2024 Canadian International AutoShow: Cars You’ve Gotta See

Matt Bubbers February 22, 2024

We’re calling it: the Canadian International AutoShow is spectacular this year. Honestly, we’re as surprised about that as you all. But, facts are facts. The greatness of this year’s show is largely due to the sheer number of jaw-droppingly rare, unique, weird, and GOATed cars on display. There’s a long-lost but recently remade Zagato-bodied Porsche, the first Rimac Nevera electric hypercars in Canada, the new McLaren racecar representing Pfaff on the world stage, an unstoppable Porsche that drove higher than anything else, plus more Ferraris, Paganis, and Lamborghinis than we have space to detail here.

The 2024 Canadian International AutoShow runs until February 25 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. There’s a lot to see, but — in addition to those mentioned above — these are the all the cars you shouldn’t miss.

Porsche 911 “Highest Car In The World”

This highly modified 911 was one of two that broke the altitude barrier for automobiles, becoming the highest car in the world. This past December, racing driver Romain Dumas drove up the west ridge of the Ojos del Salado volcano in Chile to set a new world record: 6.734 metres above sea level. No car has ever gone higher. The machine on display in Porsche’s huge 10,000 square foot AutoShow pavilion is still covered in dust and dirt from its journey.

Lexus GX

It’s back. The all-new Lexus GX is the luxurious cousin to the new and equally-boxy Toyota Land Cruiser. We’re just going to lay our cards out on the table and say we love this design, but it’s what’s on the inside that really counts. There’s a twin-turbo V6 under the hood and newly developed double-wishbone front suspension with a multilink setup at the rear. Overland adventurers will be happy to hear it’s been built to accommodate rooftop tents, recovery kits, and that there’s even more ground clearance than before. Not many trucks can offer all that plus massaging seats and a killer 21-speaker Mark Levinson stereo.

McLaren 720S GT3 EVO

Pfaff Automotive Partners really brought the heat to the AutoShow this year. The three Paganis on display are worth roughly $12 million alone. There’s also a McLaren-Mercedes SLR HDK, one of only 12 in the world. But it’s the ferocious McLaren 720S GT3 Evo that initially grabbed our attention. Seeing a race car like this up close is always special; the little details are minor works of art. Pfaff Motorsport will be campaigning the 720S EVO at the Twelve Hours of Sebring with former IndyCar winner and recent Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame inductee James Hinchcliffe at the wheel.

BMW XM Label Red

You won’t find a big BMW display this year at the AutoShow. The brand only trotted out one car, but what a car it is. The XM Label Red is limited to 500 units worldwide. And, well, just look at it. There’s a lot going on here. It won’t be to everyone’s taste, but if you like big SUVs with absurd power (nearly 750 horses in this case) then you won’t want to miss this.

Lamborghini Revuelto

Just take a moment and look at what’s on display here: a pair of Lamborghinis, a Rimac Nevera, a Bugatti, and a Rolls-Royce Spectre in the background. Grand Touring Automobiles, one of the premier dealers of exotic-cars in the country, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and they’re not messing around. We got a chance to see Lamborghini’s next-generation V12 supercar last year, but for many this will be their first chance to see this plug-in hybrid monster up close.

Bentley Continental GT Convertible

Any day with a Conti GT convertible in it is a good day as far as we’re concerned. But this isn’t just any Continental; it’s a limited-edition for the great white north. As Grand Touring explains, “Bentley’s Mulliner department has designed a one-of-a-kind series of modern Bentleys in collaboration with the Canadian dealer network exclusive to the Canadian market dubbed The Canadian Collection. This series exemplifies the boundless possibilities and unique coachbuilding opportunities available through Bentley’s Mulliner division.”

Genesis GV80 Coupe

See it here first, the hot new fastback “Coupe” version of the GV80 SUV is making its Canadian debut at the AutoShow. In person, you’ll quickly realize that it is not, in fact, a coupe — a word that denotes a two-door hardtop sports car — but rather another entry into the booming sporty-looking SUV market. But you know what? We’re not even mad because the GV80 looks great. Don’t take our word for it though; go check it out for yourself.

Volvo EX90

Volvo’s new flagship luxury SUV, the minimalist EX90, is making its Canadian debut here in Toronto. And no, that little lump above the windshield is not a siren or some kind of automotive pimple, it’s a cutting-edge LIDAR sensor that should make the EX90 among the safest — perhaps the safest? — car on the road. LIDAR uses lasers to create an extremely accurate 3D map of the world in real-time; Volvo combines it with a suite of other onboard sensors as part of its advanced driver assistance package. The all-electric EX90 should hit the road later this year.

Tesla Cybertruck

Yes, after years of delays there’s finally a Cybertruck at the AutoShow, and yes — you’ll want to go see it. That’s all.

Nissan Project: Rugged Rogue

We love this for Nissan. The company turned the Rogue — a popular budget-friendly SUV beloved by families across the country — into a miniature overlanding monster. Nissan’s motorsport division NISMO created a few prototype aftermarket parts, including a three-inch lift kit, 18-inch offroad wheels, a front bumper guard with auxiliary lights, a custom roof-rack and a dual-exit centre exhaust. It’s the Nissan Rogue we never knew we wanted. Sadly, it’s just a concept, at least for now.

Polestar 3

It’s an icy modern Scandi-noir on wheels. The new Polestar 3 is, yes you guessed it, a follow-up to the Polestar 2 but there’s a lot more to this car than initially meets the eye. Spend some time with it, and you’ll notice how cleverly the designers integrated the rear spoiler and front aero-wing. This five-passenger vehicle is sort of undefinable, fitting in between established genres, which only makes us like it even more.

Kia EV9

We’re calling it now: Kia’s new three-row EV will be a low-key hit of the 2024 AutoShow. Why? For one thing, Kia has been crushing with its EVs lately. For another thing, with a starting price of just over $60,000 and spacious seating for seven the EV9 offers killer value and has few natural competitors. (Think of it like a half-price Rivian maybe?) Even the top-of-the-line EV9 comes in at under $70,000 offering all-wheel drive and a very respectable driving range of 450 kilometres. Expect full coverage of it in the Spring issue of SHARP.

Vinfast VF Wild

Don’t hold your breath waiting for this far-out pickup concept from the Vietnamese upstart to hit showrooms. It’s clearly still just a concept. That said, the pillar-less suicide-door cab is pretty great and we hope they somehow find a way to get this design into production.

Alfa Romeo Tonale

What Alfa Romeo’s modest booth lacks in glamour, its cars more than make up for. From the people who brought us our favourite compact Ferrari-engined sports sedan comes something slightly more approachable. It’s called the Tonale and it’s the brand’s new sub-compact SUV. In Canada it’s available as a pure gas-burner or as a plug-in hybrid, and slots into the lineup below the Stelvio. The alloy wheels are to die for. Starting at under $50,000, it’s much more attainable than nearly every other machine on this list.

Camp Jeep

Last but not least, is Camp Jeep. The Indoor obstacle course was among the most popular exhibits at the AutoShow last year, so Jeep is back at it in 2024. Visitors can take a ride in a plug-in hybrid Jeep Wrangler 4xe or Grand Cherokee 4xe. If you go, just remember to hang on. These Jeeps climb a set of stairs like it’s nothing, and handle awkward angles and breakovers with ease. That Trail Rated badge is no joke.