Sometimes rules are made to be broken. But when producing a product, be it a car or a carpet, it’s often best to go along with the crowd rather than breaking the mould.
However, making the bold decision to do something different can sometimes have spectacular, popular results, and that’s been proven to be the case on numerous occasions in the motoring industry.
Be it a move away from what the rest of the industry is doing, or a departure from what the brand is typically known for, these are the new cars that defy current conventions with exciting consequences.
Aston Martin Vantage AMR
The automatic gearbox has become the go-to installation for practically every high-end car on the market, and even though many cars will have Formula One-style flappy paddles to their name, plenty of car enthusiasts lament the loss of the manual gearbox.
Aston Martin responded to the woes of manual gearbox fans with the Vantage AMR. In this track-centric version of its baby sports car, the Mercedes-sourced eight-speed automatic gearbox is ditched in favour of a seven-speed manual transmission.
Naturally, the purists have rejoiced.
Morgan Plus Six
Almost as quickly as Aston Martin endeared itself to the old guard, Morgan made them revolt.
The Morgan Plus Six was extremely divisive when it was revealed at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show. The Worcestershire-based firm has always been known for cars that were strictly analogue, and often built from a log too.
But, while the turbocharged, automatic-gearbox’d Plus Six is certainly a departure for the company, it is likely going to be spectacular; it’s set to be the quickest Morgan ever, with a top speed in excess of 170mph, and a mere 1075kg curb weight.
Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk
Typically, the ‘sporty’ version of an SUV is nothing more than a bodykit, but in recent times, the market for truly unhinged high-riders has soared.
Leading the way in this sector is the ballistic Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, which borrows the 697bhp, 6.2-litre supercharged V8 from the Dodge Challenger Hellcat muscle car.
This allows the Trackhawk to accelerate from 0-60mph in just 3.5 seconds, and push it on to a top speed of 180mph.
To say that is a ‘proper’ performance SUV is putting it lightly.
Audi SQ5
After a brief spell as a petrol-powered car, the performance-centric Audi SQ5 has returned to a diesel motor, sailing against the tide of the industry at large.
The new SQ5 features a 342bhp, 3.0-litre unit that produces a hefty 700Nm of torque.
It’s impressively efficient too, with a claimed 41.5mpg. This is partially down to a mild hybrid system, which makes use of the braking energy that is otherwise wasted.
Lamborghini Urus
Yes, Lamborghini has made an off-roader before; the rough and ready, military-purposed LM002. And, given that the firm first built tractors, and still does so today, you could say that a certain level of precedent exists for a high-riding Lambo.
However, the Urus is definitely a major departure from Lamborghini’s typical oeuvre.
There’s nothing particularly shouty or dramatic about the Urus; it features a 4.0-litre twin turbocharged V8 found in many other Volkswagen Group products, and it shares its platform with Audi’s Q7, the Bentley Bentayga and other large SUVs from the German-owned family of brands.
However, it is certainly a capable performance SUV, and regardless of what traditionalists think, it seems like a car that’s going to sell in droves.
‘R or GTI?’ That’s a question that many enthusiasts have to answer when looking at hot hatches, and both are valid answers. But, for our money, the R is the one to have.
Examples of the first-generation 986 Boxster can be found for well under £6,000, but for the purposes of this entry, all eyes are trained on its successor, the 987.
Blending practicality and pace is something that the Germans have made into their own personal art, and there are few better at both than the RS4 Avant.
A widespread of BMW M3s are available at this price point, and which you go for is purely down to personal preference, as all are exemplary performance saloons.
A step above the M3 and the RS4 on the performance saloon ladder, the E63 is Mercedes’ rival to the M5 and RS6.
Now for something completely different.
It’s another one that only just limbos under the £15,000 barrier, but the Z4 M Coupe is a wonderful car. If it’s predecessor — the Z3 M — is anything to go by, it may be due a little rise in price also.
Yes, even the very top of the Audi saloon line-up can be found within budget; well within budget, in fact.
One of the biggest compliments an electric car can receive is that it feels ‘normal’, and that is certainly the case with the E-tron, which is visually and dynamically very similar to Audi’s ‘Q’ range of SUVs.
The Model S has been on the market for some time now, and is arguably one of the more proven entities in the electric car sphere as a result.
If you are interested in the compact SUV/crossover market, then the all-electric version of Hyundai’s Kona is certainly worth considering.
Perhaps the most popular of the electric cars on the market today, the second-generation Leaf went on sale last year, and marks a notable step-up over its predecessor.
The standard i3 is an ideal car for urban commutes and errands, and the i3s builds on that with sporting style and more power.
After a rather basic first attempt at fully-electric cars with the Soul EV, Kia has shown its true abilities with the e-Niro crossover.
Jaguar’s first all-electric SUV has been well received, winning the 2019 World Car of the Year award and being regarded as one of the better electric cars on the market today. It’s capable of some impressive performance too, with a 0-60mph time of 4.5 seconds.
Tesla’s first SUV, the Model X, is available from £75,700 and is capable of 0-60mph in 4.6 seconds, and will go on to a top speed of 155mph.
The Renault Zoe is one of the cheapest entry points into EV ownership, with a starting price of just £17,720 with the government grant applied.
The diminutive Smart is one of the more compact cars on the market, and will rarely leave the city or town it calls home, so producing an electric version makes perfect sense.
PCP finance lets you get your hands on a new car for an initial deposit and a series of monthly payments. You don’t own the car come the end of the agreement, though you do have the option of buying it outright in return for a final – or ‘balloon’ – payment.
Leasing a car is a little like taking out a long-term car rental. You’ll pay a sum initially, followed by monthly payments. Once the payment term is over (and you’ll agree this with the dealer), you won’t own the car, nor will you be able to purchase it via a final payment.
The more traditional finance option, getting a regular bank loan, could make getting the keys to a brand new car a little easier compared with PCP or lease deals. It will also mean that you’ll own the car outright from the start, so you could sell it when you wanted to without having to pay charges for leaving a finance agreement.
The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb has long been a hotbed for some of the more unhinged vehicles on this earth, especially since the iconic mountain road was fully tarmacked ahead of the 2012 edition of the race.
A four-wheel drive rallying Mini? Not such a unique thing, as we’ll discuss further down this list, but this is the most successful of them.
The last of the MK1 BMW-built Minis featuring the potent supercharged 1.6-litre engine that powered all of this generation’s performance variants, the 2006 John Cooper Works GP is still one of the quickest as-standard hot Minis ever.
Based on the subframes and running gear from a Mini, the sweeping, petite Mini Marcos was a true sportscar underdog. As with the Marcos manufacturer as a whole, this car has a cult following in the UK and beyond.
A sadly short-lived project, the Mini John Cooper Works Countryman WRC was built by rally experts Prodrive, who had previously been responsible for Subaru’s lineage of world-conquering Imprezas. The Countryman boasted all-wheel drive and nearly 300bhp.
‘Built’ in the virtual world for the Gran Turismo racing game, this is probably the closest thing we’ll ever see to a rival to the Ford Focus RS from the Mini brand.
In the early days of rallying, before four-wheel drive cars were the norm, nimbleness and reliability were extremely important for rally cars, particularly at more challenging rallies such as the Monte Carlo.
With an immaculate design, a focus on technology and safety, and a good reputation for reliability, there are few cars that make as much sense to buy as the Volvo S60.
Established as a model in the 90s to combat Mercedes’ E-Class and the BMW 5 Series, the Audi A6 is certainly a sober option in the mid-size saloon market. While the driving dynamics don’t quite match those offered from the BMW camp, and Mercedes is likely to always have the edge on sheer image, there are few better all-rounders than the A6.
With a history dating back over 40 years, the 3 Series and its plethora of variants are a key backbone to the BMW brand. Now in its seventh-generation, the 3 Series looks unlikely to lose its place as the definitive compact executive saloon any time soon.
For Alfa Romeo, the reintroduction of the Giulia nomenclature was a signal of intent. Replacing the 159 in the line-up, the Giulia did away with front-wheel drive in favour of rear or all-wheel drive, allowing the car’s improved chassis dynamics to shine through properly.
While its predecessors date back as far as the 1950s, the E-Class name itself debuted in 1993. While its bigger brother – the S-Class – has proven to be the showcase for technologies of the future, a good portion of what we see in the Mercedes flagship does also work its way down to the E-Class.
Debuting in 2015 as Jaguar’s answer to the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C-Class, the XE was envisioned as the model that would bridge the gap between luxury and mainstream for the British marque.
Overall, it could be said that the Volkswagen brand does a superb job of balancing itself between being the people’s car it was always intended to be, and a prestigious brand.
While stablemate Hyundai’s stock is also rising, it is fair to say that Kia has done the best job of positioning itself among the mainstream manufacturers, to become one of the more popular brands in the UK.
While the third generation of Mazda’s 6 saloon has been around for a while, it was refreshed in 2018 to better represent the marque’s Kodo design language.
Long gone are the days when Skoda dubbing its flagship the Superb was considered a misnomer. This is a truly brilliant car, though its hatchback boot opening does technically exclude it from this list.
When the initial wave of new-generation, retro-inspired muscle cars arrived, some were slightly disappointed by their relative lack of performance – of course, these cars were built to be modified, so perhaps they only needed to be base models with which to improve upon.
Thoroughly fettled by Toyota’s crack Gazoo Racing outfit, the Yaris GRMN is a limited edition hot hatch that’s quickly becoming a highly desirable car after its 2018 debut.
A product of the iconic ‘Group B’ World Rally Championship battles of the 1980s, the 037 was a mid-engined homologation special. With a mere 205bhp, the power of the 2.0-litre supercharged engine doesn’t raise many eyebrows.
Sportscar, grand tourer or muscle car coupe – however you choose to define the Jaguar XKR-S, it can safely be described as a truly savage car.
The ZR1 nameplate has long been the performance peak of the Chevrolet Corvette line-up.
Not many cars feature a supercharger exposed to the elements, but that was the case with the famous Blower Bentleys that plied their trade at the Le Mans 24 Hours in the 1920s.
The first-generation MR2 was a fun car as standard, but its creators at Toyota clearly didn’t think it was fun enough, as a supercharged variant arrived in 1986 in Japan, and 1988 in North America.
The E55 AMG was rightfully seen as a four-door rocket ship when it debuted at the 2002 Paris Motor Show.
When the end of the line came for the first of the BMW-built Minis, one last performance version was put into production at a limited run of just 2,000 units.
A more extreme version of the Elise, the Exige first received supercharging in the form of a 1.8-litre Toyota engine. However, the current, third-generation Exige features a 3.5-litre unit, also sampled from the Japanese manufacturer.
The British Grand Prix has long been renowned as one of the best Formula One races to attend, and the early stages of the 2019 season suggest that it could be a very good race.
Aiming to bring the motor show back in the United Kingdom, the London Motor & Tech show will be a great gathering for car enthusiasts.
Shelsley Walsh is one of the best-known and most historic motorsport venues in the country, so the fact that one of its biggest events aims to provide motorsport nostalgia by the bucket load seems fitting.
Held at the famous Goodwood circuit, the recurring Breakfast Club events are a must for car enthusiasts, with a different theme leading the way every time during the year.
From the circuit to the Duke of Richmond’s nearby driveway, the annual Festival of Speed event is now a global converging point for the world’s major manufacturers, racing teams and leading drivers.
Following on from the ever more popular Sunday Scramble events that see cars of all eras on display to the public, Bicester Heritage will host a ‘Super Scramble’ in June.
For over 100 years, the Isle of Man TT has been the ultimate duel between the fastest and bravest motorcyclists on earth.
A rare opportunity to see road and race cars alike pushed to their limits on British roads, the MotoFest Coventry will return in 2019.
The annual Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace sees some of the world’s most valuable and sought-after vehicles set against a truly unique backdrop.
Combining the worlds of motoring events and music festivals, the Chris Evans-fronted festival is now an established part of the UK events calendar.
The Volkswagen Audi Group (VAG) 3.2-litre V6 is a superb engine that has found a home in numerous brilliant cars.
The world of motoring rarely weighs in unanimously on any matter, though it seemed that everyone agreed on the styling of Alfa Romeo’s Brera.
The first-generation Audi TT looks fairly understated today, but back when it was released, it was lauded for being the spitting image of the fairly radical concept car that inspired it.
The C32 AMG is a car that can definitely be described as a wolf in sheep’s clothing, with an understated look paired to a supercharged 3.2-litre V6 delivering 350bhp.
The Nissan 350Z was seen by many as a return to form for the Nissan ‘Z-car’ series, after the previous 300ZX grew quite large and cumbersome in its latter years.
The Mondeo ST220 is certainly not a sleeper.
The G37 was billed as a rival to the BMW 3 Series, and the G37 was the upper echelon of the line-up.
The Avantime is certainly a unique car in the not-so-grand pantheon of people carriers. Built by Renault affiliate Matra, the glass-roofed vehicle offered a 3.0-litre V6 with 210bhp, which gives it a surprising amount of pace and – if you really want to push it – not a bad engine sound either.