A new SRT Viper and an upcoming Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, Alfa Romeo 4C and Acura NSX. If consumers didn't know better, they might think that all is well in the sports car business.
It's not.
American consumer tastes are changing and sports car buyers are aging. Fuel economy demands are threatening to take the fun out of revving engines. Segment definitions are blurring at the edges. And what worries automakers most is that kids seem more interested in their iPhones and Instagramming than in roaring roadsters and redlining tachometers.
"We're doing a lot to try and awaken the younger customer to Corvette," says John Fitzgerald, marketing manager for Chevrolet performance cars, whose job is to market the 2014 Corvette Stingray that goes on sale in late summer. "We want to change the conversation a little bit."
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