Thanksgiving Day: 10 Cars We’re Thankful For In 2015 – And One Turkey

The fourth Thursday of November, in the US, is a national holiday where people give thanks for the blessing of harvest and the preceding year.

As such, we thought we’d compile a Top 10 of the models that we’ve seen so far and made us thankful for the 2015 automotive “harvest”.

Though we are always alert, the one we didn’t see coming was the Mission E. A concept, yes, but a very important one as it previous an all-electric sports saloon with over 600hp and a 500 km range. Look carefully and you can see future Porsche design features, too.

Rotary fans were excited by the RX-Vision that Mazda says it’s still “a study”, yet every sports car fan (including us, of course) hopes will be the next RX-7/8/9/whatever in a couple of years, to coincide with the company’s Wankel anniversary.

Supercars got our heart beating faster and, although there was no shortage of launches this year, we fancy the Huracán LP 580-2 most of all. That’s because a. it’s one of the last to stay true to naturally-aspirated engines, with that magnificent V10, and b. it caters to the true sports car fan, who wants to enjoy a pure rear-wheel drive experience.

Speaking of RWD, the BMW M2 Coupe is probably the best fun you can buy for not an unreasonable amount of money. You can’t argue with an M Division developed sports car with 370 PS, a manual or dual-clutch transmission, active rear differential and lots of other paraphernalia that, for many, make it a spiritual successor to the venerable M3 E30.

The Cayman GT4 may be a different concept, with a mid-engined, naturally-aspirated flat six, but it’s aimed at the hardcore driver who seeks lots of thrills. Plus, much to Porsche fan’s delight, it’s the only GT model available with a manual gearbox.

So is the Alfa Romeo Giulia – a long awaited project that will supposedly revive the brand. Though its introduction has once again been delayed, it’s an aggressive sports sedan that, on paper at least, wants to give the 3-Series a headache. Yes, that includes the M3…

Cadillac’s CT6 flagship is an impressive display of form from GM’s luxury brand. The company makes bold claims that it can face the 7-Series, S-Class etc. face-to-face and, although we can’t verify that yet, maybe it can. Plus, it looks the part, too, something very important in the segment.

Getting back down to planet Earth, the all-new Civic is the most important new model for Honda in the US. To say its predecessor flopped is an understatement; on the contrary, the 2016 car is way better, which means Honda has learned its lesson after all the bashing it received.

Elon Musk, on the other hand, doesn’t get lectured; he is the one that gives them. After the success of the Model S, he launched the company’s first-ever SUV. Its highlight may be the “falcon wings” rear doors, and you can ignore all the “biohazard” air filter talk, but the Model X is already a hit with customers and it bodes very, very well for Tesla’s future.

Electric SUVs are practical, ecofriendly and all, but if you don’t have a family to haul around the new Shelby Mustang GT350R is a hoot. It combines aggressive looks with a nicely honed chassis and no less than 526hp diverted to the (carbonfiber) rear wheels.

Lest we forget, the Thanksgiving turkey award goes to the VW Group for its Dieselgate scandal, which is nothing short of blatant cheating of both the rules and its customers. The smell of this one won’t go away that easy – hey, even Leo will produce a movie about it!

The Carscoops team wishes every one a Merry Thanksgiving!