Sport compacts go drag racing

Makers of entry-level front-wheel-drive cars hope to translate power under the hood into power in the showroom.

As much as manufacturers of all types of products like to manage and steer demand for their products, inevitably popular trends arise that throw marketing plans into disarray and force manufacturers to re-order their priorities to better match those of their customers.

Carmakers thought, until the mid-'90s, that they understood the pattern of interest in cars from young people. They wanted sleek, low-slung coupes and convertibles. Those who were interested in performance wanted rear-wheel drive, for putting the power to the road, and ideally, an optional V8 engine to produce that power.