Word: seaters
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...long-lapsed pilot, the Los Angeles property developer did not want an aircraft that would intimidate her. Her flight instructor suggested an airplane that McCollum hadn't even heard of. One demonstration flight later, she was hooked on a Cirrus SR22, a sleek and powerful four-seater whose designers are trying to reinvent the small plane, not to mention the small-plane industry. "I'm a techno-nerd," says McCollum, "and when I saw those two computer screens in the cockpit where there usually are a bunch of round gauges, I immediately felt at ease with all that info...
...over the summer, David Beverly found plenty of choices, at attractive prices. Hunting for a sexy machine under $40,000, he surveyed vehicles ranging from Detroit's muscle cars to newer models by Audi, BMW and Honda. What really caught his eye was Nissan's sizzling new two-seater, the 350Z. A mortgage banker from Austin, Texas, Beverly loved its specs: a powerful engine, modern design, solid engineering and a price around $36,000, with all the trimmings. After reading raves about the vehicle, he says, "I knew I had to have...
Carmakers have two demographic groups in their headlights: Gen-X car buffs like Beverly, 31--an unmarried professional with no children--and the expanding ranks of baby boomers who can afford a two-seater now that their kids have grown up. Though sports-car sales account for just 1% of total vehicle spending, automakers view the eye-catching cars as a vital way to give a gleam to their brands, enhancing the image of an otherwise utilitarian fleet and luring shoppers into showrooms. Done right, two-seaters make money too. Outfitted with luxury fixings, they often yield hefty profit margins...
...turnaround plans, Chrysler, Ford and GM argue that siphoning resources from their most profitable product lines--trucks and SUVs--would be foolish. "It's a question of priorities," says Chris Theodore, Ford's vice president for North American product development. "Nobody here says you can't build a two-seater, but it comes down to making the business case." The automaker is banking on its retro-styled Thunderbird, rumbling Mustangs and the upcoming Mazda RX-8 (Ford owns 36% of Mazda) to hang on to its sports-car credibility. Few of Ford's top designers and engineers, however, are working...
...situation is similar at GM, though it will launch a Cadillac two-seater (price: an estimated $80,000) and a combo roadster-truck, the Chevrolet SSR, both for next year. Producing a sports car in the sub-$40,000 segment is not part of GM's public plans, at least not yet. While the prototype of its Pontiac Solstice was a hit with critics at auto shows, GM has not said whether the car will be produced...