This was the year that EVs went thoroughly mainstream, even as political dithering dented the emphasis on the urgency of the need to switch from ICE. There were still a few notable novelties in the latter sphere, perhaps buoyed by mixed official messaging and the belief that fossil fuels somehow deserved a future in the hands of the well-heeled. Whilst we thoroughly enjoyed the latest from Ferrari, Maserati, and Aston Martin, there’s an undeniable feeling of an era drawing to a close. Will the old guard manage to rewrite the rule book, or will new brands without the heavy drag of heritage be able to get ahead? Peruse our picks of 2023 (in no particular order)…
Top 10 cars of 2023
01. Audi e-tron GT
Audi e-tron GT quattro, 2023
We loved Audi’s e-tron GT, a handsome grand tourer that shows that premium electric cars need not be about over-powered hypercars or hefty SUVs. Expect a face-lifted and lightly upgraded version of the GT to break cover in 2024 – we’re looking forward to it.
02. Hyundai Ioniq 6
Hyundai Ioniq 6
Hyundai kept up its current winning streak with the sleek Ioniq 6, a streamlined electric saloon that showed that design could be bold and different without alienating anyone.
03. Volkswagen ID.Buzz
Volkswagen ID. Buzz and ID. Buzz Cargo
VW has a hit on its hands with the ID.Buzz, a flexible MPV that’s equally at home as a car or a commercial vehicle. The high-riding driving position and acres of space recall the original VW Combi and 2024 should see 7-seater and campervan variants arrive.
04. Rolls-Royce Spectre
Rolls-Royce Spectre
Rolls-Royce spoiled us with the all-electric Spectre, a mighty achievement that goes straight to the top of the luxury wish-list. Serene, majestic yet also sprightly and long-legged, the vast coupé epitomises the company’s long-held ethos.
05. Lotus Eletre
Lotus Eletre
The Lotus Eletre follows the familiar playbook for all-new electric auto brands; start with a sizeable SUV and eventually downscale. Only Lotus is no start-up. The Eletre might not demonstrate the venerable sports car maker’s historic passion for lightness, but it’s a truly convincing piece of kit. Next year sees the arrival of the new Emeya electric saloon.
06. Ferrari Roma Spider
Ferrari Roma Spider
Ferrari threw open the roads of Sardinia for the launch of its beautiful Roma Spider, reasoning that the media would look most kindly on the car if it was in its natural environment. It succeeded; in the right location, the Spider encapsulates la dolce vita.
07. Aston Martin DB12
Aston Martin DB12
Something of a glorious anachronism, the DB12 is the automotive equivalent of a long-running film franchise that manages to stay fresh and relevant with each release. Essentially an uprated and restyled DB11, the DB12 retains the essential elements of beauty and brawn, only now it’s a little more user friendly.
08. Maserati MC20
Maserati MC20
The MC20 was a mild surprise for long-time followers of Italian manufacturer Maserati. Just when it seemed the company had sacrificed over a century of history on the altar of the dreaded SUV, it came out with this magnificent mid-engined supercar. Old-school cool in all the right ways. 2024 marks Maserati’s 110th birthday, so expect some kind of four-wheeled celebration.
09. Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale
Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale
Another modern Italian masterpiece, the 33 Stradale is a strictly limited-edition hypercar. Unveiled back in August, it pointed to a mini design renaissance for the firm, once the unrivalled masters of making beautiful cars at every price point. If just 10 per cent of the 33 Stradale’s good looks make it into the next all-electric generation of Alfa road cars, the company’s future looks bright.
10. David Brown Automotive Mini eMastered
Mini eMastered by David Brown Automotive
Finally, a leftfield choice that merges truly iconic design with up-to-the-minute technology. DBA’s Mini eMastered is both strikingly brilliant and fantastically expensive. The ultimate luxury city car?
-
You can stay in Jame Eagan’s glass-and-steel mansion from SeveranceThe Taghkanic House by Thomas Phifer serves as the home of Lumon’s CEO in the AppleTV+ series, and can be rented out for dystopian stays
-
The Further Reading Library is a new collection of esoteric art and design booksCollating the forgotten histories of left-field creatives, this new publishing imprint reveals hitherto unseen artistic experiments from the past
-
Ai Weiwei's major retrospective in Seattle is a timely and provocative exploration of human rights'Ai, Rebel: The Art and Activism' of Ai Weiwei is on now at the Seattle Art Museum
-
Meet the final drivable prototype of the Telo MT1 pickup truck, shaped by FuseprojectThe Telo MT1 is a modestly scaled EV that turns the traditional all-American approach to pick-up truck design on its head
-
EV start-up Halcyon transforms a classic 1970s Rolls-Royce into a smooth electric operatorThis 1978 Rolls-Royce Corniche is the first fruit of a new electric restomod company, the Surrey-based Halcyon
-
Long-range, refined and spacious, the new Hyundai Ioniq 9 is like a private jet on wheelsWallpaper* takes the Ioniq 9 on an electric road trip from Seoul to Busan to explore Hyundai’s newest and largest EV to date
-
Ferrari drops the top on its mighty 12Cilindri super coupe to create the elegant SpiderWe drive the new Ferrari 12Cilindri Spider, a last and glorious hurrah for the sound of the V12
-
China’s Leapmotor pounces on the European car market with its T03 city car and C10 SUVLeapmotor’s tiny electric city car could be just the tonic for cramped urban Europe. We sample the T03 and its new sibling, the fully loaded C10 SUV, to see if the company’s value proposition stacks up
-
Modena Automobili transforms the 1990s-era Maserati Shamal into a cutting-edge restomodThe MA-01 Maserati Biturbo Shamal gives Marcello Gandini’s iconic 1990s design a fresh lease of life, with uprated engineering, electronics and style
-
Aston Martin reveals first ever racing variant of its extreme Valkyrie hypercarAiming to conquer Le Mans, as well as other endurance races around the world, Aston Martin and The Heart of Racing unveil the track-focused Valkyrie WEC and IMSA challenger
-
Wallpaper* takes the wheel of the Bentley Blower Jnr for a rich automotive experienceHedley Studios has shrunk the mighty Bentley Blower into this all-electric, road-legal barnstormer. We take it to the streets of London
