Future Cars Worth Waiting For: 2025–2028 (2024)

As BMW's bread and butter, the 3-series has exemplified the compact luxury sports sedan for decades now. It's about to undergo a significant transformation, which BMW previewed recently with its Vision Neue Klasse concept. Not only will the 3er migrate to a new platform, it will also offer an electric variant for the first time, which we expect to be called i3. We're particularly fond of the concept car's proportions, which evoke the golden era of BMW sports sedans in terms of the athletic stance, short overhangs, and subdued surfacing.

There Could Be an M EV Version, Too

The latest iteration of the BMW M5 supersedan features a controversial plug-in-hybrid drivetrain that increases its weight significantly compared with its predecessor. But enthusiasts still have something to be excited about, which is the arrival of the M5 Touring station wagon in the U.S. market. Regardless of its propulsion system, the idea of a V-8-powered performance wagon with over 700 hp gets us going. It'll do battle with the Audi RS6 Avant and the upcoming Mercedes-AMG E-class wagon that should also make its return to our shores in the near future.

BMW Officially Confirmed It's Coming to America

How could Bugatti possibly top the 16-cylinder Chiron hypercar? With the new Tourbillon hybrid, of course. It also has 16 cylinders, though not in the same W-16 arrangement as before, and the hybrid setup takes horsepower up to a massive 1800. Only 250 will be built, and the price will be astronomical, but it's impressive to see Bugatti push the envelope of what a production car can achieve.

How the Tourbillon Reinvents the Steering Wheel

If you don't know by now that ZR1 means the ultimate gas-powered performance Corvette, the new C8 ZR1 will certainly convince you. It packs a twin-turbo version of the Z06's flat-plane-crank 5.5-liter V-8, cranking out an absurd 1025 hp, and the top speed is a claimed 215 mph. The ZR1 will take the Corvette name to new performance heights, and while we don't yet know the price, it will certainly reach new territory in that regard as well.

Why the Corvette ZR1 Conquers All

If you're sad about the death of the supercharged Hellcat V-8 engine, we don't blame you. But there's still plenty to get excited about in the new Dodge Charger, which replaces both the old Challenger coupe and Charger sedan. The new generation offers lots to like, from its two- and four-door body styles, hatchback practicality, and a choice of both gas and electric powertrains. The internal-combustion model has Stellantis's Hurricane twin-turbo inline-six in 420-hp and 550-hp strengths, while the Charger Daytona EV reaches even higher into the performance stratosphere with its 670-hp variant.

The New Charger Does It All

Have you heard? The Prelude is back, baby. After showing a concept car in Tokyo last year, Honda confirmed that a production Prelude is coming soon with a hybrid drivetrain. It looks about what you'd expect a modern-day Prelude to look like, with a sleek two-door silhouette that's sports-car-esque without being quite as low-slung as models like the Toyota GR 86 and Mazda MX-5 Miata.

Honda Says It 'Isn't Going to Be the Sportiest Car'

Hyundai has yet to confirm whether it will actually put the stunning Vision 74 concept into production, but a rumor stemming from a Japanese-language website suggests it could be revealed soon. This retro, wedge-shaped concept could be a cool addition to Hyundai's lineup, as a sporty two-door coupe has been missing from the Korean automaker's showrooms since the departure of the Genesis Coupe many years ago.

Here's what we know so far

This new off-road-oriented EV could inject some new energy into Jeep's lineup. The Recon 4x4 is styled to look somewhat like a Wrangler, but it could be far more modern inside and offer a more refined driving experience. Stellantis also hinted that it could be offered with gas powertrains as well, so we look forward to hearing more about the Recon's specs, size, price, and features in the coming months.

It Has Removable Doors Like the Wrangler

The Lucid Air sedan was an impressive statement of purpose from this EV automaker, and the Gravity SUV aims to take Lucid Motors to new territory. It offers three rows of seats, big range numbers, and lots of horsepower, plus a luxurious interior. It remains to be seen whether Lucid will offer a performance Sapphire version like it does on the sedan.

It Has Room for Seven

With a claimed 1341 hp and over-the-top concept-car styling, the Nissan Hyper Force appears to be a pie-in-the-sky idea of a future performance sports car. But squint a bit, and this is what the next-generation Nissan GT-R could look like. Electrification is coming to the legendary performance coupe, and the Hyper Force is an indication of what Nissan is hoping to achieve with the next Godzilla.

It Sure Looks Like an Electric GT-R

Porsche confirmed a few years ago that the next 718 Boxster and Cayman would be going full electric by mid-decade. Since then, we've caught the car testing on the road and on the Nürburgring, all in complete silence. The current cars will end production next year, so if you want a gas-powered, mid-engined Porsche sports car in your garage, there's no time like the present.

We knew as far back as 2019 this would be happening

With shades of the Lancia Delta Integrale in its shape and proportions, the Rivian R3X captured our attention upon its debut. Rivian says it's still a ways off from becoming a production vehicle, but we're looking forward to learning more about its specs as it comes closer to reality. There's also an R3 version with less body cladding that should cost less, but we're partial to the rally-ready looks of the X.

It's a Rally-Ready Compact EV

While Toyota has yet to confirm outright that a new sports car is brewing, all the signs are there. A small two-seater sports car was one of 15 concepts shown in 2021. In 2023, then-new Toyota CEO Koji Sato suggested his predecessor (and huge gearhead) Akio Toyoda would pivot to focus on developing more performance cars for the Toyota brand. And most recently, Toyota showed the FT-Se concept shown here, which looks to us like an electric revival of the iconic MR2.

Here's the latest on Toyota's performance future

Volkswagen bought the rights to American utility-vehicle brand International Harvester back in 2020 and confirmed plans to revive the Scout marque as an all-electric SUV and truck sub-brand starting in 2026. The automaker went as far as to release a teaser sketch of its planned models, one SUV and one pickup. These are meant to be competitors to the Rivian R1T and R1S.

Here's what we know about the Scout's revival