By Tim Harris · November 17, 2025

If you think the exotic market has been turbulent in 2024–2025, buckle up.
2026 is shaping up to be the year when collector psychology finally diverges:

This is the FTT 2026 Value Prediction Index — a crystal-ball forecast for everything from multi-million-dollar Ferraris to analog icons like the Elise and NC Miata.

Let’s get into it.

(Cars expected to gain 10–40%+ in 2026)

2025 Market: ~$4.5M–$5.5M
2026 Prediction: $5M–$6.5M
Why: Ferrari is sliding deeper into hybridization. Every quarter that passes, the SP3 looks more like the “last real Ferrari Ferrari.”

2025 Market: ~$1.7M–$2.2M
2026 Prediction: $2.1M–$2.8M
Why: Last front-engine NA V12 Ferrari with a roof delete. Collectors who skipped allocations will panic-buy.

2025 Market: ~$650k–$800k
2026 Prediction: $750k–$950k
Why: Porsche won’t repeat this recipe: manual, lightweight, RS drivetrain, no marketing gimmick. This is the Carrera GT of the modern era.

2025 Market: $35k–$65k
2026 Prediction: $45k–$85k
Why:

2025 Market: $40k–$65k
2026 Prediction: $55k–$85k
Why:

Every ingredient in the “future classic” recipe.

2025 Market: $55k–$80k
2026 Prediction: $70k–$110k
Why:
Perfect analog Porsche: manual, lightweight, hydraulic steering, no BS.
As 981 GT4s and 718 GT4s get more common, the R becomes the enthusiast’s secret weapon.

2025 Market: $230k–$300k
2026 Prediction: $260k–$360k
Why:
People are waking up to the fact that the F12 is 99% of the 812 experience for half the money.
The sound alone guarantees future nostalgia.

2025 Market: $12k–$24k
2026 Prediction: $15k–$30k
Why:
The last affordable, RWD, manual Japanese sports cars not yet swallowed by the “JDM tax.”

(Cars expected to rise 5–10% or hold firmly)

These won’t tank, but their upside is capped:

These are driver’s cars, not speculative rockets.

(Cars likely to drop 10–20% in the next 12 months)

2026 Prediction: Down 20%
McLaren depreciation is like gravity — consistent and unavoidable.

2026 Prediction: Down 10–15%
Gorgeous but too many quality issues, and too much supply.

2026 Prediction: Down 10%
Reality hasn’t matched the promise.

2026 Prediction: Down 20%
The automotive embodiment of “why?”

Could spike, because:

Breadvan looks + V12 + AWD + usable = cult following building.
2026 Prediction: $170k–$250k

Stable for years, but all it takes is one major auction result to kick off another wave.
2026 Prediction: $900k–$1.2M

These are the cars enthusiasts will regret not buying when they were cheap:

FTT 2026 Prediction: Many of these jump 10–30% as the supply of clean, unmolested examples dries up forever.

If you want the strongest 2026 collector portfolio at any budget:

— Tim Harris

By Paul Kramer · November 17, 2025

There’s a moment every air-cooled owner knows: about 12 minutes into the drive when the flat-six warms up, the cabin gets that faint aroma of vintage Stuttgart seasoning, and suddenly you remember why these cars still own a piece of your soul.

Lately, everyone seems to be sprinting back to air-cooled 911s like they’re giving away free happiness with every oil leak. Here’s why.

Modern cars need software updates just to feel alive. Air-cooled 911s? They give you everything unfiltered. A clutch pedal with opinions. Steering that actually cares about your life choices. A driving experience where you — not the menus — make the decisions.

In a digital world, analog has become the ultimate luxury. (ie haptic buttons versus real switches and toggles)

Air-cooled cars have quirks baked right in:

Modern cars are perfect.
Air-cooled cars are memorable.

Driving one fast feels like a joint custody agreement between physics and adrenaline. You earn every good corner. And when you get it right, the car rewards you like you just passed a sacred test.

Nothing modern really replicates that.

Air-cooled owners bond over oil weights, door adjustments, and noises that “went away on their own.” We’re sentimental, slightly masochistic, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

People around air-cooled cars at events? They smile more.
It’s science. (Probably.)

Yep. Maybe there’s a little bubble, but this revival isn’t hype — it’s connection. These cars make people feel something, even if that feeling is occasionally frustration mixed with hot oil and nostalgia.

If you want perfection, buy modern.
If you want a relationship — one that challenges, rewards, and occasionally tests your patience — buy an air-cooled 911.

It won’t change your life.
But it will absolutely change your mornings.

— Paul Kramer

🏁 The Full Throttle Talk Team

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