Cars
Sales of the Mercedes-Benz SLK shot through the roof in July as the third-generation Benz roadster reached American shores. 1758% gains aren't easy to come by for cars which have been on sale for 15 years, but the SLK's dismal performance in July 2010 enabled ridiculous year-over-year improvements for the smallest Mercedes-Benz convertible.
With 115 sales the SLK made up 5.4% of all Mercedes-Benz USA sales in July 2011 by out-selling the CLS-Class, R-Class, G-Wagen, S-Class, SL-Class, and SLS AMG.
In comparison with its direct rivals the SLK appears even more wildly successful. Yes, it's early, and many potential second-gen SLK buyers may have been waiting for the new car to show up, producing what may have been something of a July bubble. However, Mercedes-Benz reported 156 more SLK sales than its combined German sports car rivals could muster. The Audi TT was up 7.2%; the BMW Z4 was up 92.4%; and Porsche's Boxster/Cayman duo was down 16.2%. Even the Nissan 370Z couldn't come close with its 44% plunge to 550 sales.
The 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK350 has a base price of $54,800. For barely more than half that you can have a Chevrolet Camaro convertible. 7671 buyers opted for either that car or the hardtop Camaro in July. That's up 2.5% from July of last year. Ford Mustang sales slid 9.1% from 7489 to 6805.
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Cars
Sporty Car Sales And Premium Sporty Car Sales In America - July 2011
With 115 sales the SLK made up 5.4% of all Mercedes-Benz USA sales in July 2011 by out-selling the CLS-Class, R-Class, G-Wagen, S-Class, SL-Class, and SLS AMG.
In comparison with its direct rivals the SLK appears even more wildly successful. Yes, it's early, and many potential second-gen SLK buyers may have been waiting for the new car to show up, producing what may have been something of a July bubble. However, Mercedes-Benz reported 156 more SLK sales than its combined German sports car rivals could muster. The Audi TT was up 7.2%; the BMW Z4 was up 92.4%; and Porsche's Boxster/Cayman duo was down 16.2%. Even the Nissan 370Z couldn't come close with its 44% plunge to 550 sales.
The 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK350 has a base price of $54,800. For barely more than half that you can have a Chevrolet Camaro convertible. 7671 buyers opted for either that car or the hardtop Camaro in July. That's up 2.5% from July of last year. Ford Mustang sales slid 9.1% from 7489 to 6805.
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Mercedes-Benz sells the odd ultra-expensive sports car, as well. An SL-Class Benz, the SLK's big brother, will set you back at least $103,650, but in July 2011, many buyers looked elsewhere. Mercedes-Benz SL-Class sales fell 52.1% to just 93.
While that's not a bad figure, one which looks fine compared to Mercedes-Benz CL-Class sales numbers or the SLS AMG's 49 sales, it wasn't good enough to beat the Jaguar XK (down 51.4%), the BMW 6-Series (down 43.3%), or the indomitable Porsche 911 (down 19.5%). Starting to see a trend here with the word "down"? The aforementioned CL-Class suffered a 75.8% decline in July. Sales of the Nissan GT-R dropped 34.9%. It's no surprise to see the Cadillac XLR and Dodge Viper in the throes of degeneration.
That leaves us with the Audi R8, sales of which rose 57.7% from 52 in July 2010 to 82 in July 2011. Yep, it's ultra-rare, but not nearly as exclusive as it was this time last year.
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The Hyundai Genesis Coupe is not as popular as the Ford Mustang. Or the Chevrolet Camaro. But Canadians like it more than any other sporting coupe, at least based on June 2011's sales data. Year-to-date, the Genesis Coupe trails the Dodge Challenger...
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A new Mercedes-Benz SLK roadster has debuted. Retrospectively, however, the SLK doubled its January volume from 2010 to 2011. Nevertheless, these remain seriously niche market cars; the BMW Z4, Audi TT, Porsche Boxster, and Porsche Cayman included. Combined,...
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...