HIGH FLYERS
Luxury show rolls into VanDusen
The kids are back to school, the white shoes are put away for another season and Vancouver Canucks training camp is just around the corner.
All of which means it’s time once again for VanDusen Botanical Garden to be transformed into the greatest outdoor car lot imaginable.
The 10th annual Luxury and Supercar Weekend takes place Saturday and Sunday and, as usual, is offering up a mouth-watering display of supercars, luxury cars and even a few classics for the discerning — and typically well-dressed — showgoers.
There’s also a live supercar auction operated by Adesa and great food and beverages available throughout the garden grounds.
As has been the case since show founder and organizer Craig Stowe brought his dream of a high-end car show to Vancouver a decade ago, this year’s event offers a new twist: an airplane.
Here are five reasons to visit this year’s show (but trust me there are many more):
Recreational aviation has taken a great leap forward with this U.S.-built amphibious light-sport aircraft. A concept aircraft was first flown in 2008, and creation of the production tooling began in December 2012. It’s design — engine in back, low instrument panel and panoramic canopy — provides unique views for the pilot and passenger.
It has folding wings, a spin-resistant airframe, an on-board parachute system, a range of 790 kilometres and a maximum speed of 176 km/h. Price: US$389,000.
The Pininfarina Battista is an electric sports car manufactured by Munich-based Automobili Pininfarina with roots in the Italian car design firm and coachbuilder Pininfarina SpA.
The name Battista is a tribute to Pininfarina’s founder, Battista Farina.
Unveiled earlier this year at the Geneva Motor Show, the two-door coupe is powered by a 120-kWh battery pack that sends power to four motors at each wheel to produce a monstrous 1,877 horsepower and 1,696 lbs.ft of torque.
It has a carbon fibre monocoque chassis, boasts 21-inch wheels, and a reported fullcharge range of 451 kilometres.
2020 PAGANI HUAYRA BC ROADSTER
With a sticker price of US$3.4 million, this street-legal hypercar isn’t for the light of wallet or shy of attention.
Its twin-turbo 6.0-litre V12 engine produces 745 horsepower and its ultralight body — made of a new material called “carbon triax” that Pagani claims is 50 per cent lighter and 20 per cent stronger than your garden-variety carbon fibre — underscore its track-focused design. There’s even a bit of sentimentality in this wicked whip, as the “BC” in the name refers to Benny Caiola, the first Pagani customer.
The German automaker has brought special vehicles to the show in the past and for this year’s event hosts the national premiere of a unique-to-Canada BMW M vehicle (so secret that we won’t know what it is until the eve of the show itself ).
What we do know is the exclusive, limited-edition model pays homage to a rarely shown concept car from the 1990s.
Other vehicles in the BMW paddock will include the first BMW X7, the BMW M850 Gran Coupe and the BMW M5 Competition.