Words: Rory FH Smith
Remember we all said 2021 was going to be a year to look forward to? Well, while it might not have worked out quite like we’d all hoped, it does mean that 2022 is looking like a bumper year — at least in the motoring world, anyway.
With everything from electric hypercars to hot hatches to look forward to, here’s our pick of the best cars due to hit the road in 2022…
Ferrari 296 GTB
Lining up to take on 2022, is the hybrid, V6-powered 296 GTB. As the Maranello marque’s first ‘mainstream’ electrified offering, after the LaFerrari and SF90 Stradale paved the way for hybrid Ferraris, the 296 GTB is something of a milestone.
Channelling styling cues from its 1950s ancestors, the 296 might go someway to signalling a return to the Dino – or ‘junior’ – Ferrari V6 era only this one weighs in with 818bhp and an expected price point over £200,000.
Lotus Emira
Since Colin Chapman first pioneered lightweight racing cars in the 1950s and 60s, Lotus has made its name by building like-minded road cars at its factory in Hethal, Norfolk.
Now with new ownership (and, thankfully, funding) under the Chinese automotive group, Geely, Lotus is back with a spread of new sportscars such as the all-electric Evija hypercar and the Emira, which hits the road in Spring 2022.
Range Rover Fifth Generation
The launch of a new Range Rover is a rare moment indeed, and for good reason. Since the original first spawned the SUV segment back in 1969, everyone from the Royal Family to footballers and beyond has eagerly awaited the launch of the next iteration.
And, in 2022, it’s time for the fifth generation to make its mark, which promises to take the slab-sided status symbol to new levels of luxury and refinement.
The name Gordon Murray might not mean much to casual car fans but to those who know, he’s the man who designed some of the most successful Formula 1 cars and, of course, the mighty McLaren F1 road car.
Now, 30 years after the McLaren F1 first launched, Murray’s latest creation hits the road in the form of the Gordon Murray Automotive (GMA) T50. The V12-engined T50 supercar has been described as the “logical successor” to the F1 and promises to be the “purest, lightest supercar ever built.”
Mercedes-AMG One
Almost four years have passed since Mercedes pulled the covers off its all-out AMG monster, the One. Weighing in at £2million and fronted by none other than seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton, the hybrid-powered One sports a 1.6-litre V6 adapted from Mercedes championship-winning 2017 Formula 1 car.
Making 1000bhp, the One will go head to head with Aston Martin’s very own hybrid, F1-inspired Valkyrie when both hit the road in 2022.
Ineos Grenadier
When the original Defender was put out to pasture in 2016, the motoring world shed a tear. Not only was it the end of the road for the bug-eyed brute but it signalled the end for old school, go-anywhere off-roaders that relied more on cogs than computers.
Or so we thought, until the UK’s richest man — Sir Jim Ratcliffe — came along with a Defender doppelganger in the form of the Ineos Grenadier. While it’s been a fair wait, the Grenadier promises to keep the analogue off-road dream alive from 2022 onwards.
Rimac Nevera
Still not convinced about electric cars? Think again. The latest creation from Croatian hypercar manufacturer Rimac comes in the form of the inimitable, 1,888bhp all-electric Nevera.
Named after a mighty storm front that rolls in off the Adriatic, the Nevera looks set to re-establish the hypercar hierarchy when it hits the road in 2022, not least after the twelve-year-old company bought out the 112-year-old Bugatti in 2021. Watch this space – blink and you’ll miss it.
BMW M2
Embrace the angry BMW driver reputation with the Munich-based marque’s latest performance package, the M2. As hot hatches go, this one will pack a punch with a detuned version of its bigger brother, the M3’s, 3.0-litre straight-six engine.
With the final look still yet to be confirmed, expect a hefty dose of scoops, spoilers and splitters on BMW’s all-new pocket rocket.
Want more automotive articles? These are the best all-electric SUVs currently on the market…
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