More about automakers pricing themselves out of business...

People asked about some things I said in the last post about automakers pricing themselves out of business. Here's why-history repeats itself. Back in the '70's and much of the '80's the Datsun 240Z and later the 260Z, the 280Z and the 280ZX was a reasonably priced, great performing sports car. Then when the 300ZX debuted, they went crazy. By 1993 when the last 300ZX Turbo rolled off the assembly line-they cost $45,000!!!  In 1993 dollars??  Hello?  A Pontiac Trans-Am with an LT1 that was faster stickered for about $28,000. A Corvette that was faster stickered for about $36,000. A Mustang GT that was faster stickered for about $25,000. A Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR4 that was faster stickered for about $36,000. A Porsche 928 was about $50,000. Excuse me? I'm going to pay 45 grand for a Datsun that can't outrun a screaming chicken Firebird or a Fairmont based Mustang? When I can buy the top of the line Porsche for roughly the same money or a Corvette for less?  Toyota did the same thing with the Turbo Supra. They were cool and blisteringly fast. But by 1992 they were over 30 Grand. Again-a "5.0" Mustang that was just as fast was about 15 grand. An L98 Corvette engined Trans-Am GTA was about 25. A Porsche 944 Turbo was about 35K. And you wonder why the Toyota didn't sell??  The same thing is happening now. Forget the Hellcat-a loaded Challenger R/T is over 40 grand. Ditto for an SS Camaro. The Mustang GT starts at 32K but it's pretty easy to get over 40K with a few options. I have a good job and make decent money for my industry and level of education. And I COULD afford one of these if I really wanted it. But I don't-and I'm a hardcore musclecar guy-and I can't justify in my mind spending $1,000 a month-when you factor in gas, insurance, payments, etc-so once in a blue moon I can jump some clown from a light or pass him up an on-ramp. I'm much happier in my Subaru Forester that gets 30 mpg, has plenty of room and runs like a champ. I don't need a love affair-I need an appliance-like my clothes dryer drys clothes. My dishwasher washes dishes. My Subie gets me to work and back. Or over the hill without chains when there's snow. With my 46 mile commute and mountain weather here-I don't need a rear-wheel drive 400 hp musclecar that gets 11 mpg. If I want one of those-I'll buy a beater 1970-81 Camaro / Firebird and put a 454HO crate motor in it for about ten grand total investment!!  I hate to be elitist-but seriously- $70,000 for a Dodge Challenger or ZL1 Camaro??  If I'm going to spend 70 grand on a car-It's going to be a new Jaguar F-Type, or a low-mileage Ferrari, Porsche or Aston-Martin!!  Not a freaking Camaro!!!  That I can't see out of and has no headroom, and rattles like a Cruze!!!  Or a Dodge with a blower on it and a cop-car interior!!  Mastermind