Very good points, especially about 200hp being a nice sweet-spot (which it is). Just because they release a turbo version, doesn’t mean they have to do away with the na car. That sweet-spot car would still exist for the younger generation, but the older generation with a bit more buying power would also have an option…

Yeah I remember that. The press loved it, and I’m sure it endeared a lot of people to the car for not much outlay.

It’s not cheap, but limiting yourself to a niche part of a niche market is a losing game. It’d come into a lot of competition with a bit extra on the price tag, but competition that a more powerful version would stack up quite well against (thanks to the lighter weight).

The thing is is that it could fit into both niches. Why not make it the car for people who want a fun drivers car and the people who want a bit of a turbocharged kick?

Agreed on the lack of torque. I’ve driven a few cars with truly measly horsepower ratings (things like a 1.0l Vauxhall Corsa, a Citroen BX 1.9 non-turbo diesel and a 1.0l Nissan Micra). However, they felt fast enough because they had reasonable torque at normal driving speeds.

Interesting concept about fast-burn sales vs slow-burn sales and the ways they’re represented. I wonder how many sales they have total. If they’ve reached market saturation, then the next logical step would be to branch out into another market. A turbo would do that, bringing it into the competition with lesser spec…

Very interesting, and a very good point. It’ll be interesting to see what effect it has on sales.

Good point, and perhaps they realised the mistake as soon as the first few reviews came in but couldn’t rectify it (a couple of people here have stated hard to solve cooling problems with aftermarket turbos and superchargers). So, they frantically try and shore up sales with limited editions (which always reek to me…

All very true, and a remap to sort the odd dip would go a long way to satisfying potential buyers. I think it’s too little too late at this stage though, and most people who want one will have bought one earlier and just smoothing out the torque curve isn’t going to draw in new buyers.

That is a possibility, and Toyota might also have wanted that if they’re planning another Supra.

I agree wholeheartedly that it’s a car that’s in a perfect little bracket of its own, but that’s not the general public’s perception. For some reason the Miata/MX-5 escapes that. Probably in part because it’s an already established player, and in part because it’s some 200kg lighter (a not insignificant amount).

True, and if they did something to beef up the torque curve in the middle it might be just enough for people to start saying ‘they’ve fixed it’s one flaw’ which is what they need to do really.

Exactly. They need to do something big to keep interest, rather than marginal power increases and new paint.

It does sound exactly like what happened in the 70s. The sports cars had the edge in fun, but could be outrun by a hopped up runabout that could seat 4 people, take the kids to school and transport 20 lengths of 4x2 if you needed them to.

Yeah, I think it might be something to do with fear of cannibalising sales from both Subaru and Toyota (if they release a new Supra).

Ah, now that’s interesting. Back in the 60s, Detroit simply could not work out why the antideluvian Beetle with it’s horribly rough engine and its swing axle suspension and its antiquated styling was selling so well (in excess of 650,000 a year).

The point would be broader appeal and generation of hype. People would go nuts over the turbo version because they’ve been crying out for it for ages. Even if they don’t sell a shitload of them, that increased hype is what a halo car is all about.

Very good point about a halo car not having a direct competitor. I wonder whether that outweighs the chatter generated by a good rivalry (like the WRX and the Evo).

Still a relevant one from a dealer perspective. They don’t just have to sell a car when it’s new, they have to sell it again if it gets traded in, and again every time after that.

I’m not criticising the car, I’m criticising it’s marketing and development. They spent so much on the initial hype and then sort of flatlined after the car was released. It’s like they got cold feet.