Five cool performance cars coming in 2022
From new-gen favorites to revived icons, there’s some fantastic Japanese performance metal due in the next 12 monthsPerformance car lovers are in for a real treat in 2022, when a host of exciting new models are due to touch down in Australia.
Whether you’re keen on an affordable new rear-wheel drive sports coupe or all-wheel drive sedan, an all-new successor for an iconic Japanese hot hatch, the return of a beloved performance nameplate or a high-output sports wagon, this year will bring them all.
Want to see what else is in store? Read on…
Honda Civic Type R
The popular – and completely polarising – Honda Civic Type R is set to return in new-generation form later this year, based on the new Civic hatch and boasting a (hopefully) more palatable design and – potentially – an automatic transmission for the first time.
So far, we’ve only seen camouflaged versions of the new Japanese hot hatch, but they’re enough to show Honda has taken a less ‘boy-racer’ approach to its latest Type R.
Of course, we’ll have to wait until it’s officially uncovered later this year to know for sure, and we also don’t know much more about the next Type R’s price, powertrain or equipment levels.
As we’ve reported, the next-gen Civic flagship will likely carryover the same 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine used in the outgoing model, again driving only the front wheels.
If the rumour mill is to be believed, a hybrid version could also be on the cards, while the use of new lightweight materials such as carbon-fibre could also improve upon the old Type R’s already giant-killing performance.
Due: Late-2022
Nissan Z
When the seventh-generation Nissan Z touches down here later than expected in the second half of this year, it’ll be the first new version of the Japanese brand’s iconic Z-car in 12 years.
Launching only in coupe form and based on a rear-drive platform that can be traced back to the fifth-generation (Z33) 350Z on 2002, the ‘all-new’ Nissan Z drops the numerical nomenclature of previous generations but apparently carries over the Z34 model designation of its 2009 predecessor, the 370Z.
It also revives several iconic design cues of previous Zs, including the original Datsun 240Z of 1969 and the 1990 Z32 300ZX, and will undercut the born-again Toyota Supra with a starting price of around $70,000, although Nissan is yet to announce local pricing.
Powered by a downsized 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 that sends 298kW of power directly to the rear wheels via either a manual or automatic transmission and a limited-slip differential, the two-door two-seater will be more powerful but not necessarily quicker than the BMW-powered Supra.
With a 0-100km/h sprint time of 4.3 seconds and a host of technical, multimedia and safety upgrades, however, Nissan Australia’s new performance flagship (in the absence of the discontinued GT-R) will be both the quickest and most advanced Z ever.
Due: Second half
Subaru BRZ
First examples of the new-generation Subaru BRZ touched down in Australia very late last year, after the first batch of 500 vehicles was quickly sold out following their online release in September 2021.
But the majority received their cars this month, when the national media launch was also held, and for Aussies that missed out on the first batch, a second batch of new BRZs is due to reach showrooms later in 2022, following their online release next month, priced between $38,990 and $43,990 plus on-road costs.
As with the 2022 Nissan Z, the second-generation Subaru BRZ is technically not ‘all-new’, riding on a revised version of the same platform that underpinned the original BRZ (and Toyota 86) launched in 2012.
But Subaru’s latest rear-drive 2+2-seat sports coupe brings improved performance via a bigger and more powerful (174kW/250Nm) 2.4-litre four-cylinder boxer engine, again matched to six-speed manual or auto gearboxes, to go with its slick new look and smarter interior.
Due: This month
Subaru WRX Sedan and Sportswagon
Officially breaking cover in late 2021, the 2022 Subaru WRX is set to arrive in Aussie showrooms in the coming months (Q2, 2022) in both sedan and, for the first time, Sportswagon body styles – the latter a rebadged version of the new Levorg for Australia.
In fact, Subaru Australia is set to offer seven variants of its new WRX range, including RS and tS grades and both manual and CVT auto options, all powered by a larger 2.4-litre flat-four delivering about 202kW/375Nm to all four wheels.
Full details including pricing and equipment levels are still under wraps, although some features including 18-inch alloy wheels, an 11.6-inch touch-screen and adaptive headlights have been confirmed.
The even hotter new 2023 Subaru WRX STI, which could pack up to 250kW/450Nm from the same upsized engine, is due to be unveiled in the coming months, meaning it could also lob before the year’s end.
Due: Mid-2022
Toyota GR 86
Unveiled at the 2021 Bathurst 1000 last December, the 2022 Toyota GR 86, as it’s been renamed for its second generation, has been delayed for Australia.
Originally due to arrive Down Under by the end of 2021 – like its twin model, the new Subaru BRZ – the new 86 now won’t reach Aussie shores until the second half of 2022.
When it does arrive, Toyota’s new-generation affordable rear-drive sports coupe should bring better handling thanks to revised suspension and improved performance from the bigger boxer engine it also shares with the latest BRZ.
According to Toyota, the new GR 86 will sprint to 100km/h in 6.3 seconds (down from 7.4sec), but the big question is how much the base price will go up from the outgoing model’s bargain-basement $32,180 plus ORCs.
Due: Second half
For the full 2022 New Car Calendar: Click here
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