Except that stats show that year on year, every year, a smaller proportion of young men even bother to get their driver's licences much less buy sports cars! Especially young men living in urban areas who are the ones who actually have the money to buy sports cars.

What's more, surveys show that teenagers increasingly would choose a smartphone over a car.

Things have changed for the younger generation. Cars are no longer the symbol of freedom and mobility they used to be for us lot.

The fact is, the young urban types who are affluent enough to buy new cars are less and less interested in them with every passing year.

3800lb, flappy paddle, electric steering "sports" cars... yup.

Blame the hippie greenies, the cheap manufacturers' hybrids this & that, and this silly new generation which has no ambitions ;)

Experts' focus and main objectives are to promote motorsports across the region here, so far they are doing an excellent job!

Let's hope for the best outcomes

OP: ...Sports cars are now irrelevant

Even if they are, so what?

They will NEVER be irrelevant to "drivers" who appreciate a fine automobile capable of a providing a kinesthetic driving experience that tests the drivers skill and rewards him with an unforgettable experience. THAT will never change, and there will ALWAYS be a market for such cars, and when there is a market, there will always be suppliers.

Witness Singer.

TO

I'd say it's more to do with the reality of urban life and car use = grid lock. That plus rocketing fuel and insurance costs and the idiotic obsession with draconian speeding enforcement and the romance has disappeared from motoring for most.

Cars are now more like domestic appliances. The younger generation don't covet fancy microwaves or refrigerators. And increasingly they don't covet cars.

Now don't go saying that......They will put on their Butt Hurt Sad Face. Let the Apologizing Ensue...........

Sorry, what?! Singer have sold a tiny handful of cars!

Sure for the foreseeable future there will be independent shops building nice custom cars.

But you need massive volumes to make a full on production sports car add up and there's little evidence of demand.

As Ekam said above, you'll be able to buy some overweight, paddle-shifting, playstation gadget. But actual sports cars are on the way out.

It's not the 50's or 60's anymore. The days of the XK120, E-Type, MGA, MGB, Bugeye Sprite, TR3, Lotus Elan, etc. are gone. And that's not such a bad thing. But there still are desirable sports cars available to the public. Even now in North America, one can shop for Twin Turbo RX-7, S2000, MR2 Spyder, Z3, Boxster for reasonable prices that offer the "sports car" experience".

No argument here. The advanced technology incorporated in today's modern vehicles make up for a "drivers" shortcomings. But there's always a Caterham Lotus Seven if one desires the "real" experience.

Or maybe a TVR. ;)

TO

""At a time when gasoline bounces between $3 and $4 per gallon -- and will eventually go higher -- conspicuous fuel consumption just isn't cool.""

I love it how the author thinks he can predict the future price of a commodity, oil no less, with absolute certainty. If I could do that, I assure you that I would own every sports car ever made! :)

More to the point, the only thing that explains expensive gas, falling consumption of imported sports cars and the electric car programmes is the devalued dollar and zero interest rates. Once we get an interest rate again, the dollar will increase in value and it will no longer be profitable to leave tanker-loads of oil floating at sea just to bank the contango.