For a lucky few this is an opportunity for one-stop comparison shopping. The rest of us can dream and drool. We’re talking about the hyper-fast and the giga-glamorous cars on display at the Toronto Auto Show. Many, like the all-new Audi R8 and the Dodge Viper ACR, can be found on their makers’ stands. But make sure you don’t miss the collection of boutique brands gathered in the Auto Exotica display on Level 100 of the MTCC North Building. Grab your camera and make like a paparazzi where the cars are the stars.
2015 Lotus Evora S
This (sub)lime green Lotus is the more powerful S version of the mid-engined Evora, powered by a 345-hp supercharged 3.5L Toyota-based V-6. tThe base model has 276 hp like in the Camry and other Toyota models. Despite its tiny dimensions and exotic proportions, the Evora is actually a 2+2 with a pair of token back seats. The 2015 Evora S will soon be replaced by the more powerful and user-friendlier Evora 400.
1999 Renault Sport Spider
You probably won’t see one of these on your way to work. The Sport Spider was produced by Renault from 1996 to 1999 in a bid to build the brand’s sporting cred, including a one-make racing series. The mid-engined, aluminum and composite car is powered by a 150-hp 2.0L four-cylinder engine, good enough, in such a light car, for a 0-100-km/h time around six seconds. The Sport Spider is very much focused on track days or sunny Sunday country drives. It doesn’t have any form of convertible roof.
2016 Dodge Viper ACR
The term “street-legal race” really means something in the case of the Viper ACR, which was developed with weekend cub racers in mind. With a 645-hp, 8.4L V-10 under the hood, the Viper didn’t really need more power, so the ACR package focuses on aerodynamics, every-which-way adjustable suspension, carbon-ceramic brakes, weight reduction, massive ACR-specific Kumho (yes, that Korean brand) Ecsta V720 tires, and, well, more aerodynamics. Get an eyeful of that downforce-generating rear wing.
Porsche 911 Re-imagined by Singer
What’s with that headline? Well, apparently Porsche’s lawyers insisted on that moniker for the 911s that are lovingly reworked into new-old cars by California’s Singer Design. The company takes used 964-generation 911s (1989-1994) – the last of the air-cooled ones – and painstakingly rebuilds them with all-new and upgraded mechanical hardware. Priced in the high six figures, Singer’s work has earned press reviews such as “heart-breakingly wonderful” … “A black hole of awesome” … and “a love letter to the 911.” And you thought it was just an old grey Porsche.
Ferrari Dino 246GT
What’s this pretty little thing? Back in the late 1960s Ferrari introduced its Dino entry-level sub-brand — named for Mr. Ferrari’s late son, Dino — to compete with, among others, the Porsche 911. The “baby” Ferrari’s 246 designation meant it had a 2.4L six-cylinder (V-6) engine, though the earliest cars were actually badged 206 to reflect their smaller engine. About 3,600 were built from 1968 to 1976. Unfortunately most succumbed to rust, as unlike most Ferraris the 246 had a steel body. The survivors fetch big money.
Ferrari 488GTB
As Ferrari’s entry-level coupe, the latest 488, which evolved from the 458 Italia, is a direct descendent of the 246GT. But with 661 hp from a 3.9L twin-turbo V-8 there’s nothing baby-like about this sensational car with its claimed 0-100-km/h time of 3.0 seconds flat. Makes you think, too, that maybe the 488’s increasing awesomeness creates space below for a new junior Ferrari like that old 246. Incidentally, the 488 designation means Ferrari has returned to an older model-naming convention based on the displacement of one engine cylinder (3,902cc divided by 8 is 488).
2017 Audi R8
Audi car designs tend not to change much from one generation to the next, but yes, this is the all-new R8. Launching initially as a 5.2L V-10, it asks $184,000 in Canada and comes only with the S-Tronic seven-speed dual-clutch automated transmission. While purists may decry the departure of a manual-transmission option, all should appreciate the improved AWD system over the last car’s surprisingly unsophisticated one. The howling V-10 comes in two strengths, worth 540 or 610 horsepower.
Maserati Gran Turismo MC
Maserati’s surprisingly affordable sedans seem to be getting most of the attention these days, but the Italian semi-exotic brand does still make the Gran Turismo coupe and convertible. This is the MC version of the 2+2 coupe. It has the same 454-hp 4.7L V-8 as the Sport. The MC treatment involves a carbon-fiber hood and a skirts ‘n spoilers aerodynamic package that creates actual downforce. Interior cues include race-inspired steering wheel and sport seats, and simplified designs for the Sport and Race mode buttons and transmission paddle-shifters.
Aston Martin DB9 and Lamborghini Huracan Convertible
Decisions, decisions. Up close and personal here we have the latest version of the Aston Martin DB9 GT, a classic 2+2 grand touring coupe oozing Britishness from every pore. Revised for 2016, the DB9’s 6.0-litre V-12 is rated at a modest 540 horsepower and hitched to a six-speed automatic transmission. Lurking behind the Aston you’ll observe the very fresh convertible version of Lamborghini’s mid-engined Huracan. The “baby” Lamborghini generates 610 horsepower from a 5.2L V-10. But it only has two seats. What the heck, we’ll take ‘em both.
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