Repair-It

Ford will probably sell more than 100,000 Mustangs this year, but through July about 25 percent have gone to car-rental agencies and other corporate fleets, according to IHS Markit, which tracks vehicle registrations. Even with that many cars going to fleet buyers, sales are off.

Ford isn’t alone in seeing declines. U.S. sales of the Camaro and Corvette are down 11 percent and 14 percent, respectively, this year. Part of Camaro’s drop is because General Motors sells fewer of them to fleet buyers. Retail sales fell only 1 percent.

I remember my favorite uncle buying a brand new, 1982 Z28. I supposed he was about the same age that I am now. He bought it because it could (barely) get out of it's own way. Back then, 0 - 60 MPH in 9.5 seconds or so was a big, when the auto industry was still trying to recover from EPA mandates. And he didn't like "hard riding cars," but bought it anyway.

Today we have V6 Accords and Camry that would blow that Z28's doors off without even trying.
I've owned a then new C6 Z51 LS3/6 speed 'Vette, a then new 1999 1LE LS1 Z28 (a seriously under-estimated car), and now I'm on my third consecutive VW GTI. I lease them. This one's a 2015 Autobahn performance package.

It runs mid 14 second/100 MPH quarter miles, has great breaks, a limited slip front diff, is very comfortable, extremely well finished, and a blast to drive. It would top 150 MPH with a tuner, without making any other changes than disabling the factory speed limiter.

It's simply fast enough. Ditto for its friction circle. And it's suspension can handle real world US roads without chattering my teeth. The seats are nice. They're supportive, well made, comfortable, and heated. The car is easy to get in and out of, and extremely functional in day to day life. That's just the bottom line with all of it.

I therefore have no interest in buying a new Z06 Corvette, for example, and dealing with the various headaches that I know accompanies it.

First customer deliveries of the 959 street variant began in 1987, and the car debuted at a cost of US$225,000 per unit, still less than half what it cost Porsche to build each one. Production ended in 1988 with 292 959s from the assembly line. In total, 337 cars were built, including 37 prototypes and pre-production models.[1] At least one 959 and one 961 remain in the Porsche historic hall in Stuttgart, Germany.