As we begin a new year in the automotive world, our attention naturally turns to the biggest new models arriving in the next 12 months. While there are plenty of exciting “staple” cars on their way this year in the form of the Citroen e-C4, Toyota Yaris Cross and other everyday names, there’s also plenty to be excited about at the higher end of the buying spectrum. In terms of the luxury cars arriving in 2021, here are the three we’re most eager to see in action.
Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA
2020 represented luxury Italian stalwart brand Alfa Romeo’s 110th year in the industry. To celebrate, they’ve created the stunning Giulia GTA, based off of the Giulia Quadrifoglio chassis but with a racing overhaul to give it the brand’s revered Gran Turismo Alleggerita (GTA) billing.
The performance numbers on the Giulia GTA are impressive. A 2.9 litre engine produces 533bhp, with a 0-62mph of 3.6 seconds. Carbon fibre driveshafts and exterior fittings join a variety of other weight saving and aerodynamic tweaks to make the Giulia GTA a track ready monster – but an extremely good-looking monster.
The downside? Alfa Romeo plans to create only 500 models across the entirety of the GTA and GTAm range, with prices in the UK set to start at around £154,000.
Audi e-tron GT
Entering the market as Audi’s flagship electric vehicle (EV) and a direct rival to the highly regarded Porsche Taycan and Tesla Model S, the Audi e-tron GT headlines Audi’s fast-growing range of impressive EVs. A 4-door, fully electric performance saloon, the e-tron GT is Audi’s electric alternative to the A7 Sportback, with a projected range of up to 281 miles on a single charge.
Great things are always to be expected of Audi saloons, and the e-tron GT is unlikely to disappoint with a mix of stunning looks, top-end performance and ruthless, electrified German efficiency. Entering the market at around the £100,000 mark, an even higher performance version is also on the way with the RS e-tron GT.
Lotus Type 131
Fans of the Norfolk-based sports car brand can get excited at the news of the Lotus Type 131 – the first all-new model from the brand in comfortably over a decade. With supercar looks and Lotus’s typical build ethos of sporting performance combined with as little weight as possible, the Type 131 will likely sit somewhere between two of the brand’s other performance roadsters – the Exige and the Evora.
Like the Giulia GTA, the Type 131 will remain entirely combustion powered, with Lotus’s electrification efforts reserved for the production of their Evija hypercar. While performance figures are yet to be revealed on the Type 131, the news of a new mid-engine sports car release from Lotus is more than enough for now for loyal supporters of the brand.
How much more does it cost to insure a luxury vehicle?
If you’re planning on scooping up one of these three options mentioned above, then money probably isn’t an issue. Still, insuring luxury cars naturally comes with an increased premium, with the average insurance premium on a high end model coming in a chunk more expensive than everyday counterparts. Supercar owners, for example, or indeed owners of vehicles that stray in the six-figure price tag category, can expect to pay roughly 1-1.5% of their car’s value in insurance. That’d make insuring the likes of the Giulia GTA cost somewhere in the region of £1,500-£2,300 for the year.
Luxury car drivers might also want to branch out into additional insurance areas – alloy wheel insurance from the likes of ALA is one example. While there’s no hard and fast figure of increase, it’s fair to say high-end luxury car owners could end up paying twice or three times as much for their insurance, maybe more given the right car and circumstances.
For most of us, the cars above, and the insurance headaches that come with them, will remain a pipedream we needn’t worry about. However, 2021 could be a very exciting year car-wise for anyone looking to make a big purchase.
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