Reviewing the latest sports car options (page 5 of 5)

"Of course, all future product plans for Jaguar are inspired by our brand identity and commitment to develop beautiful sports cars," he says.

Highlighting this commitment, Jaguar recently revealed the compact Coupe R-D6 concept car and the Concept Eight XJ model. Although they are not intended to go into production, they embody themes and design that will be included in future Jaguars.

"It is a vision of the future of premium motoring: beautiful, fast, agile, efficient and fun," says Jaguar's director of design Ian Callum. Sports cars play an important role in communicating the manufacturer's brand ideals and aspirations to the marketplace.

"The 350Z as Nissan's 'halo' model is the embodiment of Nissan's brand identity, and it's launched to increase qualified showroom traffic and generate incremental sales of all Nissan models," says Slim. The vehicle has a top speed of 250 km/h with acceleration from 0-100 km/h in 5.9 seconds. Slim says Nissan design is based on four pillars: design, driving pleasure, comfort and IT.

"When it comes to sports cars, Nissan looks at creating a car that looks the way it drives and drives the way it looks," he says. The 350Z has won awards for its design sportiness, which Slim attributes to "organic beauty with mechanical detail."

High performance

When designing the 350Z, Nissan wanted to deliver a driving experience to the general public in a volume that was accessible to anyone.

"The 350Z not only embraces driver-oriented technologies originally developed on the race track, but also delivers the high performance expected of a true sports car," says Slim.

For BMW, in taking new product decisions, the company focuses on the following key questions: Will our brands remain authentic? Does the new product fit the brand? Is it emotional? Are we able to offer our customers a 100 percent solution? And, of course: Are these products profitable?

"We only add a new product to our range if we are able to answer these questions with a clear 'Yes,'" says Seemann. Of course, any company - and not just automakers - should ask these questions about their brands. But considering that purchasing a sports car is among the largest investments that anyone will make, the stakes are extraordinarily high.

Worldwide and across the Gulf, dozens of great brands are competing for market share and the hearts and imaginations of consumers. Just as important, though, is the reception of these brands by those who will never be able to afford to own their own Ferrari, Porsche or Mustang.

Call it the parking lot test: if you want to spot the surefire winners, time exactly how long passersby stop and stare at the car in question - then look for that faraway, dreamy gaze as they picture themselves behind the wheel. Because that's what the very best brands do: They capture the imagination.