Top 10 Cars We're Tired Of Waiting For

Sami Haj-Assaad
by Sami Haj-Assaad

“Soon” is quite possibly the least satisfying answer possible, yet we hear it countless times about exciting new cars.

Some get a green light and others are shelved in order to make resources for a variety of reasons. Here’s our list of cars that we’ve been hearing about for years only to be left twiddling our thumbs. Automakers swear they’re coming, but we just don’t know when.

The Mazad6 was supposed to be available in the U.S. with a diesel engine by now, but the company continues to delay delivering an oil burner here. We even had the chance to drive a prototype version of the new engine in the last generation vehicle back in 2011. The engine exists in other markets and we know it’s a solid performer, so what’s stopping it from coming?

Mazda says can’t meet emissions standards in North America without sacrificing performance. The Japanese automaker doesn’t want a costly urea treatment system, and other options aren’t up to snuff with the brands idea of how the engine should perform.

Apparently, Outlander PHEVs are flying off lots internationally, so it’s confusing why Mitsubishi is taking so long to start selling them here. Under the hood of this plug-in hybrid is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that’s paired to the 12 kWh battery from the company’s i-MiEV electric car. Total output is around 200 hp and the big crossover is supposed to manage an all-electric driving range of about 37 miles. That results in 157 MPGe, or 44 MPG in hybrid mode.

Cadillac reveals the Elmiraj Concept Thursday, August 15, 2013 in Carmel, California. The Elmiraj four-seat rear-wheel drive grand coupe provides a look inside the Cadillac Studio on how it envisions performance and luxury for the next generation of luxury drivers. The concept is lightweight, agile and 205-inches in length. It is powered by a 4.5-liter…

Cadillac knows that in order to be taken seriously as a luxury brand it needs a flagship product to raise its profile. So far, the company rolled out its Sixteen, Ciel and Elmiraj concepts that are all expected to preview its plans for a production flagship.

Spy photos of such a car prove that it is developing something, but it’s hard to say when it will actually show up. This is a car that’s been years in the works, so hopefully “soon” gets replaced with an actual date in the near future.

Tesla is an exciting company to watch. Its first car was the sexy and fun Roadster, the second car was the luxurious and high-mileage Model S, and the third car will be the family friendly Model X. Built on the Model S platform, the Model X will offer all-wheel drive and top-hinged “falcon doors.” We’ve seen it for the past two years at car shows and were promised a 2014 launch, but the company has pushed it further back.

Now slated for a 2015 Spring launch, the Model X has reportedly received over 10,000 reservations from EV fans waiting with bated breath.

Kia has a top notch design team headed up by Peter Schreyer and they haven’t been shy about coming up with wild concept cars. Here’s a quick list of what Kia displayed recently: Kia GT-4 Stinger (2014) Kia Niro (2013), Kia Cub (2013), Kia Provo (2013), Kia Cross GT(2013), Kia Soulster and Trackster (2012).

All of these cars piqued our interest in the Korean car company and none made it to production.

Lamborghini and Bentley want to sell more of their cars and one way to do that is adding models in their lineups. The Urus SUV and Bentley EXP 9 concepts previewed what’s to come, but when?

In the Lamborghini’s case, people who love the brand but want more seats, doors and everyday capability could get that in the Urus, which still had impressive specs thanks to an Audi sourced V10 engine. The car debuted at the Beijing auto show two years ago and was green-lit for production last year, but has since been given a launch date of 2017.

The Bentley SUV has a similar mission, and shares a platform with the Urus, but was met with some harsh criticism for its styling. Regardless, the car is slated for production and may hit the market in 2016 if we’re lucky.

From the moment the FR-S was released, Toyota engineers insisted that the car was designed with a drop-top variant in mind… but where it is? We’ve seen concept previews of such a car that certainly look ready for production, but the car just doesn’t seem to impress the higher ups in Toyota enough to green light a production version. Or maybe it’s Subaru’s fault the drop-top isn’t with us yet? Seeing how Toyota and Subaru developed the car together, perhaps the two companies have yet to agree on the final specifications of the convertible.

You probably know about the Audi Ur-quatto. It’s Audi’s awesome coupe that dominated rally-racing and helped put the four-ringed brand on the map. It had incredible power from a five-cylinder turbocharged engine and boasted especially capable handling because of its all-wheel drive system and light curb weight.

So with such a rich history it would be exciting if Audi brought back that moniker for a production car, but all they’ve done is name-drop it with auto show concepts. Back when we first heard of the Quattro Concept in 2010, it was light-weight and agile. After that it disappeared only to return in 2013 a much fatter beast tipping the scales at over 4,000 lbs with a hybrid drivetrain.

First seen at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show as the Acura ASCC, Acura hasn’t been shy about showing tidbits to keep people coming back for more. The production version is supposedly coming sometime in 2015.

At least the powertrain is decided: a twin-turbocharged V6 placed just behind the front seats will power the rear wheels, while electric motors will provide power to the front. It’s still unclear what the total output will be or what the NSX will cost, but the company is benchmarking the likes of European exotics.

Toyota reveals the FT-1 sports car concept at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Monday, January 13, 2014. FT-1 stands for "Future Toyota," and the number "1" represents the ultimate. Photo: Joe Polimeni

Toyota, the Japanese automaker that everyone loves to deride as being safe, boring and predictable, has been hiding behind the Supra nameplate for a long time. Often hinting at the idea of a Supra successor since the car was discontinued in 2002; the company has rolled out so many concepts that evoke memories of Toyota’s awesome sports car.

The latest one, the FT-1 wowed the Detroit Auto Show in January with a brilliant design. Add in the rumors of a BMW-Toyota partnership resulting in a sports car and well, it feels like we’ve been waiting for the Supra for a very long time.

Sami Haj-Assaad
Sami Haj-Assaad

Sami has an unquenchable thirst for car knowledge and has been at AutoGuide for the past six years. He has a degree in journalism and media studies from the University of Guelph-Humber in Toronto and has won multiple journalism awards from the Automotive Journalist Association of Canada. Sami is also on the jury for the World Car Awards.

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