This all probably stems from being mid-way through 1984 by George Orwell, but gazing into my crystal ball I can't help but come to the realisation we are all sleepwalking towards the demise of driving for pleasure as we know and cherish it. The doom-mongering over the electric car has us hoodwinked, and it's very possible we are missing the government's long con.

I don't fear the EV. I don't think they are the answer to global warming - that is a whole other can of worms - but I do believe car engineers are extremely intelligent and passionate people. I trust they will crack the code which makes electric vehicles truly fun to drive, rather than outright impressive. By all accounts, the Hyundai Inoiq 5 N is already a kilowatt smile inducer and the Porsche Taycan is a wonderful way to travel. The driving fire will remain, even if it isn't an internal combustion one. I just hope they can make them affordable too.

No, in my humble opinion, the greatest enemy we car enthusiasts face is the blanket enforcement of Black Box monitoring. It's already started with the summer 2023 EU law mandating all new cars must be fitted with a GPS that restricts the car to the given speed limit. Sure, you’ll argue that the device can be overruled for up to ten seconds in emergencies or to complete a safe overtake. You’ll also argue that you’ve no intention to purchase a brand-new car so it doesn’t affect you.

What you’ve got to let sink in is speed monitoring isn’t the end game. Governments always move the goalposts. It's their standard operating procedure to introduce a minor irritation, then just as it becomes accustomed to, they turn the screw. Just look to ULEZ for an example. You aren’t thinking about the amount of fuel duty and company car BIK tax missing from the HMRC balance sheet as they incentivise going green.

Road tolls are inevitable, and what's the best way to monitor it? Via a GPS box of course! When the government introduces tax-by-mile, that is when such a device will become compulsory for all road users. At that point, the insurers rub their hands together and roll their sleeves up. Armed with all the manipulated data they can get their hands on, insure by mile will also become law - or outright refused unless retrofitted.