2018 has flown by quicker than a McLaren 720S can polish off a 0-62mph sprint.
One minute we’re basking in the joint hottest summer on record (and potential England World Cup glory), the next we’re researching where sells the cheapest Halloween pumpkins.
With less than a quarter of the year to go, you may well think that all the coolest cars coming this year are already out there; but you’d be wrong.
These final three months have some pretty spectacular cars waiting in the wings; here are just a few of them…
October
Cupra Ateca
SEAT’s performance division has gone solo and this souped-up compact SUV will be the newly separated brand’s debut model.
When exploiting its all-wheel-drive 296bhp two-litre turbocharged petrol engine, the Cupra Ateca is good for 0-62mph in 5.4 seconds with a 150mph top speed.
This may be the first Cupra model but it won’t be the only one for long; the brand has plans to launch another six models by 2020.
Kia E-Niro
Kia dipped its toe in the electric water with the Soul EV back in 2015 and it was an impressive first stab. Now, it’ll give its equally popular Niro crossover the electric treatment.
While the electric Soul was developed from the ground up as an electric vehicle, the E-Niro is more of an additional powertrain, rather than an all-new model.
With a range of just over 300 miles though, it’ll certainly be a worthy addition to the growing EV market and well worth investigating for anyone looking to go electric.
Land Rover Discovery SVX
The Discovery SVX
[pictured] has been labelled as the ‘most extreme Land Rover yet’ and ‘the ultimate all-terrain Land Rover Discovery’, so you know it means business.
Assembled by hand at Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations Technical Centre, the car comes with a raft of no-nonsense features such as increased ground clearance, body and suspension lifts, more wheel articulation and large all-terrain tyres to achieve more with go-anywhere capability than before.
Under the bonnet is a five-litre supercharged V8 petrol engine, thumping out 517bhp and 625Nm of torque. October will also mark the arrival of the 542bhp Range Rover Velar SVR, so a notable month for performance Landies.
November
Audi Q3
November kicks off with another mega SUV. The second generation Q3 has already secured glowing reviews with Auto Express hailing it as ‘handsome, beautifully built, refined, easy to drive and impressively practical’.
Sounds like the BMW X1 should be concerned…
BMW 8 Series
BMW’s new flagship model is an all-new two-door coupe? that aims to combine 911 performance with S-Class-esque luxury.
McLaren Senna
McLaren’s most extreme model yet is the 'ultimate road-legal track car', costing £750,000 and cranking out 789bhp. Sadly, all 500 units have been spoken for…
December
Audi A1
The littlest Audi has been given a racy new look and more tech to make it the most generously equipped supermini on the market.
Will it be enough to trouble the mighty Mini? We’ll see…
BMW X5
BMW’s mid-size SUV gets larger twin kidney grilles and slimmer lights as well as the 7 Series’ underpinnings and new hybrid and performance variants.
Mercedes-Benz GLE
This direct X5 rival boasts a more muscular design than before and heaps more tech.
SEAT Tarraco
SEAT’s new big SUV wants to pick a fight with the VW Tiguan and Hyundai Santa Fe. Should be interesting…