This year’s Brussels Car Show was simply brilliant. We got to see everything we love at a car show. We saw so many brilliant, rare, exotic, super, hyper and halo cars that we found it nearly impossible to rank them. We still tried to offer you a balanced list featuring classics and model year 2025 mainstream cars, in addition to race cars and hypercars.
Also, mind you, not all the concepts and show cars made it to this list (like the Alpine SUV concept or the Smart concept car). We also did not find several supercars and many other luxury cars worthy of this list. In fact, we could easily make a stand-alone list out of just luxury cars from this show.
We spotted several oldtimers, like the original Golf GTI (parked next to a contemporary brother) or a Mustang selected by the Belgian Classic Car Association BEHVA. We also ignored two F1 cars and show cars like a G-Class climbing a rock.
Now that we got this over, let’s start with our list!
Kia PV5 Passenger Concept
The Kia PV5 is an upcoming battery electric minivan scheduled to debut in 2025. We are curious how Kia will implement the ideas for their forthcoming series production models.
We did enjoy the curiosities, like the suicide doors and the digital projectors, but we do not really like where Kia is going with its design.
The Cybercab is weird, even by Tesla standards…
The Tesla Cybercab could be a concept to showcase Tesla’s new budget entry (Model 2). For any typical company. However, Tesla is not your average car company. They actually wish to market this as a Robotaxi, a two-passenger battery-electric self-driving car. The vehicle is planned to be fully autonomous (let’s hope not the way ). The prototype vehicles have no steering wheel or pedals.
A concept version of the Cybercab was unveiled in October 2024, with 20 prototypes providing short rides to attendees of the announcement event.
The 1969 Suzuki Fronte LC500 is one of the few classics of the show.
Suzuki Belgium delivered a great show centred around the company’s century-long history. They found an ageing Fronte LC50 with a three-cylinder, two-stroke rear engine and decided to nurture it back to a showroom shine condition. Half a century ago, the four-seater saloon was one of only 1000 of this model imported into Europe, with fewer than 300 sold in Belgium. Neglected for years, the engine no longer worked, and sections of the chassis were completely corroded. Cheap rustbuckets are the most challenging project cars, as replacement parts are hard to come by.
The Dacia Sandrider brings Dacian spartanity to off-road racing
The Sandrider is a prototype to compete in the Dakar Rally and the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) in 2025.
The car resembles their Manifesto show car, a concept car that was never intended for production in any way but was used as a testing ground on wheels for new ideas.
Mazda 6e brings its traditional virtues to challenge the Tesla 3
Mazda6e is the European version of the Mazda EZ-6, Mazda’s first Battery-Electric Vehicle, unveiled at the 2024 Beijing Auto Show.
The Mazda6e was developed through a collaboration between Mazda and Changan Automobile. The Mazda6e BEV boasts Mazda’s signature design, craftsmanship and driving performance, combined with the latest Chinese technology.
Renault 17 electric restomod x Ora Ïto
This car is a newly built one-off restomod show car, developed in collaboration with French designer Ora Ïto. The vehicle is based on the iconic Renault 17 sports coupé, as a sculptural retake on the original model launched in 1971.
The R17 electric restomod x Ora Ïto was unveiled on 4 September in Paris and was showcased at this year’s Chantilly and later also at the Paris Car Show.
In Paris, this car was hidden in a corner of the Renault stage, overshadowed by the novelties and concepts of the French brand. In Brussels, however, it received centre stage and could really shine!
The MG Cyberster brings tea revival of the British luxury roadster
In Hall 6, the Chinese-revived British brand MG showcased their new roadster Cyberster, becoming the poster car of the British brand. We are fond of this new model: it has what it takes to be a serious new competitor and a true halo car. We reckon it can potentially become an F-Type killer, though Jaguar will probably make that kill on its own…
Aston Martin Vantage Roadster on the stage of Turismo
It’s nice to see a series production car on this list, the Vantage Roadster is a convertible version of the V8 vantage Coupe equipped with a fabric roof.
The roof is claimed to be the fastest of any automotive automatic convertible system, taking less than 7 seconds to lower and raise. If you are wondering now if you can close the car before it reaches 200 km/h, the roof can only be operated at speeds of up to 50 km/h.
Renault Twingo E-Tech Electric Prototype is the car we really need
If we have to name a weak spot in today’s automotive electrification, one of the first segments that comes to our mind would be the city cars.
Renault might be the first to change that in Europe with the return of its emblematic city car Twingo, this time with a 100% electric powertrain. This car was showcased in Paris, but this time, we could witness it up close with doors open, revealing the interior.
The 2024 Hyundai i20 N Rally1 illustrates Belgium’s driving prowess.
The Hyundai i20 N Rally1 is a Rally1 car built by Hyundai’s Motorsport division and entered in the World Rally Championship from 2022 onwards. The Rally1 prototype is based on the Hyundai i20 N production model, and the race car has scored contractors’ silver every year ever since (mind you, out of three or four contenders).
Last year, Belgian rally ace Thierry Neuville finally drove it to the drivers’ champion title. As a local hero, he personally attended the show, posing for fans next to his car.
BYD’s Yangwang U9 is an impressive entrée for its luxury brand
The Yangwang U9 is a battery-electric hypercar manufactured by BYD Auto and marketed under its upcoming luxury car brand Yangwang. The U9 is the second vehicle from the Yangwang brand after the U8 SUV, unveiled at the Auto Shanghai 2023.
While the U8 delivered quite a show in rolling around using its four motors independently, the U9 takes this even further with an actual dance routine with its suspension, though according to press reports, Chinese police did not seem to like it.
We did not get to see that fabulous show with the dance moves, but the BYD hosts opened the car for us to photograph the interior. Our first impression was that BYD took a lot of inspiration from existing manufacturers (especially McLaren), but seeing the current lineup, we are sure that they will take this further in their future generation halo cars.
The new Alfa 33 is a production car stealing the show from concepts.
The Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale is an exotic sports car to peak the offering of the iconic Italian manufacturer. It was unveiled in 2023, but it’s still a work in progress, with the first cars due to be delivered about now. The limited production of just 33 units are assembled at Italian coachbuilding legend Touring Superleggera.
This specific car already had a premiere last year at Chantilly Concours, but we still can’t get enough of its curvy lining in Paris.
The Maserati 6CM is a glorious classic with a racing pedigree
This legendary Maserati 6CM was showcased at the stage of Autoworld, honouring their ongoing Maserati exhibition. The 6CM was built between 1936 and 1939, specially designed for the “voiturette” class, featuring a six-cylinder engine with innovative suspension.
After the show, you can still catch this car at Autoworld.
Rimac Nevera is the electric hypercar to end the petrol age
The Rimac Nevera is an electric supercar that kicked the door to the ICE world. This car has the specs to beat even the pure race-bred hypercars, like the Ferrari FXX-K Evo.
The drivetrain produces a total of 1,427 kW (1,914 hp) and 2,360 Nm of torque through four electric motors driving each wheel. Rimac claims a 0–60 mph acceleration in 1.85 seconds, making it the fastest-accelerating production car in the entire world. The Nevera production is limited to 150 vehicles, but the platform is now shared with other brands, and the Rimac factory is also assembling the Pininfarina Battista.
The Bugatti Bolide is the absolute pinnacle of internal combustion technology
the Bugatti Bolide, the track-focused Bugatti honouring the brand’s incredible heritage in motor racing.
The Bolide is a track-only limited production sports car using the W16 engine with a weight-to-power-ratio of 0.91 kg/kW (0.67 kg/PS; 1.50 lb/hp). The Bolide’s name comes from the term le bolide, meaning “race car” in French.
The Alpineglow Hy6 is an evolution of the coolest car of several car shows.
The Alpenglow was unveiled two years ago at the 2022 Paris Car Show and topped our cool car list. Then, it was thoroughly upgraded and presented at last year’s Paris Car Show. And it topped our list again. And now it is here in Brussels, topping our list. Again…
The concept aimed to embody Alpine’s revival in terms of design and technology. It also introduced the brand’s new design language for all future Alpine models.
If that would not be enough, the Alpenglow concept announces Alpine’s future aspirations as a hydrogen car manufacturer and racing team. Without following any specific racing formula, this concept car has the proportions of a perfect race car: 5 metres long, just over 2 metres wide, and less than 1 metre tall.
The Hy6 is the latest version of the prototype, with an all-new V6 engine developed by Alpine, specifically designed to run on hydrogen. Hy6 stands for hydrogen and six cylinders. This hydrogen-fuelled, twin-turbocharged V6 boosts the vehicle’s power output to 740 bhp.
With this concept, we reached the end of our glory list. If you agree or want to delegate another car, let us know your favourite in the comment section.
