Aussie Motorists Chasing Glamor Look North to Japan

Remembering an old Porsche ad that asked, “Honestly now, did you spend your youth dreaming about someday owning a Nissan or Mitsubishi?” Roy Morgan Research says apparently Australians did.

The result is Australian sports car owners are sending Japanese makes racing ahead of the pack Down Under.

New Roy Morgan Research finds four of the five most popular makes of sports cars, coupes and 2-door convertibles in the country are Japanese. Their owners account for 326,000 Australian motorists.

Among them, 11.1% drive a Mitsubishi, 10.8% drive a Toyota, 8.4% drive a BMW, 7.6% drive a Nissan and 7.3% drive a Mazda.

“So much for European pizazz and American muscle,” the consultancy says in a statement.

But while the popularity of Japanese makes may seem at odds with the classic cliche of sports car drivers as automotive purists living out their James Bond fantasies, these people do live up to the image in many other respects.

Compared to the average Australian motorist, those who drive a sports car, coupe or 2-door convertible are 188% more likely to prefer a car that has lots of sex appeal.

The survey also finds they are 126% more likely to only buy a car that is fun to own, 90% more likely to be interested in buying a high-performance car, 82% more likely to like a car that handles like a racing car, 50% more likely to regard themselves as a bit of a car enthusiast; and 41% more likely to almost always or occasionally watch Formula 1 racing.

While James Bond primarily is associated with prestige European sports cars, he did drive a sporty Toyota 2000GT in the movie You Only Live Twice.

“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,” Norman Morris, industry communications director-Roy Morgan Research, says in a statement.

While Japanese makes tend to be less expensive than high-end European models, the Roy Morgan data shows sports car drivers are 64% more likely than the average Australian motorist to earn between A$150,000 ($115,346) and A$199,999 ($153,803), and 130% more likely to earn A$200,000 ($153,804) and above.

Morris says this shows 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’ favorite, the Lancer Coupe,” he says.

“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.”