Looking ahead car year 2023: Nile van Leeuwen

First, take a look back: which car is your personal favorite of 2022?

For me, that’s the Bugatti Mistral. For several reasons. First, the Mistral is the pinnacle of exclusivity, performance and design at the same time. A car designed with surgical precision down to the last valve cap. It doesn’t get much better than this, if you ask me.

And yet look at that design. That’s otherworldly, isn’t it? When I was young, I had a poster of a Ferrari F40 hanging over my bed. At the time, that was the ultimate sports car. Now when I ask my little son which car poster he wants, he chooses the Bugatti Mistral. Such a car it is, with an eternal hero status. A car that will break all auction records in a few decades.

But not only that. The Bugatti Mistral is also the last of its kind. It is the last to come with that insane W16 engine. That sixteen-cylinder engine with four turbochargers, without an auxiliary electric motor and producing 1,600 horsepower. The end of the W16 says it all about the times we live in. A time when more and more cars become electric, to the point where no more cars with traditional internal combustion engines are made at all. That transition has begun; there is no turning back. And Bugatti, too, has to suffer.

What was your absolute automotive highlight of 2022?

As a motorsports fan, I can’t ignore it. My automotive highlight of 2022 was the unveiling of the Ferrari 499P, the race car with which the Italian marque will again compete in the highest class of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, or Le Mans Hypercar (LMh) class, for the first time in 50 years.

Ferrari’s last participation in the highest Le Mans class dates back to 1973, when the marque finished second with the Ferrari 312P. It was another deception for the Italian team, whose last victory in the legendary 24-hour race came in 1965. Enzo was completely done with it and pulled the plug on all Le Mans activities.

Never thought Ferrari would ever return to the highest Le Mans class, but in July 2023, the 499P will really be at the start line. It promises to be a big celebration, as the race to be held on the weekend of June 10-11, 2023, is also the 100th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Of course Ferrari has to be there, exactly 50 years after they got out themselves. I like that. By the way, 2024 promises to be an even more fun year, as Lamborghini will also compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, traditionally Ferrari’s biggest arch-rival.

Incidentally, the launch of the Ferrari Purosangue in 2022 was also “a thing”. This is the Italian brand’s first SUV/crossover, a car whose arrival was denied by Ferrari for years.

Which car are you most looking forward to in 2023? And why?

I have a soft spot for Alfa Romeo. Despite the fact that the brand has suffered irreparable damage to its reputation in recent decades and hardly matters anymore in terms of sales figures, Alfa Romeo still has something magical for me.

And then when the brand confirms that a new two-seat sports car inspired by iconic sports cars of the past, such as the 33 Stradale and 8C, will be unveiled in 2023, I get all excited. I am confident that this will become a style icon that every car enthusiast dreams of. There are plenty of things at Alfa Romeo to improve, but they can design cars like the best of them. That new sports car is expected to be powered by an improved version of the V6 bi-turbo engine, which is also in the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio and was developed with help from Ferrari. That it will be a hybrid with electric support, by the way, is not out of the question. In short: a car I am very much looking forward to.

Which electric car do you have high hopes for in 2023?

Enough about exotic Italian sports cars and insanely expensive Bugattis. The car I expect a lot from next year is a 100% electric mid-size car that a lot of motorists are clamoring for. Namely, an electric car with enough space, excellent range, complete equipment, good build quality and a high level of safety that is, however, affordable for the general public. And I’m talking about the MG4 Electric(video driving test).

Many motorists want to drive electric, but most electric cars are simply still too expensive. This is also partly because many new electric models fall into the more expensive SUV class. MG is currently one of the few EV brands with remarkably attractive prices, but which also just builds good cars, with decent range and all the trimmings. The MG ZS EV became an instant success in 2019, and I expect the same from the MG4 Electric.

With this car, MG hijacks many buyers from the nose of Volkswagen, which charges a significantly higher amount for the comparable Volkswagen ID.3. And the fact that MG comes from China is not an issue (anymore). Anyone who takes a brief look at SAIC Motor, MG’s parent company, quickly understands why MG is seen as a promising car brand for the coming years.

Is there any particular car you’re looking forward to extra?

I am also curious about the 100% electric Opel Astra Sports Tourer. This is the first traditional electric-powered station wagon from a European car brand. The new Astra Sports Tourer is a spacious family car with excellent specifications, plenty of modern technology and a rugged appearance. But otherwise without unnecessary fuss and a reasonable price. A car for the people, as the Opel Astra (and before that the Kadett) has always been. Only now with electric drive. I am very curious to see how the market reacts to this once the electric Astra is available to order in the spring of 2023. Or that people still prefer a far too expensive, heavy and inefficient SUV.

Your good intention for 2023 is….

We started the biweekly AutoRAI Podcast in late 2022. Super nice initiative and a valuable addition to the activities of AutoRAI.nl.

It is fun to be involved in this, preparing new broadcasts and approaching interesting guests. So a good intention for 2023 is to continue to improve the AutoRAI Podcast in all areas and delight more and more listeners with interesting conversations.