“It takes a certain kind of person to drive a sports car: someone for whom their car is more than just a mode of transport, but is a source of fun, thrills and aesthetic enjoyment.
“Speaking of aesthetics, sports-car owners tend to take pride in their own image as well as their car’s, being 91% more likely than the average Australian motorist to ‘wear clothes that will get me noticed’ and 45% more likely to believe that ‘it’s important to look fashionable’.
“While Japanese makes tend to be less expensive than prestige European brands, our data shows that sports car drivers are 64% more likely than the average Australian motorist to earn between $150,000 and $199,999, and 130% more likely to earn $200,000 and above — so other factors besides budget are clearly influencing this choice of Asian over European.
“The popularity of Mitsubishi is initially surprising, but makes sense when we consider that more than 90% of Mitsubishis in this category are aged between 11 and 25 years: dating back to the golden era of ‘boy racer’ favourite, the Lancer Coupe!
“More generally, Japanese makes usually have a good reputation for reliability and longevity: always desirable qualities in a sports car, especially when you’re hurtling down the freeway at full tilt…”