When did cars forget to have fun?

[radioouman]

Back in the early 1990s we started seeing a lot of fun cars... cars that were economical to buy, economical to operate and just plain fun! Manufacturers were building fun cars on existing platforms. These didn't have to be stellar performers, but they were high on "fun"! Examples:
- Mazda Miata
- Mercury Capri
- Dodge Shadow convertible
- Geo Metro convertible
- Honda Del-Sol
- Toyota MR2 (second generation)
- and if you like water toys, Bombardier hit the scene in the early 1990s with the Seadoo

What caused all of these "fun" cars to appear at this time? Do you ever think that we will see cars like this again? (Standard engines, lightweight, convertibles/targas, etc.)

 

[mb]

Safety regulations? Low sales/profits?

 

[jlee]

Back in the early 1990s we started seeing a lot of fun cars... cars that were economical to buy, economical to operate and just plain fun! Manufacturers were building fun cars on existing platforms. These didn't have to be stellar performers, but they were high on "fun"! Examples:
- Mazda Miata
- Mercury Capri
- Dodge Shadow convertible
- Geo Metro convertible
- Honda Del-Sol
- Toyota MR2 (second generation)
- and if you like water toys, Bombardier hit the scene in the early 1990s with the Seadoo

What caused all of these "fun" cars to appear at this time? Do you ever think that we will see cars like this again? (Standard engines, lightweight, convertibles/targas, etc.)

List price for my '91 MR2 (as optioned) was $23,838 - which is $40,823.09 in 2010 $$.

With that in mind, there are still plenty of fun cars around - Miata, Civic Si, Mazdaspeed3, WRX, Solstice/Sky, etc.

 

[krunchykrome]

Low sales; the one's that survived sold well. That's really what it boils down to.....demand.

 

[jlee]

Low sales; the one's that survived sold well. That's really what it boils down to.....demand.

Yep...which is why the Miata is still around.

 

[krunchykrome]

Yep...which is why the Miata is still around.

yup, the Miata has sold well historically

 

[SearchMaster]

I would add that HP in general has gone way up since the 90s, which gives the sense that an "average" car is peppier and more fun than before.

My '91 Eclipse GS had 190HP, which was pretty impressive at the time. It went 0-60 in the low 6 second range, when most cars were well over 8 seconds. Now a lot of cars are sub 6 second.

 

[radioouman]

Maybe the horsepower wars really killed the small fun car, because most of the cars above (except the MR2) didn't have much power to start with. I guess most people would think that they are way underpowered today.

 

[nakedfrog]

The Metro and the Shadow? Really?

 

[Imported]

Safety regulations? Low sales/profits?

Gotta agree with safety regulations..

 

[StageLeft]

U forgot maxima!

I guess people don't want them but also even banal family sedans are much faster than ones from 20 years ago. 0-60 of 10 now is really quite slow but back then I think it was not nearly as bad.

 

[woodie1]

Sales, or lack thereof. Some models not sold/imported here were still available in other markets.

 

[JulesMaximus]

List price for my '91 MR2 (as optioned) was $23,838 - which is $40,823.09 in 2010 $$.

With that in mind, there are still plenty of fun cars around - Lotus Elise, Miata, Civic Si, Mazdaspeed3, WRX, Solstice/Sky, etc.

Fixed

 

[JulesMaximus]

Gotta agree with safety regulations..

I gotta disagree with safety regulations...

 

[Kroze]

mazdaspeed3, civic si, vw gti, subaru wrx, evo, 370z, mustang, camaro, challenger,

just to name a few.

Now if you're talking about Japanese muscle car, I can agree with you. Gone are the days of 300+hp Twin Turbo monsters (Supra, RX-7, 3000GT, 300zx)

 

[jlee]

Fixed

Oops, how could I forget??

mazdaspeed3, civic si, vw gti, subaru wrx, evo, 370z, mustang, camaro, challenger,

just to name a few.

Now if you're talking about Japanese muscle car, I can agree with you. Gone are the days of 300+hp Twin Turbo monsters (Supra, RX-7, 3000GT, 300zx)

370Z - 332hp
GTR Spec V - 520hp

?

 

[Demo24]

Did help that a lot of cars from the 80's were pretty boring. So queue in the 90's with light, fuel efficient enough, smaller cars and you get some fun. They still exist today, but not near as light weight as they once were. Safety regulations and the want for more space helped kill that one.

 

[Turin39789]

I gotta disagree with safety regulations...

Wanna go drive my 72 beetle into a brick wall? I need the insurance money.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Wanna go drive my 72 beetle into a brick wall? I need the insurance money.

Do you really need $50 that badly?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRbwTutw-Hk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPpU5azjCB8

 

[JulesMaximus]

Wanna go drive my 72 beetle into a brick wall? I need the insurance money.

So now we have to go back to 1972 to find cars that are fun?

There are plenty of reasonably priced cars that are great fun to drive made within the past 10 years...and they are all up to the latest safety standards.

WRX STI
Mitsubishi Evo
Lotus Elise
Toyota MR2
Mazda Miata
Maxda RX8
350/370Z

Just to name a few.

No, I'd blame the consumer for this if anything. People don't want small fun cars, they want lumbering SUVs with 10 rows of seats for their 2.5 children so they can tow a camp trailer to the "wilderness" and rough it for one week out the year.

 

[punjabiplaya]

OP thinks Geo Metro convertible is a fun car. End of story.

 

[SearchMaster]

OP thinks Geo Metro convertible is a fun car. End of story.

Ever been on a rickety wooden roller coaster that you weren't quite sure if it was going to hold up until the ride was over?

The Metro is a freaking blast man.

 

[punjabiplaya]

I guess as a sort of "cheap thrills" sort of way, then yeah you can thrash it around and not really care if you crash it (your own injuries not included).

 

[jlee]

I guess as a sort of "cheap thrills" sort of way, then yeah you can thrash it around and not really care if you crash it (your own injuries not included).

Not as much fun as a Smart car.

:awe:

 

[thomsbrain]

It's a tough call about which would be less fun, a Metro convertible or a Mercury Capri. Either way the only solution to the issue would be seppuku.

I'd say driving a 91 Taurus in rush-hour traffic would be significantly more fun than being seen by a member of the opposite sex while sitting in either of those cars.

That might have something to do with why they died quick and painless deaths.