[thill]

Originally Posted by Dadhawk

Yes, but of the 100,000 or so Twins sold, what percentage is that? I'm guessing way less than 5% (5,000 cars). Even if it is 10,000, that is not a market, that's a niche for this car and best handled by the aftermarket. The problem is that people that are going to mod cars will mod them regardless of the base they start with, and that is the market that has $40,000 in a $25,000 car.

It is not your typical buyer, which is what a manufacturer cares about with the exception of an occasional halo car that they sell at either high prices (Corvette/Porsche/etc) or high volumes (Mustang/Camaro/Etc).

The 86 is neither. I say that because Toyota/Subaru are building and selling exactly the number they plan on selling. If it was underperforming expectations you would see more dollars poured into marketing. If it was overperforming, there would be a waiting list and you wouldn't see them on showroom floors.

My personal opinion, and really that is all it is, is that yes, if the car had more horsepower they would have sold more of them but only if it performed similarly to a same priced Mustang or Camaro. That puts you still in the $25,000 to $35,000 range at best in the open market.

I tend to agree. That said what I would love to see Subaru (via STI) and Toyota (va TRD) do is to offer forced induction, tunes, etc via their dealerships. Ford has really stepped up with their racing division. I would love to see the option for folks to go FI, have it installed by an authorized dealer, and retain your warranty.