This post has been updated with our latest reviews

From beginning to end, 2017 was filled with some extraordinarily exciting cars (the Ford GT, Bugatti Chiron and the long-awaited, new Jeep Wrangler come to mind) and 2018 doesn’t look like it’s dialing back at all. Of the cars we know about so far, the year ahead already has us excited to get behind the wheel of supercars, sports cars and hatchbacks alike. Over the next few months, these are the cars we’re looking forward to driving the most.

2018 Alpine A110

The rebirth of the Alpine brand under French manufacturer Renault was one of the most hotly anticipated comebacks of 2017. And, late last year a few European outlets were lucky enough to get behind the wheel and so far it has received rave reviews. Alpine chose to go with lightweight construction and handling over outright power with the A110, which is where the industry should be heading anyway.

2018 Aston Martin Vantage

The new Vantage will be an important car for Aston in 2018. It’ll be the first Vantage model to come with the new twin-turbo borrowed V8 from AMG, which puts it directly in the ring with AMG’s own GT. The Aston, however, will come with a manual transmission. Which should make for an interesting fight.

2018 Audi RS5

Audi has been on a roll with its RS line as of late and the hottest version of the A5 looks poised to join the pack.

2019 Bentley Continental GT

The next Continental GT may look like it is only getting a mild refresh thanks to new styling but Bentley also updated its 6.0-liter W12. Now the massive coupe will do 0-60 mph in 3.6 and still achieve better emissions than its predecessor.

2018 BMW 8-Series/ M8

BMW has been noticeably absent from the top-of-the-line two-door grand tourer market, left with nothing to compete against the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. That’s all set to change in 2018 with the reintroduction of the 8-Series and the performance-focused M8 model. BMW has long been teasing a sleek, two-door range topper and we’ll finally get to see one in action later this month, albeit in race car form.

2018 BMW Z4

In an interesting matchup, BMW partnered with Toyota to co-develop the next Z4/Supra, in the same way Toyota partnered with Subaru to make the BRZ/Toyota 86. It’s rumored to start around $50,000, but more importantly, let’s hope BMW/Toyota focused on weight loss over power. The market needs more fun sports cars — there can never be too many of those.

2019 C8 Corvette

The next Corvette might be shrouded in more mystery than any other generation before it. There are rumors and proof the C8 Corvette is going mid-engined, but that just might be the range-topping ZR1 (or whatever they decide to name it). Regardless of which model gets which engine, the next ‘Vette is setting itself up to be incredibly pivotal.

2018 Ford Fiesta ST

There have been rumors that the U.S may not get the next Fiesta, which is a shame because the tiny little hatch is one of the best handling FWD cars in the States. A Fiesta with the ST treatment is even better, so this might be out last chance to drive the lil’ guy.

2018 Ford Mustang

Now that it’s had a mid-cycle refresh, the next thing on the list for the Mustang is a performance boost. And this year, the Mustang is supposedly getting 460 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque, enabling it to do 0-60 mph in under 4.0 seconds and take the quarter-mile in 11-seconds. Yes, please.

2018 Jaguar E-Pace

Crossovers don’t have much going for them when it comes to style, performance or practicality, but if there’s one brand that can buck that trend, it’s Jaguar. Ian Callum’s design philosophy seems to translate well onto almost every car it’s touched, and if the E-Pace handles half as well as the F-Pace, it should have the performance to change a few minds about the compact cross-over segment.

2018 Jaguar XF Sportbrake

The wagon resurgence in America is strong — anything to fight off crossovers — and the Jaguar XF Sportbrake is a true sign of the times. The British marque is one of the few bringing the stylish yet practical architecture back to our shores and we couldn’t be happier.

2018 Kia Stinger

Kia took everyone by surprise at last year’s NAIAS with the rear-drive Stinger. A handful of journalists have driven it already and came back with almost nothing but praise.

2018 Land Rover Discovery SVX

It’s great to see an SUV get the in-house tuning and performance upgrade treatment that’s not geared for the Nürburgring. The Disco SVX comes off like a British version of the Ford Raptor, which is a very, very good thing.

2019 Mercedes A-Class

It looks like it costs $50,000 and is aiming at BMW’s 2-Series — except it will cost under (or around) $30,000. The Mercedes A-Class will hopefully be the high-quality luxury-car-for-the-people the market so desperately needs.

2018 Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo

It’s hard to say no to a wagon. Especially if it has a 550 horsepower, 4.0-liter V8 pulling it around.

2019 Rolls-Royce Cullinan

Once the Bentley Bentayga dropped, it was assumed that Rolls-Royce would follow its competitor into the ultra-luxury SUV market. And it’s not like Rolls would be out of its element: it already makes massive luxo-barges, the Cullinan is just being primed to be the biggest and most luxurious of all.

2018 Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII

The next generation Phantom looks to build on an already illustrious heritage and carry the torch for Rolls-Royce as its flagship limousine.

2018 Subaru STI Type RA

The Subaru STI has flown under the radar the past couple of years, mainly because it has no real competition (RIP, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo). But, what’s special about the STI Type RA (“Record Attempt”) is that it’s not the first Type RA to come from the Japanese manufacturer — but it’s the first of its kind to land on US soil. The STI Type RA is a celebration of Subaru’s being the fastest four-door around the Nürburgring, meaning it’s lighter and more powerful, with handling tuned to perfection.

2019 Toyota Supra

As mentioned above, the next Toyota Supra was engineered and built in cooperation with BMW. It will be interesting to see how the new Supra and Z4 differ, not only in looks and performance, but in price as well.

2019 Volkswagen Arteon

The Arteon is officially the replacement for the strange Volkswagen CC. It’s VW’s attempt to move further up market, but the real question is how much it will eat into Volkswagen-owned Audi’s territory.