The Return of Internal Combustion Engines
The most important news this week was Porsche’s decision to bring back internal combustion engines for the 718 Boxster and Cayman models. The next generation of these cars, planned for 2026, was initially developed as fully electric, but in response to customer requests and a slowdown in the growth of electric vehicle popularity, the company decided to add top versions with ICE a few years after the start of production.
Top versions are the key condition in this case.
Regular 718 models will still be offered only with an electric powertrain, but the wealthiest customers will be able to get a version with a flat-six engine. This situation is not very different from how Porsche made six-cylinder engines a premium option for the previous generation 718, when the base models switched to turbocharged flat-fours in 2016. Back then, V6 engines were for GTS models and above, but it is currently unknown if they will be available only for GT4 and Spyder versions.
Privileges for Wealthy Car Enthusiasts
Porsche is unlikely to be the only manufacturer that will keep internal combustion engines in its model range for the wealthiest clients. The genuine sound of an exhaust system instead of a synthesized one is just one of the characteristics that attracts enthusiasts, which may become unavailable for many in the coming years.
Manual transmissions could also become another example of this trend. In fact, it’s already happening: automatic transmissions, which were once considered a premium option, have now become the standard choice, while a simpler manual alternative requires an additional payment. For example, it is impossible to buy a base 911 Carrera with a manual transmission – for that, you need to upgrade to the Carrera T or GT3 versions. Similar logic applies to more affordable cars. Acura, for instance, allows a manual transmission only for the Integra A-spec version.
When Simple Becomes Special
When the last low-tech naturally aspirated four-cylinder engines, which are still available on some entry-level models in the USA, disappear, non-turbocharged engines will also be perceived as the peak of automotive engineering and desirability.
Wealthy car enthusiasts are willing to pay large sums for such engines because they provide all the emotions that electric cars or even turbocharged internal combustion engines cannot deliver. We already see this with the GMA T.50, Aston Martin Valkyrie, Porsche 911 GT3 RS, and Bugatti Tourbillon.
The Tourbillon also has another almost retro feature that sets it apart from most other cars. It has one of the best instrument clusters in the world not because of the largest digital display, but because it has almost no digital elements at all.
It’s not hard to imagine where this could lead in a few decades. The Mercedes Drive Pilot L3 semi-autonomous driving package in 2025 is an expensive option, but who can guarantee that in the future a steering wheel and a large button to turn off driver assistance systems won’t come at a significant additional cost, even if the only place for real driving remains closed tracks?
Considering all of the above, what feature of modern cars, which we take for granted today, might become a subject of additional payment tomorrow?
This trend demonstrates how technological progress can paradoxically increase the value of simple, traditional solutions. In the future, automakers may create special series of cars with “analog” features for collectors, where the absence of complex electronic systems will require paying an additional premium. Such an approach could form a new market for “cars for true connoisseurs,” where simplicity and mechanical purity become the main criteria of value.