Sports car renaissance in the works

A theory goes that the sales figure of beer is a good indicator of the Philippine economy. Rising beer sales (as opposed to sales of hard liquor) means that disposable income is going up and the economy is healthy. We propose a new measure of economic well-being: the number of affordable sports cars on the market, defined as one selling at around P2 million. If ordinary folks can leave the Innova in the garage and indulge in a bit of automotive fantasy for once, then that’s certainly a good sign. If that reasoning has a shade of truth to it, then the Philippine economy is about to take off.

While hyper-expensive and gray-market sports cars have always been available, what we are counting are the official-market sports cars that are within your reach, without you having to sell your kidney or win the lotto. These are cars that offer genuine rear-wheel drive performance, with looks and pedigree to match. We count at least five worthwhile and affordable sports cars that are or will soon be at a dealer near you.

Toyota 86

The 86 is the big T’s much-hyped and wildly anticipated return to the sports car arena. CEO Akio Toyoda, a car enthusiast and amateur racer, mandated a new sports car to bring some excitement to the brand’s popular but hardly exciting range of cars. The 86 was born, and even before it goes on sale, is accomplishing its mission. There hasn’t been this much excitement for a Toyota since the Fortuner. Early pricing rumors indicate a range of P1.5 to P2 million for the low-slung coupe.

Toyota has produced acclaimed sports cars throughout its history, reaching a zenith of sorts with the exotic 2000GT. The Japanese company also produced seven generations of a relatively affordable model, the Celica, until 2006. Then there were the powerful Supra, the mid-engined MR2 and, of course, the AE-86, the last of the rear-wheel drive sporty Toyotas.

Then a drought of sports cars followed, until now.

With rear-wheel drive and a tossable chassis, the new 86 has a new career in drift racing, as well as being the star of a million homescreen wallpapers.

Specs: 2.0-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder boxer, 197 hp. 0-100 kph 7.6 seconds, 226 kph top speed. 4240 mm length x 1775 mm width.

Subaru BRZ

Separated from the 86 at birth, the BRZ is Subaru’s version of the same car. Subaru actually provided all the engineering and powertrain know-how, down to the four-cylinder boxer engine, and is manufacturing the car as well. (Toyota provided styling and marketing input, and, most importantly, the cash for the project.) As part of the agreement, Toyota would get to sell its version first.

To distinguish the BRZ from the 86, Motor Image CEO Glenn Tan promises that the BRZ will be more upscale, closer to a GT than a tunable drift car. Thus, expect more standard equipment and a higher price.

To give the 86/BRZ a low center of gravity, Subaru’s engineers specified a naturally aspirated boxer engine, which of course is the brand’s expertise. This allowed the engine to be mounted low in the chassis-and it pays off brilliantly. The BRZ is quick, agile and exceedingly fun to drive-and that was just in a parking lot. We expect the pleasure factor to be exponentially higher on the open road.

Specs: Same as the 86’s.

Hyundai Genesis Coupe

Hyundai has understood the value of a halo vehicle-first luxury sedans, then sports cars. The Genesis Coupe has generated strong interest in the brand, being the vehicle of choice of such drivers as Rhys Millen of Pikes Peak hill climb fame. Boasting rear-wheel drive and multiple upgrade options, including a 300-hp 3.8-liter V6 and Brembo performance brakes, the Genesis Coupe is at home on both drift track and highway. A size bigger than the 86/BRZ, the Coupe has usable rear seats that will allow you to bring the family along for the fun.

Specs: 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four, 208hp. 0-100 kph in 8 seconds, 223 kph top speed. 4630mm length x 1865 mm width. P1.398 million.

Ford Mustang

The retro-styled Ford Mustang has been on the horizon, just out of reach, ever since the Blue Oval returned to the Philippines-and this year Ford finally saw fit to launch the pony car at the Manila International Auto Show. At the show, visitors were asked to spec their mustang: V6 or V8? Red or silver or black? Ford was still at a crossroads how to spec up their car. While purists would go for a V8, the practical and miserly would sign up for a V6. We say, why not both? The Mustang would certainly need a V6 model to compete with the other cars on this list in terms of price, while the V8 model will satisfy the performance market and take the fight to its great rival, the Chevrolet Camaro.

Specs: 3.7-liter naturally aspirated V6, 305 hp. 4788 mm length x 1877 mm width.

Mazda MX-5

Mazda’s roadster features something unique: a retractable hardtop that allows transformation from coupe to roadster in little more than 10 seconds. The MX-5 is a much more personal car than the others on this list, having only two seats within its smaller footprint. It offers the unadulterated pleasures of a sports car: flick of the wrist-shifting six-speed manual gearbox, direct steering and brakes, with minimal frills. It’s just you and one lucky passenger, going to where the road will take you.

Specs: 2.0-liter naturally aspirated inline-four, 167 hp.0-100 kph in around 6.6 seconds, 205 kph top speed. 3995 mm x 1720 mm width. P2.217 million.

And what else we would like to see:

Nissan 370Z

The natural competitor to the Toyota 86 is the Nissan 370Z. Similarly compact and dripping with taut style, the 370Z trades on its decades of heritage while still being thoroughly modern. Nissan Motor Philippines launched the 350Z a few years ago, then let the car disappear from its lineup. What say you bring back your sports car, NMPI?