The most exciting sports cars arriving soon

It’s been a quiet 18 months for fans of affordable performance cars, but good things come to those who wait. Here are the five best sports cars headed our way.

Sports cars are bouncing back. While sensible machines dominate sales, manufacturers haven’t given up on thrilling enthusiasts with exciting new cars. Here are five of the best that will arrive in coming months.

NISSAN Z

The Nissan Z could be the most exciting performance car of 2022. Nissan is putting the dated 370Z out to pasture, replacing it with a twin-turbocharged coupe blending retro looks with proper wallop.

Nissan’s new Z performance car blends cool looks with plenty of grunt.

Styled after some of Nissan’s classic Z-cars, the new machine blends a front end inspired by the original 240Z with a tail that takes after the 1990s 300ZX.

A boosted 3.0-litre V6 sends 298kW/475Nm to the rear wheels through a choice of manual or automatic transmissions, promising a taste of Nissan GT-R thrust for a fraction of the price.

Sports suspension, big brakes and a limited-slip diff combine with a modern cabin with a digital dash and large touchscreen.

Local details have not been locked in but we would expect the Z to start at $65,000 or so when it arrives next year.

The Z kept the prototype’s cool retro looks.

Likely to be Nissan’s last non-electric or hybrid performance car, the Z has the potential to become a future classic.

TOYOTA GR 86/SUBARU BRZ

The original Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ swept the motoring awards in 2012 before becoming best-selling sports cars.

Thousands of Australians opened their hearts – and wallets – to the twin coupes with eye-catching proportions and engaging dynamics.

The new BRZ scores a bigger and more powerful engine.

The only criticism was that the 2.0-litre engine lacked power and character. The new model addresses that with a 2.4-litre four-cylinder pumping out 173kW and 250Nm, a significant increase on the old car’s 152kW/212Nm peaks.

The bigger engine shaves more than a second from the coupe’s 0-100km/h dash. It’s linked to a snappy six-speed manual transmission driving the rear wheels through a limited-slip diff, promising engaging performance on road and track.

Toyota is also launching its second-generation 86.

Expected to arrive early next year, the well-equipped Subaru is priced from $38,990 plus on-road costs, suggesting its Toyota twin should also come in under $40,000.

VOLKSWAGEN GOLF R

The Golf R is a smash hit in Australia, outselling the cheaper GTI as buyers gravitate toward the fully-loaded, all-wheel-drive flagship.

While the latest Golf GTI plays it safe, the upcoming Golf R promises to take VW’s hatchback to a new level with tricky tech such as a torque-vectoring differential, drift mode and the ability to reach 100km/h in just 4.7 seconds.

The new Golf R is expected to be expensive.

The best part might be its everyday appeal. All of the cars here will thrill on a racetrack but none match a Golf R’s comfort in a traffic jam.

The downside is that it’s unlikely to be cheap – a near $60,000 price tag for the basic GTI suggests the new Golf R could be seriously expensive.

HYUNDAI i20 N

Likely to cost less than half the price of the new Volkswagen, Hyundai’s i20 N may prove no less fun. The smallest car in this trio is quite compact, with a lightweight approach that makes it fun to toss into corners.

Hyundai is developing a reputation for good, affordable performance cars.

It’s also decently quick on the straights, with a 1.6-litre, 150kW/275Nm turbo motor capable of pushing it to 100km/h in 6.2 seconds.

Customers also get sports seats, a close-ratio manual transmission, beefed up brakes and a body kit inspired by championship-winning rally machines. The best part is a low price – just $32,490 plus on-roads – making it one of the most affordable performance cars on sale.

SUBARU WRX

A new Subaru WRX is just around the corner. We can’t tell you much it today, but details are expected to revealed later tonight.

Enthusiasts will be glad to hear the new car doesn’t stray far from the original recipe, combining a turbocharged four-cylinder engine with four-wheel-drive traction and a practical body.

The new machine might donate some of its hardware to a second-generation Levorg wagon.

It will definitely be the base for a high-performance WRX STI that will ramp up the regular car’s appeal with big brakes, sticky tyres and – hopefully – a none-too-subtle spoiler paying tribute to the brand’s rally heritage.