31 Showstopping Cars That Defined 2024

At long last, the Aston Martin Valhalla is here. The British marque’s first series production mid-engined supercar and its first-ever plug-in hybrid was announced way back in 2019, and now we finally have the first reveal of the version buyers can purchase starting next year. The car’s powertrain combines a flat plane crank 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 — the highest performing V8 ever in an Aston — with three electric motors for a total power output of 1,064 horsepower and 811 ft-lbs of torque. That massive output, combined with the car’s hybridized 8-speed dual-clutch transmission and active aero producing more than 1,300 lbs of downforce, allows the mid-engined Valhalla to rocket to 62 mph in 2.5 seconds with a (limited) top speed of 217 mph. No price has been announced as of yet, but an SRP above $800,000 is practically a given. Production will be limited to 999 units.

Jaguar’s controversial new rebrand has taken its boldest step yet with the introduction of the Type 00. The EV concept, unveiled during Miami Art Week, represents a radical departure from the British heritage brand’s classic design aesthetics. A two-door GT putting out 1,000 fully-electric horses, the Type 00 features a radical design that is a lesson in contrasts. Its long hood and fastback roof are reminiscent of classic Jag V12-powered grand tourers — and decidedly atypical for an EV — while the rest of the design’s angular, polygonal lines more closely resemble the sort of 1980s retro-futurism seen in Blade Runner. Then there are the bright colors, the glassless rear, and the repeated horizontal “Strikethrough” graphics that are just, well, unique. Jaguar acknowledges that not everyone will love the Type 00, but that’s not really the point. Much of Jaguar’s problem has been a lack of attention paid to the brand compared to other luxury marques, and the Type 00 certainly has people talking. Jaguar’s first production car under its new brand direction will be a four-door GT that will debut in late 2025. It’s unclear how much of the Type 00 will show up in that car.

In 1989, Maserati launched the ultimate expression of its Biturbo sports car: The Biturbo Shamal, a two-door GT with aggressive angular styling courtesy of the legendary Marcello Gandini and a 322-horsepower, twin-turbo V8 powerhouse that made it one of the most thrilling cars of its era. Now, a new Italian company dedicated to resurrecting great sports cars of the 1970s and ’80s is bringing the Biturbo Shamal back to life with a stunning restomod. Project MA-01 from Modena Automobili borrows the twin-turbo V6 from the current-gen Maserati Ghibli S and tunes it to 500hp, mating it with an 8-speed ZF transmission and state-of-the-art suspension and brakes. The car’s body has been extensively reworked for a retro-modern look, upping the aggressive styling of the original Shamal with more pronounced lines, additional air intakes, and heavy use of carbon fiber. Modena Automobili is planning to make just 33 units of its Maserati Biturbo Shamal Restomod, to be priced at €585,000 (~$637,000) and delivered in Q1 of 2025.

Italian coachbuilder Bertone and automotive designer Marcello Gandini had quite the legendary run together in the 1960s and ’70s, with the pair producing such iconic cars as the Lamborghini Miura and Countach and the Ferrari 308 GT4. One of the most thrilling concepts to come out of their partnership was the Autobianchi A112 Runabout in 1969, a compact sports car inspired by the racing boat style of the same name and whose wedge design went on to influence the Lancia Stratos and Fiat X1/9. Now, the recently-rebirthed Bertone is bringing back the Runabout as a production car, and its retro-futuristic design looks like nothing else on the road. Slated for the 2026 model year, the new Runabout will come in your choice of a Targa with removable roof panels or an open-air roofless version more in line with the original design, with both options being powered by a mid-mounted V6 cranking out 500 horsepower. The new Bertone Runabout is expected to start at €350,000 (~$381,000), and prospective buyers can register their interest now at Bertone’s website.

Porsche’s 911 GT3 has always offered track-ready performance for the road. The latest edition shakes things up a bit, though, by offering two versions of this iconic sports car right out of the gate. There’s the more traditional (and aggressive) 911 GT3 with a massive wing, and the comfier 911 GT3 Touring, which comes standard with a 7-speed PDK transmission but still offers the manual as an option and includes a rear seat. Both variants are powered by a naturally aspirated 4.0-liter flat-six engine, delivering 502 horsepower and redlining at 9,000 RPM. New aero upgrades include a swan-neck rear wing and front air intakes designed to boost downforce, while a double-wishbone front suspension keeps handling razor-sharp.

After years of teases, claims and delays, Tesla has finally publicly shared its vision for the autonomous taxi of the future. The so-called Cybercab unveiled with fanfare and flash at Warner Brother’s movie studio lot, appears to blend current Tesla design cues and Sci-Fi movie props. The autonomous two-seater vehicle borrows details from the Cybertruck, Model X, and Model 3. The butterfly doors open upwards at an angle, while a massive-looking single rear hatch covers the entire back half of the vehicle’s sizable looking trunk. There’s no semblance of manual driving controls such as a steering wheel or pedals inside the cabin, which currently violates existing federal safety regulations but would maximize the interior space for passenger comfort. The vehicle also lacks a charging plug. Instead, it’s designed to charge wirelessly via induction charging mats or, eventually, tracks on roads. However, no further details were shared on the feature. Like Tesla’s today, a large infotainment screen sits in the middle of the cabin. Musk made several bold claims that the Cybercab would head into production “before 2027” while expecting the vehicle to cost less than $30,000. He also stated that consumers could buy Cybercabs and offered visions of how some in the future might own and manage fleets of vehicles like shepherds tending sheep. Your guess is as good as ours on how much of this actually comes to pass, at least on the timescale Musk wants.

Lamborghini’s replacement for the Huracán marks the end of an era as it does away with its predecessor’s naturally aspirated V10 engine in favor of a plug-in hybrid setup. The new “entry-level” Lambo sports car’s powertrain consists of three electric motors and a twin-turbo 4.0L V8 for a total power output of 907 horsepower. The car redlines at a wild 10,000 rpm and can hit 62mph in just 2.7 seconds with an overall top speed of 213mph, and it boasts a sleeker, more contemporary design. No price has been finalized as of yet.

McLaren has unveiled its successor to the P1, the W1. The star of the show here is the company’s new twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 that produces 916HP, coupled to a 342HP radial-flux electric motor. The engines create a combined output of 1,258 horsepower, making the W1 the most powerful McLaren ever. On the track, that translates to a 0 to 60 mph time of just 2.7 seconds and a top speed of 217 mph. Did we mention it’s also a plug-in hybrid? Designed to be both lightweight and agile, the W1 also employs a new “Aerocell” carbon-fiber chassis and advanced active aerodynamics. Its distinctive Anhedral gullwing doors, aerodynamic ground effects, and rear spoiler, capable of deploying over 11 inches, all contribute to generating up to 2,205 lbs of downforce, ensuring incredible stability at high speeds. Even with a price tag of $2.1 million, all 399 units are already spoken for.

815 max horsepower. A top track speed of 202 MPH. A 5.2-liter supercharged V8 with a glorious sound. This is Ford’s most powerful street-legal Mustang ever. It also lacks a back seat and sports a carbon fiber hood, roof, trunk cover and fenders in pursuit of close to a 50-50 weight distribution. The paddle shifters, rotary dial shifters and a serial plate are even made from titanium pulled from a retired F-22 Raptor fighter jet. The new Ford Mustang GTD represents the pinnacle of what a Mustang can be. It also costs $325,000, and the entire rumored first run of 2,000 units is already sold. The good news is that orders will supposedly open up in a few years, so get a jump on shopping your kidneys around now.

BMW latest concept revealed at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este held at Lake Como is a striking two-seat sports car with a V8 inspired by the 1950s-era BMW 503 as well as the more recent Z8. But unlike most concept cars that never become a production reality, BMW’s head of Group Design Adrian van Hooydonk teased that this car could see a very limited production run of ~20 cars depending on demand that could potentially use the VP engine from the M8 Competition.

Daniel Craig’s penultimate turn as James Bond, 2015’s Spectre, is one of the more middling entries in the long-running film franchise. But the movie still had its share of thrilling sequences, with one of the best being the extended chase scene through the storied streets of Rome between 007 and Dave Bautista’s villainous Mr. Hinx. Hinx was driving a concept car, a bright-orange supercar from Jaguar called the C-X75. The Jag was originally intended for a production run. But by the time the movie was out, Jaguar had already canceled the C-X75 project, citing economic troubles at the company. Thus, the C-X75 was left as one of the greatest ‘what if?’s in Bond car history. Until now, that is. Callum, the eponymous design house of Ian Callum — a man who knows a thing or two about designing Bond cars — has created a bespoke, one-off C-X75 that finally makes the striking supercar street-legal. Callum’s new C-X75 is actually the second time the design firm has reworked one of these Bond-approved Jag concepts, and it’s the most impressive yet.

The latest edition to the Cadillac Collector’s series commemorates a somewhat odd 75th anniversary moment in Cadillac history. In 1950, a Cadillac Series 61 Coupe nicknamed Petit Pataud competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. If you’re wondering, that translates to “small clumsy” in English, but meaning-wise is closer to “little oaf.” The car didn’t win the race that year. It placed 10th and averaged less than 82 mph. Only 50 units of this modern incarnation will be made, distinguished externally by exclusive bluish details, including a Magnus Metal Frost paint job, a Stormhawk Blue carbon fiber package, and Royal Blue brake calipers. The exclusive blue theme continues inside thanks to Phantom Blue details, blue seat belts, laser-etched door sill plates, and a 3D-printed manual transmission shifter medallion. Cadillac says it’ll be available in early 2025.

Luxury automakers are experimenting with all manner of novel engine designs these days, and we’re here for it. Case in point, Bentley’s most powerful car ever features an ‘Ultra Performance Hybrid’ powertrain capable of 738 lb-ft of torque – far more than the brand’s lauded W12 designs of yore. The engine can also rocket the Grand Tourer to 0-60 mph in 3.1 seconds and reach a top speed of 208 mph. Speaking of top speeds, Bentley claims it hit that 208 mph mark while driving the New Continental GT Speed through the deepest tunnel in the world, a.k.a. Norway’s Ryfylke Tunnel, to set an unofficial “underwater speed record.” Oh, and did we mention this whip can also drive up to 50 miles / 81 km on pure electric range?

The spirit of American exceptionalism is alive and well. The 2025 Corvette ZR1 is the most powerful Corvette ever built. It also features the most powerful American production V8 ever made. Despite being based on the same small-block V8 engine as last year’s models, thanks to a new pair of turbochargers and a bevy of other engineering enhancements, the 2025 ZR1’s 1,064 hp monster beats last year’s 2024 ZR1 horsepower by a hilarious 309 hp. It even makes the Dodge Demon seem feeble by comparison while pushing the supercar to a max speed of 215. Aesthetically, the baseline ZR1 looks close to last year’s version beyond the return of the historic split window. The ZTK performance package is another story due to the 747-sized rear wing for downforce and carbon-fiber detailing. Chevy says the Corvette ZR1 will enter production in 2025 and will be built at General Motors’ Bowling Green Assembly Plant in Kentucky. 

Ferrari’s gorgeous F355 had a rep for being a bit of a mechanical disaster well before Nic Cage got behind the wheel. UK-based Evoluto Automobili is offering owners of the rare sports car the chance to have their prized possession retooled in ways that should fix most of the icon’s glaring flaws. The company’s modifications include stripping the vehicle down to the chassis and adding new spot welds and carbon bracing to the frame. They’ll also tear down the engine, revamp the cylinder inlet ports, and replace the inlet camshafts, among other tweaks. A new full titanium exhaust system, more precise ignition timing, a wider suspension, improved brakes and an all-carbon-fiber body top off the changes. The result is a more reliable F355 with at least 40 extra HP that’s also 379 lbs lighter than the original before customer options are added. Assuming enough owners are up for it, Evoluto plans to mod up to 55 vehicles at a price of ~$890k a piece.