Plummeting Automobiles Demand

Iconoculture: Vehicle segments are an easily identifiable reflection of the times. In this case, it’s not just suburban SUV drivers who are feeling the pain of high gas prices. Demand for so-called weekend cars is plummeting. Convertible sales are down even more than the overall auto market.
Until recently, luxe cars always outperformed the market, but high-end marks like Porsche and Mercedes are seeing double-digit sales drops. Porsche’s total U.S. car sales were down 28% versus a year ago to date.
Sign of the times ahead. Even if our economy takes a turn for the better, the change sweeping across the auto landscape looks likely to be longer term. The SLK has always been Mercedes’ halo vehicle, but nowadays no model means more to its maker’s image (or its driver’s) than the Prius.
The future of fancy rides might be in better fuel efficiency, but automakers need to keep them fun if they want to keep them rolling off the lot.
Weekend cars are staying in the garage [Iconoculture]