DREAMY DOZEN
Here are 12 cars you just can’t miss at this year’s Toronto auto show.
Among the hundreds of gleaming, shiny automobiles , SUVs and trucks on display at the Canadian International AutoShow, there are always a few that attract the buzz — and the biggest crowds. Call them eye candy, car porn, bucket-list dream machines or whatever. The dozen chosen here are a cross-section of performance, innovation and uniqueness.
2016 Audi TT Roadster/TT S Coupe
This is the third generation of Audi’s distinctive sports car to hit the road. The compact TT is still an intriguing design icon with superior driving dynamics courtesy of its quattro all-wheel-drive system and spunky performance thanks to its 230-horsepower 2.0-litre four-cylinder. Move up to the TT S and that 2.0L four now throws down 310 hp.
But you need to move beyond the car’s sporting pedigree and gaze into the cabin to find what’s truly interesting — Audi’s virtual cockpit. For the first time, the digital instrument cluster provides all information within the driver’s field of vision — a concept that has drawn kudos.
2016 Cadillac CTS-V
The new, third-generation CTS-V is the most powerful Cadillac in the brand’s 112-year history and the latest entry in an elite class of top-performing luxury cars. In other words, Cadillac has painted a target on the likes of BMW’s iconic M5 as well as Mercedes’ E 63 AMG, among others. It’s upped the sedan’s game with a new supercharged 6.2L V8 (essentially the Corvette Z06 engine) that pounds out 640 hp and 630 pound-feet of torque, which translates into a top speed of 322 km/h. (Note: The CTS-V will be on display only until Feb. 16.)
2016 Chevrolet Volt
Low gasoline prices aren’t going to do the new, second-generation 2016 Volt electric car any favours, but for those who still want to reduce their reliance on Big Oil, the compact sedan offers greater range than before. A new two-motor drive unit is up to 12% more efficient and 45 kg lighter than the first-generation drive unit. Battery capacity has increased to 18.4 kWh while using fewer cells than current generation. A new 1.5L backup engine with better fuel economy kicks in when needed.
2015 Dodge Char ger SRT Hellcat
Dodge is helping celebrate its 100th anniversary by serving up the fastest and most powerful four-door production sedan in the world. Hot on the heels of the Challenger Hellcat comes the Canadian-built Charger Hell- cat, replete with the same supercharged 6.2L Hemi engine, thundering out 707 hp and 650 pound-feet of torque, which accelerates the fourdoor to 100 km/h in less than four seconds. Want more? The National Hot Rod Association has certified it with a quarter-mile elapsed time of 11.0 seconds on street tires.
Ridiculous? Sure! But talk about bragging rights!
2015 Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell Electr ic Vehicle
Again, because of low gasoline prices, the impact of Hyundai’s Tucson Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) might not be fully appreciated by any but the most dedicated greenie. Still, the company says this SUV is the first cutting-edge, zero-emissions fuel cell electric vehicle available to Canadians, and will be available on a threeyear lease beginning early this year in the Vancouver area.
The Tucson FCEV stores hydrogen gas and draws an inflow of air to the fuel cell stack. There is no combustion of hydrogen and the stack has no moving parts. The electrochemical process of combining oxygen and hydrogen in the fuel-cell stack creates electricity to power the vehicle’s electric motor and charge an onboard battery. Hyundai says the SUV takes less than five minutes to refuel and has an estimated range of 426 kilometres, eliminating the range anxiety or recharge-time compromises of battery electric vehicles.
2016 Jaguar XE
Jaguar’s first compact-sized luxury sedan since the illfated, Ford Mondeo-based XType, the XE comes to North America next year after being rolled out in Europe and other markets during 2015. The high-performance S model will be at the top of the global lineup at launch.
As shown at last month’s Detroit Auto Show, the XE gets its 340 hp from a supercharged 3.0L V6, the engine linked to an eight-speed automatic transmission with paddle shift controls. Accelerating to 100 km/h in just over five seconds, the XE S has an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h . Rear-wheel-drive is standard; allwheel-drive will be available. The aluminum-intensive XE is the first model developed from the new JLR modular vehicle architecture. According to Jaguar, the S’s large front air intakes, chrome side vents, discreet rear spoiler and optional 20-inch forged alloy wheels “reinforce its performance potential.”
2015 Jeep Renegade
Traditionalists will no doubt be dismissive (if not outright hostile), but the new Renegade provides Jeep with its first entry in the subcompact SUV segment. Designed in North America and built in Italy, the Renegade offers two four-cylinder engines (a 1.4L turbo four and a 2.4L naturally aspirated four), the segment’s first nine-speed automatic transmission (with the 2.4L) and the choice of 4x2 and 4x4 drivetrains. Count on greater fuel efficiency as a given and Jeep “Trail-Rated” capability as a bonus. The Renegade will even have a Fiat sibling — the upcoming 500X.
The Renegade offers two intelligent 4x4 systems. Both Jeep Active Drive and Active Drive Low 4x4 systems include the Jeep Selec-Terrain system, providing up to five modes (Auto, Snow, Sand and Mud modes, plus exclusive Rock mode on the Trailhawk model) for optimum 4WD performance in any weather condition.
2016 Mazda MX-5
The 2016 MX-5, says Mazda, is redesigned and refined with a full suite of SkyActiv technology, Kodo design, Mazda Connect infotainment system and i-ActiveSense safety technology, “while retaining the classic roadster feel and driving pleasure that MX-5 owners have come to love and expect over the past 25 years.” That said, the company had been remarkably short on details, especially when it came to the drivetrain. It’s only been a couple of weeks since Mazda finally confirmed that the North American-spec version will be a 155-hp 2.0L fourcylinder mated to a standard six-speed manual.
2016 Merc edes AMG GT S
The AMG GT S, the second model developed entirely in-house by Mercedes-AMG — after the more expensive and powerful gull-wing-door SLS — has a new, more mainstream target in its sights, the 800-pound gorilla of the sports car segment called the Porsche 911.
The new Mercedes-AMG GT, especially in S form, offers intimidating performance, better looks than the SLS and a throaty growl. Racetrack bred, the GT S features an allnew 510-hp AMG-built 4.0L bi-turbo V8 and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Low body weight and lightning-
fast power transfers mean outstanding handling.
Mini Superleggera Vision Concept
Depending on whether you’re a fan of the brand or not, Minis are either cute as a bug or bug ugly. The Superleggera Vision Concept, however, is nothing short of stunning. The car made its debut at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in Italy last year, an open-top two-seater created by Mini and Touring Superleggera, the Milan-based coachbuilder. The body is crafted by hand, with smooth aluminum sheets moulded over a frame of lightweight aluminum tubes. From behind, the striking rear lights form a two-part LED Union Jack, separated by a sparkling chrome bar.
The compact and classically minimalist roadster features an electric drivetrain derived from the Mini E prototype, which gives the Vision distinctly modern driving dynamics.
2015 Shelby GT350R Musta ng
In 1965, Ford and Carroll Shelby developed a road-racing version of the Mustang — the Shelby GT350 Competition model. Lighter, more powerful and with a highly developed suspension, it is one of the most iconic racing Mustangs ever built.
Fifty years later, a new limited-production Shelby GT350R has been engineered in the same spirit, delivering superior track capability thanks to changes in aerodynamics and chassis engineering as well as weight saving. The car features a 5.2L DOHC V8 pumping out “more than 500 hp” — the most powerful naturally aspirated engine Ford has ever produced — plus a specially tuned suspension.
Aggressive targets for weight reduction were achieved. Items removed include air conditioning, stereo system, rear seats, trunk floorboard and carpet, backup camera, emergency tire sealer and inflator and exhaust resonators.
2016 Volkswagen Golf R
All-wheel-drive, hatchback utility and plenty of scoot? What’s not to love? The new seventh-generation Golf R will hit showrooms later this summer. With 292 hp and 280 pound-feet of torque from its turbocharged and directinjection EA888 TSI engine, the new R has 36 hp and 37 lb.-ft. more torque than the previous version. Despite the additional grunt on tap, VW says the R model is considerably more fuel-efficient than its predecessor.