Future classic cars in 2025

You could tear your curls out trying to guess what the next generation of classic car is going to be. Luckily, we’re here to save you from follicular fallout with our experts’ noses for what will be collectable in the future.

Don’t think this is just a list of blue-chip, blue-blood supercars. We’ve looked at a much broader picture and found plenty of cars that will cut, from sporting to sybaritic.

As with all classic cars, you make the most important decision when you buy, so look for one that’s been spoiled all its life with tip-top servicing, an unmarked body, and bulging service records. Then, get on and enjoy driving a car that will carry you gracefully into its classic future.

Future classic cars in 2025

1. Ford Focus RS
2. BMW i8
3. Toyota GR Yaris
4. BMW M2
5. Jaguar F-Type
6. Volkswagen Golf R
7. Renault 5
8. Alpine A110
9. Audi TT RS
10. Jaguar XJ

1. Ford Focus RS

Supercar pace and an iconic badge

You could argue that a fast-Ford is a safe bet – and you’d be right. But just because it’s got an RS badge, it doesn’t mean it’s any good. 

After all, it should stand for the fastest, most insane, most brilliant handling, lairy Essex car you can think of, but the Mk2 Focus RS flushed that straight down toilet.

Luckily, Ford knocked it out the park with this Mk3 generation. It was sexy and it knew it. Supercar performance for £30k when new and it sold in limited numbers. If you were lucky enough to get one, hang on to it and you’ll be able to retire in a few years. Maybe. If you can afford the £24,000 minimum to buy a good one now, do it.

2. BMW i8

Fast and frugal hybrid coupe

The BMW i8 is already a classic, arguably, although it's barely a decade old. In an era where so many car manufacturers played it safe, BMW threw caution to the wind and built a radical sports car unlike anything we'd seen before.

The chassis is carbon fibre, the powertrain is a plug-in hybrid, and the styling looks like a concept car. But it wasn't - it was a car you could go out and buy. And still can as a used choice.

The result wasn't perfect. The driving experience isn't as good as the looks – quick, but not scintillatingly so, and the handling isn't the best we've seen from BMW, let alone the competition (hello Porsche!). But neither is it terrible, and so much was so revolutionary about it that we could easily forgive it for not reaching its lofty goals.

You can get an i8 in both coupe and convertible forms. While it's not practical, it's impressively efficient, promising 128.4mpg according to official (albeit wildly optimistic) figures. Even 10+ years after it was introduced, it'll turn heads wherever you go. And you can buy one for as little as £30,000.

3. Toyota GR Yaris

Rally-bred hot hatch justifies the hype

The humble Toyota Yaris city car is not a machine that people get particularly excited about. But then Toyota engineers imbued it with the spirit of its World Rally Championship programme and suddenly this reliable but anonymous city car turned into one of the most entertaining drives of the 2020s. Step forward the GR Yaris.

When it comes to future classic criteria, this ticks all the boxes. It's fun to drive, with all-wheel drive and a propensity to drift. It's got genuine motorsport pedigree, originally built as a homologation special for a Toyota rally car. 

That machine never actually got a chance to turn a wheel in anger in the World Rally Championship, but no matter. Find an open stretch of road, and there aren't many cars that provide this much entertainment.

If the Toyota GR Yaris isn't revered by motoring enthusiasts for decades to come, then we'll eat our hats.

4. BMW M2

Fun and fiery little sports coupe

There’s a special place in classic car heaven reserved for BMW M cars, so we really could’ve picked any. 

We went with the BMW M2 for a variety of reasons. At under £50k new, it was the most affordable way into M ownership at the time. But it also stands out from the crowd. Thankfully, the latest version isn't much more than the original. Both have modern classic potential, we reckon. 

While rivals like the Audi RS3 or the Mercedes AMG A45 use a four-cylinder, the turbocharged six-pot in the M2 offers a higher level of joyousness. Yes, it’ll do 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds, but it’s the sweet, sweet sound of six-cylinders that’ll make you want to do it over, and over, and over again.

5. Jaguar F-Type

Competent, beautiful Jaguar ageing well 

Could this be more nostalgic? After giving us the mighty E-Type, Jaguar finally stepped up decades later and delivered its spiritual successor – the F-Type. 

While the ball-breaking SVR gets to waltz straight down the classic hall of fame thanks to its £115k price tag and great-sounding engine, the coupe and convertible might have to wait a bit longer. But not that long – Jaguar discontinued the car in 2024 along with its entire line-up ahead of its reinvention as a luxury EV maker. A direct replacement for the F-Type doesn't exactly fit into that plan. 

There are plenty of different variants to choose from, but honestly, we’d be happy with a V6, which offers a neat blend of grand tourer charm, but it's an on-road weapon as and when required. It’s fast, gorgeous and worth every penny. Oh, and it sounds epic.

6. Volkswagen Golf R

Superlative fast hatch or estate

Volkswagen hated all the hype around fast Fords. After all, here was a company that created the hot-hatch but threw it all away by devaluing the hallowed GTI badge with some clunkers.

Luckily, someone at Wolfsburg had the pride (and the know-how) to come up with the Volkswagen Golf R, shoehorning a truly potent engine under the bonnet of their super popular family car. All it needed after that was a four-wheel drive system, and it was good to go.

With 300PS (later 310PS) and a 0-62mph time of 5.1 seconds, here is a car that is plenty fast enough – but also one that loves nothing more than a trip to the shops. Buy one, use it, and fall in love with it.

7. Renault 5

One of the best electric superminis out there

The original Renault 5 is already a much in-demand classic car, and rightly so, being one of the 1970s supermini pioneers. The latest electric-powered Renault 5 is equally trend-setting, and that means it has an assured future as a classic car.

Some might say the latest 5's style is too heavily derived from the original's, but the retro design strikes just the right balance between homage and modernity. If anything, it feels more like a continuation in looks and the interior is also laudably French with its chic appearance.

Classic car purists might bridle at an EV edging into this territory, but in years to come, we are sure this generation of Renault 5 will be welcome at any gathering. It's fun to drive and keenly priced, new to make it a car of the people, just as the model was back in the 1970s, and there's the sporty Alpine A290 model for those who want an updated take on the 5 GT Turbo.

8. Alpine A110

Sports car perfection, with provisos

Back in the day, the original Alpine A110 was a bit of a legend. It spent much of the 1960s hoofing around various rally stages and won the World Rally Championship. So it stands to reason that Alpine's reboot of this great looker should have a smooth passage to the land of classics.

Fast-forward 50 years and the A110 finds itself up against some pretty sharp competition like the Audi TT and Porsche Cayman. On the used market, you could argue the Alfa Romeo 4C is a strong (if much more uneven) alternative)

Luckily, the A110 hit the bullseye. Here was – and still is – one of the finest driver’s cars ever made. That alone makes it a future classic in our book, whether you're talking about the standard model or the spicy A110 R. 

9. Audi TT RS Roadster

A stylish, well-executed roadster

When it was new, the Audi TT RS cost more than £50k – a clear sign that it was aiming to attract drivers who might be thinking about a Porsche 718 Cayman or Boxster S. But surely Audi couldn’t hold a candle to the mighty Porsche? Well, no. But also, yes.

With 400PS, it’s more powerful than a Porsche with the exception of the truly mighty Boxster GTS. And while it doesn't have the 718's edge or that scalpel-sharp sense of agility, it's got plenty of drama and fun. Where it shines is when you take the roof off the Roadster version. Go for a model with the sports exhaust, and you'll get all the aural treats you could ever want short of a ludicrous V8.

The sound of its 2.5-litre five-cylinder is everything you’ll ever want from a sports car, and with the wind in your hair and that cylindrical music in your ears, you'll forget about the extra communicative steering you get in the Boxster.

10. Jaguar XJ

Luxury limo with a sporty feel

While most of our picks as future classics have a sporting edge, the Jaguar XJ that arrived in 2010 majored on luxury, refinement, and a big dose of Jaguar's traditional wood and leather appeal.

With the British firm spearing off in an all-electric future direction now, luxury limos like the 2010 XJ hold considerable appeal. It was always a brilliant car to drive, giving a Maserati Quattroporte a bloody nose in supercharged XJR form. Yet the XJ can also waft with the best of them to cover huge distances with almost disdainful ease. It says "a trans-European road trip? Is that the best you've got?"

Diesel engines are the most common, and very refined they are too, but seek out the V8 petrol for the full Jaguar grace, space and pace experience. And you can have all of this from around £6000 for a minty one that's been properly looked after.