September 2026 picks.
September's picks span five segments and five platforms, each past a generation shift or powertrain transition that confirmed the flat zone. An AMG two-seat sports car whose nameplate moved to a 2+2 with rear seats. A Rolls-Royce V12 convertible with no open-top successor in production. A Panamera PHEV flagship absorbed by a mid-cycle refresh. A McLaren grand tourer discontinued after three seasons. A first-generation Urus before electrification reset the benchmark. Reasoning visible, no badges, no urgency.
- 01
2018 Mercedes-AMG AMG GT S (C190)
Supercar·Mercedes-AMG brand page
Curve position: Flat zone — C190 generation superseded, two-seat AMG sports-car brief discontinued
The C190 AMG GT S was Mercedes-AMG's first purpose-built sports car — 4.0L M178 biturbo V8, 503 horsepower, seven-speed AMG SPEEDSHIFT dual-clutch, longitudinal mid-front layout on a bespoke aluminum platform, from around $130,825 original MSRP. At year 8 in 2026, the C190 generation has been replaced: the 2024 AMG GT (C192) is a 2+2 coupe on a different platform — longer wheelbase, rear seats, a fundamentally different grand-tourer brief. The C192 is not an evolution of the C190; the C190's focused two-seat sports-car character has no current AMG equivalent. Listings $70-100K for clean GT S examples; GT R derivatives run $110-145K and track a separate appreciation arc. Editorial reasoning: the C190 GT S absorbed the full C192-arrival depreciation cycle — used pricing settled when the successor launched and has since plateaued. The M178 V8 is mature and well-supported across the Mercedes-AMG service network. Curve-supported entry for a buyer who values a purpose-built AMG two-seat sports car before the nameplate moved to the 2+2 grand-tourer format.
Typical listing range: $70K – $100K
- 02
2018 Rolls-Royce Dawn
Convertible·Rolls-Royce brand page
Curve position: Flat zone — V12 convertible production closed, Spectre EV successor is a fundamentally different object
The Dawn carries Rolls-Royce's 6.75L N74B68 twin-turbo V12, 563 horsepower, in the marque's first soft-top body since the Corniche — from around $358K original MSRP. Production closed in 2023 without an internal-combustion convertible successor: the Spectre is an all-electric coupe, not a soft-top, and Rolls-Royce has not announced a replacement for the open-top V12 format. At year 8 in 2026, the 2018 Dawn sits in the confirmed flat zone. Listings $290-370K for clean standard configuration; Black Badge derivatives and bespoke-specified examples run materially above this range. The N74B68 is the same architecture as the unit in the Wraith, the Phantom, and the Ghost — shared powertrain support across the range. Editorial reasoning: the Dawn is the last V12 Rolls-Royce convertible; the Spectre's EV architecture and fixed roof make it a different object entirely, and the Dawn's plateau reflects the finality of the V12 soft-top format. Sweet spot for a buyer who values the only current-era V12 Rolls-Royce open-top at confirmed flat-zone pricing, with no equivalent in current production.
Typical listing range: $290K – $370K
- 03
2019 Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid (971)
Luxury sedan·Porsche brand page
Curve position: Flat zone — 2021 mid-cycle refresh absorbed first-generation residual
The 971 Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid was Porsche's PHEV flagship for the generation — 4.0L M550B twin-turbo V8 paired with an electric motor through the eight-speed PDK, 680 horsepower combined, from around $197,200 original MSRP. At year 7 in 2026, the 2019 Turbo S E-Hybrid sits in the confirmed flat zone: the 2021 model-year refresh brought a materially revised interior, updated driver-assistance architecture, and a power uplift to 700 horsepower on the refreshed Turbo S E-Hybrid — enough of a change to compress values on 2017-2020 examples. Listings $95-135K for clean standard and Sport Turismo examples in the pre-refresh specification. The M550B V8 hardware and Porsche Active Suspension Management calibration are mechanically continuous with the 2021+ cars; the 2019 delivers the same 680-horsepower PHEV flagship experience at materially lower acquisition cost. Editorial reasoning: the 2021 refresh is the value-compression event, and the pre-refresh car has now absorbed it and plateaued. Sweet spot for a buyer who values the Panamera PHEV flagship dynamic character at confirmed value-plateau pricing and is comfortable with the pre-2021 interior specification.
Typical listing range: $95K – $135K
- 04
2020 McLaren GT (M840TE)
Grand tourer·McLaren brand page
Curve position: Flat zone — discontinued without a successor, the only road-biased GT in McLaren production history
The McLaren GT used the M840TE 4.0L twin-turbo V8 — a recalibrated variant of the Sports Series architecture, 620 horsepower, tuned for a quieter exhaust character and a softer suspension philosophy than the 720S, from around $213,195 original MSRP. Production ran from 2019 to 2022; McLaren discontinued the GT without a successor. No current McLaren occupies the dedicated road-biased grand-tourer brief the GT held — the Artura that replaced it in the accessible range is a hybrid supercar, not a GT. At year 6 in 2026, the McLaren GT sits past the steep-drop phase and into the flat zone. Listings $155-200K for clean examples — below MSRP and below the Artura entry point. Editorial reasoning: the GT is the only application of the M840TE in a purpose-built road-oriented McLaren chassis; the specific character — carbon MonoCell II tub, 620-horsepower V8, genuine luggage accommodation — is not replicated in the current lineup at any price. Curve-supported entry for a buyer who values McLaren carbon-tub engineering in a grand-touring configuration that McLaren no longer produces.
Typical listing range: $155K – $200K
- 05
2019 Lamborghini Urus (first-gen)
Luxury SUV·Lamborghini brand page
Curve position: Flat zone — Urus S and Urus SE re-specifications absorbed, first-gen V8 ICE specification confirmed as entry
The first-generation Urus carried a 4.0L twin-turbo V8, 641 horsepower, on the Volkswagen Group MLB Evo platform — shared with the Bentayga and Cayenne Turbo, eight-speed torque-converter automatic, from around $218,009 original MSRP. At year 7 in 2026, the original Urus has absorbed two re-specification events: the 2022 Urus S update (657 horsepower, revised powertrain calibration, updated exterior) and the 2024 Urus SE introduction (hybrid powertrain, 800 combined horsepower), which established a meaningful performance step above the non-hybrid specification. Listings $115-155K for clean first-generation standard-wheelbase examples — substantially below current Urus S and Urus SE transaction pricing. The 4.0L V8 is mechanically continuous with the Urus S; the 2022 changes were calibration and trim additions rather than an architectural revision. Editorial reasoning: the SE's electrification has confirmed the original V8-only specification as the entry tier, and the depreciation has fully absorbed both re-specification events. Sweet spot for a buyer who values the Lamborghini SUV at the V8 ICE specification without the SE's hybrid system complexity or cost premium.
Typical listing range: $115K – $155K
Editorial only — not advisory. Pair the pick reasoning with the target-price calculator, the depreciation calculator, and a competent pre-purchase inspection before committing on any specific car. Listing ranges reflect the editorial team's read of representative transactions at time of publication.
Frequently asked questions
How does Marque pick the Editor's Pick cars?
Picks are anchored on Marque's seeded depreciation curves. A car becomes pick-eligible when it has just absorbed the steep-drop phase of its curve — typically year 5-8 for ultra-luxury sedans and SUVs, year 6-10 for collector-track sports cars — and entered the flat-zone where supply, demand, and pricing have stabilized. Each pick is hand-written; no automated rule fires the editorial reasoning.
Are the listing ranges current?
The listing ranges reflect the editorial team's read of representative current transactions at the time of publication. They are surveyed monthly using KBB, Edmunds, Hagerty, Bring a Trailer, and Cars.com sweeps. Real transactions vary by condition, options, color, and regional market; treat the ranges as a midpoint-of-distribution, not a quote.
Does Marque earn anything if I buy one of these cars?
No. Editor's Pick is editorial, not affiliate. Marque does receive referral fees on completed introductions through the dealer-finder tool, separately disclosed there. The picks themselves are not paid placement and never will be.