Toronto is a North American leader in sales of luxury and supercars, and the Canadian International AutoShow helps drive that reputation forward with one of the most comprehensive showcases of exotic vehicles on the auto show circuit.

Two days before the 2019 AutoShow opens to the public, it will play host to the inaugural Luxury and Supercar Forum, featuring luxury and supercar designers from McLaren, Rolls-Royce and Devel Sixteen. This exclusive event will not only provide an early look at some of the most exotic cars appearing at the AutoShow, but will also provide a unique insight into how the designers of the most exclusive cars in the world see the super car genre evolving.

“Toronto has quickly become a super car mecca,” says Jason Campbell, General Manager of the AutoShow. “We are a continental leader in sales of luxury cars. Pfaff McLaren is one of the world’s largest McLaren dealers, and Grand Touring Automobiles is one of the North America’s largest retailers of Rolls-Royce, Lamborghinis and other super premium luxury products. The strength of this marketplace is well known within the luxury and exotic brands, and those that want to get a foothold in this space.”

Two years ago, Aston Martin picked Toronto for the global auto show debut of its AM-RB 001 — the hypercar it developed in partnership with Red Bull and since re-named the Valkyrie. Last year, Swedish luxury car maker Koenigsegg brought its record-setting Agera RS to open the AutoShow — the world’s fastest production car that can reach speeds approaching 450 kilometres per hour.
This inaugural forum will treat super car enthusiasts to exclusive access to the latest McLaren Senna, brought by Pfaff McLaren — the McLaren Global Retailer of the Year in 2018 — and a Rolls-Royce Cullinan, presented by Grand Touring Automobiles.

The forum will also feature the first showcase of the exotic Devel Sixteen hypercar from Dubai-based newcomers Devel Motors — the first time this vehicle has been showcased at an auto show outside of Dubai.

To be hosted by professional driver and NBC colour commentator Townsend Bell, the Forum’s discussion will explore why Toronto has become a leader in luxury and supercar sales, the cultural trends that are driving this exclusive market and a discussion about how these key design influencers see the future of this segment evolving. Participating in the panel will be:

• • Darryl Scriven, Chief Designer, McLaren Automotive Ltd. — After spending five years with Nissan Europe, Mr. Scriven joined McLaren as Lead Designer in November 2016 before ascending to his current role a little more than a year later.

• • Alex Innes, Designer, Rolls-Royce — Over the past ten years Mr. Innes has been a part of the Rolls-Royce design team. Head of the Coachbuild Design since April 2017, Alex worked on Sweptail, the most valuable coachbuilt Rolls-Royce ever. Most recently he was part of the design team for Cullinan, the first SUV produced by Rolls-Royce and the most anticipated SUV of 2019.

• • Majid Al Attar, Head of Design, Devel Sixteen — The 16-cylinder, 5,000+ horsepower Devel Sixteen is the first car produced in the United Arab Emirates. Mr. Al Attar says the design was inspired not only by the great supercars of the past, but also the F16 fighter jet.

The Luxury and Supercar Forum will be held on Wednesday, February 13^thfrom 1:30-2:30 p.m. in the John Bassett Theatre at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, two days prior to the AutoShow’s officials opening on February 15^th.  A limited quantity tickets will be made available for the event via autoshow.ca– details to be announced on how to register will be forthcoming in late January. In addition to the forum, those attending the Forum will also gain early access to get a sneak peak to Auto Exotica – one of the AutoShow’s perennial favourite exhibits.