| dieselmiata |
01-31-2012 09:57 AM |
I think most of us would, but we make up a small percentage of the demographic. How many of us are ready and willing to actually buy one once it hits the sales floors? I'd wager not many, and that represents a large part of the problem. When we were younger there was a large number of cars offered for enthusiasts. Every manufacturer had one. There were Supra's, Mustangs, MR-2's, the Z cars, the stuff we all aspired to own. But another major difference was that crash and safety standards were not as strict, emissions testing was a joke, who gave a rats ass about MPG, home and property value was cheap, credit was easily available, and jobs were plentiful and well paying. The times have changed, and the majority of those who can afford a new vehicle have different priorities, and are more wanting of practicality vice fun. This has caused the manufacturers to produce what actually sells. Sports cars are not a large part of that. How many sports cars do you see on a afternoon drive? Do you see Miata's or Chargers? Z cars or Scion's? The enthusiast market is still there, but any car company is taking a risk with the design and production. The demographic to which it will sell is very carefully analyzed, and they attempt to provide the best car to satisfy the most people that will buy. I would love a factory turbo, but Mazda is putting a lot on the success of their sky-activ line-up, and unfortunately turbos are not a part of the equation. On the other hand, what if the sky-activ engine is finally easy to make N/A HP? I would be interested to see how it reacts to other modifications.
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