-8 and much lighter than its direct rivals. This blazing colour is called Giallo Auge.
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1970 Porsche 911T
Still celebrating its 70th anniversary, Porsche gave center stage presence to this impeccable 1970 911T coupe from its precious collection, complete with its 125-horsepower, 2.0-litre, 6-cylinder “boxer” engine, coupled to the rare, semi-automatic, Sportomatic gearbox. Meanwhile, the all-new 911 (type 992) and Cayenne Turbo were making their Canadian debuts, along with the revamped Macan.
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F&F Porsche 914/6 special
The wizards at F&F Fabrication have basically rebuilt this superb Porsche 914/6 from scratch, in steel, almost entirely, with a few twists. Most notably, a 3.2-litre, 6-cylinder ‘boxer’ engine from a 911 Carrera. The inspired craftsmen see it as a discreet homage to the 914/6 that won its class and finished 7th overall at the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1971 for pioneer automotive journalist Jacques Duval.
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Audi RS 5 Sportback
“We always introduce our sexiest models at the Montreal Auto Show” says Audi Canada PR spokesman Cort Nielsen, mostly tongue-in-cheek. This gorgeous RS 5 Sportback certainly fits the bill. The 4-door, all-wheel drive, hatchback luxury sedan is powered by a twin-turbocharged, 444-horsepower, 2.9-litre V-6 engine, coupled to an 8-speed ZF automatic gearbox. Carbon-ceramic brakes are optional.
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Rolls-Royce Dawn Black Badge
The spectacular, Mandarin orange “tonneau covers” officially called an “Aero cowling” are a $30,922 option on this Rolls-Royce Dawn Black Badge convertible. The covers are stowed manually in the trunk to uncover the opulent convertible’s rear seats, for possible use.
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Rolls-Royce Dawn Black Badge
This version of the Dawn also gets a power increase to 593 hp and 620 lb-ft of torque for its twin-turbo, 6.6-litre V-12. The price is $593,172.
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Ecotuned electric powertrain conversion
Ecotuned has developed this first, universal and re-usable system that can be used to convert light trucks from thermal to electric power. The Quebec-based company claims its patented unit will deliver a million kilometres of zero-emission use for Class 2 to 4 pickup trucks, vans and sport-utilities. Compatible with Dodge, Ford and GM products, new or used, it offers from 214 to 288 hp and 150 to 225 km of range.
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Bugatti Chiron
Glowing in the new Black Box section is automotive royalty. The Bugatti Chiron is powered by a new version of the epic supercar’s 8.0-litre engine, its 16 cylinders arranged in a W pattern and force-fed by a quartet of larger turbochargers that raise its output to 1,500 horsepower and 1,180 lb-ft of torque. Good for a 0-100 km/h sprint in 2.4 seconds and a 420 km/h top speed, for a cool $5 million.
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Koenigsegg Agera RS
Currently the fastest car on the planet, the Agera RS is the brainchild of Swedish visionary Christian Koenigsegg. Propelled by a twin-turbocharged, 5.0-litre V-8 that develops 1,341 horsepower, it reached a speed of 457.94 km/h on a thankfully closed highway in Nevada. Only 25 of these were built and sold at a price of about $2.5 million. Another resplendent occupant of the show’s Black Box section.
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Felino CB7R
After introducing two track-focused versions of his radical CB7 sports car at the Montreal show in 2015 and selling a number of them, mostly abroad, Antoine Bessette is back with this new CB7R version that will be road-ready-and-legal. The lean and rakish coupe is powered by a 700-horsepower, 7.0-litre V-8, for a vehicle-weight of only 1,135 kg. Only 10 copies of this land missile will be sold, for about $350,000.
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Honda Toyota partners in hydrogen
Arch rivals Honda and Toyota, both producing hydrogen fuel-cell powered cars, are working with refueling network specialists Harnois and hydrogen distribution experts at Hydrogenics, with the support of the Quebec government and Natural Resources Canada, on the implementation of refuelling stations that will provide several energy sources, including this hydrogen pump, in the province of Quebec.
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Honda Passport
Also making its first Canadian appearance is the Honda Passport mid-size sport-utility, bridging the size gap between the compact CR-V and full-size Pilot. In fact, the Passport is built on a shorter version of the Pilot’s and the versatile Ridgeline pickup’s architecture. It is also powered by the same 3.5-litre V-6 engine that provides a generous output of 280 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque to all four wheels.
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Infiniti QX50
Infiniti has created this very special version of its QX50 luxury sport-utility strictly for show, of course. These thousands of blue LEDs react to the presence and movement of living beings thanks to any number of sensors. The quicker the movement, the warmer the colour gets, from a cool green hue to bright yellow and red when passers-by start jumping and waving. A guaranteed crowd favourite.
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Nissan Altima-te AWD
Following, quite literally, in the tracks of the Rogue Warrior is the perfectly unique Altima-te. It was created for fun only but also cleverly underlines the fact that Nissan’s new mid-size sedan if sold only with all-wheel drive in Canada. The Altima-te was custom-built by the folks at MIA Motorsport who had also crafted the Warrior, in a busy shop where all Micra Cup race cars are also fabricated.
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Mazda3 AWD
The sleek, fully-redesigned Mazda3 is an important car in this country, especially with available all-wheel drive. Mazda seized the opportunity of its Canadian debut to announce pricing, always crucial in this competitive segment. The entry-level GX has a base price of $18,000. A notch above, the GS starts at $22,700 and the GT at $26,200. A fully-loaded, AWD GT Sport hatchback tops out at $31,400.
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Hyundai Le Fil Rouge concept
The Korean carmaker’s Le Fil Rouge concept would entirely deserve a prize for sheer elegance, at this year’s show. The utterly svelte 4-door is the latest embodiment of a design philosophy Hyundai refers to as ‘Sensuous Sportiness’, offering clues to the look, proportions and shape of future luxury models. This showstopper is especially striking in profile, with its tiny overhangs and beautifully flowing roofline.
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Bruno Spengler
BMW works driver Bruno Spengler, who grew up in Quebec, made a rare and popular appearance. Spengler won the drivers’ title when BMW returned to the fabled DTM racing series, in 2012. He is now a young veteran, taming his M4’s new 4-cylinder turbocharged engine while enjoying his new role as test driver in the all-electric Formula E series. Bruno will also co-drive an M8 at the Sebring 1,000-mile event.
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2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon
The legendary Jeep brand brings its 2020 Gladiator to Montreal for the brawny pickup’s Canadian debut. It is available in four trim levels: Sport, Sport S, Overland and the top-line Rubicon, shown here, in fully-open-air guise, with all doors removed and windshield folded forward. Power is from a 285-hp, 3.6-litre Pentastar V-6 with an 8-speed automatic gearbox. A 3.0-litre Diesel comes next year.
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