Quote:
Originally Posted by franchise
As much as I want to see the STI version in mass production, I really do wonder what the point of it is. A BRZ STI is in competition sales wise with a WRX STI, they are more or less the same consumer, and Subaru would be cannibalizing their own market.
|
Don't really get this line of reasoning. Either way that potential buyer would still be purchasing a Subaru so the profit still goes to Fuji Heavy Industries. I don't think they really care if the money came from a WRX STi sale or a BRZ STi sale. Plus the BRZ STi has the potential to bring in other customers who would not normally look at a Subaru because they wanted a 2 door sports car. Not everyone wants a high performance sedan/wagon despite their utility. Some people just want their performance vehicle to look like a sexy sports coupe.
There are only a small amount of consumers interested in cars with WRX STi type of performance. By only sticking with the 4/5 door WRX STi Subaru limits itself to a small percentage of those potential customers. By offering a 2 door RWD variant Subaru increases the amount of potential buyers and thus takes a larger portion of that small pie. Those customers who decide to buy either a BRZ STi over the WRX STi or vice versa don't really matter because the sale is still captured by Subaru.
That's all assuming price levels and profit margins for both vehicles would be the same of course. But right now the price of a standard BRZ is in line with the WRX so I assume the same would hold true for an STi version.