10 all-new sportscars to look forward to

Toyota GR Super Sport Concept

Toyota GR Super Sport Concept

Published Aug 16, 2018

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Johannesburg - Got some loot to spend on a sportscar and you must have the

latest and greatest? Here’s a list of ten fun-to-drive head-turners that will be

launched in the next couple of years.

1 Porsche 911 (2019)

Codenamed the 992, the all-new eighth generation 911 is due

to have its official world launch in November although spy pics have

essentially revealed it in its full glory.

The design follows the 911’s tried-and-tested evolutionary

approach, and under the familiar shell the car’s expected to become slightly

more spacious and rigid without putting on any extra weight. The modernised

interior will adopt a new digital instrument panel, touch-operated switchgear

and touchscreen infotainment.

The new 911 will initially come out in rear-wheel drive

Carrera and Carrera S versions with an uprated 3-litre six-cylinder engine, to

be followed by petrol-electric models - yes, the 911 is going hybrid. And there

are even rumours of a (gasp) all-electric version later down the line.

Porsche 911

Eleanor is back. Ford is developing a new Shelby GT500 to be

possibly unleashed at next year’s Detroit motor show in January. Details are

thin but the rumoured mill under the snout is a supercharged 5.2-litre V8. A

Ford teaser video reveals that the Mustang Shelby will have over 700hp (520kW)

of power on call, and that kind of power promises a top speed in excess of

320km/h.

Mustang Shelby GT500 teaser

In one of the most drawn-out teaser campaigns we’ve seen, a

new Supra coupe has been on the drawing board since Toyota revealed the FT-HS

concept back in 2007. A lightly disguised version made its appearance at last

month’s Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK, ahead of its official reveal in

the next few weeks.

The reborn 2019 Supra will share its platform with the

upcoming BMW Z4 - including a three-litre turbo petrol straight-six borrowed

from the M240i - reportedly upspecced to 285kW and 500Nm. And yes, it will be

driving the rear wheels. It should be in South African showrooms in the first half of

next year.

Toyota Supra

The next model in McLaren’s Ultimate Series will be the

fastest and most luxurious street legal McLaren yet. Though the design is only hinted at in teaser sketches, it’s

known that the British sportscar will have a petrol-electric 4-litre V8 twin turbo

drivetrain to give it a top speed around 390km/h - faster even than the iconic

F1 of the 1990s which topped out at 386km/h.

The Speedtail will have the driver sitting in the middle

with the passenger seats diagonally behind - the same layout as the F1. Starting in 2020, just 106 Speedtails will be built at a

cool £1.6 million (R29.3-million) each.

McLaren Speedtail teaser

This will be Toyota’s ultimate supercar. Having first

revealed the GR (Gazoo Racing) Super Sport concept at the Tokyo Auto Salon in

January, Toyota displayed the car again at June’s Le Mans 24-Hour race in which

the Japanese automaker claimed first and second places.

The potent GR Super Sport concept is based on the Le

Mans-winning TS050 Hybrid LMP1 car and is powered by a combination of a

2.4-litre V6 petrol engine and an electric motor for a whopping total output of

735kW. Without revealing a date, Toyota said its supercar will

reach showrooms “at some point in the near future”.

Toyota GR Super Sport Concept

Superleggera

Aston Martin is launching a new mid-engined sports car to

replace the Vanquish. Power comes from Aston Martin’s 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12,

which produces 533kW and 900Nm for a claimed 0-100km/h sprint in 3.4 seconds

and a 340km/h top speed.

The carbon fibre bodied two-seater has advanced aerodynamics

including an F1-inspired double-diffuser to generate the highest downforce

figure yet for a production Aston Martin. The cars are currently available to order with the first

ones arriving in South Africa in October.

Aston Martin DBS Superleggera

The reborn 8C supercar will be an Alfa Romeo to take on

Ferrari and Porsche. Successor to the 8C Competizione that was built from 2007

to 2010, the new 8C coupe will be built around a carbon fibre monocoque like

the current Alfa 4C. The all-wheel drive hybrid car will be powered by both a

mid-mounted twin-turbo engine and an electrified front axle for a combined output

of around 520kW.

No exact launch date has been mentioned but it should arrive

by 2022.

Alfa Romeo 8C teaser

Formerly called Mission E, the new Taycan to be launched

next year will be Porsche’s first fully electric car. Though silent, the

battery-powered drivetrain will produce the necessary violence with an output

of 440kW to give it the ability to cover 0-100km/h in well under 3.5 seconds.

It is also claimed to have a 500km range on a single charge.

Porsche Taycan

This coupe based on the Giulia sedan will revive the iconic

GTV name. The curvy two-door will have 50/50 weight distribution, all-wheel

drive, and a hybrid powertrain in excess of 450kW that marries a twin-turbo

2.9-litre V6 petrol engine with an electric motor.

It’s expected to hit the streets next year.

Alfa Romeo GTV teaser

Opel is said to be working on a modern rendition of the

iconic two-seater GT from the 1960s and ‘70s, which looked like a mini Chevy

Corvette.The German firm hasn’t confirmed production plans of the

Opel GT concept it unveiled earlier this year but the two-seater,

rear-wheel-drive coupé could reach the market to compete against the Toyota 86

and Mazda MX-5 as an affordable sportscar.

The GT Concept is moved along by the three-cylinder 1-litre

turbo petrol engine found in the Corsa and Adam models, and produces outputs of

107kW and 205Nm for a claimed 0-100km/h sprint in under eight seconds along

with a 215km/h top speed.

Opel GT Concept

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