[QUOTE=Anrosphynx,Feb 13 2006, 10:17 AM]Not making a dent? are you nuts? Did you not read your original post before you posted? Average lot time is 15 days. Most stealerships can't even get them onto the lot before they sell.

 

Yes, you are correct it was Tag/Porsche. I don't recall but I thought Porsche was not the main designer of that motor. I thought they were brought in for their turbo experience. Auto Union would be a bit of a stretch because they aren't exactly the same company as Audi. The roots are there but the actual history is a bit muddy thanks to WWII and the iron curtain. I believe most of the Auto Union stuff ended up in the east. I'm not sure how much of what became Audi was actually carried over from pre WWII.
Either way it's a stupid way to choose which car to buy.

 

 

Yeah, I am sure you got it... GM is sooo concerned about an 18 year old buying the solstice and that it wouldn't sell that they went out and hired Ludacris. They are SO desperate... Common, did you even convince yourself with that statement?.

The average selling price is 25k+ for the car with options, not including dealer mark up, taxes, title, ect. Dealer markup is never included in the average price. I don't know where you live, but here they are marking them up 5k, and they still can't keep them on the showroom floor.

I would call 16 percent a dent especially seeing the limited availability of the car, and the fact that many buyers put down money many many months before the car was released. How many 18 year olds do you know that would plunk down 5k and wait a year before they would actually get the car? Now does the demographics make a little more sense?

GM will have no problems selling this car. And they WILL take sales from the miata. How many hardcore "BUY AMERICAN" individuals have been waiting for a product that was in the miata class? Until now, neither Ford nor GM has produced such a product. Now they have a product they can get behind, and a price they can afford.

I am not going to say that it is a superior product, I am just saying, don't knock it, because it was a good choice by GM and they will sell very well. I have no worries, no matter how people bash on it.

 

That's a good point. The article's claim on trade-ins is pretty vague.

I certainly don't think it's surprising that the Firebird is the leading trade in candidate though. Pontiac as a brand still has a rich hertitage and strong brand loyalty among its core fans. This is the first sporty car Pontiac has offered since the Firebird was last offered in the 2002 model year. So it stands to reason that the Pontiac fans would be first in line on the preorder and wait lists.

What was the leading trade in candidate on the 2000 Honda S2000? I'd be willing to bet it was some sporty Honda product - probably a Prelude or an Integra?

It's also not surprising that the main demographic for the first wave was the 35-55 age males. The first adopters of the S2000 fell largely into that same demographic as well. As someone else already pointed out - it's mainly middle-aged males with large disposable incomes who are buying such sportscars as a weekend car.

Andrew

 

Give that man a cigar! I traded in my Teg GSR to buy the S2000.

 

and these are .. all opinions

the new 1 latch top is just effin BRILLIANT. i believe that falls under the interior category. there's more leg room, thigh room, shoulder room. the interior plastic is FAR better - dare i saw elegant? - than the stuff used in the '99 and no worse than a base model mazda6 (i sold these cars, i think i'd know).

re: acceleration... uhhh.. if it's no slower than solstice, then how about calling it appropriate for the class? mazda3s are no faster.. this whole point is moot as the car, since '89, has NEVER been about pure acceleration. you have never, willl never, see one single marketing point mentioning how quick this car is in a straight line vs. *****

re: "chick car" whatever. solstice can be considered a chic car, as can most 2 seat roadsters. there are more miatas on the road than any other roadster, guess there are a lot of 'chics' in this country?


now. when does the sky go on sale? thinking about trading the s2k in....

 

which is why I said it was debateable...

Well, I am not suprised that there is more leg room/thigh room, shoulder room. Its a bigger car than the older model. I would still consider the interior of the Mazda 6 superior to the interior of the mx-5.

I would say that its acceleration is appropriate for those that enjoy it for what it is. A cheap weekend roadster. Obviously as far as acceleration is concerned, its not going to hang with the 350z/s2000/boxster crowd. But I would like a roadster than can at least edge out a Corrolla S...or for that matter a small ute like the Rav4..

Still a chick car.. you can call it whatever you want, but i think most people would agree, its still a chick car..

 

Dude, go easy on chicks. I would call it more of a hairdressers car!

 

So tell me all about your test drive in a Solstice. What made the MX-5 you drove so much better?