The Drive: Toyota Supra Sales Plunged Nearly 50 Percent in 2023

[FuzzyRev]

One thing I will say, is that businesses who cater too much to the shareholder demands are often worse off for it. Shareholders are so short-sighted and usually know nothing about what's best for the long term health of the company, because you gotta chase that next dollar this week. I just look at Toyota as a recent example, where the shareholders were displeased with Toyota's lack of (knee-jerk) rapid transitioning to EVs like GM, Ford, & VW. They made such a fuss that Toyota's board caved under pressure and ousted Akio as CEO, because he was very hesitant to throw all eggs in that basket. Now GM, Ford & VW are hemorrhaging cash because the BEV market has kind of tanked and Hybrids/PHEVs are what the common folk actually want, because they work better in the real world, cost much less, don't age like last year's iPhone (insert rapidly-obsolete tech product here), and are battle-proven technology. Akio is now getting to stand there and say "I told you so." It's one of those 'lose the battle, win the war' situations, but shareholders seem to ONLY see and care about 'the battles.'

At least, that's my opinion on the matter.

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[J29DB03]

One thing I will say, is that businesses who cater too much to the shareholder demands are often worse off for it. Shareholders are so short-sighted and usually know nothing about what's best for the long term health of the company, because you gotta chase that next dollar this week. I just look at Toyota as a recent example, where the shareholders were displeased with Toyota's lack of (knee-jerk) rapid transitioning to EVs like GM, Ford, & VW. They made such a fuss that Toyota's board caved under pressure and ousted Akio as CEO, because he was very hesitant to throw all eggs in that basket. Now GM, Ford & VW are hemorrhaging cash because the BEV market has kind of tanked and Hybrids/PHEVs are what the common folk actually want, because they work better in the real world, cost much less, don't age like last year's iPhone (insert rapidly-obsolete tech product here), and are battle-proven technology. Akio is now getting to stand there and say "I told you so." It's one of those 'lose the battle, win the war' situations, but shareholders seem to ONLY see and care about 'the battles.'

At least, that's my opinion on the matter.

Completely agree. Shareholders, politicians, middle management with pressure from above… the list can go on.

 

[puzzled]

Less is more.

Now I don't have to mod my car and it will still look exclusive on the streets.

When you and all your neighbors have the same car, then it's no longer special and just retarded.

When inflation struck folks were upset. I was too lazy to research stocks right now so just went online and bought a couple of CD's at the bank. Inflation is good cause free money.. one matures in a few months.

 

[RenRed2]

I 1000% agree with this.

There's a lot of armchair economists and CFOs in here. I've said this a million times, and I'll say it again, but the shareholders don't give a shit about anything like demand for a moderately priced sports car.

+1 was going to post something similar. The end of the Supra wont be noticed for a high volume maker such as Toyota. They will move onto something else. Its still being produced. Want it? Then shop/get on a list - wtf.

The article says the market is not so great for sporting 2door coupes. Yet BMW has shipped 12000+ M2's and ///M Div at BMW has had a record year. So all of M to include 240i, M2, M3, M4 etc etc are selling. So the coupe' is not totally dead. Yota never said this was anything but a short term make the Supra. Its a great car.

UPSIDE - They will probably hold their value well. So STFU and get to shopping and enjoy fkn life all armchair CFO, CEO and Economists. Go spend that car MONEY!!

 

[razorlab]

The article says the market is not so great for sporting 2door coupes. Yet BMW has shipped 12000+ M2's and ///M Div at BMW has had a record year. So all of M to include 240i, M2, M3, M4 etc etc are selling. So the coupe' is not totally dead.

I agree overall but for some people, coupes with backseats (every car you listed) vs a coupe with just two seats is a huge difference.

 

[RenRed2]

I agree overall but for some people, coupes with backseats (every car you listed) vs a coupe with just two seats is a huge difference.

Vette's and Miata's are still selling. There is hope. I hope Toyota re-enters the space with something fun. I can do either and have. Backseat or not Im 'down' for 2 doors and fun. Christ he 911 has 'backseats' lol.

 

[2021Supra]

My 2024 was on the "lot" for two days. That was the first Supra I had located that was on the lot. The vast majority were reserved. The majority of people who were responding to the article in that website were implying that the Supra's weren't selling because they aren't wanted, yet Car & Driver magazine lists the GR Supra as an "Editor's Choice" for good reason. And then there are those who insist that a new Corvette can be bought for only $5000 more than a Supra. You want big electronics problems? Get a Corvette.

Man, I couldn't agree more. My dad is a huge fan of the corvette's. He has owned like 17 of them. The running joke between us two is simple. He says that I need to sell my Japanese crap and get a real car. I tell him that it's a German car, and if I had to pay 100K for a car that would not keep the battery charged, I wouldn't have bought it in the first place. LOL

 

[Crypto79]

Time out greenbay! The North American market isn't necessarily as important as you think. You guys literally just got the Type R a few years ago while the rest of the world has been enjoying them since forever!

And for reasons above our pay grades, Toyota has decided to begin sunsetting the Supra early by manufacturing fewer vehicles. It is therefore inevitable that sales will continue to drop as the end of the line approaches in 2025/26.

Nothing to see here, really.

It isn’t me that thinks North America is import, it’s the entire world. That might not always be the case but for your entire life it has been and most likely will be.

I don’t know what point you’re replying to but I was responding with a counter point about how the MK4 continued production in Japan for a few years after slow sales and emissions had them leave other (including the americas) markets. Toyota had local demand and production so they could do that. With the MK5, the vast majority of cars made are sold in North America and Toyota doesn’t operate production so that scenario isn’t realistic. There are static costs to outsources manufacturing and scale matters. I was stating that it is unlikely that the mk5 would withdraw for global sales and continue with local/smaller market sales as the mk4 did.

as to the type R, that’s a federalization vs sales projection thing. They had small batch engines that Honda all ready sold all they were willing to make and it wasn’t worth going though the hassle of our regulations for the projected sales. Hell we didn’t even get the RS from ford for the same reasons. It’s the same reason lays doesn’t offer all their flavors of chips in the American market. Doesn’t mean that it values some market more because they got some low volume cucumber and crab flavor version. Regional sales strategies doesn’t make the worlds largest economy less important, those are niche supply and demand calculations vs production capacity considerations. I’m sorry if my comments went over your head.

but I do agree the production throttling was a corporate decision from Toyota and not truly reflective of absolute demand, as I said before on this thread. Whether it was pre-projected and built into their production contracts or a recent calculation due to costs and licensing escalations are good questions that might never get answered.

 

[MisterSkiz]

....I'll bump this post in 8 years when everyone misses the MKV Supra and says what an awesome car it was and how crazy the styling was and how they would love to find a clean one but they are too expensive....

 

[concept]

Man, I couldn't agree more. My dad is a huge fan of the corvette's. He has owned like 17 of them. The running joke between us two is simple. He says that I need to sell my Japanese crap and get a real car. I tell him that it's a German car, and if I had to pay 100K for a car that would not keep the battery charged, I wouldn't have bought it in the first place. LOL

Your Dad is like I was for almost 33 years. I thought that buying the fifth model year in 2001 was a safe bet, but GM doesn't consider fixing issues a priority. I had to have a smog pump check valve replaced every two years at $230+ a pop. Before I bought the new C5, I joined the Corvetteforum.
Even today, I periodically take a look at the C8 "issues" folder postings and have to laugh at all the problems owners are having.
I actually rented a 2022 C8 via Turo. What struck me was how big the car is. I had forgotten how large my C5 was, as well. The Supra fits me like a glove, takes up less space in the garage, and is much rarer on the street. Fuel mileage is an added bonus. Yes, the C8's storage capacity is much greater, but I don't need to haul around golf clubs......maybe a couple of tennis rackets and tennis balls, one of these days. Groceries fit just fine.

 

[FuzzyRev]

The morons over at the cancer-spreading hyperlink advertisement paradise known as Jalopnik published an article on this too, and nobody knows what they're taking about in the comments either.

 

[kaj]

Seems like anyone who wanted one, already has one.
There's a finite number of people that want a 2-door sports car.

 

[FuzzyRev]

Seems like anyone who wanted one, already has one.
There's a finite number of people that want a 2-door sports car.

Oh, I think there's more like an infinite number that want a two-door sports car, but a very finite amount that can rationalize the purchase and ownership commitment of such a thing.

 

[BMWAF]

I’m sorry if my comments went over your head.

Yes, that was it.

 

[kaj]

Oh, I think there's more like an infinite number that want a two-door sports car, but a very finite amount that can rationalize the purchase and ownership commitment of such a thing.

Okay, semantics then.

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