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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? 

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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...

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Senior staff writer

Senior staff writer 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. 

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