Every year comes chock full of new car reveals, tech innovations, auto shows, future product announcements, and much more. But perhaps the most exciting things in the automotive world are the ones we never expected to happen. For example, we never thought we could ever say 'Prius' and 'stylish' in the same sentence, and Lucid surprised us during Monterey Car Week when it decided to challenge Tesla's Model S Plaid with the tri-motor Air Sapphire.

1. The Toyota Prius Finally Looks Good

A car that was once the definition of nerdy has now morphed into a much sleeker package, without losing its class-leading efficiency. That's right, the days of small-diameter wheels and laughable acceleration are over for the Toyota Prius, which moves on for a stylish new generation with 57 mpg combined and a vastly improved 0-60 time of 7.1 seconds, blowing its predecessor out of the water.

2. Ford Mustang Dark Horse Revealed As New Performance Variant

This is perhaps one of the best-kept automotive secrets as of late. With so many rumors surrounding the latest seventh-gen Mustang, the Blue Oval surprised us with a new performance variant dubbed Dark Horse. It will sit at the very top of the lineup (until the Shelby variants arrive later on) when the redesigned pony car goes on sale next year, packing 500 hp and 418 lb-ft of torque through a revised 5.0L Coyote V8.

3. The Toyota Supra Gets The Manual It Deserves

The GR Supra fulfilled our dreams of a new-age Toyota sports car when it arrived nearly four years ago. Based on BMW Z4 underpinnings, the Supra delivered satisfying acceleration with sharp handling. But the only missing piece was a manual transmission to match its fun-to-drive demeanor, and Toyota has finally added it for the 2023 model year. Curiously, its BMW Z4 twin still doesn't get the manual treatment.

4. Lucid Unveils Direct Rival to Tesla Model S Plaid

The Tesla Model S Plaid shamed more established supercars with its sub-two-second 0-60 run, but now another EV maker looks to dethrone the Plaid, and it just so happens to be the Model S's arch nemesis, the Lucid Air. The Sapphire made a surprise debut at Monterey Car Week in August with a powerful tri-motor setup boasting 1,200 horsepower. That's about twice as many horses as what you'll find in the Lamborghini Huracan STO, Porsche 911 GT3 RS, and many others. It matches the Tesla Plaid's 0-60 time at under two seconds, and claims a similar sub-9-second quarter mile.

5. Fiat 500 Returning to U.S. Market For 2024

The Fiat 500 left us in 2019, leaving the 500X as the only option in the brand's American lineup. Meanwhile, a whole new generation was revealed in Europe with electric powertrains, more tech, and a funky three-door model. Luckily, the 500 won't be forbidden fruit for much longer, as the iconic city car looks to return to U.S. shores in 2024. It will be offered solely with a battery powertrain, though full details aren't yet available. Strangely, Fiat plans to buck the SUV trend by ending production of the 500X crossover around the same time, with the 500 acting as an indirect replacement.