What’s a supercar all about? Until now, they have above all else focused on performance. The first thing people want to know about a supercar is how quickly it can reach 100 km/h.
But what happens now that electric cars have arrived in full force? What’s a supercar manufacturer to do when a 4700lb four-door sedan can walk away form nearly any combustion-engined vehicle at the drag strip?
I think anybody wishing to sell gasoline-powered exotic cars will have no choice but to change what they are optimizing for. They will by necessity have to focus on things that electric cars cannot replicate – the sound and sensory experience. No electric car, regardless of its speed off the line, will ever sound like a Ferrari F50. No electric car will rumble at idle like a big block. That’s a secret ingredient that Tesla can never compete against, so why not make the best-sounding, most tactile cars possible?
Some industries get overtaken by events. Not even Cher can turn back time, but companies can at least pivot as best they can and focus on strengths that give them a moat against the competition.