Has The Affordable RWD Sports Coupe Become A Money Loser?

[SUB-FT86]

The FR-S spoiled me for every other car that's not like it. I was expecting the FR-S to be a decent car and boy was I wrong. I have driven 350Z's,G35's,335i's,328i's,Gencoupe's, and other big coupes and all of them feel horrible in comparison to the FR-S. They all felt like family sedan coupes with good power and hardly any feel to the driver. And if power is the only thing it mainly got going for them then I am not going to be impressed by any of these machines. The only upgrade to a FR-S might be a Cayman S but I still prefer the FR-S styling on that one.

[Muaddib]

Because most people does not like the idea of light weight, low hp, rwd coupe.

[tekFRS234]

Originally Posted by Wise

RX8 Beautiful? Subjective. Powerful? Not so much.

Good point. I intended to say the last RX7.

[tekFRS234]

Originally Posted by billyk

I bought the FR-S for fun, not as any type of investment. Just want fun. And the FR-S delivers every single time I climb in. I love it.

100% agree

[tekFRS234]

Originally Posted by extrashaky

The funny thing is that I've gotten more attention from Mustang drivers than anything else. I had a driver of a brand new Mustang approach me at a gas station and ask me about the car, whether I liked it, was it fast, etc. Then he just stood there, staring at it with a sort of sad look on his face. He was still staring at it when I said goodbye and left. It was as if he realized at that very moment that he had bought the wrong car.

I let my brother-in-law drive my FR-S for the first time today. Honestly, I'm not going to lie ...he was VERY impressed. He has a Mustang and said I would hate his MT compared to how smooth the clutch/MT is in the FR-S.

So, the article was dealing with RWD sports coupe being a money loser. What do you all think would make the car profitable without ruining the car? In short, what would keep a car like the 86 alive with a long history like the 4Runner and Corolla? I think the car is nearly perfect and just needs more time ...and it needs to have Toyota/GT86 badges instead of Scion.

[Braces]

All this debate over the twins and other more powerful cars. Seriously, honestly, not going to lie (that's for you KOA) ... The BEST world is having BOTH. I love the agility of the twins, but I also like all out horsepower. No need to bash one or the other.

[Vracer111]

Originally Posted by tekFRS234

So, the article was dealing with RWD sports coupe being a money loser. What do you all think would make the car profitable without ruining the car? In short, what would keep a car like the 86 alive with a long history like the 4Runner and Corolla? I think the car is nearly perfect and just needs more time ...and it needs to have Toyota/GT86 badges instead of Scion.

Make the suspension softer and supple, make it a hatchback, make the car roomier in the rear so a 6'+ person fits in comfort, add lots of sound deadening just because, and give it 350+hp and people will flock to it like crazy and it would be VERY profitable. Of course that's going against what the car is about and I would not buy one then...

[Lonewolf]

RWD Sports coupes have always been money-losers (notwithstanding a couple generations of the Mustang/Camaro) in this country...the pattern always plays out the same...wash, rinse, repeat

Year 1: Hype, waiting lists, and great sales
Year 2: Car still selling well
Year 3: Noticeable dive in sales (Sometimes car is refreshed here or in Year 4*): Slight uptick in sales after refresh*
Years 5/6/sometimes 7: Cars sit on lots unless loads of incentives are offered

Afterwards = Model terminated (RX8/S2000)/ renamed /retooled (Eclipse/AWD version) or on hiatus for many years (300ZX to 350z)

[zooki]

Originally Posted by tekFRS234

I let my brother-in-law drive my FR-S for the first time today. Honestly, I'm not going to lie ...he was VERY impressed. He has a Mustang and said I would hate his MT compared to how smooth the clutch/MT is in the FR-S.)

That's interesting, because even with a Kartboy shifter & Pentosin in my FR-S trans, my '90 mustang GT's T5 transmission shifts smoother. Of course it has an aftermarket shifter & synthetic ATF in it, but still...

[Tromatic]

Not gonna' lie, the first-gen will be the one to have. They will be unable to resist "improving" all it's best qualities right into the shitcan. Not Tada's fault people are idiots.

[weederr33]

Hater's gonna hate. Potatoes gonna potate.

[Obja]

oh fuck yeah lol

[Hot Lava]

So if rear wheel drive small light weight low power sports cars are not profitable then Mazda (read Miata) should be going out of business any day now.

[Lonewolf]

Originally Posted by Hot Lava

So if rear wheel drive small light weight low power sports cars are not profitable then Mazda (read Miata) should be going out of business any day now.

The Miata is not even close to being Mazda's breadwinner...now if Mazda's entire line-up consisted of RWD coupes, that would be another story.

Mazda is mostly comprised of FWD sedans and cuvs, and has been for some time.