New cars launching in 2024
2024 already looks like a golden year that could signpost the introduction of a new genre – the electric hot hatch. Alpine and Fiat have hot hatches chewing at the reigns of a 2024 release. Sports cars also feature heavily, covering everything from the track-ready Toyota Supra GRMN to the latest Ferrari hypercar and a hybrid Porsche 911. Keep reading to find out all the new cars it's worth having an eye out for.
Toyota Supra GRMN
Toyota's Supra has thus far needed more teeth to bite into the likes of the Porsche 911, but that looks likely to change with the new GRMN model. It is set to get the motor from the BMW M3 and M4, pumping out close to 500PS (368kW) with the likely option of a manual gearbox to keep it on the boil.
The GRMN's looks are set to be inspired by the GT4 race car (pictured) with a lower and wider stance, big wheels hiding beefed-up brakes and a fixed rear wing hanging off the back. Expect to hear more about the Supra later in 2024, and for it to have a price of around £80,000.
Ford Mustang Dark Horse
It doesn't feel that long since the old Mustang went on sale until you research it and realise it was nine years ago. The latest, seventh-generation model is a rework of the old car rather than an entirely new design, with sharper looks and an interior with a galactically large infotainment screen where you used to find conventional dials.
The 5-litre Coyote V8 is still present and correct, and in the Dark Horse, it is rated at 450PS (331kW) thanks to new conrods borrowed from the Shelby GT500. The Dark Horse is designed for serious track work with separate oil coolers for the gearbox and limited-slip differential, but its Electronic Drift Brake, which can be used to yank the car into a slide, proves that the Mustang also has a fun side.
Porsche Macan
Porsche has thrown its eco credentials into the basket to launch the new – electric-only – Macan. It's available in two configurations – the Macan 4 and the Macan Turbo – both featuring a motor on each axle for four-wheel drive and a 100kWh battery. The 408PS (300kW) Macan 4 has an official range of 380 miles, while the 639PS (470kW) and 1,130Nm (833lb ft) Turbo gets from 0-62mph in 3.3 seconds. Maximum charging speeds of 270kW mean a 10-80 per cent change takes a matter of minutes using a fast charger.
Inside, the Macan gets Porsche's latest modern touches with a clean design and a curved infotainment screen. The options list is as extensive as you would expect of any Porsche and includes rear-wheel steering for the first time.
Porsche 911 Carrera GTS T-Hybrid
You've got to admire Porsche's confidence. When launching the hybrid version of its 911, it didn't get sneaked in with its own designation. Instead, it wears the GTS badge, letters usually reserved for the best road-going 911s Porsche makes.
Its turbocharged 3.6-litre flat six combines an electric supercharger and a motor to produce 541PS (398KW). The electric motor produces 61PS (40kW) and 150Nm (111lb ft) of torque. The result is a car that has urge from the get-go, the electrical motor and turbocharger filling in the gaps while you wait for the full force of the turbocharged flat-six to chime in – it's a combination that gets the GTS T-Hybrid from 0-62mph in three seconds and onto a 194mph top speed.
Dacia Bigster
The Dacia Bigster might stick out like a bit of a sore thumb amongst the other astute pieces of metal on this page, but anyone who values honest engineering (and the value that comes with it) can't not like the Duster. As the name implies, the Bigster is larger than the Duster but shares the same Nissan Qashqai floor plan, and you can expect it to be offered in the same range of bright colours and recycled body cladding.
The Bigster will likely be offered as a hybrid – which will doubtless be the biggest seller – but expect it also to be offered as a rugged four-wheel drive model that can deal with harder offroad workouts than your average crossover. The Bigster's extra size will no doubt give the car a roomier back seat and a bigger boot than the Duster.
Land Rover Defender OCTA
The OCTA is about as extreme as Land Rover Defenders get, with its puffy arched stance and venerable turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 slamming out 635PS (467kW) and 750Nm (553ft lb) or 800Nm (590ft lb) in Dynamic Launch Mode. That translates to 0-62mph in four seconds and a top speed limited to 99mph to preserve the car's offroad rubber.
Yes, off-road rubber. While other tarted-up SUVs have a road-leaning slant, the OCTA stays true to its roots – it's all about going quickly offroad. Revised bumpers improve on the standard Defender's (already very generous) approach and departure angles, and you get a four-wheel drive system with a rear-biased mode that can make all your Baja dreams come true.
Abarth 600e
Abarth's formula is proven: take a standard Fiat, add more power and more looks (well, a sporty body kit and a roof-mounted spoiler), and then change a premium to own it. The 600e is more interesting than most because its 240PS (177kW) electric power is served through the front wheels via an LSD and sporty rubber, getting the car from 0-62mph in six seconds. It's a combination that, if the official picture is to be believed, could be very interesting indeed. Power comes from a 51kWh battery that's good for a range of around 200 miles.
Even more interesting is the news that the car will be available in this rather eye-catching shade of Hypnotic Purple paint, and inside, you get supportive sports seats and an Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel.
Alpine A290
The Renault 5 already had the needles on the excitement gauge bursting through the glass, and that was before it was revealed there would be an Alpine version called the A290. Styling-wise, the A290 has all the details you would expect from the company that brought us cars like the Renault 5 Turbo and Clio V6, combining a short wheelbase with the build of a rugby forward.
Power comes from a 218PS (160kW) electric motor driving the front wheels, and you can expect the Alpine to be a sporty steer with independent rear suspension, adding polish to how the car handles. The Alpine has three driving modes: Wet, Dry and Full, with Full ramping up everything to give the electric motor maximum performance.
BMW M5 Touring
The new BMW M5 Touring has a 727PS (535kW) V8 that produces 1,000Nm (738lb ft) and is good for 0-62mph in 3.5 seconds and 189mph flat out, yet has a pure-electric range of up to 47 miles, meaning you can silently glide through English villages without ever giving the game away about the power lurking beneath your right foot.
Full reviews of the new M5 aren't available, but if the nodding and winks from journalists on the launch are anything to go by, BMW has not lost its touch for making Goliath machines (the new M5 weighs 2.4 tonnes) handle like they're lightweight sports cars. Of course, when the M5's not being thrown around like a sports car, it can be as quiet, comfortable and dog-friendly as any other BMW M5 Touring.
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list
toyota
porsche
ford
land rover
dacia
bmw
Abarth
alpine
supra
macan
911 carrera GTS T-Hybrid
Mustang Dark Horse
Defender OCTA
bigster
M5 Touring
600e
a290
