They say, many years ago, when dinosaurs roamed the earth, the Arctic wasn’t always covered in snow and had a climate similar to what the UK does now. They say the current North and South poles are the last remnants of the Ice Age, which will melt eventually just as ice across the rest of the earth did when the Ice Age ended.

And while the Ice Age was ending, the earth wasn’t exactly awash with 6000 cubic centimetre 12-cylinder engines. But despite the absence of internal combustion, warmth did take over the cold.

So why does the BMW 328i no longer have a straight six? Why does an E63 AMG mean a 5.5-litre turbo V8 and not a 6.2-litre naturally-aspirated V8? It’s because the greens think cars alone are responsible for melting ice caps.