What final ICE car?
Discussion
So, imagine it's 2024 (ish), and you're buying your next car. It'll quite feasibly be the last ICE car some people might buy, for legal/financial/environmental reasons.
We've all read fantasy threads about the car you'd drive with your last litre of petrol, with lots of answers about how someone would drive a 911 GT2 off into a post-apocalyptic sunset.
A lot of us don't have pockets that deep, or need cars that will be daily drivers or fit passengers in. Many will shrug their shoulders and buy an electric car but some will feasibly think "I've got one last good chance to buy a car with a petrol engine... What do I buy?"
I can imagine that thought process for a Yaris GR, for example.
Or given that I can't afford one of those, I've been thinking about the VW Up GTi: quite cheap, good enough fun, I can put the kids on the back for short trips. (We have a family estate for big trips.) When petrol gets more pricy I can afford to run it for longer... and when it gets older, it's small enough to push into a garage and keep it as a modest but interesting classic car.
Any other thoughts about interesting "real world" final petrol cars, whatever "real world" means to you?
We've all read fantasy threads about the car you'd drive with your last litre of petrol, with lots of answers about how someone would drive a 911 GT2 off into a post-apocalyptic sunset.
A lot of us don't have pockets that deep, or need cars that will be daily drivers or fit passengers in. Many will shrug their shoulders and buy an electric car but some will feasibly think "I've got one last good chance to buy a car with a petrol engine... What do I buy?"
I can imagine that thought process for a Yaris GR, for example.
Or given that I can't afford one of those, I've been thinking about the VW Up GTi: quite cheap, good enough fun, I can put the kids on the back for short trips. (We have a family estate for big trips.) When petrol gets more pricy I can afford to run it for longer... and when it gets older, it's small enough to push into a garage and keep it as a modest but interesting classic car.
Any other thoughts about interesting "real world" final petrol cars, whatever "real world" means to you?
Real world to me would be a diesel automatic estate car for the load capacity, massive range and rapid refuel, so my master plan is to buy one of the last ones.
We do big 4 day road trips to Germany/North West France - 4 am starts etc and with an EV that will be curtailed, especially as much of the region has zero towns let alone charging points.
We do big 4 day road trips to Germany/North West France - 4 am starts etc and with an EV that will be curtailed, especially as much of the region has zero towns let alone charging points.
NA and 'manuel' requirements would rule out the albeit fantastic GT2 RS and many other supercars for that matter.
Whilst the 718 GT4 hasn't got the manificence of the GT3 engine it is not far off and considerably cheaper so it is in with a good shout especially as its good value too.
Failing that the 991.2 GT3 'manuel'. Last of the proper sounding pre gpf cars with an incredible engine 9k mental sounding soundtrack being reasons enough.
Speciale also in with a shout but tainted by being over expensive for an oldish car and diluted auto box.
Whilst the 718 GT4 hasn't got the manificence of the GT3 engine it is not far off and considerably cheaper so it is in with a good shout especially as its good value too.
Failing that the 991.2 GT3 'manuel'. Last of the proper sounding pre gpf cars with an incredible engine 9k mental sounding soundtrack being reasons enough.
Speciale also in with a shout but tainted by being over expensive for an oldish car and diluted auto box.
The EV shift is going to bring us endless massive, heavy, astonishingly fast cars for straight line heroes so for me it’s be something very light, compact, and nimble because cars like that seem likely to go extinct.
No cuckbox either, thanks, if it’s a last goodbye to IC it needs a manual gearbox and a good one too.
Ok it’s already too late to get one new, but an Elise for me please.
No cuckbox either, thanks, if it’s a last goodbye to IC it needs a manual gearbox and a good one too.
Ok it’s already too late to get one new, but an Elise for me please.
I have been through exactly this thought process and bought a BMW 1M, my rationale:
A decent drive - tick: front engine, RWD, on paper (i.e. the PH driving god requirement that only high-revving NA engines will do) the turbo engine slightly lets it down, but I really enjoy driving it
Reasonable practicality - tick: rear seats are actually decent, for the Euro road trip if its ever possible again ...
Good performance - tick: far more than I need
Minimal financial risk - tick: an appreciating classic I think
Good looking - tick: handsome perhaps rather than beautiful
A decent drive - tick: front engine, RWD, on paper (i.e. the PH driving god requirement that only high-revving NA engines will do) the turbo engine slightly lets it down, but I really enjoy driving it
Reasonable practicality - tick: rear seats are actually decent, for the Euro road trip if its ever possible again ...
Good performance - tick: far more than I need
Minimal financial risk - tick: an appreciating classic I think
Good looking - tick: handsome perhaps rather than beautiful
EVs come with instant torque built in. come 2034 (10 yrs after op's date) people might start to appreciate the joys of lightweight for feel, delicacy, turn in, braking. the lardy petrol BMWs and the like will be equalled by the latest Teslas. So, it has to be the Elise/Exige. After that it would be MX5 or GR86. They will always offer something EVs can't deliver for a long time. I'm not saying never though. technology has a habit of always getting better, so 2044 could be different. doubt it though, as I think personal transportation is moving firmly into a different space.
Think I may well already be on my last ICE car. Bought a Suzuki Swift Sport a few months ago.
Affordable to buy, cheap to run, lightweight, manual and practical. Not a rocket ship but the combination of lightness, short ratio gearbox and the engine out of the bigger Vitara mean it makes sufficient progress for my needs and still returns 50mpg on a long run.
Affordable to buy, cheap to run, lightweight, manual and practical. Not a rocket ship but the combination of lightness, short ratio gearbox and the engine out of the bigger Vitara mean it makes sufficient progress for my needs and still returns 50mpg on a long run.
Given I have a Range Rover as a daily & am planning a XKR / DB9 as a toy I think that’s my answer.
Of course you’ll still be able to buy ICE cars after 2030.
But if I had the means to buy new, then it would have to be something that made a great noise, as that’s one thing EV’s can’t give you.
So anything with a Jaguar or AMG V8 please.
Of course you’ll still be able to buy ICE cars after 2030.
But if I had the means to buy new, then it would have to be something that made a great noise, as that’s one thing EV’s can’t give you.
So anything with a Jaguar or AMG V8 please.
vikingaero said:
Real world to me would be a diesel automatic estate car for the load capacity, massive range and rapid refuel, so my master plan is to buy one of the last ones.
We do big 4 day road trips to Germany/North West France - 4 am starts etc and with an EV that will be curtailed, especially as much of the region has zero towns let alone charging points.
That's an interesting take on it, and well-reasoned.We do big 4 day road trips to Germany/North West France - 4 am starts etc and with an EV that will be curtailed, especially as much of the region has zero towns let alone charging points.
UK infrastructure isn't amazing but it's years ahead of some parts of Europe. Unless there's a radical leap in battery tech, I can't see that use being viable with electric vehicles for another decade.
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