Learning about cars: the ‘E-Sport’ Segment

The Berlinetta is Ferrari’s latest product. 740 HP. Photo by Netcarshow

The best cars. The dream of everyone. Those are the ultra premium sporty cars with the highest prices and best performance. Their design is part of their success but so the immense attraction and exclusiveness they have no matter if they are in China or in Switzerland. Ultra premium sporty cars are not important in terms of volume but in the way they are a referent of technology and performance for future cars. Normally they are priced so the big part of the population can’t afford them, but that’s the key of their success. There are so many types well buyers of this segment look for the best performance but some look for elegance, others look for roughness, and some others look for just simplicity. In any case they are few but are located everywhere in the world. Regularly top sporty cars are priced above $80.000 – $100.000, and from there the price can reach more than $500.000. It is why some of them are not real competitors but as they all offer the same exclusiveness all models cited below make part of the ‘E-Sport’ segment. Due to the fact that their sales figures are marginal, the information about them is not easy to find. Nevertheless more than 70.000 units were sold worldwide last year, and of course USA is the largest market with more than 28.000 units. In Germany more than 11.000 units were sold, and then the UK with more than 7.000 units. There is no data for China or the Middle East, where this kind of cars should reach important numbers. As a percentage of total sales, Switzerland is the leader of this segment, as the ‘E-Sport’ cars count for 0.7%, the highest share among analyzed countries*.

The FF (for Ferrari Four) is the first Ferrari to introduce the 4WD. It is called the ‘family-Ferrari’. Photo by: Netcarshow

570 HP for the Ferrari 458 Italia. Cabrio version is also available. Photo by: Netcarshow

The California is the smallest and cheapest Ferrari

Though it is not big in terms of volume this segment is perhaps Fiat-Chrysler’s best known. Ferrari is the brand with the best brand awareness of the segment. Its cars are known everywhere and they are the desires of so many. Everytime there is a presentation of a new model, Ferrari becomes the referent for future cars. But it is not only a matter of product but also of marketing. Ferrari is an aspirational brand that everyone can afford: it’s a universe of products, clothes, accessories, and so on that let everyone to admire and have a piece of the mythical brand. Ferrari’s merchandising is an example for all car makers and the other brands of Fiat-Chrysler. All of its cars are part of the top segment of sporty cars. Last year Ferrari sold a record of 7.195 cars in the whole world and allowed the company to have revenues above 2 million euros, with net profit of 14.1%. USA was the largest market with 1.958 units, followed by China (777), Germany (705), and the UK (574). Italy was the fifth largest market with a total of 570 units. Economic problems and new regulations make Italians to stop buying their Cavallinos. Ferrari is also the brand with highest profit margins in the whole group, according to Third Quarter 2012 results. But it is not the only brand with this kind of cars. Maserati is the other protagonist of the segment with its fancy and high performed coupes and cabrios. That brand sold 6.159 units last year: 40% of them in USA and then 14% in China. Europe’s top five markets made up 23% of its global sales volume. Along with them there is one model that comes from America: SRT Viper. This car, which was presented recently, is Chrysler’s best sporty car and is powered by 640 HP. It is the direct competitor of Chevrolet Corvette. Other high performance sporty cars come from the UK (Aston Martin, Jaguar, Bentley), Germany (Porsche, Mercedes, Audi), Japan (Nissan, Lexus), and Lamborghini, coming also from Italy.