While many manufacturers are now dedicating resources towards greener cars and autonomous technology, there’s still plenty of demand for fast and fun motors which put pure performance first.
This is reflected in the fact that a lot of new models with quick performance figures are set to be launched in Britain’s new car market during the twelve months of 2017. All-new sport coupes, hot hatches, fast saloons and performance roadsters are all incoming.
Here’s our guide to five of the most exciting fast cars to watch out for when they launch during the year 2017.
Audi RS 3 Saloon
Audi stopped making the RS 3 Sportback earlier this year, but the performance car will make a comeback in 2017. This time though, the RS 3 will be based on the A3 Saloon, which is a decent car, so it will be interesting to see how the performance and set-up is reflected on a longer saloon body rather than a hot hatch build.
A couple of things can be guaranteed: the RS 3 Saloon will be luxurious inside and it will be tremendously fast, thanks to its 2.5-litre five-cylinder petrol engine boasting 394bhp. With power sent to all four wheels, the RS 3 Saloon covers the 0-62mph sprint in just 4.1 seconds.
Mercedes AMG GT R Roadster
Mercedes’ gorgeous AMG GT Roadster is getting a hardcore R model which is already available to order and is set to launch in March 2017.
The 4.0-litre biturbo V8 under the bonnet has been tuned so it can produce a whopping 577bhp and most of the car’s body is also lighter and more aerodynamic than regular examples of the AMG GT. The result is a 0-62mph sprint time of just 3.6 seconds, plus a top speed of 198mph.
The Mercedes AMG GT R Roadster caused quite a stir among sports car enthusiasts recently when it set a new lap record around the Nurburgring Nordschleife circuit for a rear-wheel drive production car.
Renault Alpine
Remember the Alpine sports car brand? It was a French sports car and racing car maker which enjoyed a decent amount of success during the sixties and seventies. But even though a big car company in the form of Renault has owned the brand for a while now, Alpine has faded into obscurity. Until 2017 that is.
During next autumn, a new coupe sports car bearing the Alpine name is set to launch. It’s not exactly clear just what the sports car will be called, as some reports claim it be called Alpine Vision while others suggest it will simply be called Alpine. One thing confirmed though is that this sleek-looking model will be able to sprint from zero to 62mph in just 4.5 seconds.
It’s expected to get its performance from a turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol engine borrowed from the Renaultsport Clio and pricing is reportedly set to start from around £46,000.
Mazda MX-5 RF
The Mazda MX-5 is a small, convertible sports car loved by many in Britain and the latest-generation model lives up to its strong reputation. In 2017, the latest MX-5 will add more variation for those who don’t want a soft, fabric roof on top.
Enter the MX-5 RF – short for Retractable Fastback. The main differences to the original car are the fixed rear window and the hard, metal Targa-like roof which can slide away to create an opening on the top of the car.
Set to arrive in Britain on March 4, the MX-5 RF will be priced from £22,195 and will use the same 1.5-litre and 2.0-litre naturally-aspirated petrol engines as its convertible counterpart.
Honda Civic Type R
A new Honda Civic hatchback is on its way and will be out in the UK market before the end of the first half of 2017. Inevitably following in its wake will be a Type R hot hatch version and there’s a good chance we’ll see it on the market just before the end of the same year.
Honda showed off its Type R counterpart for the new Civic and while the Japanese manufacturer say it was just an early prototype, it’s believed that this car is already close to the final production model.
The previous Type R was a very raw, exuberant and entertaining car to drive so we, like many others, are very intrigued to find out how the much different design for the new Civic affects Honda’s next hot hatch.
