Then how is it that most young folks are buying ecobox scions and toyotas and nissans and fords?
Today's youth are being indoctrinated in the cult religion of "green" (and all the al gore bullshit that entails), and care less and less about power and more and more about superficial looks and "carbon footprint."
None of the the Scion brand are massively powered, yet it is their youth brand. So, your definition is a bit different than the way Toyota corporate sees it, obviously.
Sure the manhood-compensating gangbanger "auto" culture youth are all about power and "dat turbo doe" bullshit (and such attitudes seriously piss me off). But those d*ckless wonders aren't going to be interested in a driver's car unless it becomes a non-drivers car, and then they're still going to ruin it with cheap, aesthetics only springs and overly cambered alignments for "dat slammed look".
But driving an 86 sure makes you feel young, whether you are physically young or not.
I'm 30, but I'm still young enough to WANT power, to enjoy a nice deep exhaust rumble, but I also want that car to be something I can hop in wearing dockers, button down, sports jacket and go pick up a nice young lady in a little black dress to go to the dinner theater and that car NOT rattle her up or annoy her with exhaust volume or scare her when the engine opens up. That requires a car with character that responds to the driver and isn't by default "because racecar." That's this car when driven maturely.
That's the youth I think Scion is appealing to overall as well, it's just that the other scion models aren't sports cars, but they all have this hip, refined yet polite manner to them.
That's my impression. But don't think I'm some Scion fanboi. If anything, I'm a Subaru Fanboi
. It's just that I think the FR-S fits in with the Scion lineup in terms of who they're wanting to sell the car to. Personally I think they'd be better off scrapping the Scion off-shoot name and simply selling those same models under Toyota. That way, someone looking for a 4dr sedan can see the corolla, camry, and the tC and xB all under one badge, and pick depending on his or her preferences instead of thinking "Well, what's the difference between Toyota and Scion? I don't want a sports car. I just want a Toyota", not realizing that Scion isn't a sports car lineup. But the name simply being different and Toyota already having a luxury car brand name (Lexus) would just confuse the not-yet-clued in.
I understand Toyota's concept of Scion, and I think their cars under that name have merit for the market. I just don't agree that creating a North America only rebranding was the best move for them to sell to the younger demographic.