From rare classics to self-driving concepts, there is much to see at the 2025 Canadian International AutoShow.
Being held until Feb. 23 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, the show offers hundreds of cars from dozens of manufacturers for visitors to experience.
“The [AutoShow] is really an opportunity for getting the market enthused and excited about the new car buying experience,” said Jason Campbell, the show’s general manager. “[Consumers are] using the show as an assessment to see, ‘do I want Model A, Model B [or] Model C?’”
Highlights of this year’s show include the return of Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi, three manufacturers who have been absent the last few years. “That’s really one of our big achievements this year,” Campbell said.
Cadillac is showing off the new Celestiq and Sollei Concept, General Motors’ attempt at competing with ultra-luxurious brands such as Rolls-Royce.
The main highlight, however, was the unveiling of the 1:1 scale McLaren P1, made from over 340,000 LEGO Technic elements.
“It’s our most advanced build so far,” said Lubor Zelinka, the model’s designer. “The LEGO Technic part is over 300 kilograms of the full weight, which is 1,220 kilograms.”
But when asked about what the design team is working on next, Zelinka wouldn’t bite. “We can’t really say,” he said. “It wouldn’t end up being a surprise.”
However, there was a noticeable uncertainty in the air, especially among the American manufacturer displays. With President Trump promising a 25 per cent tariff on all vehicle imports, car prices are projected to increase alongside job losses on both sides of the border.
In an interview with EV Magazine, Ford CEO Jim Farley said that a 25 per cent tariff would “blow a hole in the U.S. industry we have never seen.”
For Canadians, Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter told the Toronto Star on Thursday that “people are feeling three things. I think it’s fear, I think it’s anger, and I think it’s uncertainty.”
But not everyone at the AutoShow seemed too concerned about the tariffs. “I think the tariffs, one way or the other, will work themselves through within the next twelve months,” said Mac Anderson, 68, an attendee from Tiny Township, Ont. Anderson told The Chronicle he will be in the market for a new pickup truck in about a year.
He added he’s already looking forward to next year’s event. “We like to attend [the show] almost every year,” he said. “We like to see the latest developments and have a great time.”