Jalopnik Best Of 2026 Awards - Jalopnik
Jalopnik
Every day brings new horrors, but there is one thing that can still sooth the soul: the cars. You might think high gas prices, record breaking average prices for both new and used cars, faltering sales at car companies and the horrifying proliferation of license plate readers would suck some of the joy out of enjoying cars. Yet a love of all things car will always be a salve for those with the right kind of eyes. Even new cars, as affordable and loaded with unsecure tech as they might be, are constantly filling us with wonder and awe.
This year, boy, did we need the distraction of some sweet developments in the car world. Luckily, the coolness of cars continues apace. 2026 may not be quite through, but we thought if we could bring the light of the good cars to our readers during the lengthening night, than it would be worth it.
These choices were made by our writers and editors, backed up by reviews, first drives, and hands-on experience. Our categories are not like typical automotive magazines. This is Jalopnik, after all. You won't find Best SUV or Mid-Size Car, rather we cover the really important stuff — things like paint colors, seats, and wheel design. A couple of brands dominate this list, but there are a few surprises as well.
Best new car design - Genesis GV90
Genesis
A lot of fantastic new cars have been revealed this year, especially when thinking about them from a pure design standpoint, but once the Genesis GV90 was revealed, none of the rest of them mattered. The Korean luxury brand's new flagship SUV is simply spectacular. It's certainly a divisive design (this is a case where the haters are definitively wrong), and that's partially why it's so fantastic. Its smooth surfacing, imposing proportions, brilliant crest headlight setup, giant monoblock wheels and other details make it look unlike any other SUV. Genesis gets extra points for offering it in a bunch of real colors, too.
Then you step inside and the GV90 really cements itself as the best design of the year. Yes, there's a wide screen that extends up into a cinema mode, but the SUV also has plenty of well-done physical controls, including toggle switches and an infotainment controller made of crystal. You can get patterned upholstery accents that would look at home on a haute couture dress, front seats that swivel around to face the rear passengers, and heated wood floors. It's even got a wild motorized shifter. But the GV90's real show-stopping feature is one that we go more in-depth on later in this list: The Neolun model's B-pillar-less coach doors. Even putting those aside, though, the GV90 would still be the best design of the year.
Best new concept car - BMW Vision Alpina
BMW
We're long past the heyday of the auto show circuit, and there are way fewer concept car debuts every year than there used to be. We still get some good ones at auto shows and events like Goodwood and Car Week, but for the most part concepts are a bit of a rarity. That's been the case this year too, though the concepts that have been revealed this year have been pretty great. We've loved the Hyundai Boulder SUV, the pair of GMC Hummer X trucks, Renault's awesome 8 Gordini, and the Aston Martin Dreadnought that was designed for Call of Duty.
A good concept should showcase the ideas that designers and engineers want to bring to future production models, and for that reason the Vision BMW Alpina takes the cake as the best concept of this year. The big coupe is absolutely stunning and full of fascinating details, like its illuminated fluted kidney grilles and the crystal glasses that are cut to align with the window line. What makes it especially exciting, though, is how it previews the future of the Alpina brand.
Enthusiasts had been rightfully concerned about what would happen to the Alpina marque after it became wholly under BMW's control earlier this year, but we needn't have worried. The Vision concept is the first thing designed since that acquisition, and it shows BMW's team has a wonderful grasp of what makes Alpina so special. Speed, comfort and sophistication are the guiding principles, and this concept has those things in spades. After seeing the Vision BMW Alpina, we can't wait to see what's next from the Alpina brand.
Best wheel design - Renault Twingo hubcaps
Renault
There's been a lot of exciting innovation in the wheel design space recently, from aero-optimized EV wheels to lightweight forged ones used on hypercars. We've got wheels that don't even really look like wheels, awesome throwback styles, and all sorts of other cool designs. But our favorite wheel design of the year is perhaps an unexpected one: The hubcaps on the base-model Renault Twingo.
Hubcaps are typically super basic, devoid of any interesting design, but the Twingo's are the total opposite. At first glance they might seem like a regular disc with a bunch of perforations for cooling, but look closer and you'll notice that those hundreds of little holes are shaped like Renault's diamond emblem. Even the cutout for the valve stem is shaped like the Renault logo. They're just so awesome, and so refreshing compared to basically every other hubcap out there.
Best racing livery - Apple Computer Penske Porsche 963
The rainbow-striped Apple Computer Penske Porsche 963 is the best-looking car we've seen on track this year. Throwback liveries can be hit-or-miss nowadays, as racing teams typically have to compromise retro designs to accommodate current commercial partners or the absence of original sponsors. Thanks to a partnership with Apple, this wasn't the case for Porsche Penske Motorsport, resulting in a stunning adaptation of a true classic. Thomas Laudenbach, Porsche Motorsport boss, said:
The partnership between Porsche and Apple is an exceptionally good fit. The histories of the two companies share many striking similarities. Early successes were achieved by small groups of passionate enthusiasts. In both cases, products quickly emerged that would go on to represent their respective brands worldwide.
The livery itself is based on the Apple Computer paint scheme run by Dick Barbour Racing on its Porsche 935 K3 in 1980. This year, the factory team's 963 raced with its adaptation for the IMSA round at Laguna Seca. The team ran a similar livery earlier this season in Long Beach, with red-and-purple-tinted rainbow stripes to promote Apple Music. With Porsche and Penske running a cavalcade of retro liveries to celebrate a pair of racing anniversaries, it seems inevitable that a 963 would be this year's top choice.
Best racing moment - 2026 Indianapolis 500 Finish
Todd Warshaw/Getty Images
The Indianapolis 500 has cracked the secret recipe for producing memorable finishes nearly every time the race finishes under green. The 110th edition really upped the ante with the closest finish in the event's history. Felix Rosenqvist nipped David Malukas at the line to take the victory with the record margin of 0.0233 seconds. It was only the Swedish driver's second win over his eight-season career in IndyCar.
Rosenqvist race finish on-board #Indy500 #IndyCar pic.twitter.com/SwY7YaCrdE
— Matt Archuleta (@indy44) May 24, 2026
What makes Rosenqvist's charge to the lead even more impressive is that he began the final lap in third place. He made slight contact with his teammate Marcus Armstrong in Turn 1, which could have ended his day. Rosenqvist and Armstrong spent three-quarters of the lap side-by-side before the New Zealander finally yielded to give at least one Meyer Shank car a shot at immortality.
Rosenqvist drafted to the rear wing of the leading Penske, then slingshotted ahead at the last possible moment to put his face on the Borg-Warner Trophy. The victory raised his stock so much that Rosenqvist is set to return to McLaren for the 2027 season, the team that fired him three years ago.
Best new car color - Mercedes-Benz Lavender Silver Metallic
Mercedes-Benz
Lavender is having a moment. We've spotted the perennial evergreen shrub doing everything from flavoring fancy coffees and baked goods to inspiring the color of red carpet gowns on stars like Emilia Clarke, Sarah Pidgeon and Florence Pugh. Whether it graces the body of a legendary diva or the flavoring in your cup, lavender is in. It's easy to see why; lavender is earthy, slightly feminine and conjures images of your witchiest friend lighting candles on a rainy day. Mercedes brought a little of that pretty purple magic to its latest electric models this year in the form of Jalopnik's Best New Car Color of 2026: Lavender Silver Metallic, and it is a stunner.
In full sun, the silver shines through with maybe a blush of purple, if you squint. Like so many subtle delights in life, it took a few shades of darkness to understand the full potential of Mercedes-Benz Lavender Silver Metallic. This is rose gold's cooler, corporate goth sister. It's classy but a little subversive and, most of all, mysterious, as its beauty only becomes apparent in the shadows. The Lavender Silver Metallic paint is available at the moment only on the 2027 Mercedes-Benz C-Class and GLC EVs. We hope they keep it for EVs only, as this smokey flavor is too cool for internal combustion.
Best powertrain - Porsche Cayenne Turbo Electric
Direct injection and turbocharging led to some big power jumps in the 2010s, but electric vehicles may as well have made the horsepower race meaningless. Or did the Bugatti Veyron make the horsepower race meaningless? Either way, if you want a car with at least 1,000 horsepower, EVs are now the cheapest way to get there. And while no EV powertrain can match the sound or excitement of a Tourbillon V16, driving the new Porsche Cayenne Turbo Electric still manages to feel truly special.
We are, of course, talking about an EV that makes 1,139 horsepower and 1,106 pound-feet of torque, claims an official 0-60 time of 2.4 seconds, and runs the quarter-mile in 9.9 seconds. That's beyond ridiculous, even in the EV era, but it isn't just about the numbers. It's about how it feels to drive, and Porsche's engineers basically nailed the tuning. Unless you've driven one, it's hard to explain how it feels to have an absolute mountain of torque available under your right foot at any given moment.
Some EVs are quick on paper, but the soul-stirring feeling just isn't there, even if the number on the speedometer climbs fast. The Cayenne Turbo Electric, however, feels different. It's addictive. It's satisfying. It's engaging. And most importantly, it delivers a driving experience that even the most dedicated V8 purist can't deny is still pure fun. Even if you have no interest in EVs, you're missing out if you have yet to experience the quickest SUV or crossover that Car and Driver has ever tested. We're telling you, it really is that good.
Best seats - Mercedes-Maybach S-Class
Logan Carter/Jalopnik
It's tough to overstate the importance of comfortable seats. They're like a mattress in that way; you spend a lot of your life on a mattress, so you want to get a good one, and you spend all of your drive time in the seat, so you want to find one that's compatible for you.
We'll preface this decision by saying that we're aware of the exclusivity inherent to a car in this price range, and there are plenty of more affordable cars which have very comfortable seats. In selecting the car with the best seats, however, we have to pick the indulgent thrones in the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class.
Whether perched up front or reclined in the rear seats of the Maybach S-Class, your backend is properly pampered. Both rows of seats are heated and ventilated and include a multi-function massage option that takes comfort to the next level. The design of the seats is supremely ergonomic, and the plush pillow-top-like cushioning pairs with the suede neck pillows that almost justify the car's near $300,000 price tag.
There are luxury marques like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, and Genesis, and then there are ultra-luxury marques like Mercedes-Maybach, Bentley, and Rolls-Royce. This year, the throne that best cradled our collective booty was finished not quite in rich corinthian leather, but Exclusive Nappa Leather complete with kaleidoscope quilting that occasionally comes together to form the shape of the Maybach emblem. If you seek the utmost in in-car coddling, the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class provides the most plush and posh perches for your posterior.
Best new engine sound - Chevrolet's 6.7L LS6 V8
VanderWolf Images/Shutterstock
Few things on God's green earth sound better than a naturally aspirated American V8. You can keep your screaming, small-displacement motors, your high redlines and your turbochargers. Instead it's all about that NA V8 sound, and they're unfortunately a bit of a dying breed. Luckily for all of us, General Motors hasn't gotten that memo, and it's why the refreshed C8 Corvette has a brand-new V8 under the (rear) hood.
With a real fine 409 cubic inches of displacement and a 13.0:1 compression ratio, the new LS6 V8 sounds like an absolute beast. Add in the return of "tri-Y" exhaust manifolds, which are really just there to add noise rather than power, and it gets even better. Hell, there's even a new center-mounted exhaust option, which wasn't around on the base Stingray before. When you consider the fact that the new engine pumps out 535 horsepower and 520 pound-feet of torque in its base spec, things get even more exciting.
Best infotainment - BMW's New iDrive
BMW
We know that many of you would prefer if there were no infotainment systems in your interiors, and knobs, switches and buttons could control everything in your car. Unfortunately for you, that's not going to happen, so automakers are doing all sorts of cool and funky stuff with their infotainment systems. We've had the chance to sample just about every single one on the market today, and BMW's new Panoramic iDrive is the best one yet.
Its ease of use combined with genuine innovation, as well as the funky parallelogram-shaped center screen, are just really sick. The system can be found in all of the automaker's Neue Klasse vehicles, and it combines three "screens" — a 17.9-inch center display that works mostly like a conventional touchscreen, an optional 14.6-inch passenger display, and a projected Panoramic Vision display that spans the entire length of the windscreen's base that serves as a gauge cluster and information center. They all work in conjunction with one another to give you whatever info you might need, and you can even display BMW Art Cars up there.
While it's a shame that the iDrive control knob is dead, the voice controls this thing employs actually work. It's OK, you can talk to your car. If that's really not your thing, though, the systems and menus are super easy to navigate.
Best refresh - BMW 7 Series
BMW
2026 hasn't exactly been a banner year for refreshed vehicle designs. Instead, we got a lot more full redesigns, which is good for consumers, but that does mean there's a limited number of choices for Best Refresh. On the other hand, when it came time to pick a winner, there was really only one car worth talking about: the BMW 7 Series.
If you saw the G70 7 Series for the first time and immediately began hatching a plan to cleanse it with fire, we're basically on the same page here. Some people loved the design, but other peoples' eyes work, so they did not. And while you generally can't expect an entirely new design language from a refresh, BMW's design team put a lot more work into the facelift than you might expect.
The 2027 BMW 7 Series still features a large, twin-lung grille and split headlights, but now you get more Neue Klasse design elements, plus BMW's latest screens and tech suite. Most importantly, though, the updated 7 Series doesn't look like an old car that got some new design elements with some new cabin tech thrown in for good measure. It's a huge improvement over the outgoing version, and it stands in stark contrast to the 2027 Mercedes-Benz S-Class refresh that just didn't feel as special.
Best lighting signature - BMW X5
BMW
We know this is going to be controversial because it's certainly not everybody's cup of tea, but the best new light signature released this year can be found on the front-end of the all-new BMW X5. Sure, it might not be to everybody's liking, but you cannot deny the fact it is distinctive, and in a world where cars are looking more and more homogenized, a little distinction goes a long, long way.
Plus, what if we told you that we think, on their own merit, the Xs look cool? Are you going to sue us? We don't think so. If you hate them so much, BMW gives you the option to turn off one of the slashes, making the signature appear more like the traditional daytime running lights the company currently offers, but if you do that, we'll give you a massive thumbs down.If we had but one critique, it's that there are four Xs on the front of the midsize SUV, which is ever-so-slightly annoying, as it is an X-five.
Best new feature - Genesis Neolun doors
Genesis
We told you a bit about the new GV90 at the top, but here's another Genesis winner on our best of list. Now, we can hear your bewildered and disappointed responses already: "Your pick for the best new feature of 2026 is a door? Out of the entire automotive world, the greatest innovation you can come up with is a door? My car already has doors!" Well, clearly, you haven't been looking at the Genesis GV90 Neolun. These doors are different.
Genesis has established itself as a luxury brand willing to try new things, which is a benefit of being relatively new on the scene, and the GV90 shows just how far it's willing to go to nab the true luxury crown. An SUV with no B-pillar and reverse-opening rear doors is something truly new, and the fact that this design is actually going into production is wild. You can keep your Maybach GLS, your Rolls-Royce Cullinan, your lowlier luxury SUVs and crossovers that are merely shinier versions of more cost-effective cars. Genesis is doing things differently, and that's what we like to see.