Infacet Robb Report’s 2026 Car of the Year Situation

I’ll admit it: The New Year at all times ushers in one in all my least favourite rituals—prognostication. Every January, assured predictions flood in, opinions harden into speaking factors, and all of us—Robb Report included—speculate about what’s coming subsequent. (That’s a part of the job, in any case.) In the automotive world, that dialog has revolved round electrification for the higher a part of a decade. And whereas few doubt that E.V.s are right here to remain, the timeline—and the place all of it leads—continues to be up for debate. That’s exactly what makes this February problem so thrilling for us. The lineup we’ve assembled for our twenty third annual Car of the Year competitors doesn’t comply with a single narrative. Instead, it tells a extra advanced, and in the end extra compelling, story.

As in years previous, what stood out was the sheer vary of considering on show. As our automotive editor Viju Mathew and longtime contributor Robert Ross word, the 2026 class introduced collectively a sweeping cross part of classes and energy trains—the form of selection that has turn into a defining characteristic of Car of the Year. Rather than steering neatly in a single course, the gathering pulled in lots of—intentionally.

To make sense of all of it, we returned to our favourite proving floor, the Concours Club in Opa-locka, Fla. Over 5 days, 117 judges pushed 10 singular machines to their limits—most of them on monitor. What emerged was a sequence of thrilling contrasts. Some variations have been mechanical, others philosophical. Ferrari stretched the definition of what a four-door efficiency automobile could be, whereas Bentley confirmed off its playful facet, constructing an S.U.V. designed to float. An all-electric (and impossibly quiet) Rolls-Royce held its personal on the circuit. And—for the primary time ever in Car of the Year—a restomod Ford Mustang gave our panel a brand new appreciation for what it took to pilot a muscle automobile within the golden age of American motorsport.

This 12 months’s winner, nonetheless, took a extra acquainted path. In a subject outlined by innovation and design, Aston Martin’s Vanquish—and its 5.2-liter twin-turbo V-12—struck a uncommon steadiness of magnificence and old-school brawn that resonated with each judges and editors alike. One driver summed it up this fashion: “If you could have one sports car, this would be it.” That sentiment echoed throughout the panel. The Vanquish didn’t simply carry out—it captivated, with cohesive execution, readability of goal, and a type that each one however demanded second (and third) appears. You’ll discover the complete story, together with how the remainder of the sphere stacked up, on-line now.

Beyond automobiles, the difficulty additionally takes just a few worthwhile detours. Staff author Abigail Montanez profiles a house on Pantelleria, off the coast of Sicily, the place a standard dammuso was remodeled right into a tranquil household retreat rooted within the island’s volcanic panorama. Jill Newman examines how traceable, responsibly sourced gold—mined at scale—might start to reshape the way forward for the trade. Elsewhere, editor at massive Mark Ellwood travels to Kerala, India, for an in depth take a look at a long life clinic centered round every day observe reasonably than once-a-year resets. We additionally verify in on the reopening of Gstaad Palace’s Le Grand restaurant in Switzerland, discover South Africa’s French-inflected wine nation, and uncover how carbon fiber is quietly altering the way in which yachts are designed and constructed.

We hope these pages supply just a few surprises—and, hopefully, stir your curiosity way over any forecast might.

Enjoy the difficulty.