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If you're looking for a way to transport the whole family in style, and want something that's fun to drive, check out these awesome machines.
How many times have we heard the tired old tale of the car enthusiast who started a family, and now they're forced to abandon impractical performance cars in favor of something more focused towards families and practicality. Even Brian O'Connor himself had to get accustomed to a minivan and its sliding doors. More accurately today, the SUV, or in exceedingly rare cases, the station wagon, replaces the sports car in the garage.
But there is absolutely no need to settle for less. A lot of automakers appear to be very aware of this conundrum, which is why they offer cars that have all the rational benefits of practicality and space, while also sprinkling a little performance magic. Even crossovers can do these things now. These cars won't just take the spot of the sports car in the garage, they are a replacement in the true sense of the word.
When the Panamera Sport Turismo first arrived a few years ago, a lot of people had the same opinion that this is what the Panamera should have always been. Indeed, the first generation and its awkward proportions looked like they wanted to make it a wagon and gave up halfway through. At least the first generation is very cheap these days.
RELATED: 2021 Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo: Costs, Facts, And Figures
The Sport Turismo finally gave the Panamera some more purpose, even though it's lost in the shadows of the regular Panamera. The second generation's thorough redesign helped the looks further. It has a massive cargo area, it seats five passengers in total comfort and luxury, the driver will be thoroughly entertained, and in the case of the hybrids, the fuel economy is decent too.
This was a totally left-field move from Ferrari. While it wasn't their first ever four-seater, it was the first production Ferrari in a long time to adopt the severely shooting brake body style. It was also definitely the first Ferrari to feature AWD, but the rest was Maranello business as usual.
This is truly a do-it-all Ferrari. The 6.3-liter V12 develops 650 hp, taking the FF to 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds. It also has proper rear seats with room even for adults, and a cargo area bigger than most hatchbacks. It's also now a relative bargain on the used market, and it's far more interesting, and we'd wager better-looking, than the upcoming Ferrari SUV.
After decades of perfectly justified begging and clamoring, Audi finally brought the latest generation RS6 Avant to North America. It turns out it was worth the wait, as Audi chose what has to be the best iteration of the iconic performance wagon yet.
RELATED: 10 Things To Know Before Buying The 2022 Audi RS6 Avant
Then again, it's unlikely Audi could have gotten it wrong, because theyinvented the fast station wagon. The RS6 Avant is, once again, a true do-it-all. Massive cargo area, tons of passenger space, every piece of technology and every feature you can think of, AWD, and a 591 hp twin-turbo V8 that sends it to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds.
Fast wagons are all very well, but everyone nowadays wants an SUV. Don't worry, SUVs can be fun too, as proven by Jaguar's one-hit-wonder, the F-Pace SVR. A proper performance SUV with a supercharged 5.0-liter V8? Why not? There's a variety of reasons why this is an awesome SUV.
It's sad news that the F-Pace SVR is probably the first and last of its kind, as Jaguar plans a very fast shift towards an all-electric lineup. A 550 hp supercharged V8 with a raucous exhaust note, a genuinely fun drive, and in the case of the latest model, one of the best facelifts in automotive history. If it's up your alley, get one while supplies last.
Let's say you want to experience the same supercharged V8 in a properly capable, retro-styled off-roader. Land Rover's Defender V8 is here to save the day. While the new Defender has been quite the controversial vehicle, those who don't build shrines dedicated to the old Defenders agree that it's easily the best car that Land Rover sells right now. It's more refined, more comfy, but still just as capable.
RELATED: 10 Coolest Features Of The 2023 Land Rover Defender
The Defender was never really lacking for oomph, as even the base four-cylinder engine makes 300 hp, and the six-cylinder makes 400 hp. If that's not quite enough, you can now order your Defender with the familiar 5.0-liter supercharged "AJ" V8, which makes 518 hp in this application. All while retaining the Defender's greatest qualities. Yes, you can get the three-door with this engine as well. For some reason.
During the 2000s in Europe, the minivan (or MPV as they call it) was experiencing a bit of a renaissance. To the point where there were a handful of minivan sub-segments. They all had one thing in common, however; they were all very boring.
Ford decided to change that. After breaking off their collaboration with Volkswagen to produce the Galaxy/Sharan, Ford went its own way and put together a new Galaxy, as well as the even sportier S-MAX. The end result was one of maybe two minivans that actually looked cool and was great fun to drive. Believe it or not, Ford still sells the S-MAX to this day.
The Aussies love a good RWD, loud and proud performance car. Unfortunately, GM shuttered their Holden division back in 2020, leaving us with nothing but memories of some of the coolest performance cars of all time. One that stands out is the HSV Clubsport R8 Tourer.
As well as a regular sedan and the iconic ute, HSV also got their hands on the Commodore station wagon, with some truly epic results. The 6.2-liter LS V8 under the hood makes 425 hp, and RWD ensures that this is one station wagon that you can truly have some good old-fashioned fun in.
Nowadays, it's debatable whether we can call a sedan a family car or not. But, it still remains a family car, despite its total lack of popularity. One of the best and most unique sedans of the moment is undoubtedly the new Lucid Air.
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The Air is definitely on the right track to dethrone the Tesla Model S. The most powerful model has 1,020 hp, and the claimed range figure is truly ridiculous. It's also a proper luxury car, and a proper sedan, not a thinly disguised liftback. It's truly an amazing achievement.
Shuttle vans and commercial vans are just about the least interesting types of vehicles you can possibly think of. They're all about the function, and for the most part, save the form for later. Hyundai decided to not just buckle this trend, but completely destroy it, with the new Staria.
This big van equalizes the form and function, and it looks like a school bus you'd see in Blade Runner or Cyberpunk 2077. There's a multitude of seating configurations, from two seats in the panel van, and up to 9 seats in the Lounge or Premium versions, meaning the whole family can travel in style.
Now, this is just pure insanity. We all know that Dodge doesn't mess around with V8-powered cars, but imagine putting a supercharged, 710 hp V8 under the hood of a three-row family SUV. No one except Dodge has thought to do that, with the Durango SRT Hellcat.
The Durango Hellcat was only available for the 2021 model year, and it's safe to assume they'll become collector's items in the not too distant future. Three-row seating, a class-leading towing capacity, and a 0-60 time of 3.5 seconds makes the Durango SRT Hellcat the perfect family car if you just can't give up V8 power.
Marko has been part of the HotCars team since July 2020. He started out writing for various sites on a variety of topics. He prefers weird, unusual cars to luxobarges and sports cars.