Here are the best coupes in 2026
If practicality matters less to you than style, these are the best coupes to consider in 2026
Words by: Dan Trent
Additional words by: Eleanor Greaves
Published on 23 September 2026 | 0 min read
Anyways, for this shortlist we’re just looking at traditional coupes, which is to say stylish two-door cars, ranging from sporty to luxurious. Take your pick of the best 'proper' coupes of 2025. Skip to:
BMW 4 Series Porsche 911 Ford Mustang Ferrari Amalfi Bentley continental GT BMW 2 Series Alpine A110 Aston Martin Vanquish Mercedes-Benz CLE Aston Martin DB12
BMW 4 Series
Search for a new or used BMW 4 Series coupe on Autotrader
Porsche 911
The Porsche 911 is the benchmark for sports cars with its winning combination of performance, handling and luxury. At our Drivers’ Choice Awards owners praised its looks and build quality, helping it win Best Luxury Car 2026. The 911 has a comfortable cabin with plenty of room in the front, while optional rear seats add to its practicality. In addition to its already powerful 3.0-litre petrol engine, the 911 is also available as a 3.6-litre GTS hybrid, making it even more fun to drive.
Ford Mustang
The Mach-E may have appropriated some Mustang heritage, but thankfully Ford still offers a proper petrol-powered Mustang coupe. Fair play to Ford for that. The seventh Mustang is the best sort of anachronism - a muscle car with a massive V8 engine, rear-wheel drive and, in Mustang GT form, a manual gearbox. It's one of the cheapest new V8-engined cars on sale, too. It's not the most sophisticated thing, but with 440-horsepower, that romantic heritage and the sort of noise that will wake up your ancestors, it's very highly recommended. There’s also the Dark Horse version, which ups the power and adds more aggressive, sportier styling.
Ferrari Amalfi
The Amalfi replaces the Roma as Ferrari’s “entry-level” sports car, taking the same twin-turbo V8 engine and upping the power to 640 horsepower. The Amalfi picks up where the Roma left off and while it features a new interior with improved physical controls, ultimately it offers the same winning combinations of beautiful design, stunning performance and everyday useability.
Bentley Continental GT
The Continental GT is obviously monumentally powerful and fast, but it has now swapped its legendary V12 engine for plug-in hybrid tech. It is not even more effortless to drive but its greatest trick, however, is making you feel special even when you’re just pottering about or on the daily commute. You could be doing the most boring journey possible, but if you’re doing it in a Continental GT it’ll make you feel on top of the world.
Search for a new or used Bentley Continental GT on Autotrader
BMW 2 Series
Very different in character to the 4 Series, the BMW 2 Series is one of the very best coupes on the market at any price. Stunning looks, half-decent practicality, good day-to-day comfort, and you get to choose whether you want a quite frugal one (220i) or a proper high-performance car like the M240i or the M2. One of the last “proper” BMWs before everything goes fully electric.
Alpine A110
Many consider Alpine ‘the French Porsche’ but it’s more like a Gallic twist on the lightweight traditions of Lotus, really. Whatever, the A110 trades heavily on Alpine’s past, reinventing its classic Berlinette coupe for the modern age. The result is an incredibly light car that rewards keen drivers and makes more of its modest power than you’d expect. It’s also fantastically comfortable, with ride quality more like a family hatchback but with the responses and agility of a true sports car. It’s small and you’ll need to pack light, but as the embodiment of less-is-more chic, the Alpine is like a breath of fresh air. The current A110 is now out of production, though some are still available to buy new, and a new electric A110 is on the way.
Aston Martin Vanquish
The Vanquish is a loud and proud, old-school Aston Martin with a powerful V12 engine and a booming exhaust. In fact, our favourite feature is its exhaust button which makes the already thunderous noise even louder! Despite all that power, it’s surprisingly relaxing to drive around town and while it’s not as elegant as a Bentley Continental GT, we can’t help fall for the Vanquish’s charming personality.
Search for a new or used Aston Martin Vanquish on Autotrader
Mercedes-Benz CLE
The CLE is a merging together of the C-Class and E-Class Coupes. Not literally, obviously. But apparently, C-Class Coupe owners wanted more space, and E-Class Coupe owners wanted their car to be more fun to drive. (Nothing to do with the seemingly endless and confusing array of Mercedes models getting out of hand, obviously.) Enter CLE. To be honest it doesn’t offer masses of space and nor is it that much fun to drive, in the purest sense. However, it does seat four in relative comfort, and is very easy to recommend because it’s just really comfy and luxurious. The interior feels special – especially at night when the cabin backlighting is fully illuminated – and there’s even a rare diesel option, so you can keep your running costs down.
Aston Martin DB12
Don’t mention James Bond. Don’t mention James Bond. Don’t mention James Bond. Okay, Aston Martin says the DB12 “redefines and reinvents what it means to be a tourer.” And also something else about “taming tradition” but we’re not sure what that means. Anyways, the DB12 doesn’t redefine, reinvent, or tame anything, but you’ll be pleased to know that it is just a very wonderful luxury sports car. Stunning cabin, amazing sound from the 4.0-litre V8 engine, supreme long-distance comfort, and even two little seats in the back for very small people or very big easter eggs. There’s now a new DB12 S version too, with more power, sharper styling and a sportier edge.
Read our review of James Bond's company car right here. Dammit.
