The place for motorsport enthusiasts
Fans of racing can feast their eyes on vehicles ranging from classic race cars to modern electrified models
Which Quebec-born racer currently competes in Formula One? In what year did Mario Andretti win the Indianapolis 500?
If you fired off the answers before you could blink — they would be Lance Stroll and 1969, by the way — then this list is for you.
There’s plenty for motorsport enthusiasts to see at this year’s Canadian International AutoShow, from classic race cars driven by some of the sport’s greatest heroes to modern electrified examples that might preview what racing’s future holds.
If you start in the lower level of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre’s north building and flow through the show’s levels and then across to the south building, here is the order in which you’ll find them:
Mario Andretti’s 1986 Indy car (Auto Exotica, 100 level): The legendary Mario Andretti needs no introduction, but did you know he was inducted into the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame in 2013 in recognition of his contribution to the growth of motorsport in Canada? This year marks the 50th anniversary of Andretti’s sole Indianapolis 500 win in 1969, and the Hall is honouring the occasion by displaying the Lola T86/00 that he raced with venerated Indy car team NewmanHaas for the 1986 CART season — meaning it featured in the first CART/IndyCar event held at Exhibition Place.
1969/70 AMC Javelin (Barrett-Jackson display, 100 level): This Ronnie-Kaplan tuned AMC Javelin was reskinned from a 1969 to a 1970 after Roger Penske took over the marque’s factory team in the Trans-Am Series. Raced by numerous drivers, including USAC Championship and Indianapolis 500 competitor Jerry Grant, today it forms part of the personal collection of Craig Jackson, CEO of collector car auction house Barrett-Jackson, who has contributed several cars to the show, on loan. Jackson continues to race this car himself at vintage events across the western United States.
Honda’s first TCR-spec Civic (Canadian Touring Car Championship booth, 100 level): Visit the Canadian Touring Car Championship booth outside Auto Exotica if you’re looking for a series to race in yourself — or if you’re a Honda fan. The first TCR-spec Civic ever produced by Honda, raced in CTCC by Gary Kwok of Markham, is on display alongside a brand-new version that can be ordered today directly from Honda Performance Development.
Volkswagen I.D. R Pikes Peak (Volkswagen booth, 300 level): Here’s a modern race car with a cool story. Volkswagen packed the I.D. R Pikes Peak with 500 kW (or roughly 670 hp) of power to challenge the electric-car record at the 2018 Pikes Peak Hill Climb. With professional racer Romain Dumas at the wheel, not only did the car claim the electric record, it also smashed the overall record, beating it by 16 seconds for an overall time of 7:57.148.
Nissan Leaf Nismo RC (Nissan booth, 300 level): All-electric race-ready cars are becoming more common, and as difficult as it may be to imagine a Nissan Leaf sliding around a track, the Leaf Nismo RC you’ll find at the Nissan booth is the goods. On display for the first time ever at an auto show, this working model has two electric motors positioned at the far ends of the chassis that work together to produce a combined 322 horsepower and 472 lb-ft of instant torque to all four wheels. This is more than double the maximum power and torque output of the previous Nismo RC that was shown in 2011 in conjunction with the launch of the Leaf’s first-generation production version.
Mario Andretti’s 1969 Can-Am car (Art and the Automobile, 700 level): Continuing the Andretti 50th anniversary theme, the Can-Am car that Andretti raced in the same year he won the Indy 500 can be found in the Art and the Automobile exhibit. This McLaren customer car is one of just a handful that wasn’t powered by a Chevrolet, instead being fitted with an experimental 8.1-litre behemoth built by Ford.