Brace Yourself: Here Are 5 Iconic Driver's Cars We Will Lose In The Next 20 Years

The knowledge that there is now a finite amount time we can still buy awesome petrol-powered cars in the UK has got us thinking about all the amazing cars that will either be killed off or changed massively by the cut-off date. We know these cars will have gone through model several life cycles anyway by 2040, but the chances are that not all of them would have gone electric by choice.

We’ve picked out five of the most significant ones to begin with; cars that have a greater significance to British petrolheads than the average. These are cars whose very identities are intrinsically linked to the pre-electrification age, and that will be sorely missed. We’ve got 22 years left to enjoy brand new cars like these, so let’s step to it, people.

1. BMW M2

The baby M-car is also the best of the current range. It’s small enough to shine with an agility that the M3 and M4 lack, it’s plenty fast enough for most people and its handling dynamics remind us why BMW’s M Division got so famous in the first place. The M2 is one of the best performance cars on sale today, and it simply wouldn’t be the same as a hybrid.

2. McLaren 720S

The Super Series McLaren is perhaps unique on this shortlist in that it wouldn’t necessarily be the worse if it gained an electric motor. McLaren has proved that it knows exactly what it’s doing on that front courtesy of the P1. But still, it won’t be quite the same and the 720S represents a staggering performance car achievement by a British brand that will have to adapt to the 2040 rules. The big twin-turbo V8’s days are ticking away.

3. Mazda MX-5

At the other end of the scale we stumble, bleary-eyed, into what could possibly be the most significant loss to the petrolhead world; the humble MX-5. It’s so small and light that any attempt to hybridise it or switch it to battery power would surely ruin it. Could they really keep the weight down with batteries and motors on board? Thinking about losing what is one of our favourite B-road cars is catching us right in the feels.

4. Toyota GT86/Subaru BRZ

Another back-road weapon is the normally-aspirated Toyota GT86, and its Subaru BRZ twin. It strikes what its fans know is a perfect balance of exploitable performance, stunningly good handling and affordability, and we can all kiss goodbye to that with any sort of hybrid or electric version, as weight and price increases would take their inevitable toll. The GT86 might not survive the new rules at all. What a shame.

5. Volkswagen Golf GTI

The Golf GTI is arguably the affordable performance icon. The first generation redefined what a practical, reasonably-priced car could do in terms of performance and driver engagement, and aside from a few turbulent eras along the way it’s done a pretty good job ever since. Despite that, it could all-too-soon be driving off into the sunset for the last time. Volkswagen already makes the Golf GTE; a petrol-electric mildly performance-biased hybrid that has won loads of fans already. Could it be the car to kill the legendary GTI? Sadly, yes, it could.