Chris Cervenka from Modified Muscle and I had a good conversation about the high sticker prices for new performance cars — and what those high MSRPs do to car culture.
Have you had to put off a sports-car dream because of sticker shock?
When I was younger, it wasn’t that unusual for folks on a middle-class salary to have a “toy” car. A Fox-body Mustang. A Camaro. A Miata. Something that got driven only a bit during good weather. Now, however, a Mustang GT with all the goodies prices out well into Lexus territory. It would be hard for the average cubicle-dweller or assembly-line worker to afford something like that as a daily driver, let alone as a weekender.
Sure, there are some relatively inexpensive performance vehicles — mostly compact cars with like a Honda Civic SI or Volkswagen Jetta GLI. Most of these cars are also a bit friendlier for daily use — they offer four doors and better fuel efficiency.
But even cars like that can be hit by dealer markup or grow pricey when kitted out. Think about how much the most desirable Subaru WRX costs, or what a VW Golf R goes for. And not everyone wants a compact sport sedan. Some folks want Mustang power or Miata handling. At least the latter is holding the line on pricing, for now.
So, I ask of you, have you wanted, say a Mustang GT or Nissan 370Z or Toyota Supra and had to say no to yourself because you don’t have the bank account? Or have you compromised — bought an EcoBoost Mustang, say, even though you wanted a V8?
Or does it not matter to you? Or could you be happy with a sub-$40K sporty daily driver like a GTI?
You know what to do. Sound off below.
[Image: Ford]
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