Matt Prior
Have we reached peak car? This is a question that has been bothering me since a reader asked a few weeks ago.
Ostensibly I think no, we haven’t, because things get better, the world improves, technology advances and the products we know and use get dragged along with that. Cars are cleaner, safer and less likely to break than ever.
But I’m not sure that’s what the ‘peak’ question was about. I think it was instead about driving for fun, for enthusiasts. Then I ponder which of today’s brand-new cars are the absolute high points in their evolution and don’t feel so sure.
In the car world, it’s by no means clear that latest is greatest – after a period of, to my mind, several decades when that usually was the case.
Let’s consider a few sectors. What are the best-ever city cars? Probably score one for the newest ones, like the Hyundai i10 and Volkswagen Up. Although even here it isn’t certain that progress will continue, due to ever stricter regulations.
Family hatchbacks? Maybe a Ford Focus or Volkswagen Golf, but not necessarily the latest ones. The 2010s Mini was very compelling too.
Large family cars? Most of them have become crossovers, the superb Ford Mondeo is dead and all the ‘executive’ ones (the best being the BMW 3 Series) endeared more in their previous eras.
Crossovers and 4x4s? By virtue of being such a new invention, the crossover is at a Jeep Avengershaped apogee, but my favourite 4x4 remains the Land Rover Discovery 4.
Executive and luxury cars? The current Rolls-Royce Phantom is world-class and the new BMW i7 is really terrific. Although might I feel more relaxed in a decade-old Mercedes-Benz S-Class?
Sports car or supercar? Just last year, I drove one of the best small roadsters I’ve ever tried. Unfortunately, it was a previous-generation Mazda MX-5. You can no longer buy a Lotus Elise, which is perhaps the greatest-ever sports car, although Porsche still upholds values with the 718 Cayman GT4 RS, as good a car as I’ve driven.
The Porsche 911 is worthy of its own category. That it’s better than ever is in little question to me, but I would rather drive a 997 GT3 RS (in orange).
And supercars? Ferrari’s staple mid-engined offering, the 296 GTB, is wonderful, but to my mind the F8 Tributo was better (because it was lighter) and the 458 Speciale was better again.
In short, it isn’t a given that new is best. But that in itself isn’t an indicator that we’ve peaked, either.
There are more cars in existence today, an
