Appreciate Today’s Car Films While You Can

Last month, The Grand Tour aired its final episode, and as a car enthusiast, I have a lot of thoughts. As the owner of a 2008 Porsche Boxster, I’m passionate about the sensory experience that gas-powered cars provide. Every time I take my car out for a spin with the top down, I get lost in the roar of the engine, the wind in my face, the smoky scent from roadside restaurants, the music playing from nearby shops, the glances from pedestrians, and even the earthy smell after rain. This kind of immersion is exactly what kept me hooked on The Grand Tour for so many years.

The show revolves around driving rare and unique cars in stunning locations around the world, combining car culture with breathtaking landscapes. The three hosts—Jeremy Clarkson , Richard Hammond , andJames May —each bring their own flavor to the show. Clarkson’s blunt, often sharp opinions are a major draw, and his overt disdain for electric vehicles (EVs) is no secret; he once compared them to “fridges on wheels.” Hammond, the daredevil of the group, thrives on pushing powerful supercars and rugged off-roaders to their limits, even after multiple life-threatening crashes. May, despite his nickname “Captain Slow,” is a gearhead with a keen eye for detail, who understands the intricate mechanics better than anyone. Together, their chemistry and humor make the show a success.

In the final episode, all three hosts voice their collective lack of enthusiasm for EVs. As longtime lovers of traditional gas-powered cars, they can’t reconcile with the quiet, vibration-free experience of EVs. I can’t agree more. For me, a car is not just a mode of transportation—it’s an emotional attachment that EVs simply can’t offer.

Looking back at iconic car movies, it’s clear that nearly every one of them hinges on the roaring engines of gas-powered cars to create tension and drama. Take the Fast & Furious franchise, for example. Every racing scene is underscored by the growl of an engine, providing a visceral sense of power and speed that makes your pulse race. Then there’s The Italian Job, where the nimble MINI Coopers darting through the streets of Italy showcase playful agility and highlight the thrill that comes with speed. Even Need for Speed—though its plot is thin—doesn’t hold back on the adrenaline-pumping sequences of car racing, high-speed drifts and car modifications. And then there’s the Mad Max franchise where the monstrous, fuel-guzzling modified vehicles are not just transportation tools but symbols of primitive laws of survival and raw power in a dystopian wasteland.

We also can’t overlook road movies, which often use vehicles as extensions of their characters. In Easy Rider, the rumbling Harley-Davidsons embody the rebellious spirit of two youths chasing freedom across America. In Sideways, the slightly rundown convertible mirrors the protagonist’s unwavering dedication to his dream of becoming a successful writer despite repeated failures. Paris, Texas uses a beat-up old car to explore the deep emotional disconnects among the characters and their journeys of self-discovery, while Drive My Car uses a well-kept but aged red Saab as a symbol of the protagonist’s unique artistic pursuit. The cars in these films all give the characters deeper meaning, and the sounds, vibrations, and speed of the gas-powered engines become indispensable elements of the storytelling.

But with EVs on the rise, how will future car movies evolve? Take Tesla, for instance. Its acceleration is even faster than that of the latest Porsche 911, but its driving experience is too smooth and quiet to really feel the rush of speed. Clarkson once drove a Tesla on The Grand Tour and found it fast, but ultimately gained zero joy from it because there was no engine noise to amplify the thrill. EVs might represent technological advancement and environmental awareness, but their silence strips away the drama and excitement that fuel-powered cars naturally bring to the big screen.

As EVs become more prevalent, I think movie directors and screenwriters will need to rethink how they create tension and excitement with these quieter machines. Maybe they can use enhanced visual effects or amplify sounds like the whirring of electric motors or the piercing screech of brakes to build new types of cinematic tension. These are just my humble suggestions, but I’m sure creative directors will come up with something brilliant.

Another direction I imagine is that EVs could push car movies into the sci-fi territory. We might see more stories about self-driving cars, AI systems going rogue, or the evolving relationship between humans and EVs. Perhaps future car movies will show fleets of autonomous EVs in futuristic cities, or explore plotlines about battery anxiety or hacking into smart car networks. These new technological challenges could become fresh narrative elements of tomorrow’s car films.

Still, this transition will take time to unfold. Whether EVs can replace gas-powered ones as the cultural icons we see on the silver screen remains uncertain. While I look forward to seeing how car films evolve, I’ll be sticking with my Porsche Boxster for now and continue to enjoy the mechanical roar of a traditional gas engine that an EV just can’t replicate.

Catch you later for more movie musings!