WHAT'S NOT SELLING IN AMERICA?

Trucks and SUVs aren't the only vehicle categories suffering as a result of high gas prices and a slowing economy. Find the common link between the vehicles listed below, and you'll catch the drift. BusinessWeek.com lists these vehicles as "beautiful" and "doomed" and quotes one Porsche executive who is worried that, apart from buyers avoiding less useful cars because of fuel costs; they might also start worrying about what their neighbours think. 

Apparently, there's not that many buyers who want to look extra-flashy when people all around are losing their jobs. It's interesting to note that, for most of the vehicles Numbered out below, the sales struggles have been going on for the duration of 2008 but clearly worsened in May. Indication? The news ain't changin'. Depressingly then, here are some of your likely favourites - all of which are struggling to find buyers in 2008.

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16.2 - percentage drop in sales of the BMW 6-series so far in 2008 compared with the first five months of 2007

13.7 - percentage drop in sales of the BMW Z4 so far in 2008

228 - actual fewer sales of the Cadillac XLR so far this year, down from 839 for the first five months of 2007 to 611 this year, a 27.2% fall

2,904 - total May sales of the Chevrolet Corvette, down 396 from May of 2007

31.6 - percentage drop in sales of the Ford Mustang so far this year

2,149 - sales of the Jaguar XK in the first five months of 2007, 39.2% higher than the January-May period of this year

629 - actual drop in sales for the Bad 8 member, Lexus' SC430, so far this year, from 1,705 to 1,076

33.3 - percentage drop in sales for the Mercedes-Benz CLK in May of 2008 compared with May of 2007

59.6 - percentage drop in sales for the Mercedes-Benz SLK in May of this year compared with May of '07

37.7 - percentage drop in sales for the Nissan 350Z so far this year

2,003 - actual drop in sales over the first five months of 2008 compared with '07 for the Pontiac Solstice, down to 5,193 for the year

32.3 - percentage drop in sales so far this year for the Porsche 911