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10 of the Hottest Cars of 2015

Charles Krome
by Charles Krome
April 20, 2015
6 min. Reading Time
2016 Chevy Volt ・  Photo by Chevrolet

2016 Chevy Volt ・ Photo by Chevrolet

With winter finally in the ol’ rearview mirror, it’s time to turn up the temperature with 10 of the hottest cars of 2015: Some showcase sizzling performance, others are enjoying red-hot customer demand and all satisfy a burning desire for driving excitement one way or another. But beyond that, folks will find choices from up and down the industry, recognizing that a vehicle that warms the cockles of one driver’s heart may leave another owner feeling cold. 

The key, however, is that all of these cars are either on sale now or expected to launch for this calendar year, which does mean we’ll be presenting a mix of both 2015 and 2016 models for your perusal. Also, just to be clear, the focus here is specifically on cars, not trucks or crossovers, and includes such incandescent entries as…

2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata

Sure, the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata provides a seriously cool open-air driving experience, with a top that can be dropped without leaving the driver’s seat, but this next-gen mode also is one of the hottest cars of 2015, both here and globally. In Japan, for example, every single unit is expected to be sold as part of the car’s pre-order program, before they even reach dealerships. 

Here in the United States, Mazda is revving up our own distinctive launch edition—and early-order reservation list—with lucky owners able to enjoy not just incredible driving dynamics and SKYACTIV-ated fuel-economy ratings, but also 17-inch alloy wheels, a nine-speaker Bose audio system, MazdaConnect technology with navigation and an assortment of top safety measures that include a blind-spot monitor, rear cross-traffic alert and lane-departure warning.

Needless to say, potential purchasers are urged to strike while the iron is hot if they want one.

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2015 Dodge Charger/Challenger Hellcat

How hot are the Hellcat twins? Well, after dealers burned through their first allotment in just a matter of weeks, Dodge is firing up the production line a second time for both the 2015 Dodge Charger and Dodge Challenger versions. In fact, the brand is promising another 1,000 units combined for the cars, as demand continues to remain nearly as high as their output levels. 

Those, for the uninitiated, come from a supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI V8 that makes 707 hp and 650 lb.-ft. of torque, enough to make the Challenger the quickest, most powerful production muscle car ever released—with the Charger staking the same claims amongst today’s sedans. More specifically, the Challenger Hellcat can blister the pavement to a 10.8-second quarter-mile time, backed by a 199 mph top speed, and the Charger Hellcat can reach 204 mph, with the quarter mile coming up in just 11 seconds.

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2016 Porsche 911 GT3 RS

There are enough hot new cars at Porsche to start a five-alarm fire—thanks to the likes of the 918 Spyder, Cayman GT4 and Boxster Spyder—but it’s the 2016 Porsche 911 GT3 RS that really sets off the Autobytel smoke detectors. 

Recently introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland, the 911 GT3 RS is the ultimate choice for the current-generation nameplate, with a 7:20 Nürburgring lap time to its credit. And the credit for that goes to a combination of heavyweight power and lightweight construction: The 4.0-liter V6 engine mounted in the rear of the 911 can pour out some 500 hp and 338 lb.-ft. of torque, then make the most of that output by offering weight-saving features like a magnesium roof; additional performance enhancers range from rear-axle steering to a model-specific aero package.

The 2016 Porsche 911 GT3 RS is due in dealerships in July.

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2015 Volkswagen Golf

Customers are clearly warming up to the 2015 Volkswagen Golf, as Autobytel’s 2015 Car of the Year—and the overall North American Car of the Year—has seen sales rise right in lockstep with its increasingly wide-ranging roster. The latest addition? The VW Golf SportWagen that joins the team this spring with front- and all-wheel-drive variants, the same kind of versatility offered by small crossovers, and both gas and diesel engines—the latter expected to reach 43 mpg highway.

Further, those new entries are in addition to the current crew, which includes gas, diesel and all-electric powertrains, along with two hi-po choices: The VW GTI, packing a 2.0-liter turbo for 210 hp and 258 lb.-ft. of torque, and the range-topping Golf R, able to dial up 292 hp and 280 lb.-ft. of torque as the fastest Golf model to ever hop across the Atlantic.

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2015 Ford Mustang

When it comes to the year’s hottest muscle car, the 2015 Ford Mustang is absolutely smoking the competition, tallying more sales in March—just before this story was produced—than the combined total for both the Chevy Camaro and Dodge Challenger. But Ford engineers aren’t slacking off now that the redesigned Mustang is on a roll: Instead, they’re preparing to unleash a reborn Shelby GT350 Mustang that will set new Blue Oval benchmarks for power. More specifically, the car’s 5.2-liter V8, leveraging a flat-plane crankshaft, will be the most powerful naturally aspirated engine ever offered by a production vehicle from Ford, courtesy of at least 500 hp and 400 lb.-ft. of torque.

Of course, at the same time, the new Shelby will show off a performance-focused suspension and braking setup, along with unique, aero-enhancing style cues, to also represent one of the hottest track-day packages in the industry.

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2016 McLaren 570S

Unlike those supercars better known for bursting into flames, the 2016 McLaren 570S earns its reputation as one of the hottest cars of the year based on something better: a unique combination of segment-leading performance and—relatively speaking—affordable pricing.

The 570S signals the launch of a new lower-cost “Sports” range for McLaren, and while an even less-expensive 540C is in the works, the former will kick things off with an MSRP of $184,000. True, that is a fair amount of coin, but it’s also more than $80,000 less than the least-expensive “mid-range” model from the brand and not so far off the cost of the upper-level Porsche 911s.

Yet the 570S maintains the expected McLaren design language, boasting a radically shaped exterior and scissor doors, and delivers super-powered performance, courtesy of a twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V8 that makes 562 hp and 443 lb.-ft. of torque.

 Photo by McLaren

Photo by McLaren

2016 Acura NSX

The return of the Acura NSX is one of the most hotly anticipated vehicle launches of the year, as it will revive one of the most famous names in supercar history. As readers may recall, the original NSX debuted 25 years ago with a new approach to the genre, trading traditional V8 power for an advanced V6 and the industry’s first all-aluminum body. But for 21st century drivers, although Acura’s next-gen supercar flagship charts a similar course, it does so by leveraging lightweight composite materials and a Sport Hybrid Power Unit complemented by: 

  • A twin-turbo, mid-mounted V6 engine
  • The latest Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive technologies
  • A nine-speed dual-clutch transmission developed in-house by Acura engineers
  • Three electric motors—one for each front wheel, serving up instantaneous and independent torque levels, and a third providing a direct-drive energy boost to the rear wheels
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2015 Chrysler 200

Despite selling against some of the hottest sedans in the country, the 2015 Chrysler 200 has become a flat-out hit for its brand, clawing its way past Chevy and Hyundai rivals in recent months to become a top choice in the very competitive mid-size category.

Nor should that momentum slow down during the rest of the year, since Chrysler is celebrating the car’s first anniversary with two fresh design themes for its cabin, including an Ambassador Blue leather environment for the sporty 200S and an up-scale Mocha leather setup for the premium 200C models, complete with heated and ventilated front seats.

Both colors are slated for spring introductions and will join other available 200 benefits like a nine-speed automatic transmission, a sophisticated all-wheel-drive system with a rear-axle disconnect feature for improved efficiency, and a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS.

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2016 Ferrari 488 GTB

Perhaps the hottest sports car of the year will be the all-new 2016 Ferrari 488 GTB, driven by a freshly engineered 3.9-liter V8 that brings turbocharging back to the Prancing Horse’s stable. More importantly, it also brings a major boost in power as compared to the outgoing 458, since the next-gen mid-engine Ferrari will benefit from 661 hp and 560 lb.-ft. of torque, as well as a full array of F1-influenced powertrain, suspension and braking technologies.

The brand is expecting all that motorsports magic to realize supernatural performance, too, highlighted by a top speed above 205 mph and 0-60 sprint time of below 3 seconds.

It’s further worth noting that the sleek new appearance of the 488 GTB was penned entirely in-house—that is, without input from Ferrari’s long-time styling partners at Pininfarina—to also introduce a further evolution of the brand’s unmistakable design language.

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2016 Chevrolet Volt

We’ll turn to our crystal ball to come up with a final hot-car candidate, looking ahead to the debut of the 2016 Chevrolet Volt during the second half of the year.

The Volt’s success is no sure thing, but it is sure to attract green drivers with its sleek new looks, high-tech features, and improved efficiency. For example, driven by GM’s latest Voltec propulsion system, this new extended-range electric vehicle will provide a 50-mile all-electric, zero-emissions driving range, then build on that performance with an on-board, gas-powered generator that will enable an extra 350 miles of travel. The bottom line straight from the Bowtie brand: “With regular charging, owners are expected to travel more than 1,000 miles, on average, between gas fill-ups.”

And that will definitely come in handy when fuel prices start heating up again.

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