The Best New Performance Cars For Enthusiasts In 2023

These Are The Hottest Vehicles On The Market This Year

The performance car is not dead. In fact, it may be thriving more than ever as every manufacturer seems to be throwing their hat into the ring to get a piece of the enthusiast market.

Brands with a lifetime devotion to building fast cars are reaching into strange new niches. Other companies who had all but forgotten the performance market are back with renewed fire, facing competition from new competitors. All of this while the market is on the verge of the largest shift in the automotive world since the gas crisis of the 1970s.

It’s true, the future is a bit uncertain. The last few years have seen unprecedented instability in the auto market as manufacturers faced materials shortages, component supply issues, rising prices, and general economic uncertainty. Supply issues are expected to persist until 2025, keeping inventory thinner than normal. As total sales volumes declined, the average transaction price for vehicles set new records nearly every quarter. ATP was last clocked at $48,000 at the end of 2022; that’s roughly $10,000 over the pre-pandemic average.

Divining the economic future is beyond the scope of this article, but at least in the last couple of years, economic uncertainty has not affected the enthusiast market. If anything, it seems to have done the opposite. A renewed interest in enjoying cars and driving has taken place, which can only be good news for enthusiasts and the industry that supports them.

With that in mind, let’s meet the vehicles we expect to capture enthusiasts’ performance appetites (and imaginations) in 2023.

2024 Ford Mustang

One Last Gas

The original pony car will launch its 7th generation in the summer of 2023. This may be the last debut of a gasoline-powered Ford Mustang as rumors of electric-only drivetrains for the 8th generation become more likely.

Internally designated “S650,” the new Mustang is an evolution of the previous generation, rather than a complete redesign. Suspension improvements come from lessons learned building high-performance models, like the Shelby GT350, and benefit even the base four-cylinder EcoBoost-powered cars.

More Power

While that EcoBoost will likely see a power increase over the current car’s 330hp, it will also lose the manual transmission and will only be offered with Ford’s 10-speed automatic. Tragic but predictable, as take-rates on the manual were virtually non-existent.

The V8-powered GT will continue to offer a 6-speed manual and Ford has said this will be the most powerful GT ever; the current car is rated at 480hp. The added performance will come from adding a second throttle body and air intake to improve flow into the engine, while a revised driver-side exhaust manifold and revised cam-timing improve flow on the outgoing side.

Updated Styling

The new Mustang will still be available as a coupe and convertible. Again, the styling is an evolution, but every body panel is new. The exterior looks more muscular, while the interior does away with the traditional twin-cowl dash in favor of two driver-centric LED screens.

Ford’s designers aren’t shy in admitting the car is designed to appeal to a younger generation raised on video games. Although, a new remote-rev feature — which allows owners to rev the engine from outside the car using the key-fob — seems more boomer-car-hop-kitsch than millennial-Tik-Tok-tastic. The 2025 Ford Mustang should launch in the summer of 2023.

2023 Toyota GR Corolla

And Now For Something Completely Different

The majority of the world has enjoyed a wide variety of turbocharged all-wheel drive hatchbacks for decades. In the United States, however, they’re more of a novelty. In the face of rising competition from Korean automakers, Toyota has been reaching into its performance heritage to bring American enthusiasts cars like the Supra, GR86, and now a GR Corolla.

The GR stands for Gazoo Racing, the motorsports branch of the larger Toyota brand. Gazoo Racing has fielded efforts in everything from sports cars at Le Mans and the Nürburgring, to trucks in the Dakar Rally, to Yaris-based Rally1 Cars in FIA WRC – which led to the development of the GR Corolla.

It shares its 1.6-liter turbocharged 3-cylinder with the GR Yaris, which will likely never see the American market. In the GR Corolla, it produces 300hp and 273 lb-ft of torque. The only transmission offered is a 6-speed manual and all three trim levels will be all-wheel drive.

Three Options Available

The base-level Core trim will be the best value at $36,995 and will likely be the tuner’s choice. The American market can expect roughly 5,000 units to be sold in the first year – hopefully with minimal dealer markup.

The Circuit Edition, a one-year-only launch edition, gets a unique faux-suede and leather interior, heated front seats, and automatic climate control. That will be limited to 1500 units and has a base price of $43,995.

Meant for track day enthusiasts, but likely only bought by collectors, will the Morizo Edition. Each of the mere 200 units available will have a sticker price of $50,995 but you can count on dealer markups bringing actual purchase prices closer to that of a Lamborghini.

The Morizo Edition also foregoes rear seats, rear speakers, and even the notoriously heavy rear window wiper in the name of weight savings. It does however gain lightweight forged wheels, unique suspension tuning, and a bump in torque to 295 lb-ft. All trim levels have selectable torque-split in the all-wheel drive system, while front and rear limited slip differentials are optional on the Core, but standard on the other two trims.

Expect the floor of the 2023 SEMA Show to be saturated with these cars as the Core model will be a great starting point for everything from street fighters to the currently trending overland builds, and all the way to full track cars. At $37,000 it may seem hard to swallow as an entry-level performance car, but this may be the new normal.

2023 Chevrolet Corvette C8 Z06

Everyday Economical Exotica

A spec sheet that lists “mid-engine, flat-plane crank V8 which redlines at 8500 RPM to produce 670hp, 8-speed dual-clutch transmission, carbon-ceramic brakes, and even carbon fiber wheels,” sounds as if it originated in Italy. If that were the case, at the very top of those specs would be a price north of $300,000. Shocking might be the best way to describe a car matching that description originating from Kentucky and being sold for $109,295 including destination and gas guzzler tax. (For the curious, a base, no options, 379hp, Porsche 911 is $107,550 but doesn’t require the Vette’s $2,600 gas guzzler tax.)

Now, forget all of that. Because to focus on the value is to do a disservice to the Corvette Z06’s rightful place on the supercar world stage.

Engine Enhancements

To begin with, the naturally aspirated 5.5-liter V8 is producing 122 horsepower per liter – made possible by the 8500 RPM redline, which has been made possible by what is called a flat-plane crankshaft. Most V8s use what is called a cross-plane crankshaft which uses crank pins positioned in 90-degree increments. When looking at it head-on, the crank pins form a cross or plus. A flat-plane crank, by comparison, has two pins at 0-degrees and two at 180-degrees. This means the firing order is constantly alternating banks, which is better for exhaust scavenging.

A flat plane crank requires less counterweighting, meaning the engine can rev much faster as well. But, since a flat-plane crank engine creates more vibrations (namely, secondary vibrations), they aren’t as common. The upsides are power, response, and that exotic exhaust note of supercars. The downsides are more vibration, less low-end torque, and fuel economy best described as truck-like.

Suspension Changes

The Z06 isn’t just about power, though. The engineers at GM have become masters of magnetorheological suspension tuning and the Z06 is the pinnacle of that mastery.

The base C8 Corvette is a quantum leap ahead of previous generations thanks to its mid-engine layout. The Z06 gets more aggressive suspension tuning, a stiffer body structure, and wider tires. Coupled with the optional aerodynamic upgrades, GM has created a road car comfortable enough for commuting but also capable of pulling nearly 1.2 Gs on a skid pad.

The Corvette has always punched above its weight in the world of performance cars, but it was always with the proviso of “for the money.” The C8 Corvette Z06 is now a world-class supercar — full stop.

2023 Porsche 911 Dakar

An Off-Road Sports Car Built For Social Media

The average millennial might think “overland all the things” started with a meme all the way back in 2016. But in reality, it’s what generations of humans at one time called traveling.

In fairness, the trend of lifting anything from Miatas and Mustangs to Econolines and Elements before fitting exaggerated knobby tires is a relatively new phenomenon. Someone at Porsche clearly saw all the jacked-up cars on Instagram and remembered, “Vee have done ziss previously to much succezz!”

And the 2023 Porsche 911 Dakar was born.

A New 911

Mechanically, the 911 Dakar is similar to the Carrera 4 GTS, sharing the same 473hp 3.0-liter twin-turbo flat-six and permanent all-wheel drive system. The suspension is lifted 2 inches using different springs and shocks, but an active lift kit can add an additional 1.5 inches in off-road mode. If that’s still not enough, stainless steel skid plates cover its soft sports car underbelly.

As any self-respecting overlander will tell you, ad nauseum, 90% of the hobby is performative. In case the large Pirelli Scorpion All-Terrain Plus tires and the plastic body panels aren’t enough to declare its off-road intentions, the Dakar is available with historically based rally livery – based on actual Porsche Rally cars which competed in actual rally races. Livery based on an influencer’s personal brand or sponsors will need to be sourced from the aftermarket.

A 911 with rally suspension and extra body cladding itself may not be worthy of inclusion on this list, but the ripple effect it will cause across the community certainly is. While it appeared the overlanding-as-an-identity movement had reached its zenith, the launch of cars like the 911 Dakar and Lamborghini’s Huracan Sterrato will assure this fad hits the mainstream at full force in the coming year.

2024 Volkswagen ID.Buzz

Jerry Would Dig It

Performance is a nebulous term. It can be used to describe anything from quantitative vehicle metrics like 0-60 mph times to qualitative aspects like handling balance. Performance can even be used to describe something as ethereal as enjoyment. In that case, VW’s resurrection of the legendary microbus might be a better performer than its retro-fabulous New Beetle in 1998.

Enthusiasts have been screaming for a new Microbus for years, mostly because VW began teasing them with concepts starting at the Detroit Auto Show in 2001. In late 2023, the ID.Buzz will arrive as a full EV with 260 miles of range and a 5-80% charge time of just 30 minutes. It will be available in either rear or all-wheel drive with an expected base price somewhere around $40,000 and since it will be built in Chattanooga, Tennessee it will likely be eligible for very favorable tax incentives.

Zero-Emission Adventure

Although very much a Microbus in proportions, the Buzz is built on VW Group’s Modular Electric Drive platform, shared with the Audi e-tron and VW ID.4 crossovers. The rear-wheel drive Buzz will have a single motor, which will likely deliver around 200hp, while the all-wheel drive will have two motors and is likely to have around 300hp. European markets will have a choice of either a short or long wheelbase, but as VW has found in the past, given the choice, 9 times out of 10, Americans will go with the larger option.

The low flat floor offered by the EV layout means the retro-inspired interior will be especially spacious. North American versions will come standard with three rows and seven seats. VW says the interior will be configurable with seats and even removable center consoles, perfect for car camping while following The Dead on tour.

Expect the aftermarket to jump all over these offering a selection of modification and personalization options that will make PT Cruiser and Fiat 500 fanatics flush with jealousy. It may not be fast and may not be exotic, but the ID.Buzz will likely be one of a handful of vehicles in 2023 that light off the mainstream switch to EVs.