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. :(