AT THE REDLINE THE FUTURE OF PERFORMANCE JOHN KRAMAN John found career success as a sales manager of autos and then aircrafts, and he is a licensed Federal Aviation Administration pilot and mechanic. He joined Mecum in 2006 and is now the director of company relations and the company spokesperson at public events. As the supervisor of Mecum’s on-air talent, John further utilizes his skillset as a commentator and analyst for the televised coverage of Mecum auctions on MotorTrend and MotorTrend+. He enjoys tending to his personal car collection, spending time with his wife Christine, four grown children and five grandchildren, and also performing in the classic rock trio, Redline 7000. It’s my hope that the title of my column this month grabbed attention and has readers ready to absorb some of my personal observations and thoughts about where we may be headed regarding the future of performance. Certainly the electrification of vehicles (EV) is getting plenty of attention in both the mainstream and automotive press these days. There is no doubt that we will be seeing more EVs down the road, but frankly, there are plenty of internal combustion engines (ICE) still available, and they will continue in production for quite some time yet. It is estimated that there may be as many as 2 billion ICE engines operating in the world today with many more yet to be produced in the future. This includes cars, trucks, SUVs, tractors, heavy equipment, motorcycles, airplanes, boats, ATVs, garden equipment and even electric generators. In fact, some of the hottest and fastest-selling vehicles today are ICE-powered, such as the C8 Corvette, Ford Bronco and Dodge Challengers/Chargers. A point to be made is that modern ICE powerplants are surprisingly fuel efficient and have emission levels at record low levels, and some extra bonus points should also be added for the extreme power levels that are generated. However, if those statements leave you thinking that I may have something against EV power, let me tell you: that is not the case. I have had the pleasure of experiencing the popular Tesla Model 3 as well as the Ford Mustang Mach E, both of which feature state-of-the-art EV technology, and I was and remain very impressed by both the performance and fun-to-drive factor of each one. As a classic Baby Boomer who grew up playing with electric slot cars, I must confess that the sensations, sounds and instant response of this pair brought back some very fond memories, and the range between charges will continue to improve to help reduce range anxiety. So, here is where I feel we are headed. Along with even more EV choices, I feel that ICE will also move ahead with smaller displacements, turbocharging and hybrid electric assist. A huge boon to the future of ICE is the positive impact of the EV on the ever-tightening government fuel economy standards. The improvement of the overall fleet fuel economy numbers with the EVs factored in, should make it easier to justify continued production of the next wave of even more efficient ICE offerings. In the meantime, the purchase options and demand for ICE vintage and contemporary vehicles remain at record high levels. I suppose it is all about choices. Perhaps the best option would be to choose an EV for local commuter use with home charging capability, if possible, and an ICE-powered driver for longer distance traveling or heavy trailer towing capabilities. If one has both the means and the capability, this seems like the obvious winning combination to me. 32 // MECUM.COM
