Are sports cars dead?

SmartPlanet TalkbackShare your ideas and expertise on this topic

Subscribe to this discussion via RSS

•  
  1

  John Dodge

  01/22/10 | Report as spam

  RE: Are sports cars dead?

  My gut tells me disinterest stems from more consumers looking at
  cars as utilitarian. To some extent, that's driven by higher gas
  prices, global warming etc. Who wants to buy a car with a
  ridiculously uncomfortable back seat?
  
  Sports cars with big engines (not many bigger than a `Vette's!) are
  symbols of conspicuous consumption. In this day and age, they turn
  heads, but get derision instead of admiration.
  
  Interestingly, some muscle cars get pretty good mileage because
  they're so light! The Camaro is an example. I just read where Ford's
  going to produce a more powerful Mustang.
  
  Here's another theory: time and money spent on sports cars has moved
  over to electronics, which are cheaper to operate and buy and on
  many levels, more fun.

•  
  2

  JohnMcGrew@...

  01/22/10 | Report as spam

  Market saturation and cost

  There are now so many to choose from and more of them are in the
  expensive segments. (>40k) Since such a high percentage of the high-
  cost cars are actually leased (meaning driven by people who can't
  really afford them) it would be interesting to know sales trends by
  cost and market segment.

•  
  3

  wcallahan@...

  01/22/10 | Report as spam

  RE: Are sports cars dead?

  In this economy, we aren't buying them because they're too expensive, can't get credit, fill in the blank. Bottom line. Sports cars aren't dead though, just on the back burner till things pick up.
  To comment on John Dodge, Sheesh, who buys sportscars for their comfortable back seats, or for their fuel economy? And what's wrong with a little conspicuous consumption anyway?

•  
  4

  Lucky2BHere

  01/22/10 | Report as spam

  No so fast

  This prognostication seems a little short-sighted. There is a broadening of the definition of what a sports car is. Dropping sales of the Corvette and Porsche might be better understood in terms of what people are buying instead; and it's not a typical sedan. Many excellent sports-type cars (Golf GTI, Mazda 3, Infiniti Gs, Lexus IS, Subaru WRX, etc.) seem to be selling well. Additionally, many bread-and-butter cars (and SUVs and trucks) have become much more fun to drive and offer much more utility. It would seem utility, not so much driving costs - as even the Vette gets excellent mileage (if you can keep your foot out of it) and is stone-reliable - is the most likely factor. Camaro did, indeed, sell well and took sales directly from the Mustang, which was off 27% from last year. However, the new engines (and many other significant improvements and upgrades) slated for later this year might have also been the cause of the drop. BTW, the new engines are offering much more power without a mileage penalty and already get contextually amazing MPG numbers.

•  
  5

  dcolbert@...

  01/22/10 | Report as spam

  RE: Are sports cars dead?

  I'm biased. I moved from California to Ohio and sold my 328i, and a 325iC. We now have a X5 and an Escalade. The weather doesn't make a sports car practical.
  
  But I still have a Z3 tucked away in the garage. The big sport-utes are for practical, utilitarian purposes, and the X5 actually performs very well for a SUV (or as BMW likes to call them, SAVs).
  
  So there are practical realities that have reduced my sports-car consumption. For me, a cooling, uncertain economy and a troubled IT market leading to reduced income means that I'm being more choosy about how I spend my discretionary income. I'd love to have a new, hard top Z4, or a Boxster, or any number of sexy, new, expensive sport cars. But I can't really justify the expense for something I drive infrequently for about 4 months out of the year. During the dot.com bubble, it would have been a different story. I see this pain being a great example of the "trickle UP" effect of devestating corporate decisions to increase short-term profits through outsourcing and other "cost-cutting and right-sizing" measures. It doesn't matter if you're making Nike's for $.99 a pair if the people you're trying to sell them to for $150 a pair don't have jobs.
  
  There are a combonation of reasons resulting in declining sports car sales - but if people could afford exotic, two seat, speed demons wrapped in gorgeous sheet metal, they would buy them.

•  
  6

  indiana979

  01/22/10 | Report as spam

  RE: Are sports cars dead?

  Are you kids having trouble with your statistics? All car sales were down 19% and all truck sales were down 24% or so. http://online.wsj.com/mdc/public/page/2_3022-autosales.html
  Corvette gained share. A Corvette from the last 10 years averages 27-28 mpg...probably niot much less in the 10 years before that. It is an extremely durable car and with potential to be highly cost effective given it maintains its market value. IMHO, the people blogging here don;t know what they are taking about.

•  
  7

  JonA_z

  01/22/10 | Report as spam

  RE: Are sports cars dead?

  Did sales/pre orders of the Tesla decline?
  
  If so, then yes.
  
  If not, then no.

•  
  8

  BigGusFromTheCoast.

  01/22/10 | Report as spam

  RE: Are sports cars dead?

  Good God! This is simple. It's not the economy that's killing the sports car. It's traffic!

•  
  9

  Narg

  01/22/10 | Report as spam

  Have all car sales fell about 20%???

  So, if all cars are selling about 20%, and sports cars are selling 20% less, then what's the big deal?

•  
  10

  mwagner@...

  01/22/10 | Report as spam

  RE: Are sports cars dead?

  Why were the only two foreign brands mentioned both expensive high-end automobiles? The Camaro was the only "mid-priced" car listed. No mid-priced foreign entries in the segment were mantioned? How come?

•  
  11

  indiana979

  01/22/10 | Report as spam

  RE: Are sports cars dead?

  Actually, Corvette did not gain share. Production and sales were down in 2009 >50%.
  C6 Production
  2009 ..... 16,956
  2008 ..... 35,310
  2007 ..... 40,561
  2006 ..... 34,021
  2005 ..... 37,372
  But sports cars gained share if their sales fell 17.8% while all car sales fell 19% and light trucks 24%.

•  
  12

  shanedr

  01/22/10 | Report as spam

  RE: Are sports cars dead?

  No, the problem is image. People don't buy a Corvette to go fast, they
  buy a Corvette to give the impression they are the kind of person who
  goes fast. Corvette owners in my area are among the slowest, most
  indecisive and generally incompetent drivers I encounter.

•  
  13

  indiana979

  01/22/10 | Report as spam

  RE: Are sports cars dead?

  describes me.

•  
  14

  ScottTaylorMCPD

  01/22/10 | Report as spam

  Sports Vehicles: The Next Generation

  Any luxury item such as sports cars, yachts, or recreational aircraft is going to subject to ups and downs depending on the economy and current fashion. The better question is what will expand the "sport vehicle" market going forward.
  
  I believe that the next big wave is going to be the personal spacecraft. Although still extraordinarily expensive, the SpaceShip One effort has proven that it is possible to build some kind of spacecraft (if only suborbital at the moment) without the resources of a major superpower.
  
  Once a destination is created (such as a low orbit space hotel, which is actually under serious consideration by at least a few terrestrial hoteliers), you will see a strong push for a private spacecraft model which can at least make it to the altitude of the space hotel (even if it can't quite make it into orbit...it only needs to be able to dock then go along for the ride).

•  
  15

  Masari.Jones

  01/22/10 | Report as spam

  Not so much about the poor economy....

  There are several problems with American sports that are
  causing consumers to look elsewhere or walk away from the
  segment altogether.
  
  First let's look at price, sure the 6 cyl. models of the Mustang,
  Camaro, and Challenger are reasonably priced but they offer
  very little performance for the money... To get to the sporty
  versions of these cars you will need to spend much more money
  (somewhere in the mid 30's). Jump to the Mustang Cobra or
  Challenger SRT8 and now you're in the 40's. Too much money
  to spend on a pony car.
  
  Quality: Other than the current generation of the mustang, the
  interior of these cars are cheap, really poor materials. This is
  especially true for GM cars, they have the cheapest and poorest
  interiors of any sports cars. The Challenger's interior isn't really
  cheap, but it's the same as the Charger and 300c, not very
  inspiring. The Dodge Viper is no better...at $90,000 I would
  expect excellent materials and workmanship on the interior of
  the car... in fact at that price the interior should be covered in
  Carbon Fiber, aluminum and leather... not cheap plastic.
  
  Next, let's look a the Viper and Corvette... they are 8 and 7 year
  old designs, respectively. Yes, there were some minor updates
  but the overall designs are old and no longer hold the same kind
  of appeal they once did. Both are due for a major redesign, but
  don't hold your breath for either.
  
  Anyone remember the Pontiac Solstice? A sexy car with extremely poor fit and finish, cheap and ugly interior, you can
  see all the shortcuts GM took to get this car out as quickly as
  possible and without thinking thing through.
  
  Porsches are just too expensive.. they always have been and
  when the economy is bad these expensive toys are the first feel
  the pinch. Even though the boxster and cayman more reasonably priced, they are still overpriced.

•  
  16

  ejhonda

  01/22/10 | Report as spam

  RE: Are sports cars dead?

  It's the economy - especially in the higher-end cars like the Porsches, Corvettes, etc - those that cost $50K or more. Plus, there are so many sports cars now to choose from, in many different luxury levels, that it dilutes the sales numbers. The sports car segment has always been a limited segment, anyway.
  
  But look how many manufacturers still have product in that segment:
  
  Hyundai Genesis Coupe
  Ford Mustang
  Nissan GT-R
  Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X
  Subaru WRX & STI
  BMW M3, 135, 335, Z4
  Cadillac CTS-V
  Honda Civc Si
  Mazda Mazdaspeed 3
  VW GTI

•  
  17

  Bellhop

  01/22/10 | Report as spam

  Where can you drive them?

  The streets have traffic lights every block, the highways have cops every mile. Where will you drive? Everything is clogged with traffic. I average 35mph on my commute to work (slower if I use the highways). It sure would be an exhilarating drive in a Corvette!

•  
  18

  rogerburd00@...

  01/22/10 | Report as spam

  RE: Are sports cars dead?

  No one has mentioned the Mazda Miata, which is a sportscar in the tradition of the four cylinder British sportscars of the fifties and sixties. It is sporty with great performance and handling but with Japanese reliability. It gets good mileage and is reasonably affordable. They sell new for about $30,000.

•  
  19

  rarsa

  01/22/10 | Report as spam

  I was yesterday at the Detroit autoshow and this is what I saw

  I saw American companies completely out of touch with reality. With low quality cars and horrible mileage when compared side to side with the rest.
  
  I looked at the mustangs and Chargers, Corvettes. They look like dinosaurs from a different era. Don't get me wrong, I am still amazed at the T-Rex, powerful and fast but voracious and not very refined. (Did you check the bad stitching on the leather? the plastic feel to the controls? The awkward positioning of the cruise controls? the windows 98-like interface in the displays?)
  
  They look like muscle cars, already. Nostalgia kicks in. But nostalgia belongs in a museum.
  
  The only American car that seemed to stand out was the Viper but then you have to compare that with the Lotus, Ferrari and the like, which will definitively come on top.
  
  Sad that American companies haven't got the message.

•  
  20

  docotis@...

  01/22/10 | Report as spam

  RE: Are sports cars dead?

  IMHO; I'll lay this one at the feet of the tree huggers. The guilt trip we're on now won't allow us to enjoy one of these cars even if we can afford it. Congratulations on a job well done. Stealing somebody's good time works very well. It's so typical, when a conservative doesn't like something, he doesn't have one. When a liberal doesn't like something, he doesn't want you to have one.

•  
  21

  TWBurger

  01/22/10 | Report as spam

  RE: Are sports cars dead?

  No, the sports car is alive and well. It's the buyer that's dying.

•  
  22

  ashiaali33

  01/22/10 | Reported as spam

  RE: Are sports cars dead?

  This is great. I was little upset that i can go to see the last
  comments in this blog so I see this comments is very excellent.
  Free All Sports videos & highlights, basketball, wwf, street racing,
  badminton, table tenis etc. A fun place to get updated videos &
  images.all stuff avaliable.
  
  regards.
  http://www.india-forums.tv/india-sports.html

•  
  23

  mjolnar@...

  01/22/10 | Report as spam

  RE: Are sports cars dead?

  Everything in this conglomeration is wrong. 1st off, sports cars are not 4 passenger cars, they are two seaters. While I love the Evolution and the CTS-V, neither one is a sports car. They are what is known as performance seadans, like the BMWs and Audis.
  
  There is no need for any additional seating, as it is only meant for you and one other person of choice.

•  
  24

  dawgstyler

  01/25/10 | Report as spam

  RE: Are sports cars dead?

  I don't think the sports car is dead. When I was growing up sports cars = Muscle Cars (corvettes, camaros, mustangs, chargers etc) They fit 2 guys comfortably and maybe 4 guys uncomfortably. You could jump in one and go from the mile post 121 to the tracks (roughly 1/4 mile) and that is what we did with them. Today the kids are finding the most twisty roads they can (Mulholand Dr., Deer Creek etc) and racing back and forth "drifting" they even have drifting races. If you check out the cars, they are the new sports cars the Subarus and Mitsubishi, Toyatos and Hondas. Sure there are a few Corvettes and vipers but the average kids takes an average car and sets it up for drifting. It's not a sports car like we grew up with but I think the term is evolving. Of course back then there were sports cars, family sedans and trucks. Now days you have Sport Utes and Mini Utes, Luxury Utes, and minis cars, trucks and cross overs and etc. etc. There is just a whole lot more to choose from these days it seems like...

•  
  25

  SparkyMaddy

  01/25/10 | Report as spam

  Who wants one?

  As my boss used to say, "you buy a sports car to impress others. You buy a luxury car to impress yourself."
  
  I guess you buy a regular car to impress your bank account, and with high gas prices and a depressed economy that's what most people look for. I don't want to waste money on premium gasoline, and I don't want a car that can't hold a grocery bag.

•  
  26

  tasso.daletzki@...

  01/26/10 | Report as spam

  RE: Are sports cars dead?

  The times when people with limited financial background bought a (real) sports car just for image reasons seem to be over for a while (due to the economy). But "real" sports cars are not dead at all as long as there enough rich people running aroung on the globe.
  
  Only the definition of a sports car should be adjusted from time to time, at least for every new generation of cars
  
  Definition of a sports car:
  top speed at least > 170 mls/h
  accelaration < 5 sec 0 - 60 mls/h
  2-seater or max. 2 + 2 seater
  creates emotions due to a long history in top class motor sports or due to its exotic and limited number
  
  The rest either belongs to the group of classic sports cars or isn?t a sports car at all and faces the faith of every substitutional consumer good that showed some market success when the foregoing marketing campaigns were of high quality (i.e. Camaro)
  And between us, who cares about mass products and their sales figures when someone wants to buy emotions?
  Best regards from Germany (the country with the highest gas prices and the highest legal speeds on public roads)

•  
  27

  eclectos

  01/26/10 | Report as spam

  RE: Are sports cars dead?

  It all depends on what you call a sports car. I drive a MINI Cooper S
  - it accelerates like a rocket, corners like it's glued to the road and
  is more fun than anything I've ever driven before. AND it gets 32 mpg
  into the bargain. You can keep your V8 muscle cars. The MINI is a REAL
  sports car.
  
  /eclectos..

•  
  28

  wkb2texans

  01/26/10 | Report as spam

  RE: Are sports cars dead?

  Actually, I bought my Corvette because I love Corvettes and have wanted one since I saw my first one back in 1968. I didn't buy it to impress anyone ... I bought it to enjoy, and boy do I ever.
  
  I get 24 mpg on the highway, 20 in town if I keep my foot out of the accelerator It's torch red and easily spotted in the largest crowd of nondescript autos of various makes and models.
  
  Yes, with it's 2 seats and limited storage, it's not practical for a family ... but it wasn't intended to haul the kids around. (But, my grandson loves it to death!!) Yes, it'll get up and haul rear like very few cars will do ... and yes, I have some people who frown at me when they see me with the top down and that big ol'smile on my face. But I doubt it's disdain for my horsepower, or what they wrongly perceive to be a gas guzzler ... I believe that sneer is born of jealousy and envy ... nothing more.
  
  My car's 10 years old ... paid for. Why would I spring $50-60K or more for a new one? I can buy another used one for less than $10K. And it's much better looking than any of the new ones ... and, I hear, more reliable.

•  
  29

  DadsPad

  02/11/10 | Report as spam

  What is a Sports Car?

  There are many good definitions on this blog. I will define it as a vehicle (2, 4 or more wheels) that you, personally, enjoyed driving. A Fun Car.
  
  The first car I bought was a 1964 Austin Healy Sprite. Did it do a fast 0-60? No. Did it turn a quick quarter mile? No. Was it fun to drive? YEEESS!! One of the most fun cars I have ever had. I have also had alot of fun in Triumph, Pontiacs, Chevy, Dodge, among others.
  
  If when you drive by your self, you smile a lot, is it not sporty? You do not need an expensive car to have fun. That is really what a sports car is.