You would have thought the decline of the ICE means it just fades away, but the evidence appears to suggest that it's more likely to go out with a big bang
I’ve spoken numerous times in this space about the demise of the internal combustion engine (ICE). For petrolheads, the end of the road in 2035 has so much apprehension attached that it comes with a sense of ineludible dread, even if the end date is still some way off in the distance making it hard to comprehend. But there is no escaping it. No loopholes, no postponements. For when the inevitable time comes, hardcore car fanatics will endure a period of grief in some form.
It's something many will probably initially struggle to accept and come to terms with. From a sensory perspective, the general consensus is that the diminishment of driver engagement and interaction compared in an electric car only has negative connotations, and it’s hard to argue or quibble that view. Right now, driving an electric car doesn’t offer the same sort of return as an ICE car.
This niggling aspect is frustrating when car fanatics with petrolhead yearnings instinctively connect with the unique traits of the ICE. As sentient beings, it resonates with our feelings and emotions that are intuitively embedded within all humans. That robotic essence of electric cars disconnects the person from the car in a cold and clinical way, as if the driver is almost surplus to requirements and to an extent almost dispensable.
With the ICE car set to be replaced, it is hard not to overlook what will be lost when the dreaded day does arrive, and the living and breathing nature of the ICE fade into the pages of history. But rather than witness the dwindling decline through a filter of despair, there is an upside to the perceived downside that compensates to some extent and actually turns this negative reality into a positive train of thought.
"The end date for production of the ICE is a point of no return that car companies can exploit and use to their advantage"
At this point, a rebuke from petrolheads disputing and dismissing my musings would be understandable. Yet there are grounds for optimism in my theory that may offer solace in what is an inevitable and unavoidable change in the car industry. The end date for production of the ICE is a point of no return that car companies can exploit and use to their advantage.
They can use the cut-off point to produce arguably some of the finest ICE cars that will ever be made, because carmakers now have nothing to lose. And it could be that now time is of the essence that planet car is about to enter the greatest chapter of ICE cars, and that the best examples could be produced in this period. For this very specific reason, I look forwards towards the possible cars to come, rather the gazing backwards, pining after the type of cars which will be missed.
There are examples of this theory that have emerged, and I anticipate the pattern will continue up until the 2035 deadline. One is the introduction of the first-ever BMW M3 Touring. It’s slightly surprising that an estate version of the M3 hasn’t been considered for production with previous iterations, however BMW have broken with tradition with the Touring G81 generation, perhaps the ICE timeframe pressure prompting its establishment.
And it makes for an intriguing proposition. With the combination of high-performance and functional practicality, the M3 Touring is a tantalising prospect for fast (and wealthy) families. Covered in camouflage, it has been spotted testing several times in the past twelve months, but BMW have thus far not disclosed any details ahead of its reveal later this year. Yet a logical assumption would be that it features the same powertrain as the M3 G80 saloon.
As a prospect, the Touring G81 broadens the bandwidth of the M3, which just adds to its appeal. Another example is the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS. With motorsport technology from the GT department, a more radical approach has been taken. The treatment means it features the same 4.0-litre naturally aspirated six-cylinder engine that’s been fitted to the 992 GT3.
It has been watered-down and detuned to the sum of 10bhp, but nevertheless, the mid-mounted unit still produces 493bhp. And thankfully, it still revs all the way to 9000rpm. The performance that results from the rocket engine means the Cayman GT4 RS is a serious track weapon for road use, one that encroaches on the remit of 992 GT3. Of course, the modifications cover every aspect from aerodynamics and design to the materials that are used.
It's an exciting car which has ventured into uncharted territory for the Cayman. I’ve always had the impression that the Cayman had the potential to be a more than what it was, more sophisticated, more accomplished. And I’ve always thought the reason why Porsche held back from extracting and exploiting that potential was because it would usurp the 911, such an icon that it is. From the perspective of Porsche, that would have been an unacceptable proposition.
Thus, the Cayman has remained a product to sort of fill a gap in the market. That doesn’t make it a bad car, as to all intent and purposes, it’s a good one. Just that you would choose to buy one over a 911, and a probable reason that explains why people would was because they couldn’t afford a 911. So why have Porsche had the change of mind? One answer would be that for Porsche, to create the ultimate version of the Cayman, the 718 GT4 RS, it was a case of now or never.
"carmakers are faced with a stark choice: to produce the ultimate versions of the ICE models they make, or to miss out"
Not only was the FOMO factor perhaps a significant influence, but with rumours circulating about the replacement for the Cayman being based on the electric Mission R concept, the decision to override the unwritten rulebook and give the Cayman to the GT department to modify with motorsport technology was maybe a possibility too tempting to turn down and overlook.
The inference that can be taken from the M3 Touring G81 and the Cayman 718 GT4 RS is that carmakers will develop more radical examples of existing models, and even some more exclusive versions too. As a petrolhead, that is an enthralling prognosis. Whilst it’s despairing that the ICE will cease to exist, the evidence for the transition sustainable mobility is irrefutable, thus it is being done for the right reasons.
But that demise may just mean car fanatics experience the best ICE cars there has ever been. With the car industry consigning the ICE to the pages of history, carmakers are faced with a stark choice: to produce the ultimate versions of the ICE models they make, or to miss out, and be left regretting what could have been. Given the opportunity and potential that such a scenario presents, I think the best ICE cars are, despite its looming fate, still yet to come.
Photos: Porsche, BMW
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