10 Best Looking Coupes for 2018

2018 Mercedes Benz E400 Coupe red driving ・ Photo by Mercedes-Benz

It's hard out the 10 best-looking coupes on the market. After all, isn't the coupe the best-looking style of automobile? Sure, there are a couple of nice sedans. But convertibles tend to look a bit odd with the roof in place and missing something when they’re folded down. So there are way more than 10 lookers with two doors, especially when taking personal preferences into account. We’re focusing on a broad mix, from affordable to “when I win the lottery.” From the sporty to the sophisticated. From the novel to the iconic. Naturally, there won’t be universal agreement over our choices, but whatever your tastes, we have an attractive coupe for you.

2018 Aston Martin DB11

“Those Aston Martin cars look really terrible,” said no one ever. The proportions, the curves, the shapes… Everything ties in to create a design that’s modern yet timeless. The DB11 is an all-new model that follows on from some truly gorgeous predecessors. This is the kind of car where you want to catch your reflection in storefront windows, or set up a chair in the driveway just to keeping looking at it.

The driving experience is just as sensational, especially with a glorious a 5.2-liter V12 delivering a thrilling 600 horsepower to the rear wheels. Top speed is 200 mph, but that’s too fast for others to catch a glimpse, which seems a little selfish.

Photo by Aston Martin

2018 Audi S5

There’s not much difference, in visual terms, between the sporty S5 and Audi's regular A5 coupe, and even the hot RS5 is distinguished mainly by bigger front air intakes. But that’s why we’re mentioning the S5 in particular: It sits between the other two, with an ideal blend of power (354 hp), handling prowess and luxurious ambiance.

2018 brings a new generation of S5, based on a new platform. Some might say it looks similar to the outgoing model, but could ever be a bad thing? The deal is that Audi has a design language — one that is highly polished, and in which every square millimeter is assessed and refined. That works for us.

Photo by Audi

2018 Bentley Continental GT

Inspired by the Bentley EXP 10 Speed 6 concept car, the Continental GT enters a new generation for 2018. This is a great example of how concepts provide ideas that eventually go into production models. The long, low EXP was designed by the talented Luc Donckerwolke, who also created the Lamborghini Murciélago.

Just looking at the new Continental GT, this big luxury coupe says power, plushness, authority and presence. And that’s before anyone fires up the 626-hp 6.0-liter W12 engine. Great style is best with so much substance to back it up.

Photo by Bentley

2018 Chevrolet Corvette

American cars don’t get more iconic than a Corvette. Legendary designer Harley Earl created the first version back in the early 1950s and the ’Vette has been part of the automotive landscape ever since. Sometimes the driving experience hasn’t matched up to the extrovert looks, especially when corners were involved, but the current seventh-generation model is where all the stars align.

The current Corvette's styling is sharp and contemporary, but we can imagine it aging well. The fanfare of four large exhaust tips in a line is a superb detail. The whole car looks exactly like a sports coupe should — lean and taut. We’d choose a darker color, though, so the grille doesn’t stand out with too much contrast. 

Photo by General Motors

2018 Dodge Challenger

The Challenger represents the chunkier side of coupe design, as well as retro style. Whereas many modern cars seem to use a lot of angry triangular shapes, the Challenger is more rectangular. Whether you choose the base model or the 707-hp Hellcat, its 1970s vibe comes with a distinct air of intimidation.

But there are subtle touches as well. The crease along the flank has a gentle curve and the B-pillar is camouflaged within the side glass area. There’s a coolness to American muscle cars which is clearly evident in the Challenger. It looks like it’s about to burn out the rear tires even when it’s standing still.

Photo by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

2018 Ford Mustang

The updated-for-2018 Mustang performs a delicate stylistic balancing act. While attempting to look like part of the broader Ford family and come across as a thoroughly 21st-century coupe, it still has to be recognizable as a Mustang. That’s no easy task, since the Mustang has gathered quite a reputation since becoming an instant hit in the early 1960s.

Fortunately, much of its reputation is positive, making the Mustang one of the best-known and most-desired American cars throughout the world. We have a soft spot for the hard-core 526-hp Shelby GT350 version, because a Mustang looks even better with go-faster stripes and it’s the model Steve McQueen would be driving if he was around today.

Photo by Ford

2018 Jaguar F-Type

If there’s a hint of Aston Martin in Jaguar’s gorgeous coupe, that’s because the company’s design chief is Ian Callum. One of his previous gigs was with Aston Martin and he’s the guy who gave those cars their trademark “haunches” over the rear wheels.

Such elements work really well with a marque that has a leaping jungle cat as its logo. They tell the onlooker that the F-Type is powerful and agile, a force of nature. Callum has a defined style that complements the Jaguar tradition, but it's not beholden to the past. Before he came along, some Jaguar designs bordered on pastiche. Now they’re fresh, but still informed by the marque’s heritage. That’s a difficult thing to pull off.

Photo by Jaguar

2018 Lexus LC 500

This choice could be controversial. It has to be said that the “spindle grille” afflicting current Lexus vehicles is not exactly the prettiest thing in the world. But on this sleek and all-new coupe — based on the same platform as the new-generation LS flagship sedan — the grille just seems to work.

It also helps that the rest of the car is so well-executed. Anyone who has yet to see it in three dimensions should reserve judgment until then. Its size and presence are part of what makes the LC so stunning. Whenever mainstream cars are around it, they suddenly become dowdier. When was the last time anyone said that about a Lexus?

Photo by Lexus

2018 Mercedes-Benz E400 Coupe

Mercedes-Benz has a history of making ultra-snazzy coupes. One distinguishing feature is the lack of B-pillar. Open all the windows and there’s a beautiful half-moon-shaped aperture. The new E-Class coupe sticks to this well-rehearsed script. There’s an unfussy approach to the lines — avoiding creases, overdone shapes and superfluous touches. Such restraint bodes well for retaining value and desirability down the line. The cabin, meanwhile, is elegantly pretty.

Another reason to love the car is that this generation is based on the E-Class sedan, a refined and tech-rich vehicle, whereas the previous generation was actually based on the smaller C-Class platform. Overall, the E400 coupe is a softly spoken assertion of excellent taste.

Photo by Mercedes-Benz

2018 Subaru BRZ

No, Subaru never usually crops up when the conversation turns to good-looking cars. But the BRZ is different. And even though the Toyota 86 is essentially the same car, there’s a Subaru contribution that is crucial to the striking good lucks that 

It’s the flat-four engine. Instead of the regular inline-four arrangement where the pistons in the cylinders move vertically, this configuration (a Subaru hallmark) has two horizontally opposed pairs of cylinders. It means the BRZ’s nose can be super-low because it doesn’t have to accommodate an upright engine. That ground-hugging factor also pays off in dynamics, making the BRZ a rear-drive bundle of fun. It’s a great package that’s handsome, entertaining and affordable.

Photo by Subaru