Future classics of the ’20s | Six of the Best

You’d find it very easy – and be more than a little justified – having a whinge about motor cars in 2025. More assists and interference than ever, seemingly more traffic than ever, yet fewer fun new cars from which to choose. Those that are interesting are often prohibitively expensive. It can feel like quite a sorry situation. But help is at hand; while we’re only halfway through this decade, it has witnessed the arrival of some truly great performance cars. Cars that, thanks to their significance, look like fairly safe (as well as hugely fun) bets for the future. The Toyota GR86 ticks both those boxes as emphatically as anything else; still worth what they cost brand new three years ago, and with the kind of joy to the experience that makes you remember why driving is great. Neptune Blue was only offered on the first batch of UK cars, too.

While everyone was very excited about the arrival of right-hand-drive Mustangs a decade ago, the S550 took a little while to come really good. A 2018 facelift sharpened the look and boosted power, so those later cars are really worth seeking out – the Bullitt in particular. But the best was saved till last, at least as far as UK buyers were concerned: the Mustang Mach 1 boasted some Bullitt bits (mainly the power upgrade), with some track-focused upgrades – extra cooling, stiffer bushes, revised dampers – to really make the most of it. The result was the best Mustang of the generation, keener and grippier without losing sight of the core appeal. That’s helped them retain a good amount of their value, with this 2022 car for sale at £46,000 – it was only £55k new. With the latest Mustang (and particularly the Dark Horse) now significantly more expensive prospects, the Mach 1 looks an even smarter buy than ever.

For the everyman enthusiast seeking out a modern classic super-saloon, this should probably be the standard Giulia Quadrifoglio, given it’s very nearly as powerful as the GTA and now costs from less than £30,000. But we make the rules here, and only derivatives launched in this decade qualify, so we’ll have to take the stunning limited edition instead. While it was easy to focus on just the extra 30hp, the Giulia chassis was totally overhauled as well, with 50mm wider tracks, plus bespoke springs, dampers and bushes. The Quadrifoglio was already pretty great to start with; the GTA sensational. This Etna Red example is notable for actually having been driven (17k under the teledials), and for being the (slightly) subtler regular GTA – no GTAm spoiler here. One of just five, apparently. A lot of money, for sure – see what else it buys further down the list – but unlikely to lose it either. Especially if an electric Quadrifoglio turns up…

A dead cert for inclusion, along with the GR86. And one to rank alongside the Mustang as potentially attainable for regular folk one day – the other three are a little pricier, for sure. But the Civic’s greatest achievement was convincing its driver that a front-drive Type R really could be worth the very best part of £50,000; it didn’t matter if the Honda was compared with a dedicated sports car of the same money, a rear-drive rival or an AWD rocketship, it could compete – surpass them, in many instances. The FL5 was brimming with such star quality as to be irresistible; not a whole lot better than its FK8 predecessor, if usefully improved across the board – an even sweeter shift, even better damping, nicer steering – to elevate the experience even further. A surefire classic, especially given it now seems Type R Hondas are done. And the Prelude ultimately sounds as exciting as Sunday school. 

It was hard not to be a little giddy at the prospect of the Porsche Cayman GT4 RS, the mid-engined 718 finally getting the GT3 power enthusiasts had always craved. And it was undeniably awesome – in the right scenario. On track, it was compelling; on road it was probably a little too fierce for its own good. Which is why the 718 Spyder RS would actually be our pick as a GT Porsche special for the future that could be used in any situation. It was just that bit more accommodating without losing any of the intensity, a slightly less hyperactive edge to the ride and the steering meaning it didn’t need perfect tarmac to feel like a near-perfect sports car. The roof is a faff, and the usual haters will tell you you ought to have bought a 911, but you’ll be having too much fun to care. And how good does a 718 look in Signal Yellow? 

There’s not a car here, surely, that adheres to all the future classic criteria quite like a Maserati MC20. Take a storied yet struggling carmaker for starters, add in a stunning supercar shape underpinned by a carbon tub, power it with a turbo V6 of unrivalled energy, make it drive like a Lotus and – voilà – new school, traditional supercar hero. With terrifying depreciation, perhaps as the market was unsure what to make of Maserati’s return, to secure its status as a cult hero. This one is less money Porsche and the Alfa, for heaven’s sake, with just 9,500 miles. The MC20’s future will be interesting to track; while the arrival of the MCPURA and cancellation of the supercar EV project suggest a reasonably rosy future, not very many of these halo models have sold. Volume products surely matter more to the bottom line than a great supercar. Even more reason, perhaps, to take a punt on a used relative bargain.