► 2016’s most wanted cars, #7, #6, #5 and #4
► Alpine makes a long-awaited comeback
► Tesla, Jaguar and BMW stir our expectations too
7) Alpine: the comeback coupe – Le Mans-winning, WRC-winning Alpine is back!
Alpine is almost criminally under-appreciated. This is a marque that’s conquered the Monte Carlo rally with a one-two-three finish – twice – won the inaugural World Rally Championship and taken overall victory at Le Mans. It resonates with the kind of engineering innovation that should have made it a true French competitor to Porsche, yet it’s been languishing in a Renault-owned crypt for literally two decades. Finally, though, a comeback is on the cards, in the form of a mid-engined coupe with a four-cylinder turbo motor and a paddleshift transmission. Shouldn’t be tough to better the Alfa 4C, even if the Cayman isn’t looking worried. Shame Renault seems to have taken a leaf out of Honda’s book when it comes to the launch schedule; though we’ll see a production-ready concept very soon, sales don’t start until 2017.
6) Tesla Model X: The all-electric SUV era starts here
The long-awaited SUV companion to the game-changing Model S, the Model X could have been conventional and still wowed us. Instead, Tesla has conjured up an SUV with a drag coefficient of 0.24Cd – 20% better than any rival – and fitted it with an all-wheel drive, twin-motor electric powertrain that produces either 511bhp (90D model) or 752bhp in the P90D. Deploy its ‘Ludicrous’ mode and it’ll hit 60mph in 3.2sec. Yet the Model X also seats seven, tows 2.3 tonnes (an electric car first) and travels 250 miles on a charge. It’s got the world’s biggest panoramic windscreen, front doors that open automatically, and powered ‘falcon wing’ rear doors that can allegedly cope with the tightest parking space. Marty McFly eat your heart out. Expect prices around £65,000, and autumn deliveries.
5) Jaguar F-Type SVR: Jaguar unleashes its 911 turbo S
Having proven it can make the Range Rover Sport fly, JLR’s Special Vehicle Operations has now stopped mucking about with Bond baddies and cancelled hypercars long enough to tune-up the F-type. Next year’s F-type SVR is expected to appear at the Geneva motor show in March, and in so doing claim the title of fastest series production Jaguar ever (the XJ220 wasn’t series, right?). Powered by the faithful 5.0-litre supercharged V8, we expect it to produce at least 567bhp and potentially hit 200mph. It will take some aero and handling cues from the limited edition Project Seven, but unlike that car the F-type will be four-wheel drive – the better to properly deploy its performance (and chase the lucrative Turbo S market) – and finished in conventional coupe and roadster bodystyles. The price? Upwards of £100,000.
4) BMW M2: Baby M will be BMW’s best driver’s car
Taking influence from the legendary E30 M3, BMW is going back to basics with the new M2 – or at least, as back to basics as it can in 2016. Successor to the madly sideways 1M Coupe, the M2’s emphasis is firmly on an awesome rwd experience, and the methodology is a cut-down version of the M4. Motivation comes courtesy of a 365bhp 3.0-litre twin-turbo straight-six that employs M4-grade componentry, but it’s the incorporation of big brother’s chassis tech that’s really going to make this car shine. Forged aluminium suspension components, active dampers and – yes – the fully variable M-diff are all here. M-DCT ’box shaves two-tenths off the manual’s 0-62mph, making it 4.3sec. Yours in April from £44,070.