The nine best coupes for 2022
‘Coupe’ covers a huge spectrum of cars, from sports and supercars at one end to luxurious and wafty GTs at the other, ranging from the affordable to the ultra-exclusive.
The coupe has taken a bit of a battering over the last few years, whether that be by stretching the definition to breaking point by including cars with four doors, or by buyers shifting to SUVs and crossovers. But there remains a strong love for these two-door heros, which is why we've chosen to stick with the classic definition of coupe for our 2022 best of.
Updated 25th March 2022
Audi A5 – the aspirational one
Audi’s image depends on a projection of upwardly mobile aspiration so, despite all the SUVs, hatchbacks and saloons, coupes remain emotionally important. Audi offers coupe-inspired SUVs and five-door hatchbacks (Sportbacks in brand lingo), some more gracefully realised than others. The recently updated A5 is the more traditional expression though and an enduringly popular style statement for Audi fans. The £70,000, 450PS Audi RS5 is a worthy halo but Audi’s real trick is selling more affordable four-cylinder versions that, at a glance, confer equivalent status on their drivers. Debadged and on big wheels who needs know…
Rolls-Royce Wraith – the unapologetic one
If an S-Class Coupe is simply too modest and a Bentley too vulgar the luxury embrace of a Rolls-Royce Wraith is the obvious next step. With rear-hinged coach doors that swing with the solidity of canal lock gates, a stance to inspire deference in even the most assertive SUV driver and a silent but deadly turbocharged V12 engine to waft you along with discreet speed, the Wraith makes no apologies. But isn’t that what you want from a Rolls-Royce? Recent additions like the Black Badge bring a more modern vibe to attract a younger crowd but, for any driver, the Wraith remains top of the pile.
BMW M4 Series – the nosey one
The moment we saw the latest BMW M4 in the flesh, we all forgot about our protestations about its nose, because it looks fine. Then we drove it and realised it was a pretty trifling issue considering how good the car itself it. With lots of power on tap and a rear-wheel-drive version available the new M4 can be as fun as you want it to be. There's an adjustable traction control system with ten (count them) different settings so you can configure how lairy the car is pretty much to your hearts content.
Toyota GR 86 – the hot hatch alternative
The Toyota GT86 took the coupe world by storm. It was finally a replacement for the MR2 and Celica and it was fun to drive. We didn't think it would get a second album but apparently Toyota sold enough of them to make another. Now in line with Toyota's Gazoo Racing branding, the GR 86 will arrive this year to replace the GT86 and boy does it look the part. Keeping most of the things that made the GT86 great – nimbleness, good looks, concentration on driving pleasure over performance – should mean the GR 86 retains its spot atop the list of small Japanese sportscars avaiable in the UK today, admittedly that's quite a small list now.
Ford Mustang – the lairy one
While European coupes trade on an air of sophistication their American equivalents offer earthier charms. Over here the agility and practicality of a hot hatch suits our roads and tastes but Stateside drivers have the room (and fuel prices) to appreciate the option of V8 Camaro or Mustang for Golf GTI money. Half a century on Ford has finally taken the plunge and decided the Mustang is big enough for a larger stage and it’s now got the handling, tech and manners to appeal to a global audience. It’s still got that essential big-hearted, all-American charm though and, if not quite the bargain it is back home, offers huge bang for buck, especially in V8 GT form.
Lexus LC – the beautiful one
Back when motor shows were a thing there was always a sleek coupe concept on the Lexus stand boasting style notably absent in the products you could actually buy. Finally, the production LC coupe realised that dream. After decades of deference to American or European tastes the LC is among a new wave of cars confidently expressing Japanese design culture, in Lexus’s case finally making good on the trail blazed by the gorgeous LFA supercar. The hybrid version of the LC is more faithful to parent company Toyota’s engineering mindset but there’s also a ‘pure’ V8 for a hint of the LFA magic. Such is the quality of execution you could tell people it cost double what it does and they wouldn’t bat an eyelid.
Nissan GT-R – the videogame made real
Much as Lexus has with the LC, the Nissan GT-R proudly expresses Japanese design and technical expertise, albeit in a very different way. Melding cultural influences from sci-fi Manga cartoons and videogames with proud motorsport pedigree, the Nissan GT-R is a suitably formidable cocktail of brutal performance and unapologetic looks. A traditional coupe in proportions and layout, it otherwise defies expectation with performance to trouble supercars costing two or three times as much, even after a decade-plus on sale. Part muscle car, part sportscar, the GT-R is a complicated coupe full of contradictions but deserving of its towering reputation.
Bentley Continental GT – the well-dressed bruiser
Under Volkswagen ownership Bentley has had the freedom to reinvent itself from crusty and eccentric builder of upper-class muscle cars into a sophisticated, modern luxury brand. Wisely a whiff of those traditions has been maintained throughout, explaining how, for all the traditional leather’n’walnut trappings, Bentleys are still popular with what snobbier types might consider ‘the wrong sort’ of buyer. If that means they appeal to a younger audience of upwardly mobile, cash-rich buyers then who’s to fault Bentley for catering to their needs. And, while the first Continental GT perhaps lacked a little elegance, the latest one smooths off the rough edges and strikes a perfect balance between class and swagger.
Polestar 1 – the coupe for our times
In this SUV-obsessed age it takes some nerve to launch a new luxury brand with a six-figure hybrid coupe. Polestar hasn’t come from nowhere of course, Volvo’s Chinese owners keen to use this sporting division as the launchpad into the premium sector. It’s still a bold move given the standard of the competition but the resources are there and Polestar is doing it properly. Wisely it’s also playing its own game, with a beautiful, carbon-fibre bodied luxury coupe capable of viably operating as an EV for regular journeys (and speeds) before unleashing its full petrol-assisted 610PS and freedom from battery induced range anxiety. If perhaps not a game-changer it’s certainly a wake-up call to the status quo and proof coupes still have the power to turn hearts and heads.
Rolls-Royce
GT86
GT-R
Polestar
Nissan
Toyota
Polestar 1
Wraith
Ford
Mustang
Mercedes
S-Class
Bentley
Continental GT
Lexus
LC
BMW
8 Series
Audi
A5
List
