2025 is coming to an end and here in Europe, the real Christmas spirit is currently losing the fight against an area of high pressure giving lots of sunshine, but not much snow. That’s a shame, since a bit of the white stuff helps lighten up what is otherwise the darkest season of the year.
What lightened up December this year was thus not the snow, but rather what came out of Brussels earlier this week. Drumroll: the EU has eased the ban on combustion engines (ICE’s) from 2035. The talk is now not of a complete ban, but rather a 90% CO2 emission reduction target by then, a formulation that also leaves the door open for fuels considered emission-free, such as e-fuels. Whatever the percentage, the real news here is of course that at long last, manufacturers have managed to convince the geniuses in Brussels of the disastrous implications of their policies.
Some things are more important being right about than others, and I would count this as being at the very top of my list. I’ve written for years that the cap won’t last, and even though it’s not entirely lifted, the EU has now left the door open to further amendments, and as sure as Santa has a big white beard, you can be of this only being the beginning.
Manufacturers were obviously thrilled at the news. I’ll let them be represented by Håkan Samuelsson, CEO of Volvo Cars, one of the brands that set out on a fully electrified fleet years ago and were adamant of this being the only future. Now Mr. Samuelsson sings a different tune. Apparently he’s discovered that “you cannot force people to buy something they don’t want”. A shame you don’t read this blog, dear Håkan, it would have saved Volvo a lot of money and you a lot of trouble!
Looking back at the most popular posts during the year, it seems the love of the wonderful Alfa Romeo GTV6 is still as strong. I wrote this post back in 2021, more than four years ago, and I’m obviously thrilled that so many of you still find it worthwhile. In the post, I said that you could find a good GTV6, i.e. the six-cylinder version, for around EUR 20.000. In hindsight it would have been a good time to do so, since the GTV’s are getting rarer by the day, and a good one is now close to double the price from four years ago.
One of my most exciting drives this year was clearly the Porsche 991 Turbo S back in April, and the post on that was also highly popular. It turned out not to be the car I was looking for (and still am, by the way), but it’s no doubt a fabulous car and above all, a fantastic engine. Having said that, I personally still prefer the 997 over the 991, and I would certainly not mind having either in my garage. I guy next to me at a Christmas lunch this week has a garage consisting of a 911 (964) and a Landrover Discovery. A pretty ideal setup, were it not for the fact that the Disco spends a bit too much time in the repair shop. The 964? Not so much.
Beyond these two posts, it’s a pretty even mix of various topics that gets read more than average, which hopefully indicates that you like and appreciate the rather unplanned mix of stuff you find on this blog. With that said, suggestions are always welcome, so if you feel there’s too little or too much of anything, please don’t hesitate to say so in the comments.
So what does 2026 have in store for us? As mentioned in the last post, F1 is in for a major overhaul with more significant changes than at any time in the last 10 years. I’ll come back on this in a separate post before the start of the next season, but it actually bodes for even more excitement, which is great.
In terms of “normal” cars, a new BMW M3 has been announced, or rather a new 3-series, of which the M3 will obviosusly be the main feature. There will certainly be both electric and hybrid, or perhaps even pure combustion engine versions, and let’s hope that the M3 turns out a bit smaller and above all, lighter than the current M5. There’s also rumours of Chevy Corvette SUV – yep, you read that right, but it’s not more than rumours at this point.
Other new cars include a replacement of the Audi TT, a new version of the discontinued BMW i8 (and here, a post on the previous version is coming soon), a smaller Mercedes G-Wagon, whatever that means, and of course, Ferrari’s first electric car, the Elettrica. It won’t look like the Purosangue but is said to be a four-seater, with a lot of the components developed internally at Ferrari. Apparently it won’t be silent either, but rather make electric noises. Grazie Ferrari, but I think I prefer the singing of a V12.
All in all, 2026 should be a decent car year, especially now that there’s also some hope for the future of the cars we love. I wish you all a happy holiday season, wherever you may be, and look forward to bringing you new stuff in 2026!
The Thrill of Driving 