Some Of The Most Anticipated New Cars Of 2026

Like in watches, I look forward to news on pretty much a daily basis when it comes to cars. My timelines on any of the social media platforms are dominated by a mix of brands, collectors and enthusiasts, media outlets, industry insiders and anything in between on three topics: watches (duh!), cars (duh again!) and motorbikes. So, at the start of the new year, I thought it was a good idea to peek into the automotive crystal ball and see what’s coming up in 2026! And from what I can tell, it’s going to be an interesting twelve months all over again, with relatively accessible sports coupes like the new Honda Prelude, an all-electric Ferrari and a 2026 edition of a power-mad Cadillac. And although the update is only minimal on that last one, and it’s already available (Americans and model years work a bit differently than other manufacturers), I felt it deserved a mention!

Honda Prelude

First up is the return of an illustrious name from the Honda archives: Prelude. Gone from the catalogue since 2001, the Prelude name first appeared on a Honda car in 1978. The Prelude was initially a compact sports coupe, with Honda updating the model over five generations before taking it out of production. Although it’s already available as a 2025 model in Japan, the revived Honda Prelude is making its global debut in 2026. Designwise the Prelude changes from a coupe to a more modern liftback body shape, and it’s packing 200bhp from a 2.0 litre four-cylinder hybrid drivetrain. It remains to be seen if a Prelude Type R will ever be a thing, especially with Honda pulling the plug on the iconic Civic Type R.

Land Rover Defender Sport

Now, it’s a bit of a stretch to list this as a 2026 car, as sources vary in what year the ‘baby’ Defender is believed to arrive. Some say this year, some say 2027 or even 2028. The fact of the matter is, Land Rover is working on a more compact version of its popular new Defender, most likely called the Defender Sport. Consider it a redo of the Defender, similar to the Range Rover Sport and Range Rover Discovery Sport. A bit smaller, a bit tighter packaged, a bit more focused on on-road instead of off-road, and so on. Not much is known at this time, other than the fact that it’s expected to make its debut as a five-door five-seater. It’s also rumoured to outright replace the aforementioned Range Rover Discovery Sport, which has been around since 2014.

Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing

Cadillac has made it a habit of producing blisteringly quick versions of its luxury sedan under the moniker of the V-Series. The latest to have joined the ranks and promise ‘peak performance’ is the CT5-V Blackwing, a sort of extra pumped-up version of an already pumped-up version of the CT5. While technically similar to the 2025 edition, Cadillac adds a “Curated by Cadillac” personalisation program for the new year. Hiding a 6.2-litre supercharged V8 under the hood, which produces a staggering 668bhp, this ultimate CT5 packs an almighty punch. On paper, it’s a real threat to European super saloons like the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG, the BMW M5 and Audi RS6. When pure top speeds are compared, the >200mph claim Cadillac puts down should at least scare the aforementioned Germans. Plus, a huge rumbling V8 with the whine of a supercharger for a soundtrack, and a manual? Yes, please!

Ferrari Elettrica

A few years back, it was unheard of that Ferrari was talking about SUVs, hybridization and EV drivetrains. Fast forward to 2026, and we’re getting exactly that, Ferrari’s first all-electric performance car, which will be the Elettrica. Expected to be introduced somewhere close to summer, it’s said to pack several key innovations, making it a very special car altogether. Ferrari themselves are already talking about ‘razor-sharp responses’ and ‘consistent performance under prolonged stress’, and have claimed it will produce in excess of 1,000bhp, gargantuan torque figures (well over 11,000Nm in total, apparently!), and switchable two- and four-wheel drive. Sounds very promising indeed, but the proof will be in the pudding once revealed, and more importantly, tested! Time will tell if the world is ready for an all-electric four-seater Ferrari, but the very fortunate in the world will surely be keen to park it on their driveways!

Ford Mustang Shelby GT500

Ford is rumoured to introduce a redesigned and more powerful evolution of its current Mustang, possibly bearing the legendary name Shelby GT500. Ford pulled it from the line-up in 2022, so it’s about time it makes a return to centre stage. Other potential names that are running the rounds are “Dark Horse Boss” or simply “Boss”, another name from the Mustang’s storied past. Speculations also hint at power outputs of 800 horsepower or more, meaning it might get the supercharged 5.2-litre V8 drivetrain from the bonkers Mustang GTD. Although not much is known at the time, a new Pony car that can put the power down is always a good thing in our book!

Porsche 911 GT2 RS

Porsche’s new 911 GT2 RS has been years in the making already, with a number of prototypes and development vehicles being spotted on the road and the track. This daddy of all 911s, based on the Turbo S platform of course, is rumoured to produce at least 750bhp, which sounds about right given the fact that the recently introduced 992.2 Turbo S of the 911 already puts out 711bhp! With all that power from a turbocharged flat-six going to all four wheels, and an undoubtedbly impressive aero-pack to keep it on the road at stupendously high speeds, it’s expected to be the new ‘King of the Ring’! It just needs to beat the Mercedes AMG One, which holds the current production car lap record at 06:29.09. Not an easy task, as it needs to step up from the 991-gen 911 GT2 RS Manthey, which clocked a 06:43.30 lap time.

Of course, there will be more surprises and potentially unexpected new cars entering the market in 2026, but these were the ones that caught my eye. What car are you looking forward to seeing make headlines this new year? Feel free to let me know in the comments, and I will keep a close eye out for them! For now, thanks for reading our Petrolhead Corner stories week in, week out!

Editorial Note:  The cars listed are selected based on personal preference. Videos on YouTube are used to provide imagery, as there are no official media images available for most of the selected cars. The featured image is sourced from and used with permission from Honda Europe.