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| Roadsters | |
| Roadsters have been a
part of the American landscape for a long time now and it doesn't look like they are about
to go anywhere. Unlike muscle cars, roadsters will always have a market. Roadster's of the 50's and 60's, such as the Jaguar E-Type, changed the market forever. Roadsters became more than just two seater convertibles, they became small, lightweight cars with more power than many average drivers can handle. Companies like Mazda and BMW once again changed the roadster in the late 80's and 90's, propelling it into the mid-range market and making them cheap enough that just about anyone who wanted a roadster could have one. The Mazda Miata, introduced in 1989, changed the market for roadsters like no other can in history has. The Miata was sold as a fast, lightweight, inexpensive roadster for the average consumer. |
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| The Miata also set a luxury trend with
roadsters, making them more comfortable than ever before. Mazda also packed it with
standard features, but left consumers dying for options. The Miata is also the
world's best-selling roadster, with well over 450,000 sales. Like the Miata, the BMW Z3, introduced in 1996, also changed the roadster market with a powerful engine, eye-catching design, and total luxury. Other roadsters, such as the Ferrari F50, had to be classified along with the sports cars, rather than with roadsters, because of its large size. The F50's large size comes from its large, powerful V12 that sits behind the driver and passenger. |
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| One roadster in
particular caught the attention of all markets. The Plymouth Prowler, a mix between
a modern-day roadster and a 1950's Hot Rod, quickly became a collector's item. The
Prowler has not only changed the market for roadster's, but also just about every other
type of car. Because of the Prowler's success as a production Hot Rod, companies
have started reverting back to the designs of the 1950's for new cars (Such as the
PT Cruiser). The Prowler was also the first all-aluminum production car. The exotic aluminum used in the car is ratically changing the way cars are built, making them lighter, however, the material is currently much more expensive than normal steel or fiberglass. |
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