Skip advert
Advertisement
Features

Most wanted cars 2026: the cars we wish they’d build

The Auto Express team names the new cars they’d love to become reality if brands weren’t restricted by pesky financial and commercial constraints

Building a car is an expensive and resource-heavy process. Now, more than ever, signing off a new model with a multi-billion-dollar development bill can be a very difficult exercise. It’s certainly not something that any car manufacturer wants to get wrong. 

But what if there were no limits, and the realities of commercial success didn’t get in the way of pure creativity? What if the cars that car fans and , in their heart of hearts, car industry executives really wanted to build routinely got the green light? 

Advertisement - Article continues below

It’s something we often ponder as a team here at Auto Express, so to celebrate the new year we’ve drawn up a list of six cars we’d love to see in showrooms, if money and business logic were no object. These are our most wanted cars. 

Whether they are inspired by a specific former model, an idea for a derivative that would give new life to a manufacturer’s current line-up, or something totally pie-in-the-sky, we’ve imagined half-a-dozen dream cars from across the motoring spectrum. 

Click the links to read more on each model and don’t forget to tell us about your most wanted car in the comments section below...

Skip advert
Advertisement
Senior staff writer

News editor at Auto Express, Jordan joined the team after six years at evo magazine where he specialised in news and reviews of cars at the high performance end of the car market. 

Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

New Jaecoo 5 SHS-S finally means hybrid power for this compact SUV
Jaecoo 5 SHS-S - front tracking

New Jaecoo 5 SHS-S finally means hybrid power for this compact SUV

Chery’s latest hybrid powertrain brings the Jaecoo 5 SUV bang up to date
News
15 Apr 2026
Long-term test: Nissan Qashqai e-Power Tekna+
Nissan Qashqai e-Power Tekna+ - Mk1 with new car

Long-term test: Nissan Qashqai e-Power Tekna+

Second report: What a difference 20 years make in the life of popular SUV
Long-term tests
15 Apr 2026
New Volkswagen ID.3 Neo: EV hatch gets massive update, Golf-a-like look and lots of buttons!
Phil McNamara with the Volkswagen ID.3 Neo

New Volkswagen ID.3 Neo: EV hatch gets massive update, Golf-a-like look and lots of buttons!

The new Volkswagen ID.3 Neo EV banishes the quirkiness of its predecessor with a less cartoonish look and smarter tech
News
15 Apr 2026

Find a car with the experts