Here is a comparo between the Mitsubishi 3000GT Turbo, Nissan 300ZX Turbo, the Supra Turbo, and the Mazda RX7 Turbo, just before their collective demise. Go ahead and skip to the 0:55 mark.
I'm a bit surprised with how expensive they were. A top of the line Rx8 these days goes for less than $35,000. Same with the Nissan I think. That's with 15 years of inflation...
I think the cost was a big reason for these Japanese turbos' demise. The performance was amazing for all four of these cars, but I think people who could afford them new back then just bought a Porsche instead for the cache (sp?) and sporting heritage.
These cars were what I dreamed about back in my college days. At a restaurant I worked at we used to argue over 300ZX -vs- Supra.
They all failed because they cost more than a Vette back in those days, and even if they had some better attributes, they, as Kashgar said, lacked the status. Who would want a Toyota when you could get a Porsche or a Corvette for the same or less money? And these cars didn't outrun the Vettes of their era, for the most part stock-to-stock, these cars (mostly the Supra) became legendary as tuner cars in later years.
Us college kids that idolized them back then didn't have the coin to buy one.
I think the future for these cars may be bright as collectors cars... The poor sales when they were new, the high percentage of them that have been consumed by the tuner scene, and the extreme status that the RX7 and Supra enjoy among the tuner crowd may all contribute to future value. One day, perhaps, all of us who idolized these 4 cars back in the day will be at an auction somewhere and start bidding one up, hoping to have our dream car after all. And across the arena, some tuners will be sitting there bidding against us. Who can say...
This blog was a great find, thanks for posting it.
I'm a bit surprised with how expensive they were. A top of the line Rx8 these days goes for less than $35,000. Same with the Nissan I think. That's with 15 years of inflation...
ReplyDeleteI think the cost was a big reason for these Japanese turbos' demise. The performance was amazing for all four of these cars, but I think people who could afford them new back then just bought a Porsche instead for the cache (sp?) and sporting heritage.
ReplyDeleteThese cars were what I dreamed about back in my college days. At a restaurant I worked at we used to argue over 300ZX -vs- Supra.
ReplyDeleteThey all failed because they cost more than a Vette back in those days, and even if they had some better attributes, they, as Kashgar said, lacked the status. Who would want a Toyota when you could get a Porsche or a Corvette for the same or less money? And these cars didn't outrun the Vettes of their era, for the most part stock-to-stock, these cars (mostly the Supra) became legendary as tuner cars in later years.
Us college kids that idolized them back then didn't have the coin to buy one.
I think the future for these cars may be bright as collectors cars... The poor sales when they were new, the high percentage of them that have been consumed by the tuner scene, and the extreme status that the RX7 and Supra enjoy among the tuner crowd may all contribute to future value. One day, perhaps, all of us who idolized these 4 cars back in the day will be at an auction somewhere and start bidding one up, hoping to have our dream car after all. And across the arena, some tuners will be sitting there bidding against us. Who can say...
This blog was a great find, thanks for posting it.
@BrianR: I'm willing to bet that a stock Supra will be worth a pretty penny in the future. But I doubt one exists.
ReplyDelete