It’s done, it’s over, it’s going, going, gone. That is to say, BMW will end production of the V12 internal combustion engine. Such a move signals that auto manufacturers are beginning to feel the heat of worldwide environmental legislation. The current generation V12 is perhaps the most refined of them all and also forms the foundation upon which powers the Rolls Royce brand. Dwindling demand from environmentally conscious consumers has also forced BMW’s hand. The V12 is a special engine, the accessibility, driveability, and performance cadence are like non-other. But everything has its time and now it is time to say farewell to the age of the V12.

Not unlike the age of the steam-powered train, the BMW V12, as with all other V12s, is entering the phase of becoming a relic. Electric vehicles such as the Tesla Model S Plaid have proved to offer superior performance while offering a similar range. And while the V12 is steeped in history and heritage, it has become a footnote of history by way of the constant iterative evolution of EV technology. The rabbit has become the tortoise.

However, BMW isn’t done with the V12 just yet because it has one final mission planned. The M760i xDrive will be the last V12 hurrah. The most luxurious, highly specced V12 powered BMW 7 Series will serve up over 601bhp and manage 0-60mph in 3.6 seconds. With an asking price of $157,000, this BMW will most probably become a collectors edition.

BMW isn’t doing away with the internal combustion engine completely, they are seeking to take their time to transition fully into EV mode. The company expects to deliver 2 million EVs by 2025, around 25 percent of total sales. By 2030 BMW calculates that EVs will account for 50 percent of total annual sales, or around 10 million units.