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While the world’s mobility shifts to electrification, sports cars are still holding onto a little bit of the old world, with manual gearboxes and high-output petrol engines still on the cards.
Accessible pricing remains for the most part, too, with cars like the Honda Civic Type R offering impressive performance for relatively little cost.
Only one electric car manages to sneak into our list for 2023, but it certainly doesn’t lack the credentials to feature.
Best sports cars arriving in 2023
01. BMW M3 Touring – May
Bavaria is finally taking the fight to the Audi RS4 Avant with a wagon of its own, the all-wheel drive BMW M3 Touring, starting from $180,100 before on-roads.
Offered only in Competition trim, thus the all-wheel drive, the M3 Touring will run with BMW's 375kW/650Nm turbocharged inline-six cylinder engine, as is tradition for the Munich brand.
With an eight-speed automatic gearbox, no manual for the Touring, the wagon is claimed to be able to hit 100km/h in 3.6 seconds, only a tenth off the sedan. Slower, that is.
Read more about the BMW M3
02. Ferrari Purosangue - Q4
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It’s the car Ferrari always said it wouldn’t build - its own big, tall, five-door version of the automotive category that everyone seems to want - the SUV.
But Ferrari’s first SUV also comes with a very Ferrari price tag, $728,000 before on-road costs. On top of that, wait times are reportedly as long as two-to-three years, even though first local units are set for late 2023.
For that, you get a naturally aspirated 6.5-litre V12 that makes 533kW and 716Nm - with a tacho that climbs to 8250rpm. Power heads to its four wheels via an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.
Read more about the Ferrari Purosangue
03. Honda Civic Type R – April
Honda’s hot hatch hero is back to fight the Volkswagen Golf (R and GTI!) as well as the Hyundai i30 N and newcomers like the Toyota GR Corolla for hatchback supremacy.
The 235kW/420Nm Honda Civic Type R makes its power from a 2.0-litre turbocharged four, driving the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox.
Inside, the Type R’s cabin has been given a facelift over the old version, much like the standard Civic, but with a touch more red material.
Read more about the Honda Civic
04. Kia EV6 GT – January
If its looks don’t convince you the Kia EV6 GT can be a sports car, the stats might.
As an electric car, its instant torque delivery will allow its dual-motor drivetrain (with a whopping 430kW/740Nm) to beat all the above entries in this list to 100km/h: in just 3.5 seconds.
Like other locally delivered Kias, it features specific local suspension tuning to suit our roads, and even boasts a sale price of $99,590 before on-road costs.
Perhaps its most significant rival, the Tesla Model Y Performance, starts at $96,700 and is two tenths slower to 100km/h.
Read more about Kia EV6
Kia EV6
Based on Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP)
05. Porsche 911 GT3 RS – Q2
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If you’ve got a spare half-million and a penchant for traditional sports cars and track days, the Porsche 911 GT3 RS is hard to look past as an engaging proposition.
With no turbos in sight of the 4.0-litre flat six nestled in the 911’s rear, not only will the GT3 sound excellent, but it’ll be somewhat brisk. An output of 386kW allows a 3.2-second sprint to 100km/h and a 285km/h top speed. Not bad for a 1450kg car.
If that’s not enough, the rear wing is literally taller than the car’s roofline, and it comes with a DRS (drag reduction system) function so you can live your Formula 1 dreams, albeit without the open-wheel thing going on.
Read more about the Porsche 911
06. Mercedes-AMG C43 – February
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Coming to Australia only as a sedan for now, as no Mercedes-Benz C-Class coupe or cabriolet body styles have been revealed for the current generation, the AMG C43 will arrive with a few changes from its predecessor.
For a start, it now wields the same wicked turbocharged 2.0-litre four cylinder engine (M139L is its internal code at AMG) as the current-gen A45S, but with 300kW and 500Nm. The engines will also be built by an individual each, as per AMG’s ‘one man (or person), one engine’ process.
The C-Class’ ‘trickle-down’ tech-focused interior borrows much from the E- and S-Class, but also raises the price significantly. It now starts at $134,900.
Read more about the Mercedes C43
07. BMW M3 CS - Second half
The halo version of Munich’s performance icon returns, with a stonking 405kW and 650Nm ready to take the fight to four-doors from the likes of Audi and Mercedes-Benz.
The 2023 BMW M3 CS will arrive in the second half of 2023, with pricing starting from $249,900 before on-road costs.
As well as the extra power over the M3 Competition, the CS gains carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) elements replacing standard components like the bonnet, front splitter, air intakes among others, plus a carbon-fibre roof making the CS a total 20kg lighter.
Read more about the BMW M3 CS
BMW M3
Based on Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP)
08. Other new models coming in 2023
Want to know what other new models are due in 2023? Check out our rolling coverage by clicking on the links below.
- The best new cars coming in Australia in 2023
- Best sports cars arriving in 2023
- Best hatchbacks and sedans arriving in 2023
- Best small SUVs and crossovers arriving in 2023
- Best 4x4, off-roaders and light-commercial vehicles arriving in 2023
- Best hybrid cars arriving in 2023
- Best electric cars arriving in 2023
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