Sports car fad fading away says BMW sales chief

Sports car posters may be in high demand, but it seems the same can't be said about the actual cars themselves. Ian Robertson, head of BMW sales, says the sports car market has halved from what it was before 2008. Post the recession, buyers in the North American and European markets have gained a new found penchant for SUVs and mid-size crossovers.

China too has emerged as a market with high demand for large wheelbase luxury barges, while the same cannot be said for performance two doors. The weather and pollution conditions have made roadsters and convertibles less desirable when it comes to final purchase decisions in the world's largest car market. Worldwide sales of the Audi TT, Mercedes-Benz SLK and BMW Z4 combined reached 114,000 units back in 2007. The economic downturn led to a 45% drop in sales come 2010. The segment has seen a gradual increase in demand since, but Robertson is skeptical about it ever recovering completely.

However, while the sports car sales charts may not be reflecting the ideal statistics for car manufacturers like BMW, such models add to the brand's value. This is among the reasons why BMW has joined hands with Toyota for the creation of a new mid-size sports car that is currently doing the rounds of the internet as the FT-1 Concept (2nd image).

On the flip-side, luxury limousine sales continue to fly through the roof. In Europe for example, the limousine segment saw sales of nearly 11,500 units in the second quarter of 2014. Of those units retailed, nearly 5,000 were accounted for by the W222 Mercedes-Benz S-Class alone.

Source: Bloomberg and left-lane