Enthusiast cars are dead!

Let's rewind back ten years

If you are reading this and were lucky enough to experience the golden years of obtainable performance cars, then you could fire off names of every major model and badge associated behind it and why they were significant for their time. Each of those automakers that had skin in the game was going all in on the automotive fight with gloves off for who makes the best sports car. Most importantly, they all had their halo car as close to perfected at this point.

I was grateful to have a well paying career in the automotive industry starting right out of college at General Motors in 2013. Even if there was an underlying sense of shame taking a job at a company with a stained reputation. GM was fairly recently restructured out the 2009 bankruptcy that taxpayers never saw any payback from. A sub-brand of Chevrolet, Corvette was also very close to being one of the many brands that was to be axed if it were not for government intervention. Fatefully, GM was told it had to continue making it's halo car. Still, many people in this country and around the world to this day do not respect the company. Fair enough. However, if GM ceased to exist, then we wouldn't have witnessed the greatest American sports car to have ever been made and I wouldn't be writing this article. Competition amongst automakers is what gives us great cars.

You have to understand that I was one of the few that had a sense of pride working at GM. For me, that was entirely because of the C7 generation Corvette. All other vehicles continued to have poor reliability and lack of design. Cadillac changed leadership and geographic locations more times than I could count in my brief tenure there. More importantly, most of what GM mass produced was generic. Working in IT at an individual contributer level, I was a minority in believing in at least one of the products. Most people drove to work in a Japanese car. Managers were the only folks to drive a new GM vehicle simply because they were given a new one every 6 months with only an administrative fee and the caveat that their spose had to have a GM vehicle as well. One of the other perks was free business expensed gasoline and vehicle insurance. I mean, you would drive an ugly GMC Acadia if you were given one with only a few strings attached, right?

As I'm looking back exactly 10 years ago, I was fully enjoying my experience at GM as a Software Developer. I had recently used one of the perks to "try out" a new manual C7 Corvette for 1 week. For free. That marketing tactic really worked on me because I managed to find an all-black manual C7 Z51 with a matte Jake logo on the hood at a dealership about 3 hours away. I traded my manual Cadillac ATS 2.0l turbo at a loss and drove away with a brand-new top trim level Corvette using my 15% off employee discount. That was the most exciting drive home of my life. I don't care that it was a poor financial decision. It is an experience that cannot be bought ever again. Right place and right time to be a part of the greatest sports car America will ever make. I'm not saying that because I am justifying my car addiction. I am saying that because that was the peak of iconic and truly connected car experiences in this country.

Many great moments in time are not fully appreciated until after they have passed by at least a decade. As of writing, having a stable white-collar job is now a luxury, whereas 5 years ago large tech companies were competing with each other for who offered the most in-office perks. We as humans tend to take the peaks of how good we really have it for granted.

Fierce Competition

Determining which entusiast era in the history of cars is easily debatable per country. Since I'm located in the United States I will say with certainty that was during the early 2010's through the early 2020's. Let me elaborate with facts to prove my point:

• General Motors released the C7 Corvette; the last real American sports car. Perfection of a front-mid engine affordable manual supercar slayer. Coincidentally, for the next generation they went mid-engine after the VP of GM put a front-engine C7 ZR1 with 755hp into a wall at the Detroit Grand Prix. A definite end of an era. You can understand why the first C8 release understeered too much for an inheritly more balanced car.
• Porsche had teased and took the purists for a figurative ride when they made the 991.1 GT3 in DCT only. The archetype of a sports car was no longer about driver enjoyment for the first time ever. To usher in the FOMO of a lifetime, they then dangled the ultra exclusive 911.R that only the richest of the rich could aquire. It was essentially a lightweight manual only GT3 touring. Then the mid-cycle refresh brought the 991.2 GT3 touring that allowed for a manual transmission once again. If you pay close enough attention to the automotive journalists they almost all say that this was the last true enthusiast GT3 generation (for reasons I will get into later).
• Dodge sells out of the elusive Dodge Demon 170 as a swan song to the biggest modern boat of car with a staggaring 1,025 hp on E85. After that they castrated their brand name by saying the next-gen Charger and Challenger would be fully electric. An American hero had fallen.
• Ford made the most exotic engine this side of the Atlantic that can only be described as legendary in its design, sound, name, and vibration. I'm talking about the 5.2 liter flat-plane crank v8 that spun to 8,250 RPM @ 526hp. Code named Voodoo because it was about as close to magic as you can get for an engine. It was such a special motor that it was only ever put into the S550 generation Mustang Shelby GT350. It had the largest single air intake ever for a Ford. These cars were manual only with no auto-blip downshift. You could turn the traction control off with one toggle and make the exhaust valves go fully open with another. I will definitely write a whole article about this one car if you can't tell by my excitement about a Ford after working at GM for 5 years. Heresy? At the time no because when I was there I only cared about my C7. Right up until I quit and experienced the forbidden fruit of the blue oval badge.

Ok that last paragraph went off on a tangent about my personal affection for the best American engine ever put into a vehicle despite it's tendency to self-descruct.

Then vs Now

Let's compare each of those vehicles with their immediate successor. This is from my perspective of owning and driving many of the greatest hits during this timeframe. Growing up playing Pokémon, I very much continued the "gotta catch 'em all" mindset with fun cars. Even if I did not personally drive or sit in some of these I certainly watched and read as much as I could about them over the years.

C7 vs C8 Corvette Grand Sport

It's no secret that the Grand Sport is the sweet spot in the Corvette world. I went to Corvette Invasion and talked to a fellow who sold his C7 Z06 for a C7 Grand Sport when he moved to Austin. Why? Because here in the hill country of Texas, there are are curvy roads to enjoy and you don't need 650hp and heat-soak from that notoriously hot supercharger to enjoy it. A reason why GM waits till after the Z06 to release the GS is because it is somewhat the same car minus the extra power. Another reason why the GS is the ideal Corvette is due to it's trackability. When the C7 GS was released, it was only a fraction of a second behind a Porsche 991.2 911 GT3. At the time, it was half the price. Quite the deal. GM perfected the affordable and well balanced sports car. By affordable, I mean relative to the competition, which in reality was only Porsche. Heck, even the C7 ZR1 embarrassed the Ford GT laptimes. A car nearly 4 times it's price.

Now let's talk about the highly polarizing release of the C8 Corvette. Adjusted for inflation, they are essentially the same price. However, it should be said that the words "Grand Sport" imply a sportcar. Is the C8 Corvette even a sports car anymore? I'm sure you know people who chose not to buy the new Vette because it lacked the entire purpose of a sport car: connectedness and engagement. Most reviews of the C8 do not praise it for it's road feel and inputs. GM went to brake by wire when they had perfected hydraulic brakes in the C7 (to the point where they were the gold standard). I can attest personally that the brakes were one of the best things about the previous generation. Of course there's the obvious: the complete lack of a manual transmission. While the last manual Vette was too notchy at best, it could be improved with a short-shifter kit. Then, there is the radical change from front-mid to mid-engine. That is understandable given they reached the limits of traction with the C7 ZR1. Now compare the price of that to the new ZR1. It's clear GM wants to compete with McLaren and Ferrari. Well, not in weight and emotion it can't compete. What GM can't pick is deciding what kind of car the C8 is supposed to be. Is it a grand tourer? Between generations, they are nearly 8 inches long and 6 inches wider. Why increase the size that much? Well, they had to boast at the product launch that you could fit a whole golf bag in the rear, next to the engine. They dare not alienate their target buyer: retired Americans flush with pension and 401k money.

991.2 vs 992.2 911 GT3 Touring

I'll sadly admit I have never driven the holy grail of the all around best sports car in the world. I have custom ordered and owned 80% of a GT3 Touring according to SavageGeese: a 718 Cayman GTS 4.0 with a manual transmission. While the mid-engine Porsche only revved to 7,800 and not 9,000 RPM, that is 86% of the revs. Some even say it's a more fun car to daily drive. I wouldn't know personally. What I do know is that the credible reviews from presigious car reviewers, such as Chris Harris, almost unanimously agree that the prev-gen 991.2 GT3 Touring vs the 992.1 or even 992.2, is more of a connected enthusiast car. You hear and you feel more. It was less refined, which is a great thing. Less tech and screens and insulation from the outside world. They perfected the 911 GT3 in 2019. That's just over 50 years of iterations.

There's no way they could have made it better, right? Given the EU requirements for safety and emissions, they sure did everything they could to keep the purist vehicle alive. Scarcity from supply chain issues in the early 2020's and from artificial scarcity taken from the Ferrari playbook meant you needed dealership loyalty to even get on the list to custom order a new one. After dealer markups (ADM) of 50 to 100k USD over sticker were not unheard of, especially for a 992.1 GT3 RS. You could blame the newly minted crypto scammers for that increased demand. Or the eye watering price increases from frantic last minute bets on used car auction websites to inflate the once reasonable market.

Shameless plug: since you're on this site, open a new tab and add your vehicle to your account to get notified if someone is looking for your car. Or do the opposite and post a Bounty of the car you are looking for. Both are free to use. It's only when a potential sale goes through that you would have to pay. If there is something you wish to see on this site to help you buy or sell your car, please let me know. Now, back to my ranting.

Challenger SRT Demon 170 vs Charger Daytona Scat Pack

This one should sting for you muscle car guys and gals. I know it's not a direct replacement. However, it was probably one of the most disappointing model reveals from a brand that was known for it's absurd ICE engines. Dodge had a great thing going. They had a loyal customer base who would gladly buy whatever vehicle they could get with a supercharged Hemi V8 in it. You could say the Demon 170 was the final send off for their best selling retro muscle car. Pre-orders sold out fast. Even though it was basically drag strip only, it still captured the soul of American stereotypes from way back in the day: go really fast in a straight line and make a lot of noise doing it. Then, immediately after it's departure, Dodge did the unthinkable. The Charger successor went to an all electric motor.

This is probably the funniest fall from grace. This is the same SRT that made the Viper ACR with a patriotic 1776mm wide wing that crushed track records and then went out of production. An electric muscle car is about as ironic as it gets.

S550 Mustang Shelby GT350 vs S650 Shelby American GT350

I'm really sad that Shelby American attempted to continue the name of the GT350. It's rightfully their model name no doubt. If Carroll himself was to see what was done between generations, I think he'd shake his head in disapproval. Ford had the best sounding V8 ever made and put it exclusively in the S550 GT350. Then Shelby American thought slapping a supercharger on the S650 Mustang GT engine would entice buyers to pay nearly double what the previous gen cost. I'm not too sure that Ford cared to pay the Shelby tax again. It must have been expensive. Given Ford designed the touchscreen laden S650 interior for gen-Z, it's no wonder Ford partnered with a pro drifter instead of the retro Shelby name and made the blocky looking RTR to capture the minds of the younger generation.

From a 2019 Car & Driver comparison of the F87 M2, Mk5 Supra, 4cyl 718 Cayman, and GT350

Even in a field of spectacular sports cars, none is as raw or as alive as the Shelby GT350.

There's no doubt in my heart that the S550 GT350 and GT350R are the pinnacle of fun American enthusiast cars. If you can't afford a GT3 and want a better sounding exhaust then you get one of these heavy hitters. Even the S550 GT500 is still highly enjoyable with it's extra weight and DCT. I wish I could have all 3 in different colors. I couldn't say that about any other brand except Ferrari. It's a "if you know, you know" type of deal. Either a silent nod of approval from your side of the screen, or a look of surprise. I don't care if there are better handling experiences. Give me engagement and emotion for any weekend drive. I want to feel the danger of the rear breaking traction with TC on. I wan't to earn the non-assited downshift. I want to hear the exhuast overrun decend into a lower and lower frequency from a positively violent high. Clearly, I can't shut up about the very car that made me create an entire website to find one in a specific color. If you too have been bitten by the Shelby cobra, there is no cure. Had GM not spooked me to look for another job with it's first of many rounds of layoffs, I probably would not have left and I would definitely saved myself a lot of money by not finding out how much cooler Ford Performance was.

Closing Thoughts

What does this say about the current state and obvious future of enthusiast cars? It is as simple as the title says.

While it's not all dark and gloomy if you are into the resurgence of JDM cars. You could say they are somewhat alive and well because of Toyota, Nissan, and Mazda. But they are not making emotional or inpiring vehicles. I'm going to ignore the Miata because it is a constant enthusiast option. I have driven the latest ND and it didn't do anything for me in terms of excitement. I know it's a fun car for most sports car applications. You save a lot of money with consumables. It's enjoyable because it's extremely lightweight. Really, it is in it's own category for the money. I'd argue that an enthusiast car has to be either aspirational or emotional in it's feeling on or off track.

There is also hope for some American icons to continue their legacy. There is the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing sedan that still offers a supercharged V8 with a manual transmission. I think the day Ford stops making it's only remaining car in the US is the day we really panic. Despite it's styling, you have to appreciate that the Mustang can still be bought new with a fairly high-revving V8 with a manual transmission.

I'll ignore comparisons of past enthusiast options vs the current sadness of BMW. They stopped holding the Ultimate Driving Machine badge right after the E92 M3 during the early 2010's. I one day want to drive an E46 M3 to find out what that engine in that chassis was all about.

Let's not forget about Ferrari and the brand death knell that is their first all-electric "vehicle" the Luce. It has to be the most laughably dissapointing car reveal of all time. A once mythical brand reduced to commuter car status. There's a reason why the 458 Italia will continue to grow in value and most of their recent forgettable models will depreciate.

You'll notice a recurring theme among all fabled fun cars: they are high revving and naturally aspirated. Usually in the 6, 8, 10, or 12 cylinder category. GM did well with the C8 Z06, even though it was a cartoonishly fighter jet of a car that desperately wanted to be the new exotic but with Chevy Cruise tail lights. However, if I could own all of these non-forced induction masterpieces I would in a heartbeat. Preferably in various shades and tints of green and purple. I would then write in excruciating detail their effecacy in achieving automotive nirvana. All because I too am obsessed with chasing the same feeling as you dear reader: melding with a four wheeled machine that ticks all of your boxes, on the street or on the track.

There are only 3 new truly exciting production cars as of this article that you can buy in the USA with a high-revving naturally aspirated engine:

• Lexus LC 500 with a 5.0L V8 starting at $100,000. This is more of a Grand Tourer than a sports car. Production ends this year.
• Corvette Z06 with a 5.5L V8 starting at $120,000. These will be a future bargain on the used market considering how many were made.
• Porsche 911 GT3 with a 4.0L flat-six starting at $230,000. That's a $60,000 price increase between generations. Not including dreaded ADM. Only one on this list that offers a manual transmission.

I'll mention the already sold out Ferrari Daytona SP3 with a 6.5L V12 because it is very telling where customer demand is at. It started at $2.25 million and it was the highest-priced new Ferrari ever sold at auction for a staggering $26 million.

If you made it this far, thank you for reading my passion and experience with inpiring automobiles. Thus concludes my first article on the very reason why I made Bounty Hunters: to help you find your used dream car narrowed down to at least one specific option. Because they ain't making 'em no more.

PS: I'm proud to say that all of these words are my own and not generated by AI. There are probably misspellings and grammatical errors in here. We shouldn't strive for perfection. Unless you drive a Porsche 911 S/T. By all means, that is probably perfection.