The best new cars coming soon – 2027's potential performance car stars
From Toyota's new supercar, to the next BMW M3, the future looks strangely bright for fast fun cars
It’s tempting to cave in to the doom and gloom about the future of the automotive industry, but every year car manufacturers seem to pull the rabbit from the hat and grant us a new selection of spectacular performance cars. The remaining months of 2026, 2027 and beyond are actually looking mightily exciting indeed.
While there are a great many electric cars populating this list, ranging from the hotly anticipated new Jaguar Type 01, to Bentley’s Urban SUV, the future’s also looking bright for combustion cars. Audi’s new supercar, the Nuvolari, is a hybrid, while Lamborghini is continuing preparation of its forthcoming V12 hybrid Revuelto SV. Some cars will offer a variety of options, with both electric and combustion variants, such as BMW’s next M3 and the forthcoming Alpine A110. Here’s every new performance car we're excited for coming over the next 12 months (and beyond).
Aston Martin Vantage ‘RS’
Aston Martin CEO Adrian Hallmark has made no secret of his plan to double down on developing a ladder of derivatives for the company’s core models. So far that means that the Vantage, DB12 and DBX have all received ‘S’ variants, as a next rung up on the ladder. What has to be inevitable are even more focused, high-performance, track-focused variants in the ballpark of Porsche’s 911 GT3.
That’s what we think is pictured testing here, with what appears to be a powertrain mule running a much more aggressive, centrally mounted quad exhaust system. Little else is known about the model, other than that it's on the way. We expect the V8 to be retained, albeit in a more aggressive state of tune.
Alpine A110
Alpine’s next A110 is just around the corner. We're set to get our first look at a prototype at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Alpine has gone all out on the bespoke all-aluminium Alpine Performance Platform, or APP. It's been developed for the electric powertrain it will first debut with, positioning the battery behind the driver rather than in a skateboard layout, to ensure a low-slung driving position.
The platform has also been developed to take a combustion or hybrid powertrain, for as much versatility and pivot-ability as possible. Alpine has learned lessons from the previous A110, making sure the new platform is versatile enough to accommodate a range of power trains and underpin a wider family of sports cars. It's even been verified for global sale if Alpine chooses.
Audi RS6
Sitting above the new plug-in hybrid RS5, Audi will also offer a new RS6. The original plan was to offer two variants: an EV and a plug-in hybrid. Now the future of the EV is uncertain, but we know the hybrid is very much on the way. Like the RS5 there ought to also be a choice of saloon or Avant variants.
Details are scarce but it wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect the RS6 to feature a V8 engine augmented by a hybrid system not unlike that seen in the RS5, including a version of the RS5’s trick rear differential that features its own small electric motor. Whether it ends up being as heavy as the plug-in BMW M5 - the RS6’s closest rival - remains to be seen.
Audi Nuvolari
Between pervasive leaks and prototypes being unable to escape the prying eyes of spy photographers, surprises are few and far between these days. The Audi Nuvolari supercar, unveiled at this year’s Monaco Grand Prix, was one of them.
A successor to the R8 had been rumoured for some time but the Nuvolari is a class above, taking the bones and powertrain of Lamborghini’s Temerario, bumping potency to 987bhp and clothing it in an almost art-deco carbonfibre body. That’s Veyron power in an Audi. It’ll be far more exclusive, expensive and performant than the last R8 and even, the Temerario on which it’s based, with just 500 set to be made.
BMW M3 EV
BMW M has been open about its strategy with the next M3, the marque set to offer both combustion and electric variants.
Most recently, BMW previewed the electric M3 with the BMW M Concept Neue Klasse. The concept has 650bhp courtesy of four electric motors for ultimate torque vectoring capability, controlled by BMW M’s high performance variant or the super fast ‘heart of joy’ central control unit. The production car will be very close to this visually (a good thing, the beaver face is finally gone) and inside, perhaps with a reduced track width, slightly less aggressive seats and without the concept’s roll cage.
The combustion variant won't fall by the wayside. It's set to receive the updated version of BMW’s S58, with pre-chamber combustion tech that futureproofs it in terms of emissions.
BMW M5 facelift
The current BMW 5-series, and M5 especially, don’t feel like they’ve been around for long, but BMW is already embarking upon a Neue Klasse M5 facelift, with disguised prototypes suggesting a look closer to that of the Neue Klasse M3 mentioned above.
At the same time, the new look could launch alongside a CS version of the M5. While the idea of CS-style weight savings on a car that weighs about 2.5 tonnes seems fairly laughable, the badge has a pretty good track record, and there are sure to be improvements in other areas too. We’ll probably have to wait a little while though – an on-sale date sometime in 2027 is likely for the refreshed 5-series.
Bentley Urban SUV
Bentley’s set to introduce its first new model line since the Bentayga this year with its electric urban SUV. It's been out testing for a couple of years now, slowly shedding disguise as it goes.
Mechanically not a huge amount is known about the car, though spy shots of the interior showing that it features a similar infotainment set-up to the Porsche Cayenne Electric’s curved screen suggests a commonality. If so, we can expect the Bentley to have between 600bhp and 1000bhp and be capable of 350-400 miles or range.
Bugatti Tourbillon
When Bugatti came under Rimac ownership, the wide expectation (including from the bosses at VW Group) was that the Chiron successor would be a reskinned Never a EV hypercar. That assumption was rather an underestimation of just how much of a petrol head Maté Rimac is.
Because contrary to that (easier) idea, he decided to commission Cosworth to create a 9000rpm V16 for what we now know as the Tourbillon. Paired with a Rimac hybrid system, it's going to be a 1776bhp champion of internal combustion and electric power. Power to Maté, we can't wait to drive it before production begins next year.
Ferrari Luce
If you thought the new Jag (coming up, don't worry) would be the most controversial new car introduction of this year, then you'd not accounted for the new Ferrari Luce. Probably the most controversial new car of this decade, if not this century…
The fact it's electric is perhaps the least divisive part. Four electric motors, over 1000bhp, damping by Multimatic (a-la the F80), we know it'll be fast and capable, even if less than 350 miles of range isn't spectacular.
What's most divisive is the design, which Ferrari took a very different approach for. Looking beyond the internal design team lead by Flavio Manzoni, Ferrari hired LoveFrom, a design company founded and run by Marc Newson and Sir Jony Ive (of iPhone design fame). In short, many simply don't see it as a Ferrari, or as an object of desire at all. For over £400,000, it'll be very interesting to see how it sells. More interesting to see how it drives.
Jaguar Type 01
If you’ve not heard of this one, then perhaps congratulations are in order, as it’s hard to get away from news about Jaguar’s rebrand and rebirth. Now the fuss over the rebranding has mostly died down, what really matters is the car. With disguise shedding off the prototypes, we can see the saloon doesn't deviate too far from the concept as far as imperiousness and presence goes.
We've driven and ridden in prototypes and can tell you, it's a proper old-school Jaguar. That's to say, it's an imperious, luxurious and refined saloon, but still extraordinarily performant (just as it ought to with close to 1000bhp) and dynamically crisp.
The Type 01 will be revealed this year and we'll be able to drive it properly next year. Prices are expected to begin in the region of £120,000, which in a world of £300,000 Rolls-Royce Spectres, doesn't look half bad. If you want to make a statement and make a Range Rover or Bentley look a little old hat, shy and retiring, it's a safe bet. And now the Luce’s come along, people are coming around to it…
Lamborghini Revuelto SV
Lamborghini might still be basking in the glory of the first unanimously voted evo Car of the Year victory since 2014’s Ferrari 458 Speciale, but it's not resting on its laurels. Derivatives of its V12 hybrid supercar are coming, starting with a Revuelto SV.
Not many exact details are known about the nature of this more focussed variant, but we can expect more power, more downforce, increased track capability and aggression. For reference, the Revuelto-based Fenomeno few-off features an upgraded 1046bhp version of the hybrid powertrain, with a 10bhp bump to the V12’s output and 54bhp from the three electric motors, fed by an upgraded battery.
The prototypes seen testing aren't as aggressive in design as say, the bygone Aventador SVJ but remember, we're at the beginning of the Revuelto’s life. So this is only the start.
Lotus Esprit
Another shock introduction set for the next couple of years comes from Lotus. Now well free of the delusion that it can sustain itself as an electric-only company selling saloons and SUVs, it's finally admitted that it's developing a new supercar. And it'll be called Esprit.
The car will feature a V8 engine (potentially from HORSE powertrains) in concert with a hybrid system. That will all be mounted behind a carbon monocoque central structure, with the Esprit expected to have McLaren and Ferrari supercar-rivalling power outputs and performance.
Mercedes-AMG CLE 63
One of the best U-turns in a generation will come in the form of the 2027 Mercedes-AMG CLE 63. Off the back of the disappointment that was the four-cylinder hybrid C63 S E Performance, the CLE 63 will be the reluctant backtrack, featuring its new flat-plane crank twin-turbo 4-litre V8.
Mercedes-AMG CLE Mythos
Then, sat above the CLE 63 in the modern Mercedes-AMG pantheon, will be the next in its ultra-limited ‘Mythos’ series. It's set to feature an even more intense version of the new AMG V8, a widened track, trick suspension and aggressive aero. It all sounds very ‘Black Series’, but what moniker the car will wear is still to be revealed.
Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series
The new V8’s being wheeled out across a number of new models as AMG scrambles to assert it's very much got its mojo back. And this will be the jewel in the crown. Mercedes is referring to it as the Concept Track Sport at the moment, this track-focussed model will be the AMG GT taken to the ultimate extreme. What’s expected to be known as the GT Black Series is also expected to be twinned with a GT3 race variant that will take over from the outgoing (and quite old) current AMG GT3.
Mercedes-AMG C53
Lower down the pecking order will be Mercedes-AMG’s redress for the flagship C-class, set to be called C53. It won't be getting the V8, sadly. It doesn't fit (but does the CLE due to it using the front structure of an E-class) but will instead get a version of the twin-turbo straight-six currently serving in the CLE 53 and E53, outputting in the region of 443bhp. Not a full-on flagship, then. But better than a four-cylinder.
Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door
Mercedes-AMG isn't giving up on electric power, though. Its new flagship, the AMG GT 4-door, features the latest axial-flux motor and F1 battery tech. It also wields simulated gears and V8 sounds as well as extraordinary torque vectoring technology to make it engaging. It'll be fast enough too, with 1153bhp. The less said about the looks the better, though.
Peugeot E-208 GTI
The French hot hatch renaissance is set to continue, with an Alpine A290 competitor in the form of the new Peugeot E-208 GTI. We actually first saw what Peugeot now calls a concept at Le Mans last year, but it’s now revealed the (not very different) production version, as well as what it’s set to cost. All we need to do now is drive it.
The E-208 GTI gets detail work to its suspension and chassis, as well as a 276bhp electric motor and mechanical locking differential to transmit that power to the front wheels. Strangely encouraging (especially at the moment) is the price, which is set to be less than £35,000 once electric car grants have been paid.
Porsche 911 GT3 RS (992.2)
You can’t throw a stone without hearing the ‘plink’ of it bouncing off a bit of carbon on a hot Porsche these days and the next in the line is almost here. It’ll be the 992.2 (read facelift) 911 GT3 RS with, potentially, a new turbocharged flat-six Porsche Motorsport engine, to replace the 9000rpm, 4-litre naturally aspirated screamer.
The motor is not yet confirmed, but prototypes have been doing the rounds, not sounding very much like the current car and on occasion, emitting some suspiciously turbocharged noises. We know from the Lamborghini Temerario that it’s possible now to make twin-turbo engines rev reliably, so if the GT department is to adopt turbocharging wholesale, you can still expect a raucousness and intensity. We’ll know more about the next RS, including what powers it, as well as what revisions have been made to its aerodynamics (note the Manthey kit-style triple-layer rear wing on these prototypes) when it debuts before the end of this year.
Porsche Boxster/Cayman EV
The will-they-won’t-they of the electric Porsche Boxster and Cayman isn’t over yet. We definitely know next-generation cars are coming, we definitely know combustion variants are on the way. What we don’t know for certain is the future of the electric variant. Bizarre, as for a long time (long enough for development to be largely completed), electric variants were the only variants on the way. The bet on the market for electric sports cars, with no combustion contingency that didn’t involve serious re-engineering, was a poor one on Porsche’s part and it’s paying the price now.
Had things gone to plan for Porsche, the electric Boxster and Cayman would have been on sale by now. As it stands, we should see combustion versions (a dead cert for GT-badged variants) within the next two years. Audi will take the bones of the electric platform for its TT replacement but as for whether we’ll see Porsche’s electric sports cars, we’ll know before the end of the year.
Toyota GR GT
It was one of the most talked-about prototypes of the last few years before its debut. The mystery Lexus LFA successor has turned out to be a Toyota, called the GR GT.
Developed both as a roadgoing Vantage-rivalling flagship super GT and a race car, it features a hybridised twin-turbo V8 with 641bhp. That power goes exclusively to the rear wheels via an eight-speed wet clutch transmission. To look at, it has extraordinary presence, like a Japanese Dodge Viper. We can't wait to drive it.
Toyota MR2
One of the most mysterious new models in the industry at the moment, is a car we're not even sure is certain to exist. All we know about the hypothetical Toyota MR2 sports car, is that the mid-engined GR Yaris mule that does exist would be the perfect test bed for it. Also, that power would come from Toyota's extraordinary new G20E 2-litre turbo four-cylinder combustion engine, capable of up to 400bhp in road trim.
There's a real gap in the market for driver focussed mid-engined sports cars at the moment, a gap Toyota (and indeed Alpine) are well-positioned to capitalise on. We live in hope.
There's also a possibility of a new Celica coupe that also takes this new engine, while the next Supra has been confirmed as a home for it, when it arrives.
Vauxhall Corsa GSE
Hot Vauxhalls are making a comeback, albeit with electric rather than red top power. Taking the underpinnings of the Peugeot E-208 GTI, the Corsa GSE (RIP VXR) will feature a 276bhp electric motor, mechanical limited slip diff and more focussed chassis. Between this and the Peugeot, the Alpine A290 is going to have a few fights on its hands in 2027.
Volkswagen Golf R Edition 25
Volkswagen has dropped five-cylinder engines into a few Golfs over the years, including a naturally aspirated inline five in US-spec versions of the Mk5, and before that, the curious 2.3-litre VR5, badged V5, in the Mk4 Golf. It’s never before done a true performance model, but that could change when a run-out special edition of the Golf R arrives in the next year or two, if the rumours it's fitted with the 2.5-litre, 400-plus horsepower turbocharged straight five from the Audi RS3 turn out to be true.
The car has been spotted (and heard) at the Nürburgring, and should be the hottest Golf this side of 2007’s barking-mad Golf GTI W12-650 prototype, which evo actually got to drive. Don’t expect much change from £60k when it arrives (the five-cylinder, not the W12…).
