Sports Cars: Are These Beasts Enjoying a Last Supper, or Is It Time for Revival?

There are so many crossovers, SUVs, and trucks that automakers are trying to invent fresh niches to cram all their profit–making ideas – like Toyota’s new Crown sedan–CUV, for example. And the EV revolution is set to touch everything, especially CUVs, SUVs, and trucks.

As such, one would quickly imagine that passenger cars, in their entirety, not just across some of the traditional segments, are doomed. Soccer mom jokes have taken a backburner since there are no more minivans around, and everyone now drives a crossover. Hockey dads and grocery-getting ironies are also nowhere to be found anymore because station wagons are also mostly extinct, at least when traveling around the North American region.

And most U.S. automakers have even given up hope for the eternal four-door sedan, except for the likes of Toyota, Honda, and a few other Asian carmakers. As such, one would be excused if they even forget about the sports car segment, which is currently represented mostly by the iconic pony/muscle cars. But on this occasion, we are not here to discuss the mainstream Ford Mustang/Dodge Challenger & Charger/ Chevy Camaro & Corvette rivalry.

We are not even going to muse (anymore) about the reborn competition between Toyota GR Supra and its Nissan Z foe. Instead, let us get to the stratosphere of current sports cars. Starting with compacts, it is quite easy to pinpoint the base of the M GmbH pyramid (which tops out with the 735-hp BMW XM Label Red) and dream of 453-hp M2 shenanigans. But perhaps you don’t love the Minecraft-like angular looks, so maybe one of just 50 new BMW 3.0 CSL ‘Batmobiles’ sounds better?

Exclusivity has a point, but if you want to stand out in a crowd with your M4, then I suggest looking at the recently introduced BMW M4 CSL acting all Manhart MH4 GTR II about itself. Complete with 692 horsepower, so you can ask ‘3.0 CSL who?’ and leave it trailing in a cloud of (upgraded) exhaust vapors!

Need something even more extreme? No worries, the good Dutch folks over at Donkervoort have a fresh limited-edition F22 model that does not fly like the Lockheed Martin Raptor stealth tactical fighter, but can at least measure its forces with regular supercars. After all, they say that even though it weighs just 1,645 lbs (750 kg), and has less than 500 ponies, it can still pull 2.15Gs!

Back to mainstream names, sort of, and we are looking at the newly introduced Ford GT Mk IV, the swan song of the second-generation mid-engine sports car that is marking the production end with the right amount of bang. It will arrive with more than 800 ponies, cost some $1.7 million (before collector speculation), and of course is a tribute to the original Ford GT40 that rocked not just Le Mans but also Ferrari’s world, back in the day.

Today that is a job for the 670-hp C8 Chevy Corvette Z06, but I promised not to discuss the FPC hoot. In the end, I can only say one thing. My feeling is that sports cars are not gathering around for their last supper. Instead, with all sorts of cool novelties, like the Mercedes-AMG ONE record lap on the Nürburgring Nordschleife, the upcoming Corvette E-Ray, and the Mercedes-AMG S 63 E Performance super-sedan, it feels that electrification is going to save the day after the ICE chapter is (finally) complete.