The late 2023 into 2024 season is shaping up to be one of the most exciting ever for high-end automotive enthusiasts. With hot new cars from the most famous sports and luxury marques set to roll off production lines—in limited numbers, natch—there’s never been a better time to get behind the wheel. Here are our six favorites, and they’re all ready to rip with loads of sporty style, so get your checkbook ready because order books will be filling up fast.
- Rolls-Royce Spectre
The legendary British luxury brand’s first-ever fully-electric car, Spectre is set to revolutionize the off-the-charts EV space. Rolls is calling it the “world’s first ultra-luxury electric super coupé”; and despite the trailblazing nature of Spectre, they’re more than pleased to point out that marque cofounder Charles Stewart Rolls touted the appeal of electric cars as early as 1900. Billed as the “spiritual successor” of the Phantom Coupé, Spectre is set to take its place among the brand’s iconic model monikers. While final power, acceleration and range figures for the aluminum-bodied beast are “still being refined” as Rolls puts it, Spectre is expected to do 0-60 mph in 4.4 seconds, top out at 155 mph, offer offer 900 Nm of torque, and be capable of clocking 260 miles on a single charge. “Spectre possesses all the qualities that have secured the Rolls-Royce legend,” notes Rolls-Royce Motor Cars CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös, who calls it nothing short of “the most perfect product that Rolls-Royce has ever produced…. Silent and powerful, [it] demonstrates how perfectly Rolls-Royce is suited to electrification.” Spectre, he adds, is “perfectly in tune with the sensibilities of our time. It states the direction for the future of our marque and perfectly answers a call from the most discerning individuals in the world to elevate the electric motor car experience, because Spectre is a Rolls-Royce first and an electric car second.” Design inspiration for the car meanwhile came from everything from “haute couture, modernist sculpture, nautical design, and tailoring to contemporary art.”
rolls-roycemotorcars.com
- Aston Martin DB12
Not to be outdone in the field of world firsts, another ultra-posh British brand, Aston Martin, has just debuted the DB12, dubbed the world’s first “super tourer.” The ultimate evolution of the classic GT, this one 007-worthy to a fault, it’s designed to “deliver a quantum shift and set the benchmark for performance, ultra-luxury and style.” Boasting 671 hp and 800 Nm of torque courtesy of its 4.0 V8 twin-turbo engine, DB12 can do 0-60 in 3.5 seconds with a blistering top speed of 202 mph. This is a decidedly old-school, take-your-hybrid-and-shove-it style grand tourer that doesn’t stand on ceremony. Aston is calling DB12 “the most complete and accomplished DB model in Aston Martin’s history…. blessed with exceptional performance and handling to satisfy and reward the most demanding drivers.” As will be true of all vehicles bearing the hallowed Aston Martin badge, which celebrates its 110th anniversary this year, the DB12’s hallmarks are “prodigious performance and pinpoint dynamics, seamless integration of advanced technologies, and the sublime style and exemplary craftsmanship for which the brand has long been renowned.” Roberto Fedeli, Aston Martin’s Group Chief Technology Officer, calls DB12 a “statement car,” noting, “we have pushed every aspect of this car to be best-in-class. The result is more power and performance than its rivals. Combined with exceptional handling and an exciting soundtrack, it is a car with passion and a truly sporting character. Crucially, thanks to its breadth of capability we have achieved this without compromising refinement, comfort and luxury. Together with our use of industry-leading dynamic control and infotainment systems, DB12 is the start of Aston Martin’s most exciting new era.”
astonmartin.com
- Lamborghini Revuelto
- McLaren 750S
We’ve all been waiting to see what McLaren’s first move would be under newly-minted CEO Michael Leiters, who joined the esteemed marque last summer. And by the looks of it the new 750S won’t disappoint. It’s the lightest and most powerful series-production McLaren ever built, with 740 hp, 590 lb-ft. of torque, a 0-60 mph sprint of 2.7 seconds, and a top speed of 206 mph. “When you have a car [like the 720S] recognized by so many drivers as a benchmark, to do something even better you have to examine every detail and really push hard for improvements that raise the bar again,” Leiters notes. “This is what we have done with the new 750S and the lightweight, V8 engine performance and outstanding dynamic abilities combine to deliver a supercar driving experience that hits new heights, with truly exhilarating levels of emotional connection.” Around 30 percent of the 750S’s components vs. its predecessor the 720S, which had 30 hp less power, are new or improved, making this a truly groundbreaking model for McLaren. Priced in the U.S. market from a base of $324,000 for the Coupe and $345,000 for the Spider—which is fitted with a retractable hardtop—the 750S is bound to delight collectors and all who appreciate beautiful machines that go really, really fast. McLaren’s MSO customization department has also been given full reign to create whatever a customer might desire in terms of personalizing the wicked new ride, though the stock TechLux and Performance interior themes are already on the mark. In the brand’s own words, the sensational new supercar is a “design that speaks the language of speed.”
mclaren.com
- Range Rover Sport SV
It’s the most powerful Range Rover ever built: the new Range Rover Sport SV may not be a supercar like the other thoroughbreds on the list, but this super-SUV can more than hold its own. With 626 hp—a 50 hp boost over the outgoing Range Rover Sport SVR—courtesy of a eco-friendly “mild-hybrid” twin turbo V8, it can do 0-60 mph in 3.6 seconds in dynamic-optimized SV Mode with a top speed of 180 mph. An “airflow-honed” exterior includes a redesigned front-end and lower body sides, which while recognizable from the previous generation are unmistakably upgraded, as are the carbon fiber hood and quad tailpipes. Inside you’ll find Range Rover’s first ever Body and Soul Seat, which uses the latest in-car sensory audio technology to provide a truly memorable experience in conjunction with the state-of-the-art entertainment system. And for the first time ever on a production Range Rover there’s a Brembo Carbon Ceramic Brakes option, with exclusive eight-piston SV calipers announcing to all and sundry that this is no ordinary SUV. Nick Collins, Jaguar Land Rover, aka JLR’s Executive Director of Vehicle Programs, calls the new Sport SVR an “optimum blend of supreme performance, unrivaled desirability, capability and refinement. It’s a visceral addition to the Range Rover Sport line-up that powerfully demonstrates the world-class expertise of our high-performance specialists.” For the first year of production New Range Rover Sport SV is only available to select clients, built to order and by invitation, in limited edition SV EDITION ONE specification, “representing a curation of the best feature combinations, colors and finishes.” We could say that competition will be fierce; but every SV EDITION ONE has already been spoken for by a current Range Rover Client, so that battle was over before it began.
landrover.com
- Maserati GranTurismo Folgore
Having relaunched the GranTurismo in style last year, Maserati is now gearing up to debut the next-level version of the supercar, in the form of the GranTurismo Folgore, the the first-ever car in Maserati’s 100-year-plus history to feature a 100% electric battery-based powertrain. Mind-bending performance is the result of this impressive endeavor, with the Folgore capable of doing 0 to 62 mph in just 2.7 seconds with a top speed of 202 mph. Based on 800V technology, the car’s Folgore—Italian for “lightning”—system was developed with the help of the iconic marque’s Formula E program. The eco-friendly theme is carried through even to the interior, with the use of sustainable materials such as Econyl, a new fabric made with recycled nylon from netting recovered from the oceans. This features a “parametric design that expresses a natural dynamism… speaking of a controlled performance, a movement made eternal.” The dashboard and door panels meanwhile are produced using “high-frequency” leather printing technology, a process borrowed from high-end leather goods which Maserati points out is a first for the automotive industry. The most exclusive examples of the Folgore are reserved for existing top-drawer Maserati clients, under the GranTurismo PrimaSerie 75th Anniversary badge, “a modern heroine that carries forward into the future the significant legacy of a timeless car, raising the concept of travel towards new design and stylistic horizons for an unprecedented level of driving experience and pleasure.” Only 75 examples of the Fologre in the PrimaSerie 75th Anniversary trim will be built, wearing exclusive Blu Inchiostro paint.
maserati.com
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