Cars that AREN'T going electric: The high-performance models pledging to keep petrol power alive

Everywhere you look, car makers are launching electric versions of their trademark cars.

Britain's most popular new model, the Puma, is now available as an EV, Vauxhall has an e-Corsa in its stable, and the i7 is the battery-powered alternative to a 7 Series.

But not every brand is making the transition...

There are sports cars that are considered too sacrosanct to change to electric, while some manufacturers are simply unwilling to adopt battery power quit yet.

In fact, some of the world's most famous sports car manufacturers are promising to keep petrolheads happy with roaring engines – from V8s to V12s - and the smell of exhaust fumes.

Wishing to keep their clientele happy has only been exacerbated by the stalling demand among the high-end part of the EV market, with household marques from Aston Martin to Ferrari reporting 'zero interest' in high-performance electric cars.

Since the Mustang arrived in 1964, it's become Ford's longest running nameplates and the world's best-selling sports car.

For muscle car enthusiasts, the Mustang epitomises everything a gas-guzzling motor should be. It also symbolises the wild, free spirit of the untamed West.

Newly resurfaced comments made by Ford chief executive Jim Farley to Autocar in 2024 promises the Mustang will never go electric: 'One thing I can promise... is that we will never make an all-electric Mustang,' he said.

Farley added that he wants the V8 to be alive for 'as long as God and the politicians let us'.

Expected to be on the roads in roaring combustion form until 2030, the Mustang should remain a 5.0-litre V8 sports car for the next few years at least then.

However, slightly ironically, the Mustang has already gone electric – in a form.

The Mustang Mach-e, which arrived on the roads in early 2021, is the only Ford EV to wear the Mustang badge, and carry the Mustang name.

While by no means a replica of the sports car, the crossover comes with thoroughbred performance - 480bhp and a 0-62mph time of 3.6 seconds.

In fact, when it launched Ford said: 'Mustang Mach-E introduces the freedom, performance and iconic character of the world's best-selling sports car to all-electric vehicle customers'.

Unsurprisingly, the world of social media is a bit confused, with one person writing on X: 'So even Ford themselves says the Mach e isn't a Mustang. THEN WHY IS THE MUSTANG NAME AND BADGE ON IT???'

Famous British coachbuilder Morgan has said it wants to continue with ICE models for now.

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The maker of the Plus Four, the Super 3 and the Supersport, currently fit petrol powerplants from BMW and Ford into its hand-built vehicles - and its bosses say they don't expect these engines to change into electric motors anytime soon.

Morgan boss Matthew Hole told Top Gear: 'We will put internal combustion engines into our cars for as long as we possibly can.'

He added: 'That's the DNA of our cars and it's what our customers want.'

Morgan isn't saying no to electric in the future 'with an electric programme that's running in parallel [with ICE development]' but is pushing that ball as far down the road as possible – in particular until 'light weight' solid state batteries are achievable.

Gazoo Racing - the performance arm of Japanese brand Toyota - has doubled down on its wish to 'use internal combustion engines as much as possible' and keep its fully-fledged performance models, including the GR Yaris, GR Corolla and GR Supra, as petrol head favourites.

The GR Yaris is one of the spiciest models on the hot hatch market at the moment, with a dedicated fandom and a pricey OTR, starting at £46,045 and going up to £61,750 for the Special Editions.

But buyers will be paying for the dedication to petrol power, with Toyota only happy to adopt a 'multi-pathway' approach to reducing emissions, with hybrid rather than full electric the likely option.

Talking to press at an event in Australia last summer, Toyota Gazoo Racing president Tomoya Takahashi reassured buyers that GR models will keep their fuel engines saying: 'There may be a time in the future when engines are banned, but internal combustion engines aren't bad, the enemy is carbon.

'We are investing in future engines.'

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Earlier this year, British sports car maker Aston Martin further delayed bringing out its first battery electric model.

Famous for being 007's car of choice, Aston Martin has postponed turning its high octane vehicles into EVs before.

The showcase of its first electric model, expected to take place in No Time to Die movie in 2019, was moved back to 2026.

According to boss Adrian Hallmark, part of the reluctance to introduce EVs is that there are two different customers and one set is adamantly anti-EV.

And at the same time, the luxury manufacturer is trying to work out whether to replace an existing nameplate or create a 'new incremental model'.

Hallmark told Automotive News: 'One [set of customers] hates [EVs] with a deep-rooted passion because they think they are being told they can't have a V12 or V8. There is no better way to trigger a billionaire or multi-millionaire than to use the word, 'No.'

Expanding on the issue Hallmark added: 'You either replace an existing nameplate and take the brave pill or create a new incremental model. The original plan was to go with an incremental model, but we're looking at other options.'

It certainly seems that the expectation for Aston to turn the DBX into an all-electric vehicle is out the window, even though Aston Martin will make an EV at some point.

For the moment though those people who, as chairman Lawrence Stroll put it, love 'the smell, feel and noise' of petrol engines won't have to embrace change only ICE models will be rolling off the production line for a while.

Lamborghni is in a similar position to Aston Martin in that the appetite for luxury electric sports cars is minimal to say the least.

In December 2024 the Italian sports car maker delayed the launch of its first EV - based on the 2023 Lanzador concept - which was supposed to arrive in 2028. Instead, it was moved to 2029.

But in recent weeks chief executive Stephan Winkleman said that the model might not even be an EV, saying: 'We have to decide whether we go one way or the other very soon, but today is still… it's possible [that it is a plug-in hybrid], but it's something which is still very open.'

On top of that, the Urus SUV won't go electric soon either, with Winkleman confirming that the Urus replacement would be offered as plug-in hybrid again, not an EV.

Again, an EV is an inevitability in the future but Winkleman said it's all about timing and that Lamborghini doesn't 'need to be there at the beginning' only 'when the people are ready to buy these things'.