Algorithm > Emotion. The Apex Angle.
The Apex Angle by Rohit Paradkar. Feb'26 EditionAlexa: What Engine Is This?
Sound is gone. Identity is diminishing. So what's replacing it?
The other day, I was out having coffee with my four-year-old. Between his sips of chocolate milk, we talked about school and cars - just the usual father-son stuff. Suddenly, we heard a bike roar down the street. Without thinking, I said, "That has to be a Ducati."
He looked at me wide-eyed, almost impressed.
"But how did you know?" he asked.
I was about to brag about my experience and finely tuned ears when he cut me off mid-sip.
"Most new cars you bring home don't make much noise. And they all sound the same," he sighed.
That one hit hard. Because he's right.
Not long ago, you didn't need to see a car to know what it was. The wheezy yawn of a Padmini, the angry snarl of an RD350, the offbeat rumble of an old Ambassador, or the raspy whine of a Maruti 800 with a slipping fan belt. Sound was identity. And emotion. It lasted until at least a decade ago.
But today? You could be blindfolded inside a convoy of cars from different price segments and struggle to tell them apart. The feeling of a car speaking to you through its sound, its vibrations, its mechanical honesty is vanishing. Even cars that claim to be sporty sound like they've been neutered by lawmakers.
But this isn't a rant against EVs or quiet cabins or stricter noise norms. It's bigger than that.
The sound is gone. Identity is diminishing. And what's replacing it? Software!
What used to come from the engine bay now comes from a processor. Cars are defined less by their mechanical configuration and more by their operating system. The biggest auto headlines are now from Vegas, not Detroit, Geneva, or Tokyo.
Vegas is home to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), which for the past few years has shown that performance is no longer measured solely in horsepower or torque. The 2026 CES practically announced that the real muscle lies in computing power, AI modules, and how cleverly a car can mask its weight or flatter your driving. Regardless of whether the future of mobility is EV, ICE, hydrogen or something entirely new, we have entered the era of SDVs or Software Defined Vehicles.
Sony and Honda showed their latest Afeela prototype that can play Gran Turismo using the car's own steering and pedals. BMW's i Vision Dee morphed into a full-fledged display on wheels with 3D avatars, mood-based interfaces, and generative AI on tap. Volkswagen and Mercedes are talking more about user experience and voice assistants than engines or handling.
Cars are no longer limited by what they were at launch. They can become better, faster, or simply different through an OTA update. Don't like the way your throttle responds? Update it. Want new features? Subscribe. Want new sounds? Download. Closer to home, the new Kia Seltos is already showcasing this tech.
On one hand, that's exciting. A car that evolves with you. That improves over time. That doesn't become obsolete just because its badge turns five.
But it also raises a difficult question: if every car can eventually do everything, then what makes each car special?
When I drove the BYD Seal, it felt composed, quick, and inoffensive. It's not slow - it's quicker than a Golf GTI. But I walked away not remembering the way it sounded or behaved. All I recalled was the screen, the UI, and the voice prompts that popped up every time I sneezed too loudly.
Don't get me wrong. BYD is doing what the market wants. Their cars are loaded, quick, and well-built. But that competence is also becoming the new anonymity. If everyone can go fast and look futuristic, then performance itself stops being a party trick.
And maybe that's okay. Maybe we're in the middle of a generational shift, where a car's desirability comes less from how it makes you feel at redline, and more from how well it parks itself in a tight spot or syncs with your smartwatch.
But sometimes, on days when a Ducati blares past the coffee shop, I do miss the drama. The bark. The imperfections. The times when you could tell a vehicle was special just by hearing it clear its throat.
Because in a world where every vehicle is capable, I still want one that dares to be different.
Even if it doesn't update itself overnight.