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Based from the sales of sports cars this year, the rich seems to get richer. Despite the fall, the sports-car market has been foreseen to hold strong in the coming year.

According to David Wurster, president of research firm Vincentric in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, “So-called ‘supercars’ costing $200,000 and up are in a different sort of marketplace … It’s a good example of the widening gap between the rich and poor in this country – we’re apparently going to see more wealthy people at the top who can afford to own the very best.”

Overall, the sales of sports car are in a decline. Sales of ‘ultra-luxury’ makes, such as Aston Martin, Ferrari, and Lamborghini, are down by the smallest margin so far this year by 6.9 percent. But, this fact won’t stop the manufacturers from producing hot new models for 2008.

From CNW data, the sales of ‘premium’ sports cars, including the Audi TT, BMW Z4 and Chevrolet Corvette, are down by 10.2 percent in the first 10 months of 2007, compared with the same period a year earlier. On the other hand, ‘upper premium’ models, including Dodge Viper SRT10, Mercedes Benz SL, and Porsche 911, are down by 13.9 percent. In these categories, significant models for 2008 include the redesigned versions of the Audi TT and the Dodge Viper SRT10 Coupe and Roadster.

The Nissan GT-R, the most anticipated new sports car in recent years, will bring spur as it debuts next spring as an early 2009 model. It will be powered with a twin-turbo V6 engine that allows the vehicle to run zero to 60 miles in less than four seconds.

Francois Gravigny, an analyst with the market research company R.L. Polk and Company in Southfield, Michigan., “It will be a true ‘halo’ vehicle for Nissan … The Japanese had gotten away from selling high-performance vehicles in the U.S., like the Acura NSX and the Toyota Supra, and Nissan is timing the return to that segment of the market perfectly.”

In the exotic segment, the new models include the Maserati GranTurismo (an elegant and civilized near-exotic coupe) and the stunning Audi R8. Gravigny said, “The R8 is the perfect model that illustrates the Audi’s new performance-based philosophy … It’s the first time any German manufacturer is really going up against the Porsche 911.”

The low-slung Tesla Roadster, the first modern electric-powered sports car, will also be a new for 2008. Tesla is expecting that well-heeled environmentalists and sports-car aficionados will be drawn to the $98,000 Roadster. Darryl Siry, Tesla’s vice president of sales, marketing and service, said, “A strong motivation for many of our customers is the fact that the Roadster will be the only production car available that produces zero emissions … But the design and performance of the car are each a powerful draw on their own.”

Wurster said, “The sports car market will improve a bit in terms of volume as America ages and can afford them … There’s a lot of guys waiting out there for their kids to graduate college so they can indulge themselves.”

So, there would really be a lot of wonderful sports car in the coming year.