These are the 5 cars I’m most looking forward to in 2022

I have to say right away that this list could have been a lot more than five cars. The next 12 months will be very exciting indeed, driven (pun intended) by the global move to electrification, but also by an industry that is still catching up due to Covid and cars are missing their 2020 or 2021 target a little later than expected.

But as I write this on the eve of 2022, time is of the essence and I wanted to keep it short. So there are five cars, from five manufacturers and three different countries. I’m surprised to see no fewer than three entries from the UK, but two of them are extremely significant vehicles that only appear once in a generation. I hope American readers don’t mind my regional bias …

In no particular order:

GMA T.50

The T.50 is a three-seater supercar that is considered the son of the legendary McLaren F1

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GMA is Gordon Murray Automotive, the British automaker who is at the forefront of the genius behind numerous F1 championship cars – not least the 1988 McLaren MP4 / 4, which won all races that season – and of course the McLaren F1.

The T.50 was unveiled in 2020 and is Murray’s fiftieth vehicle, hence the name. More importantly, it’s the spiritual son of the McLaren F1, a three-seater, naturally aspirated, V12 supercar with its driver sitting in the middle and shifting gears manually.

Light, easy to turn (up to 12,100 rpm, no less) and with massive downforce generated by a carbon fan on the back that draws air through a gaping diffuser, the T.50 could well be the definitive super sports car with a combustion engine being . I can barely wait for it.

Ferrari 296 GTB

The Ferrari 296 GTB is inspired by the design of the 250 LM from the sixties

Ferrari

It’s a beautiful thing, isn’t it? After the aggression of the F12 TDF, 488 Pista and 812 Competizione, I warmly welcome Ferrari’s return to more classic styling, first with the Roma and now with the 296 GTB. This is Italy’s answer to the McLaren Artura. Both are hybrid mid-engined supercars powered by V6 engines with electric assistance

I’m happy to put this aside as the first six-cylinder Ferrari since 1974 and instead focus on looks. Inspired by the 250 LM race car, the shoulders and buttresses are beautiful, while the front end looks tidier and more classic than the 488 and other newer mid-engined Ferraris. At least in my eyes.

Range Rover

The new Range Rover is only the fifth generation in 50 years

Jaguar Land Rover

There have been a few facelifts and tech updates over the years, but the Range Rover 2022 is the first Range Rover to be rightly called “brand new” in a decade, and only the fifth Range Rover to date.

The design is very familiar at first glance, but on closer inspection everything has changed; It’s a master class in pared-back design, with the whole look beautifully simplified. The biggest betrayer that this is the new one is the taillight assembly that is “hidden until it lights up” with its black glass work that hides the red and orange LEDs behind it. It’s a chic look that will no doubt be copied for years to come.

Polestar 3

The Polestar 3 will be fully unveiled in early 2022

Pole Star

First there was the Polestar 1 Hybrid GT, then the Polestar 2 EV and next the Polestar 3. Also fully electric (like all Polestars except the 1), the 3 will be the first SUV from the Swedish company. The company says it will be a premium car that will “define the look of SUVs in the electric age” and will be built in America.

Though closely related to the upcoming next-gen Volvo XC90 (both companies are owned by Chinese auto giant Geely), Polestar says its 3 will be the faster of the two. So far only a camouflaged Polestar 3 has been shown, but we expect the finished item in early 2022.

Lotus Emira

The Emira will be the last internal combustion engine car produced by Lotus

lotus

Last but not least, we have the Lotus Emira. This should be the last Lotus with a combustion engine, because the British sports car manufacturer plans to go purely electric from now on.

As a replacement for the entire Lotus series, which was retired at the end of 2021, the Emira is unusually available with two completely different engines.

To compete with the Porsche Cayman and Alpine A110, the Emira is available with either a 3.5-liter V6 supercharged engine from Toyota or a two-liter, four-cylinder turbo engine derived from Mercedes AMG. The latter is only offered with a dual clutch transmission, while the V6 is optionally available with a six-speed manual or automatic transmission.

At $ 77,100, I think the Lotus Emira is worth significantly more.