These are difficult times to be a car company. Cheap Chinese imports, costly US tariffs and the UK Government’s muddled approach to policymaking have all slowed sales and impacted the bottom line. And that’s before you factor in cyber attacks, semiconductor shortages, the cost of living crisis and the reluctance of many motorists to embrace EVs.
If the business outlook feels bleak, however, that isn’t the case from a product perspective. In other words, 2025 has been a great year for new cars. From an old-school V12 Aston Martin to a new-fangled electric Alpine, we’ve enjoyed a rich variety of driving experiences. Life as a motoring journalist is never dull, and we continue to be thankful for that.
What follows isn’t a definitive list of the best cars of 2025. If it was, we’d have to fill it with dull-but-worthy crossover SUVs that do everything tolerably well. Instead, this is a round-up, in no particular order, of the cars we enjoyed driving most in 2025. Some of them are flawed, impractical or expensive – several are all three – but they showcase the automotive industry at its diverse and brilliant best. Here’s to more of the same in 2026.
Lamborghini Temerario
The Lamborghini Huracan was a tough act to follow, but the new Temerario grabs the bull by the horns. Out goes the Huracan’s 5.2-litre naturally aspirated V10 and in comes a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 with three electric motors. The result is a ‘baby’ Lambo that musters a hypercar-baiting 920hp. What’s not to like?
Well, it offers more bandwidth than the Huracan – including the ability to drive in silent EV mode – but the Temerario’s engine isn’t as characterful lower down the rev range. And opportunities to wring out the full 10,000rpm are rare on the road. Even so, this is a very evocative and exciting modern supercar, and a worthy rival for the McLaren Artura and Ferrari 296 GTB.
We said: ‘With enough space to explore the upper reaches of its rev range, the Temerario comes alive. The linear rush of acceleration gains a frenzied urgency beyond 7,000rpm, accompanied by a hard-edged metallic shriek. Changing up so late feels unnatural at first – I was instinctively pulling the right paddle at about 8,000rpm – but hold your nerve and the Temerario is as unhinged as you’d hope.’
Read our Lamborghini Temerario review
Land Rover Defender Octa
What do you get if you cross an SUV with a rally car? The answer is something like the Octa: a V8-powered Land Rover Defender that’s almost as rapid over rough terrain as it is around a racetrack. Yes, it costs twice as much as a regular Defender 110 (£148,045 to join the long waiting list), but there really is nothing else like it. The combination of ‘6D Dynamics’ air suspension and hydraulically interlinked triple-valve dampers, plus the small matter of 635hp, make the Octa feel invincible.
There aren’t many places in Britain where you can drive fast off-road, but the Octa is great fun on tarmac as well. It shrugs off potholes that would force any sports car to slow down, changing direction with an eagerness that belies its size and weight. Best of all, it still offers the comfort and practicality you’d expect from a modern Land Rover. The original Defender wouldn’t see it for dust.
We said: ‘We have seen super SUVs before, of course, but nothing that rivals the Octa for sheer breadth of capability. You might argue that only a small percentage of owners will drive this car anywhere near its limits, particularly in the UK – and you’d be right. But the bombastic Defender Octa rides roughshod over dull logic. It’s impossible not to enjoy it.’
Read our Land Rover Defender Octa review
Hyundai Ioniq 5 N
Rather than attempting to cut weight and complexity, Hyundai boldly harnessed technology to make an electric SUV fun to drive. And against the odds, it succeeded. The Ioniq 5 can digitally recreate the sounds and sensations of a tuned four-cylinder engine with a dual-clutch gearbox, making it feel like a fast and feisty hot hatchback. You can rev it out to 8,000rpm, the power reaching a crescendo before the artificial thump of an upshift. Fail to change gear and you even feel the lurch of an ignition cut as the Hyundai bounces off its rev limiter. Or pretends to.
If all that sounds a bit contrived, it works surprisingly well in practice. The Ioniq 5 is the most entertaining EV we’ve driven: a sensible family SUV one minute, a 650hp B-road blaster the next. It’s larger than it looks, and pricey at £65,010. However, compared to premium-badged alternatives such as the Porsche Macan EV, the Hyundai offers a lot more for your money.
We said: ‘It turns in eagerly, helped by torque vectoring across the front axle, then you can get the back end rotating under power. The brakes inspire confidence and traction is immense, the four-wheel drive and instant electric torque conspiring to slingshot you out of corners.’
Read our Hyundai Ioniq 5 N review
Aston Martin Vanquish Volante
The Vanquish coupe was one of our favourite cars of 2024, so it’s no surprise to see the drop-top Vanquish Volante make the 2025 list. Aston Martin’s front-engined flagship isn’t flawless, but its seductive styling and sheer bombast rapidly overwhelm any sense of objectivity. Besides, we should relish such cars before they are legislated out of existence.
The Vanquish’s thumping heart is a 5.2-litre twin-turbocharged V12 that sends all its 835 horses to the rear wheels. It can be an effortless cruiser or a blood-and-thunder supercar, depending on how you drive it. Removing the roof hasn’t dented the Volante’s dynamics, either – as we discovered on a cross-country blast across North Wales. Click the link below for the full story.
We said: ‘Its demeanour is burly and aggressive, like an over-engined muscle car, but there’s a real deftness to its damping and steering response. It feels like an Aston Martin Vantage turned up to 11 – or perhaps 12 – and that’s very much a good thing.’
Read our Aston Martin Vanquish Volante review
Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray
Think of the Chevrolet Corvette and you probably imagine a classic all-American sports car with a big-capacity V8 under its hood. Sorry, bonnet. The eighth-generation ‘C8’ model flips this on its head, though, with a mid-engined layout for the first time in the Corvette’s history. It’s also the first time the ’Vette has been officially sold in right-hand drive.
Three varieties of C8 Corvette are available in the UK, but the hybrid E-Ray is the sweet spot of the range. It combines a traditional 482hp 6.2-litre V8 with a 162hp electric motor that drives the front wheels. It might upset some Chevrolet purists, but electrified power and all-wheel drive have transformed the E-Ray into a true modern supercar: one that stands up to comparison with European rivals.
We said: ‘Hit the open road and the Corvette’s magnetically adjustable dampers start doing their thing, giving the E-Ray a staggeringly compliant ride when Tour mode is selected from the rotary controller. Engage Sport mode, or even Track mode, and the Magnetic Ride system still gamely tries to soak up the worst of British tarmac.’
Read our Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray review
Kia EV3
Hey, it’s not only six-figure supercars that won our affections in 2025. The Kia EV3 is a well-designed, versatile and attractively priced EV that – provided you can charge it at home – could slot seamlessly into your life. It starts from £33,005 and standard equipment includes front/rear parking sensors, a reversing camera and heated seats. Buyers also get a choice of two batteries: 58kWh or 81kWh, delivering a range of up to 270 or 375 miles respectively.
On the road, the EV3 is comfortable, easygoing and quiet. It feels spacious inside and the touchscreen media system works well. There’s also a useful 460-litre boot, plus the peace of mind that comes from Kia’s seven-year or 100,000-mile warranty. If you’re looking for a sensibly-sized family vehicle, add this one to your shortlist.
We said: ‘Forget the Volkswagen ID.3: this feels like the true ‘Golf’ for the electric age. What do we mean by that? Simply that the EV3 is an accessible and thoroughly well-rounded vehicle that could slot effortlessly into many (maybe even most?) of our lives. With family cars now increasingly SUV-shaped, it has arguably become the benchmark to beat.’
Lotus Evija
We first saw the Evija prototype in 2019, but six years passed before we finally got behind the wheel. During that time, the electric hypercar went from white hot to white elephant, while anything with an old-school V12 seemed to sell out almost instantly. Nonetheless, the £2.4 million Lotus provided an experience we won’t ever forget.
For starters, it looks incredible, thanks to a ‘porous’ body that was sculpted by aerodynamics. It also sounds like no other EV we’ve driven: a high-pitched whine that seems to crackle with kinetic energy. On track at Hethel, it delivered the plentiful feedback and deft body control you’d expect of a Lotus, but everything about the Evija is overwhelmed by the tsunami of its four-motor, 2,039hp powertrain. For sheer accelerative force, no road-legal V12 can match it.
We said: ‘At lower speeds, the electric motors are limited by traction, but more torque is fed forwards as you go faster, so the dizzying, disorientating rush just keeps on building. Throttle response and acceleration at three-figure speeds are otherworldly: the Lotus seems to laugh in the face of physics.’
Porsche 911 GT3
The latest 911 GT3 (the 992.2 for Porsche nerds) is an evolution of the car launched in 2021. It looks broadly the same and there’s no extra power, with many of the latest modifications focused on meeting emissions legislation. However, there was little wrong with this motorsport-inspired 911 to start with. And a 510hp naturally aspirated flat-six that howls to 9,000rpm is something worth celebrating in 2025.
You can have your GT3 with the fixed rear wing seen here, or order the Touring Package for a more subtle look. There’s also a choice of manual or paddle-shift PDK gearboxes, plus the option of rear seats for the first time. No matter how you spec it, though, the GT3 is sublime to drive: exhilarating on the road and exceptional around a track. The new GTS and Turbo S are better all-rounders, but this 911 – and its wild GT3 RS sibling – deliver the most memorable moments.
We said: ‘With a less-than-ludicrous 510hp, you can wring out the revs more often, revelling in the progressive power delivery and guttural six-cylinder howl. The trolls of social media will point out that their Teslas go quicker, but I promise you: drive a 911 GT3 and you will never once want for more. Or want to stop.’
Read our Porsche 911 GT3 review
RML GT Hypercar
If your budget stretches further than a GT3, the £595,000 GT Hypercar elevates the Porsche 911 into, well, hypercar territory. Built in Northamptonshire by motorsport specialist RML, it’s based on a last-generation (991.2) Turbo S, with a fully carbon fibre body and active aerodynamics. Tuning company Litchfield has boosted the 3.9-litre flat-six to a stonking 920hp: enough for 0-62mph in just 2.4 seconds.
This is the second car to wear an RML badge, following the Ferrari-inspired Short Wheelbase of 2022, and it’s as flawlessly finished as anything built in Stuttgart. In some ways, it picks up the baton dropped by Porsche’s now-abandoned Mission X electric hypercar, delivering enough oomph to outgun a 911 Turbo S, combined with the aero and chassis mods to outpace a GT3 RS on-track. It’s also easier to drive than you might expect, although the noisy Inconel exhaust and absence of luggage space limit its use for longer road-trips.
We said: ‘If you turned up at a track day in a GT Hypercar, little this side of a fully-fledged GT4 racer could get close. Yet there is much to enjoy on a British B-road, too. Its electric power steering is lucid and traction is plentiful, at least on dry tarmac.’
Read our RML GT Hypercar review
Mini Cooper SE
Mini has gone big on electrification, with EVs now a core part of the British-based, BMW-owned brand’s range. This includes the fourth-generation Mini hatchback, which offers customers the choice of electric or petrol power.
With 218hp and 243lb ft of torque, the electric Cooper SE is just as fast as its petrol stablemate. Interior space may be compact, but there is no doubt Mini has nailed the premium experience, with upmarket materials and a large central OLED touchscreen. It all makes for a feelgood driving experience, however fast you happen to be going.
We said: ‘The various driving profiles peak with ‘Go-Kart Mode’, complete with sci-fi noises as you push the accelerator, plus digitised ‘exhaust’ pops and bangs when you lift off. It is genuinely laugh-out-loud hilarious, and proof that electric power is no barrier to driving enjoyment.’
Read our review of the Mini Cooper SE
Boreham Motorworks Ford Escort Mk1
Hang on, the headline said ‘new cars’? Yet that’s exactly what this is: a brand new Mk1 Escort built from scratch with continuation chassis numbers and Ford Motor Company’s official blessing. Based on the Alan Mann Racing Escort that won the British Saloon Car Championship in 1968, it’s your £300,000 ticket to competing in historic motorsport. And the most exciting fast Ford in years, too.
Power comes from a 1.8-litre Lotus twin-cam engine with twin Weber 45 carbs and a straight-cut manual gearbox. A dry weight of just 795kg means 205hp is more than enough to get this classic racer sliding around. You steer it with the throttle, dancing from one corner to the next while grinning from ear to ear. The best bit? Boreham Motorworks is launching a road-legal version of its reborn Mk1 Escort in 2026.
We said: ‘The rest all comes down to feel. Whether it’s drifting around Brands Hatch in the BSCC or sliding through Welsh forests in the Lombard RAC Rally, the Mk1 Escort is celebrated for its ability to go sideways – and finding that balance at the limit of grip is key to driving it quickly.’
Read our review of the Boreham Motorworks Ford Escort Mk1
Alpine A290 GTS
Aside from its starring role in the remake of The Running Man, Alpine’s A290 made headlines in 2025 by proving the venerable French hot hatchback has a future. Essentially a sportier version of the Renault 5 E-Tech, it uses a relatively small 52kWh battery to save weight, and serves up 220hp in GTS guise (as tested).
With a 0-62mph time of 6.4 seconds and a 106mph maximum, this isn’t a Megane RS-style firecracker. Yet it’s fast enough to have fun, with agile handling and a flowing gait that will encourage you to take the twisty route home. An official 226-mile range equates to less than 200 miles in the real world, though, so the chic and cheerful A290 won’t suit everyone.
We said: ‘Prod the D-for-drive button (borrowed from the A110) and the A290 feels instantly up for it. With 221lb ft going through its front tyres, this GTS version can break traction if you’re hard on the throttle out of corners. Yet it mostly feels smooth and eager, with enough punch to make swift progress.’
Read our Alpine A290 GTS review
• Tim Pitt writes for Motoring Research