What’s in store for the rest of 2022?

As I’m writing this, we’re almost halfway into 2022 now, and some stunning new cars have been released and/or teased already this year. Notably the new Range Rover, Aston Martin DBX 707 and V12 Vantage, Lotus Eletre among others. 

Take a look at what else is set to arrive for the rest of the year. We’re including cars that haven’t been shown yet, as well as those set for their first deliveries in 2022.

Lotus Emira

Lotus have hit it out of the park with the new Emira, in the right colour you’d be forgiven for mistaking it for a Ferrari if you squinted enough. A beautiful new addition to the range, maintaining the Lotus heart, but with an all new, more mainstream direction. There were plenty of sceptics (mainly the Lotus faithful) when the car was announced, but this is how a company like Lotus stays alive, producing a car that people actually buy.

Initial models are powered by the Toyota-sourced supercharged 3.5L V6 from the now defunct Exige and Evora, before a 2.0-litre AMG unit follows later in the year/into 2023. The Emira was pitched into what Lotus determined was a gap in the market, around a high spec Porsche 918 Cayman.

The biggest departure from Lotus’s playbook in the Emira is just how usable it is. With twin central cupholders (vital we know) and extra storage in larger doorbins. Along with a 208-litre cargo hold behind the seats and 151 litres of space in a boot behind the engine. They clearly want to appeal to a new audience, a new generation of Lotus enthusiasts, ones that don’t have to compromise just to be able to drive their car. 

A wealth of tech and comfort upgrades are also being bolted on here, including a 10” touchscreen with Apple Carplay and Android Auto, a digital dash and a huge upgrade in the quality of materials for a much more plush experience. Lotus absolutely insists all these advancements in making a more usable Lotus don’t come at the expense of the driving performance. 

With customer deliveries due towards the end of May/into June, we are extremely excited to see how the Emira does. 

Rolls-Royce Boat Tail

Now this is a bit of a daft one, because all three that are being made are sold, and will probably rarely even see the road because of just how expensive they are. But this is a notable mention, as the second of the three Boat Tails is due for reveal in May. 

Coachbuilt, and completely bespoke to each owner, the Boat Tail is a tremendous feat in engineering and workmanship. At £20 million you would hope so too. We can’t wait to see this one, just to witness a part of automotive history.

McLaren Artura

The new era of McLaren is here. You might not notice all that much difference here at first if we’re totally honest, but under the Artura’s shapely, if a little familiar, bodywork lies an all new car, both in structure and its new hybrid powertrain. Priced from around £180,000, the new Artura clearly has its sights set on the Huracan and F8 Tributo here. 

The Artura (which is a combination of ‘Art’ and ‘Future’, according to McLaren) is the model that will slot in nicely between the GT and the 720S, a nice position to be in. 

For the first time ever, a McLaren isn’t powered by the stalwart twin-turbo V8, but rather an all-new twin-turbo V6, boosted by an electric motor. This combination can produce a whopping 671 bhp and 531lb ft of torque. That’s 577 bhp and 431lb ft from the engine, and 94bhp and 166lb ft from the electric motor. Said motor can only give the full 94bhp for 15 seconds though, so the power falls back to a total of 626 bhp, which isn’t to be sniffed at. 

The Artura is slated for release in July 2022, after an inevitable delay due to the chip shortage. This will be a great car, we know that, but will it be able to match its Italian rivals punch for punch? We’ll have to wait and see.

Ineos Grenadier

Land Rover Defender, is that you? No you’re not seeing things, the Defender inspired Ineos Grenadier is finally upon us. A fully fledged, rock hard off-roader, built to fill the gap the old Defender has left now that it’s gone all “luxury leisure vehicle” rather than a proper utility vehicle.

A quick note here, Land Rover actually did try to stop the Grenadier being made multiple times, because it is SO similar, but it seems that ship has passed as the courts keep kicking out the case.

If you didn’t already know, Ineos are a chemical company, yes you read that right, and this is their first ever car. Don’t let that put you off though, the reviews have all been very positive so far, so definitely one to watch out for.

From the off you’ll spot functional features dotted all over the car, integrated roof rails, tow hoops, and you can even get a ladder at the back. You can even see the protective panels underneath the car, no subtle hiding done here. The Grenadier has large wheel arches, with plenty of room for travel when you’re bobbling along through ditches and traversing steep slopes.

The biggest thing here though, is the fact that this is a NEW car, from the ground up. The chassis has been completely rust proofed, the interior feels modern, whilst still being practical, there’s even a touchscreen with an optional hand control if you’re wearing gloves. 

With cars set to hit the road mid way through May, be sure to keep your eyes peeled.

BMW M3 Touring

This might be the one we’re most excited about, the first ever M3 Touring! Yep, an M3 estate is on the way, and there is just no way this can be bad surely? That front end will still divide, but it’s growing on me for sure, and there is just something special about a fast estate. 

A 6-cylinder M TwinPower turbo engine beneath the bonnet has been confirmed for the Touring. With widened axles, conspicuously large front air intakes and four exhaust tailpipes at the rear leave little doubt that the iconic M DNA will be clear for all to see. The rear of the car is the only part we’ve been allowed to see so far, with a teaser from BMW, and it looks very aggressive.

BMW will finally have a direct competitor for Audi’s RS4 Avant and the Mercedes-AMG C63 Estate. Most of the car is based on the existing M3 Saloon which is already out, so expect to see this before the end of the year. 

Aston Martin DB11 (maybe DBS and Vantage)

Now, this is absolutely not confirmed for this year, but Aston Martin did mention in a press release that facelifts are coming for their model range. For perspective, the DB11 is six years old now, SIX. 

With Mercedes taking a bigger stake in the company, and Aston now being allowed to use their newest technology, the infotainment is sure to make a huge improvement on the three generations behind stuff currently in their cars. 

Now we can’t really imagine any full redesigns, especially not with the DBS and Vantage just yet, but interiors will definitely be getting an overhaul. Honestly they don’t really need to do that much with the exterior of the DB11, it’s got that classic Aston Martin timeless styling that they really won’t want to mess with too much. 

Look at the new DBX 707 as an example of how much they can change a car, whilst retaining a platform. We’re very much oversimplifying here, but they added a bigger grille, a new bumper and lights on the front, some more carbon and a bigger splitter on the back, and it looks like a completely different car. 

Aston Martin has always made beautiful cars, so we have no doubt about the exterior enhancements, and once the interiors catch up to the beauty of the exteriors, they could be a force to be reckoned with.

More to come…

Things are looking bright, with some very exciting cars this year, along with plenty more we haven’t mentioned here. Keep an eye out for another list covering some more of the notable releases for the rest of 2022 and into 2023!