Top Gear: the End of Supercars?
 

For those of you who haven't seen yesterday's Top Gear, here's the last clip of the last episode of this season.

Very sad and brings up an interesting point...

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsQK5ZJUxhk [/media]

So, what do you think? Are supercars/sports cars dying out? It's starting to feel that way...
I have this sinking feeling that we're going into another 1970s "malaise era" and it seems I'm not alone.

I really hope not...the last segment was a bit confusing, I'm not sure whether I agree or not. Time will tell...

I haven't watched the episode yet, but how do you figure? We have all kinds of super cars right now.

Pagani, several Ferraris, Konegigsegg, Several Lambos. Am i missing something?

Wonderful vid....think I had a bit of a chill up my spine watching it because I really connect with Jeremy's love of freedom and how it's under assault in this new world order.

Just a matter of time before "666" is here imo.

i dont see fast cars going any where. there are so many around. plus, ppl will always build fast cars.

but at some point where does plateau? i mean, factory cars under 100K are running 11s in the 1/4. a 10second car is fast but a 9 sec street car is the new goal. we can only go so fast right?...lol

A matter of time before 666 is here? What on earth are you talking about? :confused:

Wow, you really are clueless.

good cinematography.

No, a more likely scenario is you bringing up an obscure reference. "666" is pretty far removed from normal parlance.

You don't actually equate a market-driven *possible* reduction in gas engine exotic cars with the coming of the beast, do you???

Maybe you say it's a symptom, not the core, but geez...

Back on topic, Clarkson is being a bit dramatic (that's a first), in my view.

Hahaha. Ok, man. New World Order indeed. Let me guess, it's those pesky democrats isn't it?

yes...

I have to disagree. Supercars always have taken a very minute share of the car market. They have a REALLY small effect on the environment and rich people always exist somewhere in the world to import them (i.e. Saudi Arabia and China's economies are both really good during this world recession).

LOL. OK. It's all a big conspiracy because they are in cahoots with all of the world's corporations, all of which happen to be ran by hard line conservatives.

Come on. This is all speculation and paranoia that has business being brought into a grown up conversation.

It's OK for you to disagree with what a political party thinks is the best way to do things, but get real.

Missing the point. The point is that gov't restrictions may eventually eliminate cars like this.

Dramatic, pandering to a certain group, ehh... you be the judge.

There are already government restrictions... for large car companies. Companies like Lotus and Ferrari (and brands of kit cars like Atom as well) are exempt from a lot of safety and smog laws in the US.

lol. didn't you see the other thread about the special allowances that they are giving to smaller manufacturers. That's un-American as well, apparently.

Meh. :rolleyes: More vapid eye-candy. Don't get me wrong, I love watching the show, it's great eye-candy, but its information content is, as usual, close to nil.

Regardless of the mass market, with its demand for cars under $30k, automatics, cup-holders, five person seating capacity, 30+ mpg, etc., there will always be a market for $200k+, 500 hp, etc. supercars. Maybe not quite as large a market these days as back in 2007 or 1999 when people had lots of paper wealth but no "real" wealth, but a market nonetheless. Even if every las drop of oil is used up next year, with biofuels there will, again, always be a market for such cars for people wealthy to afford them. Just because the Prius is popular doesn't make a V12 Vantage unpopular with its target audience.

The only way such a car can go away is if there is a global move to outlaw them. There will always be thrill seekers and adrenaline junkies in the human race.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.s2k...7469a9b8a9.jpg
^^ Yeah, the 458 sure signals the death of the supercar. :rolleyes:

The Lotus had (has?) an exemption to DOT bumper standards, specifically Part 581. It has nothing to do with safety - "The purpose of this standard is to reduce physical damage to the front and rear ends of a passenger motor vehicle from low speed collisions." And the speed they're talking about is 1.5 mph. That's one-and-a-half. 2.2 feet per second. The Elise complies with all US safety requirements.

The they are not exempt from smog/emission laws in any way, either. (Although they are small enough to be exempt from CAFE requirements, IIRC.)

Similarly, I am not away of any safety/smog laws that Ferrari is exempt from.

(Kit cars do indeed operate under very different rules, though.)

nah ahh. CAFE and smog rules are the same thing.

The song they used is actually called "An Ending" by Brian Eno. I think the whole piece is foreshadowing the end of the supercar era and possibly, the show. I wouldn't be surprised if next season was the last. :(

First of all, can we please cut the political banter? It's really not necessary and will just get the thread locked.

Ok, maybe I went a little overboard in the original post. I don't think real supercars (Paganis, Koenigseggs, Lamborghinis, etc) are going anywhere, since like Elistan said there will always be a market for them among the extremely wealthy who aren't affected much by the economic conditions.

I'm a lot more worried about the affordable sports car market (e.g. cars that I might actually be able to afford some day). Looking back at the 90s, I had tons of decently affordable sports cars to lust after (Supra Turbo, 300ZX TT, NSX, RX7, M3, 911, Z06, Viper, etc).

Now over half the cars I loved as a kid have died off, and the ones that remain are bigger, heavier, and more slathered with technology that takes control away from the driver. Manual transmissions also seem to be on the way out, which saddens me. Yes, I know it's faster that way, call me old-fashioned.

The only question in my mind is if this is just the beginning of another malaise era (like the 70s) or if it's just going to keep getting worse from here until sports cars are just hybrids with a little extra juice.

For the record, I'm not usually this pessimistic ;)

Sensationalism.

Ah, yes, that's a much more interesting question, IMO, than the one Clarkson posited regarding V12 exotics and their ilk. :)

I think part of what you're seeing today is that affordable, enthusiast oriented sports cars tend to sold in much smaller volumes than a manufacturer's bread-and-butter sedans, trucks, SUVs and such. Therefore, even when/if profitable, they just don't have the revenue volume of those others. Combine that with an economic situation where consumers have less discretionary income to spend on a two-seat sports car that's often a second car, and it just doesn't make sense to spend the time, effort and resources to develop, produce and market a small-volume vehicle. The manufacturer is better suited by hunkering down, concentrating on what brings the best return on investment, and waiting for happier times.

Saying such cars are going away for good is akin, IMO, to saying that there will be no more periods of economic prosperity at all. Perhaps some people believe such, but not I.

It is not accurate to call CAFE and smog laws the same thing. They are related, and one is contained within the other - but just because Lotus doesn't have to satisfy CAFE requirements DOESN'T mean it doesn't have to use a catalytic converter, unleaded gasoline, an OBDII system, meet NOx requirements, contain gasoline vapors, etc.

this

got me thinking.... very moving part of that episode.

As long as there'll be rich people, there will always be supercars (and other expensive things).

I see Clarkson's point. It does seem like cars in general are losing that edginess they had in the past. With all the added technology & weight, that rawness will start disappearing. That's why I appreciate the manufacturers that can keep with the times while preventing their cars from getting that infamous porky/bubbly look.

On one hand, I'm sad to see safety regulations getting in the way of the more aggressive exteriors. On the other hand, it's nice to see cars getting safer over the years and that's really important.

It doesn't just apply to supercars. But an example that pops up in my head is the Nissan's Z line. I don't know much about their previous models except that they were much leaner in appearance. The 350z always looked really porky to me. Fortunately, the 370z took a change for the better with a more lightweight and powerful model.

While the Lotus Evora has a softer, more comfortable cockpit than the Elise, it is said to be nearly as great around the track. In my opinion, it looks pretty aggressive and gives the Cayman a good run.

The 458 Italia looks amazing to me and that's not even the Scuderia version. I'm sure it will look even more aggressive. :)

Pretty interesting topic. All in all, I hope they don't make that new rumored S2000 replacement with a FWD drivetrain. That would hurt my image of the times in the auto industry. :(

the show is just that... a SHOW.
They are suppose to be entertaining.

For those taking it as a serious commentary on the current state of affairs... turn off the computer/tv and go take a nice stroll thru the park...

then come back and watch the end segment as it was meant to be...
a film that had great visuals and a good song to accompany it showcasing the beauty of the Aston.

What a waste of a review on that lovely v12 Vantage. As long as there things like cars there will be people interested in fast ones.

Bloodred- as for your second point, there are people who like vintage cars, maybe you're becoming one of them for the cars you grew up with. To the previous generation, the cars you consider lightweight and minimalist like the S2000, FD RX7 and Miata are bloated monsters compared with their MG Midgets, Alfa Spiders, Porsche 550, etc.

Otherwise think about the Elise, the Ariel Atom. How about the Lotus 7, which has never gone out of production. I guess I don't understand why it has to be a new design. If you like lightweight sportscars, you still have many options.