Twenty Three Percent

A month ago, Toyota was featured here, along with a chronicle of their enormous achievements in setting the modern standards of quality in automobiles.  But for car buffs, Toyota cars often come off as boring.  That’s okay in the marketplace though.  The slightly irreverent automotive website Jalopnik.com reports that 77% of car buyers consider their car “nothing more than a way to get around.”  For 77% then, Toyota has the right approach.

For the 23% of us who feel more involvement with our cars, there are some spectacular cars out there.  If you already have your practical sedan, van or station wagon, you’ll want a powerful, sexy, coupe.  Here are three:

Porsche Cayman

Porsche, one of the world’s smallest automakers (but recently absorbed by giant Volkswagen) is one of the most respected brand names in the automotive world.  They have consistently built the highest quality, true drivers’ cars during their 60+ years in business.

After some hard times in the early 90’s, Porsche was wise enough to bring in some Japanese production experts.  They figured that they could keep their Germanic engineering, but rationalize production to ensure profitability.  They learned the lessons well, continuing to produce highly desirable cars, and at the same time earn the highest profit margins of all auto producers.

The Cayman scores well on all fronts.  Staid Consumer Reports rates it highly.  J.D. Power surveys of Porsche owners generally rank Porsche near the top among all auto brands.  And the “buff” books like Road & Track love the cars, and generally decide that, in spite of fairly high prices, no one offers an equivalent car for less money.

Unlike sports cars of the past, the Porsche Cayman has all the creature comforts, is suitable for everyday use thanks to its reliability, durability and comfort for driver and passenger.  At $50,000, it’s a worthy possession if you really like to drive.

Maserati Gran Turismo

If the only virtue of this Maserati were its delicately sculpted body (design courtesy of Italian masters, Pininfarina), you’d want one.  If only the interior mattered to you, once you sat in the masterful Italian leather interior, you’d sign the order blank forthwith.  If all you cared about was a spirited drive with power, precision, great mechanical noises and all the speed you can handle, you’d write the check.

For years, Maserati has made significant cars, even if they weren’t always dependable.  But within the last few years, as Maserati has been shepherded by Ferrari within the Fiat group, the cars have become genuinely reliable, able to meet the international competition face-to-face.  This Maserati is somewhat of a bargain, at around $125,000, when you consider the fact that its mechanical elements are very similar to the $300,000 8c Alfa Romeo Competitzione and the $200,000 Ferraris.  It’s also a four-seater, with a rear seat adequate for real people.

Infiniti G-37

Surprised to see a Japanese car in this trio?  Don’t be.  Forty years ago Nissan, when they were still called Datsun, redefined the sports car world with their 240Z.  They offered Jaguar style at MG prices, and threw in unparalleled reliability.  They followed up with their Model 510, a sort of half-price BMW that conquered the marketplace and the racetrack.

While Toyota produced a steady stream of dull but very high quality cars (chasing the 77%), Nissan paid some attention to the rest of us.  The Infiniti G-37 is an elegant coupe in the spirit of an Audi S-5 or BMW 335 Coupe.  Most road testers have concluded that Nissan has more-or-less matched the Germans at about 75% of the cost.  Rating services such as Consumer Reports find that Infinitis outscore the Germans in reliability.

The leather interior is an example of Japanese contemporary design at its best.  And in a rough parallel to the Maserati, Ferrari and Alfa Romeo trio of technically related cars, Nissan offers two other cars that could be seen as alternatives to the G-37 Coupe.  One is the Nissan 370Z at $30,000 plus, sort of a short wheelbase G-37.  The other is the Nissan GT-R, a sports model that has had as much impact as the original 240Z.  At under $80,000, it takes on cars costing far more.

Nissan ruffled some feathers when a GT-R lapped Germany’s Nürburgring race course quicker than the best Porsche.  The British magazine Autocar recently pitted the GT-R against the Audi R-8 and the Porsche 911 at a U.K. race circuit.  The Nissan was quickest!

The cars mentioned are by no means the only cars we twenty-three percenters will be drawn to.  The entire range of Audi, BMW, Mercedes and Jaguar will surely provide something that lights your fire.  Enjoy your shopping!