The Z sells primarily to the upper-middle class and to those who can barely afford it. You can see it in the way Nissan markets the car, and there have been polls on here that have shown it as well.
Nissan is simply being beat at both games currently--the FRS/BRZ has taken a number of buyers that might have otherwise maxed out their debt, and folks looking to spend 30-50K on a car have a lot of choices available to them right now (and given the economic conditions, many are trending towards "practical" cars like the 335). The price games Nissan has been playing haven't been helping in selling to either market either.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mt Tam I am
It seems to me most Americans want more, not less for their money. A value equation. So more car, wider and heavier, is being demanded.
We (Z forum) tend to be the opposite, wanting less for the same or more money. I bet most of us would want our Z still, if it were six inches more narrow, 600 pounds lighter and still cost the same. I would pay more for this combo actually.
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There's a lot of demand for smaller cars. The Miata sells well, the S2000 sold well considering, and the Toyobaru is doing OK for itself. Ford is going smaller with the next mustang, etc. The "sporty car" market as a whole has just been tough for a couple of years.