In celebration of the 2018 AutoShow
The 2018 Canadian International AutoShow in Toronto, presented by the Toronto Star and Wheels.ca, ended on Feb. 25, and I’m thrilled to announce that it was a resounding success.
Driven by more than 41 new-car unveilings and many extra added attractions, the 2018 AutoShow set an attendance record for the third consecutive year.
This year, 358,842 people attended the show, which reflects the incredible lineup of vehicles, concepts, accessories, exhibits, and prizes.
Highlights of the 2018 AutoShow included the North American debuts of the Lexus LS+ and Toyota i-TRIL concepts, the Canadian premiere of the Koenigsegg Agera RS hypercar, and the reveal of the 2019 RAM 1500 Sport, a model exclusive to Canada.
The Automotive Intelligence Series, a new public education series, brought together a wide variety of industry experts from around the world to discuss issues concerning the future of the automobile, including electrification and autonomous technology.
The Automotive Journalists Association of Canada awarded Canadian Car of the Year to the Honda Accord and the Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year to the Chrysler Pacifica.
AJAC also presented the Best Green Innovation Award to Toyota for its gas injection heat pump system design in the 2017/2018 Prius Prime; the Best Safety Innovation Award to Lexus for its Safety System+; and the Best Technical Innovation Award to Cadillac for its supercruise technology.
The Art & the Automobile presented by Cobble Beach Concours d’Elegance featured a tribute to iconic automotive mascots (hood ornaments) and emblems (badges).
Once again, Auto Exotica was a crowd favourite, featuring the world’s most exotic offerings, such as the Bugatti Chiron, Lamborghini Aventador S and the McLaren 720S Velocity, as well as a $9-million GT40 from Legendary Motorcar Company, and the crowd favourite Pagani Huayra, among others.
Heroes Welcome Day honoured and celebrated police officers, firefighters, paramedics and armed forces personnel, and special programming for the day allowed the public to meet emergency workers from various services and learn about the important work they do.
Castrol Alley showcased a 50 Years of Hot Wheels display with Toronto’s largest Hot Wheels track, plus six life-size cars, including the Darth Vader car and the 1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS.
70 Years of Porsche featured five historically significant models from seven decades of the Porsche brand.
This year’s Rock the Road Raffle was the most successful to date, selling 25,000 tickets and raising more than $500,000 in support of Prostate Cancer Canada.
Congratulations to Paul Peressotti, the winner of the $176,251 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet in the TADA Rock the Road Raffle, and Dominic Dubreuil, who claimed a $5,000 cash award as the Tuner Battlegrounds: AutoShow Edition champion with his 1996 Volkswagen Jetta.
Adrian Koniarz won a $2,000 prize for winning the eSport Gaming championship featuring Forza Motorsport 7 on the Xbox One platform.
The Star and Wheels.ca did a tremendous job promoting the AutoShow with daily inserts and in-depth coverage about the personalities, technologies, and issues affecting our industry. The AutoShow also had a strong presence on social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, with a combined audience reach of more than 500 million.
The success of the 2018 AutoShow underscores how important auto shows are in helping consumers make decisions on which new car to purchase.
The automobile marketplace is one of the main drivers of the Ontario economy.
People who are in the market for a new car have no better place than the AutoShow to compare brands and models.
The Canadian International AutoShow will return to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre Feb. 15-24, 2019. Visit autoshow.ca for more information.
I’d like to acknowledge the entire AutoShow staff for producing such a top-notch show this year, and special thanks to the 45 major auto manufacturers, partners, suppliers and visitors for making 2018 a year to remember.