Well, some good replies here. Let me add this to the mix, I really don't think pure raw speed is the end all or be all, and I wouldn't trade the NSX for any other car, 'cept maybe a 360 Modena if it were the same price
. Anyways, I am a recent owner (going on nearly two months) and I did shop around for other cars. But they NSX was the only car that I truly fell in love with. The way I explained it to a whole lot of people who were wondering why the hell I spent so much money on a 12 year old car, that can only carry one other person and maybe a duffle bag, is that the NSX was the only car I drove that I would wake up in the morning and actually look forward to driving. None of the other cars made me feel that way.
The thing is, anyone on this board who owns an NSX could have easily afforded another car, but still chose the NSX. If I wanted pure blinding speed, I could have gotten a Viper. But the problem is that the interior really is too spartan, and the car ain't that comfortable for me to live with on a daily basis, as the NSX is pretty much my daily driver. Same with the Z06, which I also test drove. Fast? Hell, yes. Comfortable? More so than the Viper. The problem was the fit and finish, 'coz even though it's fast, it's still a Chevy, and the heavy use of cheap plastic in the interior really bugged me.
If I wanted, yes I could have gotten a Subaru or a Lancer, but what would be the point. I ultimately think these cars are pretty much doomed, and won't be around much longer. Yes, there is a niche market out there of people who adore these cars, but ultimately this is not a car that will appeal to the mass market. For the $30k + price, I think that alot of people would be willing to forego the raw speed aspect, and buy something with more 'prestige' value.
I don't want to sound like a snob, but I work pretty hard for my money (I'm a lawyer, and as I am writing this from my office on a Sunday afternoon!), capitalism isn't a bad thing, and I want a car that let's the world know that I have 'made it'. (Damn, that DID sound snobby, huh?) The truth is nobody is going to turn to a Subaru WRX owner and say, "Whooaaa, you drive a Subaru". That is why I think anyone who can spend the money on a WRX or Lancer EVO VIII would probably rather buy something with a little more marquee value. I mean $30k + is pushing BMW, Mercedes, and Lexus territory.
The Mitsu and Lancer appeal to the kids with the civics w/spoilers and loud exhausts. But unfortunately, most can't afford the Subaru (that's why they drive civics
). Someone who CAN afford to blow $30k on a car is probably a little older, a little wiser, and doesn't really care about raw speed over the fact that the seats really cushion their butt. Not to say that there aren't people here he wouldn't buy one, nor to say that either is a crappy car. But, I am talking about generalities among the mass population here, and we all know that anyone who hangs out on this board isn't exactly a representative cross section of the population. But then again, that's my $0.02.