The 10 most important cars of 2023

We’re living through one of the biggest upheavals in personal transport since the car was invented as manufacturers embrace new technologies, switch to a post internal-combustion engine age, face increasing accountability for the environmental impact our cars create and more besides. So-called ‘legacy’ brands are also facing down increasing competition from newcomers, be they from an ambitious, competitive and incredibly well-resourced Chinese car industry or tech-influenced start-ups enjoying the opportunity to start from a clean sheet of paper. All of which has inspired some real flexing of creative muscle in the industry, and an incredibly exciting year of new cars, concepts and more. 10 of our favourites follow…

Convertible, beach-buggy version of the mad electric Ami. Strictly speaking this is a quadricycle, not a car, which means it can be driven by a 16-year-old on a moped licence, which is a fairly crazy thought. Thankfully, the top speed is limited to 28mph and it has a maximum range of 48 miles. But look at those gold wheels, matt camo paintwork and metal bars in place of the doors and tell us you don’t want one.
Read about the Citroën Ami

This is a sober family saloon/coupe dressed up as something very weird indeed, but we love it. Looks a bit Knight Rider, a bit Back to the Future, a bit “What the…?” But it’s also a very sensible electric buy with decent range of about 300 miles, insanely huge boot space, very smooth ride, cool lighting inside and that great Hyundai reliability. A faster version has all-wheel drive.
Read our Expert Review of the Hyundai Ioniq 6

OK, so it’s a concept, but the equally sharp and related BMW Neue Klasse, will be doing to a town near you in the next couple of years, looking very much like it did on the show stand. Inside, the tech is properly futuristic, with the ability to swipe the information on the touchscreen straight up into the head-up display on the windscreen. The iVision Dee comes with your own personal avatar, whose voice can be heard inside and outside the vehicle. Spooky.

An off-roading 911 with roof rack and Rally Design Package livery celebrating Porsche’s 1984 win in the epic Paris-Dakar rally? Yes please - send me to the sand. White-painted rims, race numbers painted on the side if you so desire, a pop-up roof tent and … the very best bit. Yes, for another £171 you can have your 911 Dakar equipped with a Porsche folding spade to dig yourself out of those infamous Surrey desert dunes.
10 reasons we love the Porsche 911 Dakar

Another off-road inspired supercar, because the world didn’t have enough of them in 2023. “Sterrato” means “dirt road” in Italian, and this will whip along any track you fancy with its old-school combo of that glorious V10 engine and all-wheel drive. Design embellishments include roof bars and front rally lights, not that they’ll be able to illuminate the road far ahead with the Huracan’s visceral acceleration. Another answer to a question no one asked. But no worse for that!
Read more about the Lamborghini Sterrato and watch Rory Reid’s video

Hot version of Fiat’s global success story that is the electric 500. Agile, fun, perky and designed to raise a smile from other road users, what is not to like, especially in the gob-smacking neon colours on offer? There’s even a bonkers fake exhaust noise which will surprise by-standers, and a convertible version on offer. Bellissimo. Ciao baby, see you later!
Read the review

A proper car from Caterham? What’s going on here, then? This lightweight (of course) electric sports car will be in showrooms in 2026. Rear-wheel drive, 286 horsepower, and a price tag of under £80,000 we’re told. Expect a very satisfying 0-60mph sprint. Surprise after surprise. Looks nothing like a Seven. Even more surprise.
Read more about the Caterham Project V and watch the video walk around

The jaw-dropping element of this car has nothing to do with its looks (which we haven’t seen), its cost (ditto) or its power (ditto). The incredible fact behind this mass-production car, due in 2030, is that it will be a zero-carbon car. Not net zero, but zero zero. It’s a moonshot project, but one that Polestar believes it can build. From its design to the export of the finished project, via its manufacture, Polestar thinks it can complete it with zero emissions along the way. The most exciting announcement of the year. Watch this space.
Read more about Polestar’s Project 0 in our Sustainability Newsletter

How is a facelift of Citroën’s electric city car in any way exciting, let alone a wow moment of 2023? Because when it goes on sale in 2024, the base version will have a price tag of under £23,000, making it the UK’s cheapest electric car. That move foreshadows the reduction in electric-car prices, as battery technology gets cheaper to come by. A move we will all welcome.
Read more about the Citroën ë-C3

Let’s cut straight to the chase - the wow moment for this car is all about acceleration which, while in no way good for electric range, shoves two fingers up to the idea electric cars are boring. The Track Package lets loose all 1,020 horsepower of this this unassuming saloon, which bolts you into next year before you’ve drawn breath.
Watch Rory's Model S Plaid video