Photo: Alexandre Prevot
Next year is eagerly anticipated in the luxury and high performance car market, with some incredible ‘firsts’ in performance stats. Here are seven launches that we are most excited about.
Aston Martin DBX
BHP: 542
Engine: 4.0 litre V8
0-60: To be released
Price: Around £150,000
This is the first model that will be built at Aston Martin’s new St. Alban’s plant in Wales. The DBX will launch in 2020, but pre-orders will start late 2019. This all seems a bit of a wait after the original concept for the SUV was seen in 2015.
It has been recently confirmed that a hybrid version of the model will be added to the line-up in the future.
Photo: emperornie [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Ferrari 812 GTS
BHP: 789
Engine: 6.5 litre V12
0-60: ‘under 3 seconds’
Price: £280,000 (estimated)
This model, the 812 GTS will mark the 50th anniversary of Ferrari’s first V12 convertible – the 1969 Ferrari 365 GTS4 Daytona Spider.
With a top speed of 211mph, this is the convertible version of the 812 Superfast – the cover can be folded and lowered in 14 seconds at speeds of up to 29mph.
Jaguar XJ-E
BHP: TBC
Engine: TBC
0-60: Thought to be less than 5 seconds
Price: From £80,000 (estimated)
Released in late 2020, the XJ-E is said to be the world’s first fully-electric luxury sports saloon. It will also be the first electric car to be built at JLR’s West Midlands plant, securing thousands of jobs.
This new XJ model is being designed by the same team that delivered the luxury electric SUV, the I-Pace, and should have a battery range of around 300 miles. More information will become available as we go through 2020.
Lotus Evija
BHP: 1,972
Engine: Powertrain with 70kWh battery’
Price: £1.7m
No, that is not a typo! The Lotus Evija will output 1,972 bhp, which will make it the most powerful road car in the world. The car is based on a bespoke carbon fibre monocoque chassis and carbon fibre bodywork.
The 70kWh battery will have a range of 250 miles and will charge in full in just 18 minutes. Only 130 of these models will be built and require a cool quarter of a million deposit to book a production place.
Although it’s unlikely we will ever catch a glimpse of one of these on the roads, we can marvel at the milestones it makes for the wider supercar industry.
Photo courtesy of Lotus
Mercedes AMG One
BHP: 986
Engine: 1.6 litre hybrid V6
0-60: TBC
Price: £2.4m
The most expensive car on this list, the Mercedes AMG one takes tech directly from its F1 championship-winning car, more accurately, the 2015 winning car. It takes inspiration from the V6 hybrid engine and advanced aerodynamics to add to its performance.
This is the closest to a road-worthy F1 car on the market – just don’t drive around thinking you’re Lewis Hamilton, especially with that £2.4m price tag.
Photo: Alexander Migl [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Porsche 911 GT3
BHP: likely to be over 500
Engine: TBC
0-60: TBC
Price: £125,000 (estimated)
The GT3 is one of the most anticipated versions of the 911. Different design features includes a more prominent rear-wing , flared wheel arches and a more aggressive front bumper – this all points towards a higher downforce model.
We are anticipating more information about the GT3 in late 2019 as we move into 2020.
Tesla Roadster
BHP: TBC
Engine: powered by 200kWh Battery
0-60: 1.9 seconds
Price: From £151,000 (estimated)
Tesla’s Elon Musk has claimed that the new Roadster will be the ‘world’s fastest accelerating car’. It can achieve this with a motor powering each of the rear wheels, and a separate single motor powering the front two wheels, making it a four-wheel drive.
It is said to have a range of 1,000km (620 miles) and top speed is thought to be around 250mph.
Photo: Smnt [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons
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