Jalopnik asked readers a provocative question: what would you drive if gasoline vanished tomorrow? The responses reveal where automotive culture stands as EVs reshape the industry.
Horses topped the list as a joke answer, but serious responses clustered around electric vehicles and nostalgic combustion machines. Readers named classic muscle cars, vintage Japanese sports cars, and a handful of older dirt bikes. The pattern shows car enthusiasts split between pragmatism and romanticism.
EVs dominated the practical responses. Readers cited Tesla Model 3s, Hyundai Ioniq 5s, and Porsche Taycans as vehicles that solve the no-gas problem while delivering performance and range. These choices reflect market reality. EV adoption accelerates as charging networks expand and battery tech improves. The enthusiast community, once skeptical of electric motors, increasingly accepts them as legitimate performance platforms.
Romantic answers revealed the other half of car culture. Readers would resurrect Datsun Z cars, Toyota 2000GTs, and first-generation Dodge Challengers. Some wanted hand-cranked classics or vehicles powered by alternative fuels. These responses acknowledge that driving culture transcends any single power source. The mechanical connection, the design, the history. That matters more to some than what powers the wheels.
The split reflects broader industry tension. Regulators phase out internal combustion engines. Manufacturers invest billions in EV platforms. Yet petrol engines still deliver the visceral experience many drivers chase. Jalopnik's question exposed this divide in raw form.
What strikes hardest: almost nobody answered with a modern gas car. No new Mustangs or Chargers or Camaros. Enthusiasts either leap forward to EVs or jump backward to mechanical classics. The present moment feels transitional. Current gasoline vehicles lack the nostalgia of classics and