Cars That Will Blow You Away In 2023 And Beyond

For those of us who have been around for a while, the days when automakers added computers and switched over to fuel injection, adding such unheard-of luxuries as heated seats in middle-class cars and stereo systems that did not sound like wires plugged into a coffee can seemed as though the boundaries of auto technology had been pushed about as far as they could go. Computerized engine management and better manufacturing meant cars would run better and longer, and the days when a car was worn out at 100k miles were in the rearview mirror. New models designed on computers used a myriad of equations and algorithms to create shapes that cut through the wind better and fuel economy had nearly doubled in some cases while horsepower did too. Cars became so much better and so much more than we could have imagined, which leads us to today.

Today we are lousy with supercar choices and base model economy cars have more luxury appointments than many Cadillacs from a few decades ago. The incredible technology that first entered our homes on family computers and migrated to handheld devices in our pockets is now fully integrated and integral to the motoring experience. The forward-thinking General Motors EV-1 electric car which seemed like a cool project that would never be viable for mass consumption has morphed into a range of makes and models using battery-powered propulsion. It would be folly to consider the current technological boundary around automakers is near its endpoint. Therefore, in a brief survey of what is coming, these cars will be blowing you away in 2023 and beyond.

Hyundai is really on a tear lately. From its lowly U.S. introduction with the abysmal Excel, the company has accelerated its development and built its reputation as a leader in its field, producing some of the best cars available while remaining affordable. Its all-electric Ioniq 5 has already won Motor Trend's SUV of the year award, being the first EV to do so, and Hyundai is following up that model with an equally clever Ioniq 6 sedan.

The Ioniq 6 shape uses more curves and sweeping arcs in contrast to the straight cuts and angles of the Ioniq 5. It is the kind of styling likely to be polarizing with love-it-or-hate-it opinions. Everything below the surface is shared with the Ioniq 5 and will be available in a 225-horsepower single-motor or 320-horsepower dual-motor version, according to Car and Driver. The preliminary range estimate will be 340 miles, which is an impressive figure, especially considering this will be a $44,000 car with base model options selected.

Like many similar cars, the interior is minimalist and one of the complaints from Car and Driver reviewers is the overabundance of digital controls, eliminating buttons and switches with tactile feedback. Still, based on the excellent Ioniq 5 already on sale, this model should also set Hyundai's electron-heavy course in the right direction.

Porsche's Macan compact SUV has been with us for several years already and it has proven to be an attractive addition to the company's offerings and a perfect companion to the larger Cayenne SUV. It has not changed much since its 2015 debut but did receive a facelift with the 2021 model. With the 2023 model year, Porsche is offering a full-electric version of the Macan. Based on the reception and feedback of the all-electric Taycan, this should be a welcome development.

The new Macan will, according to Autoweek, share the 800-volt electric architecture of the Taycan but is being built on a new Premium Platform Electric (PPE) that will also underpin future models. While the Macan will be capable of hauling groceries, it will be able to haul something else with its 603 horsepower and instantly available 707 pound-feet of torque. Porsche is targeting charging improvements with its 800-volt system to provide the ability to charge from 5% to 80% in just 25 minutes, with the right charger. The range is not yet mentioned, but a peculiar detail is that the new platform will offer a slight weight advantage to the rear wheels with a front-to-rear ratio of 48% to 52%. Autoweek suggests this presents some speculation of this platform's ability to sit beneath a future 911 EV, but Porsche isn't talking.

Porsche has already sold more than 100,000 of its Taycan EV and is gearing up for Macan deliveries, which are not expected until 2024, according to Electrek.

For the quintessential British grand tourer, Aston Martin has always been on top of the list. Fast and elegant four-seaters have always been the company's forte, but it is branching out now...into supercars. The company already made waves with the 1,160 horsepower Valkyrie in 2021, but also has another mid-engined beast coming out just on the heels of that car. In another nod to the people that overtook the British Isles in the later part of the first millennium, the second car is called Valhalla, the majestic hall entered by slain warriors in the afterlife.

The new Aston Martin will be powered by an AMG-sourced 4.0-liter V8 fed by twin turbos and spinning a flat-plane crank. The engine is expected to produce 812 horsepower, but that is not all. It will also have a 400-volt hybrid system with electric motors front and rear for a combined power output of 1,012 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque. Gasoline power will be put to the wheel through an 8-speed dual-clutch unit, the first for an Aston and the transmission is coming from Graziano as a bespoke unit for this car (via Motor Trend).

This is new territory for Aston Martin, but it appears the company is pulling it off. It is one thing to make a car go fast, but Aston is also making it a stunningly beautiful ride, barely sticking up off the ground and shaped such that any wisp of air will go straight over it. Furthermore, Aston Martins are known for having finely crafted interiors and the Valhalla is no different, albeit with a laser focus on the driver. It should be fun.

For nearly six decades, Ford Mustangs have been a part of American highways. While new models of many cars to be excited about are already coming over the horizon, for some, the new Mustang is the main event. The 2005 redesign of the car showed what Ford could do with the Mustang while looking to its past models to guide its design, but now, Ford is taking its pony car into the future. The upcoming 2024 Mustang is sleek and aggressive, yet familiar. All the correct pony car bits are there and they are joined by the latest technology, including those for comfort and performance.

While the Mustang has shed its retro inspiration, nods to past generations are still ever present, from its triple LED sequential turn signals to its row of buttons in the dash that mimics an old AM radio. The new car will be powered, according to Jalopnik, by a choice of EcoBoost 4-cylinder making 315 horsepower and an almost unbelievable 350 pound-feet of torque. For comparison, a 1988 Mustang with the same size 2.3-liter engine delivered just 90 horsepower (via automobile-catalog). But the real money is on the GT model with the Coyote V8 making an astonishing 486 horsepower. These are Mustang performance numbers seen only on the drag strip not so long ago. And there is also the Dark Horse edition that should be seeing drag strips soon as its total power output is 500 horsepower.

Inside drivers will find a large screen crossing over from the gauge cluster area into the center stack for infotainment and HVAC controls, and it will have all of Ford's most recent integration and communications. This looks like the future of the pony car.

Lotus has been making fantastic sports cars for decades as an underdog boutique automaker, although its engineering capabilities have always been among the best. The company has built its reputation on small and agile cars that gain a speed advantage not by stuffing giant engines under the bonnet, but by maintaining founder Colin Chapman's mantra of, "Simplify, then add lightness" (via Classic Driver).

While Lotus history is full of phenomenal sports cars like the Esprit, Elise, and Exige, its future looks rather different. Automotive News Europe reported that Lotus finalized a strategy to convert its production to making 100% electric vehicles by the end of the 2020s. The first of these is the all-electric Evija.

For its first time out making an electric hypercar, Lotus is pulling no punches. While its shape and setup are not unlike many mid-engine cars the company has made in the past, the Evija turns its flow of electrons through lithium-ion batteries into almost 2,000 horsepower of forward motion. Top Gear got to test it at the Lotus test track in Hethel, England, putting it through its paces to give its four motors a workout, although it had only 1,600 horsepower and a top speed limited to 140 mph. What a bummer. The many impressive details that make this car special would require a feature article, but one could just say that it takes off like a fighter jet and looks just as cool. Expect to see these on the roads later in 2023. Although, with just 130 examples – which are already sold out – being made at a cost of more than $2 million, sightings will be exceedingly rare.

Chevrolet's recent announcement that the company will be using the Corvette name as a sub-brand on a range of cars to include at least one SUV likely drew the ire of hardcore Corvette junkies. For some of them, moving the engine to the middle was sacrilegious, but to turn their favorite fiberglass-covered go-fast toy into a grocery-getter is an immortal sin. However, those guys don't buy new cars, so Chevrolet isn't building anything for them. Chevrolet wants products that turn profits.

Car and Driver explains that Chevrolet will be diversifying the Corvette portfolio to expand the lineup to include base model sports cars along with high-performance models and advanced hybrids as well. It is an overall strategy to raise the Corvette cache and monetize its legacy value. With Ferrari and Lamborghini building uber-exclusive SUVs, how can Chevrolet tempt a defection toward a domestic brand? A well-equipped Tahoe won't cut it. The C8 Corvette is already offering buyers an excellent alternative to a finicky Italian brand and it makes sense to make a play for Purosangue and Urus buyers with a more affordable alternative.

At the moment, few details are out in the open. These are preliminary plans of what appears to be a genuine move by Chevrolet to build up the Corvette name. Keep an eye on this space as SlashGear will be bringing you news about any new Corvette models as soon as they are released.

Lotus is going all-in on electric cars in a big way. Not only has the company created its first insanely high-powered hypercar, but it is also creating an SUV based on its new EV technology. The 2023 Electre has already rolled off the production line with full production ramping up in late 2023. Inside EVs tells us this car is a dual-motor with 591 horsepower and offers an estimated 370 miles of range, however, more powerful variants are in the works. It appears that, since EVs make it difficult to "add lightness", Lotus is going for power instead.

Lotus announced this vehicle as the world's first electric hyper-SUV. The interior is described as a "digital cockpit" centered on an all-new Lotus Hyper OS built upon the Unreal Engine technology from gaming. The in-car experience will be further enhanced by the integrated Dolby Atmos audio system, making the Electre an immersive driving experience.

Lotus has clearly put a lot of thought into bringing its first SUV to market and wants to put its best foot forward. Much more information is to come about this in the coming months, but it will be available at a price of just over $100,000. The first ones are going to the Chinese market. Perhaps the most interesting fact about it relates to this as it is being built at a brand new Lotus manufacturing plant in Wuhan, China. Carmaker Geely owns a controlling share and has vast resources, so expect to see more exciting developments coming from Lotus soon.