hondaBeater

AUTO REVIEW: The numbers are in: It doesn't look good for sports cars
Larry Printz, The Virginian-Pilot
Published Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Is the sports car as we know it about to die? The question comes up every few years, but as the industry slumps, there's cause for concern.

In the Dec. 15 issue of Automotive News, I looked at the chart for U.S. light-vehicle inventory, which measures how many sale-days worth of vehicles are available for purchase nationwide. A 60-day supply is considered normal.

I won't bore you with all of the stats, save this one: As of Dec. 1, some of the largest supplies are sports cars.

Check the numbers: Ford Mustang, 201 days; Chevrolet Corvette, 233 days; Mazda Miata/MX-5, 245 days; Saturn Sky, 272 days; Honda S2000, 278 days; Cadillac XLR, 306 days; and the Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder, 332 days. That last number is a big one - almost a year's worth of roadsters waiting for buyers.

How could that be?

Consider that decades ago, when sports cars such as the Porsche 356 and Chevrolet Corvette first ventured onto the freeways of our hearts, mainstream sedans handled corners with the finesse of a desk chair.

By contrast, even the most modest modern sedan handles better than a sports cars did decades ago. Heck, some modern sedans maneuver as well as sports cars - yet offer room for four and a trunk that holds more than a toothbrush and hair gel.

Through the end of November, Madza had sold 10,678 Miatas and 102,093 of their Mazda3, a car that's just as sporty and more practical.

Now ponder this: as automakers cut models to save money, which ones do you suppose will be the first to go?

Take three guesses; the first two don't count.

QUIKAG

bs

Zoomie

sports cars won't go. right now we are hurting, but in any kind of reasonable economy sports cars offer huge profit margins to manufacturers. there may be less choices in the future, but they aren't going anyway. btw, porsche is still the most profitable car company in the world.

Mark355

Because omitting the CGT and hideous Cayenne, they haven't had to pay to redesign a car in 40 years.

Sports cars are here to stay, but production is going to be cut big time.

Zoomie

Mark, if i had any car other than an S2000 i would rip into porsche for not redesigning the 911.

i guess if it ain't broke.

Chris S

We have an early front-running for the most moronic post of 2009!

Porsche probably invested more in R&D during '08 than Honda did for the S2000 and NSX during all years of production (i.e. not counting the initial design and tooling).

Porsche makes a lot more money from financial instruments and equity interests in affiliates (VW/Audi, etc.) than they do by selling sports cars.

Spec_Ops2087

Goes to show just how overpriced they are if thats the case (and shows how many yuppies will actually pay the premium)

Mark355

C'mon man, read in between the lines. I'm just saying the 911 shape has pretty much been the same since the dawn of time. I know a lot has advanced underneath.

Chill.

Chris S

OK, but it's the same shape since it's an icon, kind of like a Harley Davidson. Porsche tried getting customers to move to the 928 and 944, and it didn't work.

Lots of folks don't like 911's, but enough paying customers do make Porsche not want to mess w/ the formula too much.

Yellow_S

No, it's not. Stop spreading bullshit! It's very profitable, but not the most. That title goes to the largest automaker in the world - Toyota:

Net profit: $17.15USD billion (2008).

Porsche: $8.14 billion.