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AutoExotica in the spotlight at TO show

Exotic cars and the glory days of Indy racing on display in Toronto

Kanishka Sonnadara
Published: February 17, 2016, 6:05 PM
Updated: February 19, 2016, 10:53 PM

AutoExotica

Exotic cars and the glory days of Indy racing on display in Toronto ▲

Attention getters

Despite occupying one of the smaller spaces at the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto, exotic vehicles often attract the most attention. This year is no different, with both production cars and Indy 500 race cars sharing space next to each other. ▲

Maserati Gran Turismo MC

For the first time in its over one-hundred year history, Maserati has an official Canadian presence in the form of Maserati of Canada. The company offers the Gran Turismo (MC model pictured here) and the Quattroporte and Ghibli sedans for the Canadian market. With prices ranging from $83,800 to just shy of $200,000, there’s a sedan, coupe or convertible with the iconic Trident badging on it to suit nearly every luxury car buyer’s budget. ▲

McLaren 540C

Another exotic car brand making a push into the Canadian market is the revered British race and sports car builder McLaren. Distributed through a select exotic vehicle dealer network in Canada, the company’s new 540C coupe has a starting sticker price of $196,500 making it one of the best values in its segment. A company building cars on a philosophy of ‘form follows function', McLaren isn’t hard to love. ▲

Pagani Huayra

A rather rare spot on Canadian roads, the Pagani Huayra is as much art as it is automobile. Powered by a hand-built 730 horsepower twin-turbo AMG V-12 and weighing in at just 1,350 kg (2,976 lbs), the Huayra is an entirely different class of exotic car. Ringing in at about $1.7-million, it is also more at home in a gallery than on a public road. ▲

Bentley Continental GT Speed

The iconic look of the Bentley Continental hasn’t changed much since its inception in 2003. The new Continental GT Speed convertible pictured here, however, gets a healthy dose of more power, featuring a twin-turbo W-12 engine capable of 626 horsepower and 605 lb-ft of torque. A temple to luxury and opulence, the Continental GT Speed does weigh in at a staggering 2,900 kg (6,393 lbs), but still manages the 0-to-60 mph (100 km/h) run in 4.1 seconds. ▲

Rolls-Royce Dawn

There was a time when Rolls-Royce wouldn’t dare speak of such vulgarities as horsepower or acceleration times. That was also before they built a two-door coupe, the Wraith, and now we have its convertible variant, the Rolls-Royce Dawn. Although not as powerful as the convertible Bentley coupe, the Dawn is capable of a rather brisk 0-to-60 mph (100 km/h) run of 4.9 seconds. Called the “sexiest Rolls Royce ever built”, this is one gorgeous car that defines the ultra luxury segment. ▲

Aston Martin DB9

Aston Martin calls its sleek and beautiful grand tourer the DB9. A timeless bit of British motoring elegance, the DB9 is the one you choose when you want that balance between sporty, classy and downright pretty. Renowned for its thrilling exhaust note and drool-inducing design, the DB9 is the often dreamed about luxury sports car we all want. After 13 years of small refinements to the original design, Aston Martin will ceases production of the DB9 in favour of the forthcoming DB11. ▲

Ferrari California T

Often called the softest Ferrari on the market today, the California T is the exotic that can be a daily driver. It’s as comfortable as a Ferrari gets and is the least expensive model in the brand’s lineup at about $300,000. The hardtop convertible top is one of the California’s defining characteristics, while the T indicates its turbocharged powerplant, a rarity for Ferrari. A wonderful touring car, the California T is the car for those looking for a little drama at the flex of their right foot but still wanting basics like a little storage and cup holders. ▲

Ferrari Dino

Technically, the Dino is not a Ferrari. But it was designed by the folks at Ferrari. It was produced by Ferrari. It’s even named after Enzo Ferrari’s son, Dino. Pictured here is a Dino 246 GT. Created by Ferrari beginning in 1968, the Dino brand was an attempt to sell more affordable sports cars that could take on the likes of Porsche. Unlike the V-12-only Ferrari’s of the time, the 246 was powered by a 2.4L V-6 engine. By the mid-1970s the brand was retired as Ferrari returned to badging all its cars with the prancing horse emblem. ▲

Jaguar F-Type coupe

Jaguar’s re-entry into the world of small two-door sports cars arrived to sensational fanfare and high praise from auto journalists the world over. First introduced as a convertible in 2013 and a coupe a year later, the Jaguar F-Type is one of the sweetest recent additions to the world of motoring. Front-engine, rear-drive as a roadster or coupe, the F-Type has the right layout for a good sports car and the looks to be a great one. With a starting price of just $77,500, the F-Type is also one of the most affordable cars in this gallery. Today, Jaguar offers the F-Type in several iterations including all-wheel-drive and a 550 horsepower R model. ▲

Lamborghini Huracan Spyder

No exotic car brand evokes more passion than the wildly outrageous visual spectacles from Lamborghini. Although in recent years, the automaker has been faulted for playing it safe with designs like that of the Gallardo, its replacement, the Hurcan is a step back in the right direction for Lamborghini. Pictured here is the convertible Huracan Spyder. Capable of a face melting 0-to-60 mph (100 km/h) time of 2.5 seconds, the “entry Lambo” is only so by name. ▲

Renault Sport Spider

Not all convertibles are made the same. Case in point: the Renault Sport Spider. This rather fascinating, roofless, butterfly door equipped sports car was only built between 1996 and 1999 reaching a production total of just 1,685 units. You can thank the Lotus Elise for the demise of the Renault Sport Spider as the Elise dominated the sales floors and went on to spawn even better predecessors. The Renault Sport Spider was not officially sold in Canada but a handful of imported examples, like the one pictured here, do exist. ▲

Lotus Evora S

Lotus, despite building some fantastic driver’s cars, has never seen critical sales success here in Canada. From the very first Elise, to the more track oriented to Exige, to the recent, more touring oriented Evora (pictured here), Lotus is synonymous with great handling cars. Unfortunately, the brand is also synonymous with poor build quality, which Lotus promises has gotten a lot better with the new Evora. ▲

Tesla Model S

Exotic in a different sense than most of the other cars in the exhibit, the Tesla Model S is to date the most visible electric vehicle on our roads. Being popular doesn’t by any means take away from this impressive machine. The all-electric, all-wheel drive Model S P90D pictured here is best known for its 3.0-second 0-to-60 mph (100 km/h) time running on a mode Tesla call ‘Ludicrous’. ▲

Tesla Model X

The latest addition to the Tesla lineup is the Model X, essentially a utility vehicle variant of the Model S with the novelty of gull-wing rear doors. While it has already been seen at other venues, Toronto is its first official auto show appearance. Model X pricing when it arrives in Canada is expected be close to the double-century mark in Canadian dollars. ▲

1968 Lotus 56 'Wedge' Turbine Car

Not an integral part of the AutoExotica display but adjacent to it is an exhibit that's equally exotic if not more so. It's a tribute to the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500, which takes place in May 2016 and includes eight significant cars from the great race's history. The most exotic of them all is this four-wheel-drive 1968 Lotus 56 'Wedge', powered by a Canadian-built Pratt & Whitney gas turbine engine. It was driven by F1 World Champion Graham Hill but failed to finish. Rule changes the following year effectively banned gas turbine engines. ▲

1914 Duesenberg

This Duesenberg race car was one of two entered in the 1914 Indianapolis 500. One of Duesenberg's drivers was Eddie Rickenbacker, who finished 10th in the race but later became America's most famous WWI flying ace. Laer still, In 192, he bought the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which he operated until it was closed for WWII. ▲

Jacques Villeneuve's Indy 500 winner

This is not the Reynard-Ford Cosworth that Jacques Villeneuve drove to victory in the 1995 Indy 500, but it is a close replica. Although others have come close several times, Villeneuve is the only Canadian driver to have won the big race. ▲

Scott Goodyear's closest-ever second place car

This is the actual Lola-Ilmor Chevrolet that Canadian Scott Goodyear drove to second place in the closest Indy 500 finish ever, in 1992. He crossed the yard of bricks after 500 miles just 0.043 second behind race winner Al Unser Jr. ▲
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