Who says all cars need to be fully electric? Here are cars that are perfectly fine with an internal combustion engine

This isn't the case of buying a Lomography or an analogue camera for the sake of going against the norm and being cool. If going digital or having a fully electric car is going to make things more convenient and less painful, we're all for it. After all, why make life difficult just because you want to be cool or just because you need to make a pointless statement?

Don't get us wrong. We're all for digitalisation (we are Sgcarmart, after all) and fully electric cars (for the sake of our children and children's children), but there are some things in life that are better left untouched.

In the automotive world, here are some cars that are better off with an internal combustion engine.

Ferrari's mid-engined flagships

One of the best things about internal combustion engines has got to be the sounds they make, and when it comes to the best sounding engines, there's more than a few that belongs to Ferrari.

Just look for a clip of the Ferrari F355's iconic V8 soundtrack, and you'll know what I'm talking about. And it isn't just loud noises, any car with an unrestricted exhaust will sound loud. Ferrari's engines are built for performance, and as a result, most of them would not only rev to eye-watering rpms, but also do it in the blink of an eye.

While you can argue that electric motors rev even higher, but it just isn't the same thing. A mid-engined Ferrari, with its sleek and sexy lines is a soulful machine that deserves to have an engine that was painstakingly engineered to perfection.

Lamborghini's mid-engined flagships

Lamborghini's mid-engined flagships like the Aventador (and all its variants) are all about ear piercingly loud flamboyance - cue its iconic naturally aspirated V12 that's going to be extinct soon.

Not unlike Ferrari's mid-ship supercars, Lamborghini's equivalents are also highly defined by the brutal driving experience that is only possible with a highly-strung engine.

While Ferrari cars are mostly about performance, Lamborghini really is about being the greatest showman.

Start an Aventador up and you have garnered the attention from everyone in the vicinity, give the throttle a few jabs and large blue flames starts shooting out of the massive exhausts at the centre, generating even more excited noises. Now, try doing that with an EV...

Maserati GranTurismo and mid-engined models

Designed to be a grand tourer, the Maserati GranTurismo's proposition is quite different from a typical sports car. In order to offer a comfortable and compliant ride, these cars tend to have softer suspension that results in more body roll. However, in order to be a capable tourer, it has to have a powerful engine, and that is where the Ferrari-derived V8 engine comes into play.

If you have ever heard a Maserati, you'll surely notice the sound these things make. Indeed, the most iconic thing about Maserati cars has got to be the throaty roar that their cars produce. Without the aural bombardment, one can argue that much of the flavour of these cars would be lost. Now, why the GranTurismo in particular? I suppose, an electric drivetrain might suit the sedan and SUV models rather well, just leave the sporty models alone.

Mercedes-Benz AMG C63

Just look at the outcry when it was announced that the new C63 will be powered by a downsized 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine and you'll get what I mean.

While the basic recipe of the first C63 was a compact car that sent tons of power to its rear wheels, a really attractive part of it was its huge 6.2-litre V8 engine that belted out plenty of torque along with a muscular soundtrack.

Electric motors are able to put out plenty of power and torque, but it will never be able to replace the raw, visceral feelings that a high-powered, high-capacity engine manages. An all-electric C63 simply wouldn't feel right even though it can probably still kick up a ton of spinning tyres-induced smoke.

Muscle cars - Camaro, Mustang, Challenger

Without much exposure to muscle cars in Singapore, my impression of them is pretty much limited to movies. And even then, it was clear what the appeal of these cars are - huge, large displacement V8 engines that not only rumble, but rock the entire car from side to side when you rev them whilst stationary.

The earth shattering torque and thunderous sounds that these engines make defines these cars. If you were to take away the sound and the muscular thumps that these engines make, there really wouldn't be much of a muscle car left.

Porsche 911 GT3 RS

Sitting at the top of Porsche's sports car line up are two models that have been christened with the hallowed RS moniker - the 911 GT2 RS and the 911 GT3 RS. While the former is the fastest model packing turbocharged power, the latter is a high-performance model that aims to connect with the most hardcore of enthusiasts.

Instead of sheer power or world-beating performance, the 911 GT3 RS provides a pure, intense experience by taking a track-focused approach.

Weight is reduced to the minimum by getting rid of unnecessary equipments and amenities, and the high-revving engine is also left in naturally aspirated guise to offer immediate response for a soul-stirring drive. Needless to say, going electric would surely mar the experience offered by the GT3 RS.

ALSO READ: Even the best car safety systems wouldn't be able to save you if you have these bad habits

This article was first published in sgCarMart.