As the motoring world continues to race towards an all-electric future, 2023 will be the year that several manufacturers wheel out their first battery-powered creations. Other marques are using the year to issue swansongs to the combustion engine in the form of special-edition models. From Ferrari’s first SUV to the world’s first fully-electric Rolls-Royce – plus a bonkers off-roading Lamborghini – here are the most exciting cars set to hit the tarmac in 2023.

Ferrari Purosangue

The Purosangue is a milestone moment for Ferrari. While company founder, the late Enzo Ferrari, would no doubt have disapproved of the car’s dimensions, there’s no doubt his fierce business brain would have seen that Ferrari’s move into the SUV market made perfect sense. As one of the last supercar makers to enter the sports-SUV arms race, all eyes are on the Prancing Horse as it hopes to win over its existing customers while attracting new ones.

Still, Ferrari is very keen to point out that the Purosangue is not an SUV – it’s a four-door sports car, apparently, which neatly tees it up as a natural successor to the niche and now discontinued four-wheel-drive Ferrari GTC4 Lusso. Now the covers are off, the world has had its first glimpse of one of the most significant cars to come out of Modena since its inception.

On first appearances, the Purosangue looks good but we will have to wait until the end of the year to see how it shapes up on the road. Expected to be priced around the £400,000 mark, the Purosangue will house a naturally-aspirated V12 capable of producing 715 bhp. Even at that price, expect the order book to fill up quickly.

Visit ferrari.com

Polestar 3

Five years have passed since Polestar pulled the covers off its first production car, the Polestar 1. Since then, the Polestar 2 has enjoyed strong sales while taking on Tesla’s Model 3 and, as of later this year, the latest chapter in the Scandi electric car saga arrives with the Polestar 3 SUV. Aiming high, Polestar’s third production car features styling derived from the sleek and seductive Precept concept, with 510 bhp and a range of up to 379 miles. Prices for the Polestar 3 will kick off from £85,500 when it hits the road in late 2023.

Visit polestar.com

Rolls-Royce Spectre

Another motoring milestone will arrive in 2023 when Rolls-Royce releases its first battery-powered car, the Spectre, come autumn. With similar proportions to the now-discontinued two-door Wraith, the Spectre marks the start of a new, electrified era for the maker of the world’s most prestigious motorcars. Shifting – albeit very slightly – away from Rolls’ upright and imposing design, the Spectre features a more aerodynamic exterior, including a streamlined Spirit of Ecstasy to help eke out the slated 310-mile range. Rolls-Royce will be the first super-luxury car maker to usher in a battery-powered super-coupé.

Visit rolls-roycemotorcars.com

Lotus Eletre

Like Ferrari, Lotus is another sportscar manufacturer to follow the flock into the SUV arms race. Proudly carrying the flag for the marque’s new, all-electric era when it hits the road this summer, the Eletre will come in three specification levels, with up to 893 bhp from the range-topping model, priced from £120,000.

Equipped with a 112 kWh battery, the flagship Eletre R will cover off the 0-62 mph dash in just 2.95 seconds. While the high-riding performance SUV might seem a long way from founder Colin Chapman’s lightweight, championship-winning Formula 1 cars, Lotus has been fast to commit to a fully-electric future.     

Visit lotuscars.com

Ford Mustang

Now in its seventh generation, the original muscle car has stood the test of time. Based on the previous generation car’s architecture, Ford has resisted the urge to electrify the latest Mustang, meaning the 2.3-litre Ecoboost or signature 5.0-litre V8 petrol engines will remain for a while longer. Refusing to go quietly, the American manufacturer has announced an all-out ‘Dark Horse’ model with 500 bhp and a host of performance enhancements to mark a crescendo moment for the muscle car’s twilight years.

Visit ford.co.uk

BMW XM

While the jury might still be out on BMW’s current design direction, the Munich-based marque is due to launch its second bespoke ‘M’ car later this year in the form of the XM. Following the mighty M1 from the 1970s, the XM is an all-out M car, with a 4.4-litre V8 and a 194 bhp electric motor producing 740 bhp. Despite its significant SUV proportions, the XM looks set to outperform the M5 CS saloon on paper, while we wait to see what it handles like after it hits the road in spring.  

Visit bmw.co.uk

Lamborghini Huracán Sterrato

After Porsche rekindled its penchant for rally-spec 911s with the 911 Dakar (also due out this year), Lamborghini is also stepping up to the mark with the bonkers, off-road Huracán Sterrato. Sitting 44mm higher than the track-focused Huracán Evo, its off-road sister reassuringly comes with the Huracán’s sensational 5.2-litre, naturally-aspirated V10, as well as bolt-on wheel arches, spotlights, roof rails and chunky rims and tires. Signalling the end of the road for Lamborghini’s little Huracán, the Sterrato will be priced at £228,000 when all 900 arrive with their adventure-loving owners this summer.   

Visit lamborghini.com

Tesla Cybertruck

We’ve been waiting some time for the curious Tesla Cybertruck to make it into production. Ever since real-life Bond villain and billionaire Elon Musk and his team demonstrated the not-so-bulletproof windows by throwing a metal ball through one during the launch in 2019, the truck-driving masses have been waiting patiently for its arrival.

Musk first promised to deliver the reasonably priced truck in 2021 for less than $40,000, but the production date has been pushed back ever since. Due to finally make it to market later this year, the Tesla Cybertruck will be up against established competition in the form of the Rivian R1T, Hummer H3 and Ford F-150 Lightning.     

Visit tesla.com