Latest News
Identifying the First-Gen Ford MustangFuture Classics Cars
Cars become classics by bridging initial popularity and a more enduring, long-term popularity. These are the cars we see as future classics.
Standing the Test of Time
The ultimate compliment in automotive circles is not the ogling of passersby at your local Cars and Coffee or the wolf whistle of your “favorite” neighbor or even the grudging approval of your dad who is firm in his conviction that they stopped making “real cars” in 1971. No, the greatest compliment amongst car people is more subtle; it’s that nod or thumbs up in traffic from those who know your garage-kept first-gen Toyota MR2 has been a labor of love that’s only understood by those who’ve bestowed the same level of devotion on a similarly special car.
Rose colored glasses are supposed to be for looking back, but for this article we’re donning those sanguine shades for “recent” cars (20 years or newer) we think will age best going forward. These are the cars we feel are most likely to become future classics and respected collector’s cars, those we’ll look back upon with fondness, appreciation, and, occasionally, awe.
C7 Chevy Corvette
We’ll kick things off with an obvious one, the C7 Corvette. The last-gen Vette is aging into affordability, a tick under $40,000, and that makes it a steal performance wise. The base Stingray comes with an LS3 small-block V8 making 455-460 horsepower with both the handling and highway manners to make this one of the most livable two-seaters you’re likely to encounter. With all the (deserved) hype surrounding the mid-engine C8 Corvette, it’s gotten all too easy to forget just how astoundingly good the C7 really was. Give it 10-15 years and we’ll all remember the magic of the last front-engine Corvette.
Honda S2000
The Honda S2000 is edging closer to classic territory with every passing year. The cat is mostly out of the bag on the S2000’s specialness, so we’re including it just in case you missed the bulletin. Like the Miata and 86/BRZ, the S2000 is a Japanese sports car that emphasizes feel and dynamics over raw power and is all the better for the trade-off. Razor sharp steering and a 9,000 rpm redline make every drive in the S2000 an event. In an age of homogenized crossovers, purpose-built roadsters like the S2000 have become all the rarer and therefore all the more special.
Pontiac G8
It might be a tad too obvious were we to suggest snatching up an early aughts Pontiac GTO aka the Holden Morano as a prospective collector’s car. So instead, we’ll suggest the Holden Commodore aka the Pontiac G8, another, no less impressive, captive import from GM’s Australian division. The Pontiac G8’s most desirable incarnation was the GXP which came equipped with an LS3 V8 making 415 horsepower. The G8 wasn’t just the last great Pontiac it was also one of the last great American sports sedans.
Toyota GR Corolla
Among classic muscle cars, there are dozens of special editions and rare performance models that were often over-priced and overlooked in their time only to become highly desirable and highly collectable today. While muscle cars are long out of fashion, some of our most unassuming commuters have buzzsaw-like performance versions ready to stand your hair on end. Enter the GR Corolla, Toyota’s smoking-hot hot hatch version of the everyday driving Corolla. With 300 horsepower from its turbocharged three-cylinder and the sure-footedness of all-wheel drive, GR Corolla is as much at home carving apexes on the track as it is zipping through your morning commute. Of the millions of Corollas on the road, the GR version will represent a vanishingly small number, making it all the more collectable, today and in the future.
Dodge Magnum SRT-8
Before you scoff, just ask a Dodge Magnum owner how they like their uniquely American muscle wagon. While niche, the Magnum commands a rabid and devoted fan base and for good reason. The Magnum is the true do-it-all vehicle with ample interior space, a copious cargo hold, and loads of MOPAR power under the hood. The latter point is what makes the SRT-8 version particularly desirable (and collectable). The SRT-8 comes equipped with a 6.1L Hemi V8 making 425 horsepower. That’s a lot of grocery-getting grunt. Rare, characterful, and powerful, the Dodge Magnum SRT-8’s legend is just beginning.
Honda Civic Type R
As with the GR Corolla, Honda’s own hyper hot hatch, the Civic Type R is already on a trajectory toward automotive classic. The appellation Type R goes back to the late 1990s but those of us in the US had to wait for a souped-up Civic until 2017 when Honda finally brought it to North America. The Type R added a heap of attitude to the Civic both inside and out. The Type R has a rear wing, side skirting, and lots of aggressive styling. It’s turbocharged i-VTEC 2.0L four-cylinder makes 306 horsepower. The current Civic Type R tones down the exterior while retaining its powerful turbo-four which was good enough for the Type R to set a new record in 2023 for front-wheel drive cars at Germany’s Nürburgring.
Neuvo Volkswagen Beetle
The “new” Volkswagen Beetle, which debuted in 1998 and wrapped production in 2010, did not follow the classic Beetle formula of a rear-mounted, air-cooled, flat-four engine. But the original Beetle wasn’t just a powertrain layout it was a mindset, an attitude, a way of being in the world. The retro-styled “new” Beetle of the early aughts captured that air of whimsy and rollick. Indeed, where other retro cars like the PT Cruiser and Chevy SSR largely failed in echoing the former automotive glory, the humble Beetle, with its top down of course, triumphed. Though the “new” Beetle felt unremarkable during its production run, looking back even now, there’s a unique and undeniable charm to them that’s hard to find in any 21st century car.
Tesla Cybertruck
Yes, seriously. There hasn’t been a more divisive vehicle since the gen-one Prius and the Cybertruck is no less radical. Is the Cybertruck near-future dystopian cosplay? Or an engineering marvel? Or a boundary-pushing take on the now very traditional full-size pickup? Or maybe it’s all super elaborate troll? All of the above. The Cybertruck looks silly and be less than entirely practical, but it is also absurdly fast and deploys more than its share of major EV advancements, from steer-by-wire and new 4860 battery tech to a 48-volt electric system. The Cybertruck is a rolling contradiction. It’s garish and absurd while also riding the bleeding edge of automotive technology (seriously, watch those stainless-steel panel edges, they’re sharp). It’s intentionally ironic; it’s also unquestionably, for good and ill, iconic.
Mazda Miata NA/NB/NC
You’ve heard it before; Miata is always the answer. Trite though it is, the adage remains true. The older first-gen and second-gen NA and NB Miata’s have aged into eminent affordability. This means, for those so inclined, there’s some room budget-wise to seek out those well-kept examples to preserve and enjoy for decades to come. The Miata has always been about joy, a vanishingly rare goal in today’s automotive market but one that will remain within the hearts of automotive enthusiasts at least as long as there are cars like the Miata still on the road.
