What two cars would you live out the end of internal combustion with?

You know the fantasy garage pub game: a couple of hypothetical empty car spaces and an imaginary blank cheque - what do you go and buy?

The MOTOR team were having such a discussion recently, when it dawned upon us that the cars we know, love and choose today, are very much a dying breed.

Some major international markets are earmarking a sales ban on new internal combustion vehicles as soon as 2035, and many of us will be alive to see petroleum-burning transport phased off the road.

That got us wondering: if you could pick any two new cars to live with until the unleaded bowsers run dry, what would they be?

Rules of the game:

• You have a two-car garage to fill all of your motoring needs, cost no object but be realistic
• Consider these the last two internal combustion-powered vehicles you ever own, choose wisely
• They must be new cars – there simply aren’t enough McLaren F1s in the world for all of us

Leave your picks in the comments below, and read on to see what the MOTOR team had to say.

10

Andy Enright, Editor

For a pure road-biased indulgence, I was going to have a Singer DLS. To really celebrate internal combustion, I’d like a very analogue, mechanical experience that functioned as a road car and I can’t think of much better than the Singer.

A 4.0-litre atmo engine developed by Williams, a manual box, houndstooth fabric and a low-key exterior finish. Maybe fish silver with no decals. And some decent security for my garage. Then I realised that the 80-car run sold out a month or so ago and now I’m having to cast around for an alternative.

Given that this is a cost-no-object exercise, I’m sure Rob from Singer could rustle up something similar as a one-off, given the right motivation. Or have I just completely blown the rules here by nominating a car that isn't built any longer?

10

But clearly owning a mega-money special isn’t going to be entirely practical for a trip to Coles, so it’d need to be backed up with something that has a modicum of versatility and which can take a bit of a beating. You’d just know that with a Singer in the shed that you wouldn’t need to underscore your status or prove your car credentials to anyone so my freebie daily would be something comparatively discreet, quick and easy to drive.

I think I might sit on my money and wait for the facelift Porsche Macan Turbo, debadged, in white and on the smallest wheels available. It’s a do-almost-anything sort of car and would easily handle the dirt tracks near my home.

I’d be happy with that as a two-car garage for many years to come.

10

Cameron Kirby, Deputy Editor

If these two vehicles are to be the only vehicles available to me, as much as I’d love a pair of all-out supercars to fill the garage, the harsh reality of life means something a little more practical needs to be included.

Filling this role will be the Mercedes-AMG GLS 63. The non-AMG GLS was one of my favourite cars of 2020, and the addition of the M177 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine and trick suspension would make it a deft daily driver.

The GLS 63 will be able to transport me, friends and family, and my horse-sized dog in supreme comfort thanks to active anti-roll bars, adaptive air suspension with pneumatic self-levelling, and one of the largest cabins currently on sale. Don’t get caught sleeping on the GLS 63 though, with 450kW/850Nm on tap it’ll crack the tonne from a standstill in a claimed 4.2 seconds.

10

My love for the GLS 63 aside, it’s not the sharpest dynamic tool. Enter the McLaren 765LT Spider – a car that defines the zenith of Woking’s reborn era. Just the figures alone are off the charts; 563kW, 800Nm, 0-100km/h in 2.8sec, and onwards to 200km/h in 7.2 sec. I’m going for the Spider because if we are honest there will be little discernible loss in driving experience, but an exponential increase in auditory enjoyment.

The 4.0-litre M838T twin-turbo V8 engine that sits at the 765LT’s heart started life as a racing engine, and while nothing but the bore and stroke remain from those motorsport origins, the link is undeniable. If I’m going to see out internal combustion with just one engine to enjoy, it had to be this.​

10

Trent Giunco, Staff Journalist

No price cap. Okay, this is fraught with danger. A 992 911 GT3 is incredibly tempting, but I’ll have to go with the Ferrari 812 GTS. Because why wouldn’t you have a 6.5-litre naturally aspirate V12 Prancing Horse that can spin to 8500rpm.

Admittedly, while it could easily blast around a track and it reaches 100km/h in a frenetic 2.9 seconds, that’s not how I’d use it. A weekend cruise, roof off and listening to the 12-cylinder soundtrack would be all I’d need to be happy. I’m sure there’d be myriad twisty roads along the way.

10

Sticking with the theme of excess, and the fact I didn’t get a Porsche for my first option, my daily would be a Panamera Turbo S. I did want a Sport Turismo for the wagon life, but it ‘only’ goes up to the GTS. You can largely forgive the two-tonne heft for the level of luxury inside, while the liftback boot is spacious and the ride quality is supple for long-distance trips.

Plus, the 463kW/820Nm 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 counteracts the 2080kg kerb weight nicely and, being a Porsche, it doesn’t fall over itself at the sight of a corner. One can dream.

10

Alex Affat, Staff Journalist

Let’s start with the daily driver. No cost? It has to be a wagon, right? But which one to choose? Do I take the Audi RS6 or do I wait for the M3 Touring? Alpina has a more immediate solution, the B3 Touring.

It shares the M3’s brutally effective S58 twin-turbo inline-six, with a number of key tweaks delivering a drastically different character and feel. Peak power may be down 35kW compared to M Division’s spearhead M3, but it’s up significantly on torque, producing a headline 700Nm which is then sent to all four wheels.

The M3 may deliver higher dynamic heights, but the Alpina is certainly no slouch. It’s a more flexible road car and arguably feels more special. And it has to be Alpina Green with gold pinstriping, please.

10

Now, for the fun car. Sadly there can only be one, but only one keeps returning to mind; the Lexus LC500. All manner of cars have passed under my lucky custodianship through this job. While it’s not the most expensive and certainly not the fastest machine that’s been charged under my care, it is one of a few particular cars where I have truly envied the owners who are lucky enough to own and live such an experience everyday.

It’s very heavy at nigh on two-tonnes, and somewhat aloof at the limit, but the free-breathing Yamaha-fettled 2UR-GSE 5.0-litre V8 is one to cherish while we still can. The rush and sound of an aspirated 351kW deployed at a dizzying 7100rpm is life-affirming stuff. It seems almost quaint compared to some of the more esteemed badges you've already passed over but this, however, is an emotional question, and the Lexus LC500 is one of the most emotive cars you’re ever likely to experience. There’s nothing quite like it, and there may not ever be again.

Whose garage do you most like the look of? Leave your own answers, and why, in the comments below!

10