10 Cars That Will Become Classics In 2026

When we think of classics, cars from the 1960s and 1970s spring to mind, not necessarily ones that were released at the start of the 21st century. However, as we get closer to the 2030s, cars that laid the groundworks for the latest vehicles on the road more than 25 years ago quietly move into the classic segment. A common practice in the automotive industry is to release a car with the following year attached to it, primarily to keep sales numbers consistent moving into the new year. Thus, a fair few cars that have the 2002 model year attached to them came out in 2001, meaning they'll hit 25 years of age towards the end of 2026.

In our article covering cars that became classics in 2025, we focused on the 2001 model year, and as such, we'll stick to 2002 cars for this list. The 2002 model year saw plenty of change for some of the most popular cars on the road, as well as manufacturers introducing brand-new cars at a time when market demands were rapidly shifting. This gave us a wide variety of cars to choose from here, all of which made their mark and are sure to be remembered as they fall further into the classic ages.

By the early 2000s, Acura had already established itself as one of the best performance divisions on the market. With luxury as the main focus, Acura was one of the brands that heavily contributed to the JDM golden age of the 1990s. The early years of the century didn't see as many sports cars produced under the Acura badge, but there was one specific model that kept the analog sports coupe alive for a little longer: the RSX.

First released for the 2002 model year, the RSX carried on the trend that dominated the '90s, offering another sports coupe for those seeking driving thrills over practicality. The compact car was initially available in two trims. You could choose the base 160-horsepower model or the 200-horsepower performance-oriented Type-S trim, which is unsurprisingly the model that remains most lauded today. Both used a 2.0L four-cylinder, but the Type-S only came with a six-speed manual transmission. The base RSX offered a five-speed manual or an automatic for better efficiency.

The lightweight chassis made the car as nimble as it was fast, certainly earning its $21,350 starting price for the base trim almost 25 years ago. The Type S could be bought for $23,170. However, according to KBB, one of the best sports coupes from the early 2000s can be picked up for $5,725 and $7,300 for the two versions.

If you're going to name a car after the founder of the company, it needs to represent the entire philosophy of the brand. And when that founder is Enzo Ferrari, you can't do anything but deliver one of the best Ferraris of all time. Fortunately, that's exactly what Ferrari did in 2002 with the Enzo. As with the F40 inspiring the F50, subtle elements can be found in the Enzo, but very few Ferraris have as distinct a personality as the 2002 car. With motorsport being where the Ferrari name started, the Italian manufacturer leaned even further into Formula 1 philosophies, giving the Enzo an incredibly streamlined, optimized aero package to match the monster of an engine in the middle of the carbon fiber and Nomex monococque chassis.

The engine in question was the first of the F140 V12 lineage, which was a 6.0L producing 660 horsepower and 485 pound-feet of torque. In combination with Pininfarina's design, the Enzo could achieve 217 MPH at its peak. To further maximise its performance, the gearbox was rear-mounted and connected to the engine, replicating the mechanics used in the team's dominant F1 cars at the time. It also had custom Brembo brakes, further contributing to its original starting price of around $659,000. Moving into 2026, though, a couple of examples sold at an auction hosted by Mecum for eye-watering prices of $11.11 million and $17.875 million.

Moving over to a car that had already been on the market for years by 2002, the BMW M3 was still in the growing phase of the now-legendary E46 generation. Most generations of the M3 make a solid case for why they're the best, but the model introduced at the turn of the century rightly finds itself at the top end of the lists. The E46 M3 was originally released in 2000. In the early years, BMW released a few updates year by year, with the newest model year we can call a classic, adding only a few additions that were massively impactful for the car.

The overall design style, chassis, and engine remained unchanged. Some of the smaller updates for 2002 included improved optional xenon headlights, a standard in-dash CD player, and a new interior trim option. What transformed the car, however, was the new manual sequential gearbox. Another car on this list to implement the latest F1 tech at the time, the M3 became even more track-ready for those who wanted to extract the maximum performance the sports car was capable of, something that was already heavily praised by many.

Regarding the specifications, the E46 M3's 3.2L inline-six produces 333 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. To pick up a coupe version of the 2002 M3, KBB reports an average value of $18,000, with the convertible sitting at $12,050. Good condition examples can easily cross the $20,000 mark, though.

The first American car on this list is also one of the most important cars in the nation's history. While muscle cars dominated the domestic performance market in production, the Corvette has always been the nameplate representing the U.S. against low-slung European sports cars. Even more so today, with the C8 generation going mid-engine, the previous front-engine models still more than held their own.

In 2002, the Corvette didn't enter a new generation, but was marked with a bump in power for the Z06 trim. This version was introduced for the 2001 model year, but in 2002, the power output was increased from 385 horsepower to 405 horsepower. While not a huge difference, it made the 2002 Z06 the most powerful Corvette built to date. There was no ZR1 Corvette at the time, meaning this version of the 5.5L LT6 V8 was the cream of the crop. The 0 to 60 MPH sprint came in at 3.9 seconds as tested by Car and Driver, which was quicker than the Porsche 911 Turbo.

Perhaps the best part about the Corvette's performance is how cheap you could experience it compared to its European rivals. Its starting price of $50,350 was still high for a new car in 2002, but in 2026, KBB reports an average price of $25,500 for the Z06 trim. If you don't mind losing out on the Z06's engine, the base 350-horsepower model sits at an average of $17,700.

In the 1950s, comfort was arguably the most important selling point for cars in the U.S. The rapid development in the automotive industry saw rising output numbers, along with the desire to use your car as a status symbol, leading to bold, flamboyant designs that dominated the market. A car that defined everything that buyers wanted at that time was the Ford Thunderbird. Originally released in 1955, the Thunderbird blended smooth lines with opulence and performance, becoming a staple nameplate in the golden age.

Almost 50 years after the original launch, Ford had the idea to capture the spirit of the first Thunderbird. Manufacturers were exploring retro-style designs for cars in the early 2000s, and the 11th-generation Thunderbird fit right in with the current trends. Featuring a much smoother, streamlined body compared to the previous 10th-generation model, the homages to the original can be seen everywhere, but in a more subtle, minimalist way. The egg crate grille is one of the most prominent features, complete with rounded headlights and a subtle hood scoop.

Only a 3.9L V8 was available with the 2002 Thunderbird, dropping the V6s that you could get with the 10th-generation model. This Jaguar-derived engine produced 252 horsepower and 267 pound-feet of torque, a solid amount for a personal luxury car. In 2026, Hagerty reports an average price of just $10,200 for one in good condition.

Honda and Acura weren't the only ones building small, lightweight sports cars designed for pure driving joy. Toyota was one of the main competitors in the JDM scene, with a plethora of hugely beloved cars under its belt by the time the 2000s came around. Similar to most Japanese brands, overall production of small sports cars slowed down due to market demand, but the MR2 Spyder helped keep the spirit alive for a little while longer.

The third generation of the MR2 was released in the USA as a 2000 model year car with a limited run of around 5,000 examples, making it over each year it was in production. A couple of years later, Toyota gave it a mid-gen refresh, changing design elements inside and out. The biggest difference was the introduction of a six-speed manual sequential, alongside the standard six-speed manual. This kept the MR2 on par with the likes of the RSX in this area, though it fell behind with its 138-horsepower 1.8L four-cylinder. However, its lower curb weight helped offset its power output compared to its closest competitors.

Reviews of the car praised the 2002 MR2 Spyder's balance and handling, massively assisted by its expertly-tuned suspension. As for pricing, you may be pleasantly surprised by how cheap the 2002 MR2 is on the used market. KBB reports an average used price of just $4,400, although good condition models can easily climb over $10,000.

The Chevrolet Corvette sat on its own for a large part of its life, being the only American car to compete in its segment. Some cars, such as the Shelby Cobra, helped out, but for the most part, the Corvette was the one that lasted throughout the decades. However, in 1992, Dodge introduced another genuine all-American competitor that was heavily inspired by the Cobra: the Viper.

Leaning more into the muscle segment, the Viper prioritized performance over comfort. The same trend continued with the second generation of the nameplate, which ended in 2002. The bold, wide-body design remained from 1995 until the end of the second-generation run, as did the 8.0L V10 engine, albeit with some internal changes over the years. For the last model year, Dodge released the Final Edition trim, which added a few cosmetic changes, but the fundamentals stayed the same as the 450-horsepower GTS model. A slightly more powerful ACR model was also available, producing 460 horsepower instead.

According to Hagerty's evaluations, the GTS ACR sits at a $63,000 average value at the moment, just above the standard GTS at $55,500. But at RM Sotheby's Miami 2025 auction, a Final Edition model sold for $75,600.

We've covered a couple of small Japanese sports cars that kept the JDM golden era alive into the 2000s. Even today, the MX-5 Miata remains the pinnacle of affordable joy behind the wheel. The core philosophy of the Miata has always remained the same: Keep the body small and the controls analog, while constantly refining the dynamics across almost every aspect of the drivetrain. The newest MX-5 may be the most up-to-date, but the commitment to retaining the car's fundamental characteristics means you can go way back to classics released 25 years ago and still experience the thrill at minimal cost.

With the 2001 Miata, a mid-generation refresh was introduced. The 2002 model carried over virtually unchanged. The 1.8L four-cylinder (now with variable cam timing) once again produced 142 horsepower, only 39 less than the 2026 model. But outright power has never been the focus of the long-standing sport prince. Mazda instead puts most of its attention on the actual feel of the rear-wheel-drive sports car, fine-tuning the chassis and suspension to make it easy to have fun in, even at regular speeds. When it was new, the 2002 MX-5 could be bought for $21,660. Now, KBB reports an average price of $6,125 for the mid-spec LS trim.

Aston Martin has defined British luxury and performance for over 100 years. Throughout its history, the brand has given us plenty of the industry's most iconic machines, all distinct from each other, but still connected through the said core philosophy. Alongside the highest levels of luxury, the engines have been a headlining feature of almost every Aston Martin built. In recent years, the manufacturer has become renowned for building some of the greatest V12 engines you can buy.

It started with the DB7 Vantage in 1999, with its 420-horsepower 5.9L V12 making a sizable statement on the GT scene. A couple of years later, Aston put an upgraded version of that engine into the all-new Vanquish to push the grand touring boundaries even further. The upgraded engine increased the output to 460 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque, capable of reaching 190 MPH.

While the car was unveiled in 2001, the 2002 model year was the first to reach the U.S. With only 1489 examples of the V12 Vanquish produced worldwide, it's quite a rare car to say the least. Still, the winning bid for an auction hosted by Bring a Trailer at the end of February for $71,000. It's almost 25 years old, but given the performance, you still get relative to brand-new GT cars, that's not a bad price at all.

We haven't featured any SUVs on this list so far, but the following vehicle most definitely deserves its own place. Compared to most markets, U.S. drivers are particularly fond of larger vehicles, whether that's for the highest levels of luxury and practicality. If your focus is primarily on the former, the Cadillac Escalade has been tough to beat since its release in 1999. 

Cadillac quickly began developing the second-generation Escalade, releasing it for the 2002 model year. The new and improved SUV upgraded most of the crucial elements you'd want in a full-size SUV, most notably with increased power and improved cabin and safety technology. Its 6.0L V8 produces 345 horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque, which isn't a huge difference from the newest 2026 model's 420-horsepower output. 

At its release, the 2002 Escalade understandably wasn't the cheapest of cars to buy, with an original MSRP of $51,980. However, in 2026, KBB reports an average price of just $4,875 on the used market. Owners usually have great things to say about the car, making this now-classic SUV a potential choice for luxury on a budget.