Top 5

Tens of models came to the end of their production cycle at the end of the last year, and 2022 will be no different. As automakers start to roll out their new model year products in anticipation of the next few months, other models will be signing off. The reasons vary from the electrification of variants to the release of new generations. Regardless, these models seem to have become obsolete, though their discontinuation will probably increase their popularity as the perception of rarity creeps in.

The automotive landscape is changing according to emerging technologies. Long gone are the days when large auto manufacturers had the best innovations as individuals and small groups are producing models that test the limits of engineering. The number of supercars broaching the market has never been higher, and some of them have achieved moderate success. Unfortunately, others may have seen the light of day but did not do so well. It is probably because the supercar segment is saturated with options from the likes of McLaren and Lamborghini. These brands have many years of experience, resources, and better engagement with their markets.

The hot hatchback has come a long way since its inception in the seventies. The current hot hatches have an accepted formula: taking a standard model, increasing the engine output, and beefing up the suspension to go round corners a bit too quickly. The current high-performance versions offer between 250 and 400 horsepower, with better agility than they did decades ago. The emissions and running costs are infinitely much better. For 2022, automakers have upped the ante with a few offerings that will maintain the ongoing theme.

The National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration is the body in charge of determining whether a vehicle is safe enough to be offered on the American market. Over the years, the body has vetted different imports and denied several models from being used in the United States even if they were widely accepted in other regions. To be fair, some of these models did not have crucial features like airbags or stability control, but they were very cool to drive. In other cases, it could be argued the bans were based on bureaucracy and nitpicking. Some regulations allow you to drive a car that the agency bans, though it has to be more than 25 years old and pass various regulatory hurdles. The following are some of the coolest cars that are still banned from American roads.

The next three years in the automotive industry will be exciting, considering some brands will be providing new offerings while other models will be revamped. 2021 gave automakers the chance to regroup after the covid-19 crisis on the path toward better models and sales. There is significant momentum already for electric vehicles, and the decade will ultimately be summed up as the era every brand incorporated EVs. The upcoming models will feature an exciting blend of petrol, hybrids, and full-on electrics that will usher us into the coming age.

The world of SUVs has changed quite a bit since the days when they were only made for off-roading duties. No longer are they lumbering and slow, but SUVs have adopted platforms closer to those used by sedans and hatchbacks. Automakers also included better aerodynamics, making them more like track cars. They were being made for the city and the suburbs and featured high-performing engines. These allow them to defy the laws of physics and accelerate faster than some current saloon cars. It has also made them increasingly popular in the market and a segment opportunity that every brand has capitalized on with offerings. To that end, the following are some of the fastest accelerating SUVs available on the market.

Some of you may laugh at the notion of a front-wheel-drive car having serious performance credentials and, in most cases, you wouldn’t be wrong. While there are plenty of high-power builds (mainly Civics), the general belief is that front-wheel drive doesn’t cut it after a certain power output – usually around 300 to 350 horsepower. With that being said, here are some of the last front-wheel-drive coupes you can still get for a very reasonable price. Some of them might surprise you.

The typical sports car has been previously characterized as having a mid or rear-engine configuration to gain the best performance attributes. in front-engined cars, the engine’s position typically causes the car’s weight will be oriented to the front, making handling around tight corners tricky due to understeer. Regardless, that has not stopped automakers from challenging these factors and making incredibly fast front-engine vehicles.

Most of you have seen that car review that had the presenters do a road trip with cheap classic Italian cars, detailing the amazing driving experience but comically living through the numerous gremlins. These classic cars may have been achingly beautiful and great to drive, but they manifest some of the worst faults as time goes by. That and the technological gaps are probably the reason why a Maserati would cost below $25,000. Of course, some classic cars cost more than their weight in gold today, but this is another type of list. Rather than the highly sought-after auction potentials, these classic cars will attract envy without costing every arm and leg.

The age of the muscle car is long gone as emissions, practicality, and motion-sensing take up the majority of the consumer space. It is understandable as the modern car has sophisticated comforts that were thought of as space-age technology thirty years ago. However, automakers gave in to the mainstream tradeoff, leading to bland design languages and lackluster engagement on the road. The muscle cars of the past were manual, heavy, and quite loud. Brands that based their flagships on this formula only appealed to a niche market, which often led to discontinuation. Muscle car automakers that survived the technological blitz had to rethink and diversify, resulting in acquisitions or partnerships that completely changed their offerings to the market. In an ideal world, of course, the old-time rock and roll brands would still produce their cars for willing buyers. The following is a list of those that are gone but not forgotten.

German engineering has been severally praised for being some of the best in the automotive world. It may have something to do with the fact German automakers do not generally compromise on anything. Germany is also the home of some of the best automotive brands, including Mercedes, Volkswagen, and Audi. It goes without saying that performance is one of the reasons behind this, so German engines are thought of as engineering marvels. The following are some of the best engines German brands have provided the market.

Nowadays, every brand has a performance flagship the market is aware of. These cars are heavily marketed, so a large percentage of the population considers them for purchase, but once in a while, automakers release a really good model that checks all of the boxes and does not impose them as much. Once in a while, they can be spotted on the street, and it elicits gasps of envy, but the moment passes, and you return to whatever it is you were doing. The following cars are worthy of such moments.

Concept cars are how automakers reveal the future direction they are going to take with different models. They seemed pretty outlandish and ambitious in the past decades, but the future has caught up. True, flying cars are still a ways off but what seemed alien in 1995 is far more pragmatic in the 2020s. The current concept cars resemble a lot of the design language of today’s cars, which means they are in tune with what the people want. Unfortunately, the majority of concept cars do not make it to production status. It may be funding or a general change direction. The ones that did pull through, though, have become some of the most influential models in the automotive market.

The earliest modern electric vehicles were successful purely because they dared to challenge the notion that a car could run on anything other than petrol. The public embraced the change, though, but the problem lay in the capacity to fulfill the requirements fossil fuel had adequately done until then. The technology behind them was also in the rudimentary stages, so cars had only enough battery power to get them to work, and they had to be recharged for the trip back. It caused an increase in range anxiety both for the new owners of electric vehicles and the automakers. They were worried these cars would not have the ability to fulfill obligations before reaching charging points. However, this problem is becoming less relevant for today’s electric cars, whose ranges are getting longer by the day. The following list boasts EVs that can crack above 250 miles before you have to plug them in.

Electric cars have come a long way from being a niche option for the tech affiliated and trendy to becoming a valid option for regular drivers. EV brands are also expanding their lineup beyond the sedan sector to the family segment as more of their models penetrate the customer base. These vehicles still have a long way to go as far as range and access to charging ports is concerned, but the practicality, top-notch technology, and increasingly reasonable pricing have proved their validity. The following are some EV family types for this year that warrant a second look.

Economical and cost-effective are not the terms that come to mind when talking about Lamborghinis. As one of the premier automakers globally, Lamborghini produces sleek, high-performance models that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. The brand also has a rich history that entails rivalry with Italian supercar greats like Ferrari. This long-established pedigree translated into producing models from high-performance parts in the market. The overall cost of production would mean an even bigger price tag for the consumer. Secondly, Lamborghini has produced a reduced number of its models to keep up the exclusivity. Its rarity seals the fact that not everyone can own one, but, as the years progress, some of the older models lose their shine due to better technologies and standards. These cars have become somewhat obsolete and become attainable to members of the middle class.

Under General Motors, Cadillac has primarily known for luxury and comfort as opposed to performance. And, truth be told, the automaker is not known for its acceleration or lap times despite its large displacement engines. However, a few models have been engineered to push the envelope not only in terms of comfort and style but also on the track. The following is a list of the fastest Cadillacs ever made.

By now, manufacturers (at least mainstream ones) have made it clear that the days of the manual gearbox are coming to an end. Shifting the gears yourself and working a third pedal will eventually become a lost art. Although we see it mainly in modern cars, this process actually started a while ago and some cars (or specific versions of them) that should have come with a manual gearbox were deprived of it.