December 2012 And 2012 Year End Sporty Car And Premium Sporty Car Sales In America

2012 Sporty Car Sales Chart

As COTY plaudits were being showered upon their new sports cars, Subaru and Scion were finishing up their eighth month of U.S. BRZ and FR-S sales. In total, 15,561 Toyobarus found American buyers in 2012 - the BRZ went on sale in May; the FR-S wasn't properly on the market until June. As expected, the Scion FR-S was the more popular car, but much of that comes down to supply. 73% of the U.S. allotment was sold through Scion stores.

December 2012 Sporty
Car Sales Chart

22% of the Mini Coopers sold in America in 2012 weren't hatchbacks. Mini Convertible sales dropped 3%, but the Roadster added 2371 units to Mini's total. Speaking of hot hatches, Mini doesn't separate Cooper/Cooper S/Cooper JCW sales, (nor does Mazda isolate Speed3 sales, or Ford the Focus ST sales) but Volkswagen Of America does allow us to see what portion of Golf sales are generated by the GTI and R. 49% of Golf sales in 2012 were of the GTI or R variety, although The Good 12-winning GTI sales slid 3.3%.

Even now that Porsche Boxster sales are healthier than they've been since 2008, the Boxster isn't selling as often as the Mercedes-Benz SLK, the dominant German roadster. Year-over-year, Boxster sales jumped 887% in December 2012, yet the SLK (up 67.3%) outsold the Porsche by 70 units. BMW's Z4 was 51 units back of the Porsche and the Audi TT was 129 sales behind the Z4.

All 266 Vehicles Ranked By 2012 Year End U.S. Sales

2012 Premium Sporty
Car Sales Chart

How important are these roadsters and two-seat coupes to the German brands? They're huge image builders, but measured in terms of volume, the Audi A5 outsold the TT, Z4, SLK, Boxster, and Cayman in December, and did so with 223 units to spare. Year-to-date, the A5 outsold the smaller quintet by 4342 sales. We'll start hearing more about BMW 3-Series coupe and convertible sales in 2013 when they take on the 4-Series name. Mercedes-Benz will still be hiding C-Class Coupe sales in the overall C's total. 21.7% of the Infiniti Gs sold in America in 2012 were G37 coupes or convertibles.

At the higher end, sales of the Audi R8, Jaguar XK, Mercedes-Benz CL-Class, and Nissan GT-R were in noticeable decline in 2012. You'll notice that the BMW's 6-Series huge increases continue, but keep in mind, the Gran Sedan Coupe is adding to the 6er's total. Not surprisingly, Porsche 911 sales rose sharply in 2012, and both it and the Mercedes-Benz SL-Class are selling better than they have since 2008.

December 2012 Premium
Sporty Car Sales Chart

As for American muscle cars, the Ford Mustang made a late surge, but the Chevrolet Camaro hung on to take the sales crown in 2012 despite falling sales. U.S. Mustang volume was up 9.5% in December and 17.8% in 2012 as a whole. There's no denying it: when many American buyers begin their search for a fast two-door, they already know that search will end with them leaving a dealer in a Challenger, Mustang, or Camaro.

You can always find the sales figures for any vehicle by selecting a make and/or model at GCBC's Sales Stats home. The tables visible after the jump are now sortable: click any heading in either table to rearrange vehicles by December 2012 U.S. sales volume or year-over-year percentage change or whatever it is you wish to sort. Click the headings at the far left to sort back to alphabetical order. It's a small change, but one that makes the surveying of automotive sales data that much easier at GoodCarBadCar.net.

Click On Column Headers To Sort

Sporty Car	December 2012	% Change	2012 Year End	YTD % Change
Audi A5	1572	+ 23.5%	17,270	+ 12.3%
Audi TT	195	- 9.7%	2226	- 0.4%
BMW 1-Series	757	- 17.4%	7689	- 12.9%
BMW Z4	324	+ 8.4%	2751	- 20.9%
Chevrolet Camaro	5837	- 13.6%	84,391	- 4.4%
Chevrolet Corvette	1291	+ 24.4%	14,132	+ 7.4%
Dodge Challenger	3942	+ 20.0%	43,119	+ 9.1%
Ford Mustang	5537	+ 9.5%	82,995	+ 17.8%
Honda CR-Z	243	- 56.9%	4192	- 63.0%
Hyundai Veloster	1976	- 9.7%	34,862	+ 276%
Infiniti G37 Coupe/Convertible	1034	- 8.7%	13,016	- 10.2%
Mazda MX-5 Miata	394	+ 16.2%	6305	+ 11.1%
Mazda RX-8	-----	- 100%	80	- 89.5%
Mercedes-Benz SLK	445	+ 67.3%	4595	+ 42.7%
Mini Convertible	325	+ 8.7%	4813	- 3.0%
Mini Coupe	178	- 29.6%	2880	+ 202%
Mini Roadster	273	-----	2371	-----
Mitsubishi Eclipse	20	- 87.9%	1173	- 84.5%
Nissan 370Z	406	- 9.6%	7338	+ 0.1%
Porche Boxster	375	+ 887%	2894	+ 63.0%
Porsche Cayman	10	- 85.0%	462	- 66.0%
Scion FR-S	1495	-----	11,417	-----
Scion tC	1383	- 12.9%	22,666	+ 1.0%
Subaru BRZ	497	-----	4144	-----
Subaru Impreza WRX	1642	+ 30.6%	13,624	- 1.3%
Volkswagen Beetle Convertible	516	+ 51,500%	520	- 38.2%
Volkswagen Eos	372	- 11.2%	6214	- 17.5%
Volkswagen GTI	1085	- 18.5%	16,314	- 3.3%
Volkswagen Golf R	292	-----	3894	-----
Volvo C70	208	- 24.1%	4441	- 10.0%

Premium Sporty Car	December 2012	% Change	2012 Year End	YTD % Change
Audi R8	51	- 61.7%	802	- 30.0%
BMW 6-Series	1037	+ 43.4%	8208	+ 110%
Dodge Viper	-----	- 100%	20	- 89.8%
Jaguar XK	133	- 12.5%	1633	- 6.0%
Lexus LFA	6	- 40.0%	46	- 25.8%
Lexus SC430	-----	-----	2	- 88.9%
Mercedes-Benz CL-Class	71	+ 24.6%	723	- 23.3%
Mercedes-Benz SL-Class	503	+ 408%	4899	+ 238%
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG	38	- 55.8%	800	+ 10.8%
Nissan GT-R	49	+ 40.0%	1188	- 8.2%
Porsche 911	519	+ 22.7%	8528	+ 41.8%

Source: Manufacturers & ANDC 
Mercedes-Benz USA also sold one leftover CLK in 2012.
Clearly GoodCarBadCar is not suggesting that the cars in the two tables above are all direct competitors. Establishing categories among cars as unique as even the Audi TT and Porsche Boxster has never pleased a single reader, so cars have been lumped together so you can simply see how buyers looking for sports cars, roadsters, hot hatches, convertibles, GTs, and wanna-be sports cars spend their money. Greater categorization of cars would only lead to problems that automakers create by not isolating model-specific sales figures: we don't know how many M3s BMW has sold or how many Civics are Si models, for example. The numbers we do have are listed above.

Related From GoodCarBadCar.net
Sporty Car Sales In America - January 2013
Sporty Car & Premium Sporty Car Sales In America - December & 2011 Year End
Sporty Car & Premium Sporty Car Sales In America - November 2012
Top 30 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In America - 2012 Year End
Top 25 Best-Selling Cars In America - 2012 Year End
U.S. Auto Sales Brand Rankings - December & 2012 Year End

December 2012 And 2012 Year End Small/Entry And Midsize Luxury Car Sales In America

Lexus GS Sales Rose From Abysmally Low
Levels To Something More Respectable In 2012

2012 Small/Entry Luxury
Car Sales Chart
Click Any Chart For Larger View

As you read last week, the BMW 3-Series ended 2012 as the best-selling luxury vehicle in America. Obviously its status as the leader in this post was a foregone conclusion. The 3-Series was a model in transition in 2012, and its gains were not as significant as that which was achieved by America's overall new vehicle market.

Meanwhile, the Audi A6, Audi A7, Hyundai Equus, Lexus CT200h, Lexus ES, Lexus GS, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, and Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class all posted improvements better than the market's 13.4% boost. Considering the number of cars listed in the accompanying charts and the tables visible after the jump, it appears as though very few luxury cars wowed us with volume growth in 2012. This post featuring higher-end luxury sedans brings with it plenty of red font, too.

December 2012 Small/Entry
Luxury Car Sales Chart

Yet, for the most part, luxury automakers grew sales at an impressive clip in 2012. Some of that can be traced back to relatively low-volume cars like the Porsche Boxster and Mercedes-Benz SL-Class. But in reality, SUVs are to be thanked.

While BMW 3-Series sales rose just 5.5% in America in 2012, the X3 jumped 26.6%, and BMW also brought in the X1 for another 8947 sales. Even the C-Class Benz, with its better-than-the-market's 17.9% increase, didn't post as big an increase as the GLK, which was up 20.8%. The Lincoln brand was down 4.1% in 2012, as car sales fell 15.5% (mainly due to slim growth produced by the MKS and MKZ and the defunct status of the Town Car), while sales of the MKT, MKX, and Navigator rose 11.3%.

All 266 Vehicles Ranked By 2012 Year End U.S. Sales

2012 Midsize Luxury
Car Sales Chart

Acura's MDX and RDX posted 17.5% and 94.3% improvements, respectively. Compare that to the TSX's 6.7% drop and the TL's 7.5% improvement. Jaguar-Land Rover? Sales of the cars were down 2.2%; sales of the SUVs were up 14.6%. Even as the A4 Allroad sells much better than the A4 Avant, overall A4 sales rose just 9.4% - Q5 sales jumped 15.1%.

We could go on, but you get the picture. Luxury car sales in 2012 were healthy, but automobile manufacturers know that if market share is to be stolen, a crossover will be required to do the thievery.

December 2012 Midsize
Luxury Car Sales Chart

You can always find the sales figures for any vehicle by selecting a make and/or model at GCBC's Sales Stats home. The tables below are now sortable: click any heading in either table to rearrange vehicles by December 2012 U.S. sales volume or year-over-year percentage change or whatever it is you wish to sort. Click the headings at the far left to sort back to alphabetical order. It's a small change, but one that makes the surveying of automotive sales data that much easier at GoodCarBadCar.net.

Click On Column Headers To Sort

Small/Entry Luxury Car	December 2012	% Change	2012 Year End	YTD % Change
Acura ILX	2485	-----	12,251	-----
Acura TSX	2142	- 39.6%	28,865	- 6.7%
Audi A3	397	- 37.5%	7205	+ 9.8%
Audi A4	3806	+ 2.3%	38,530	+ 9.4%
Audi A5	1572	+ 23.5%	17,270	+ 12.3%
BMW 1-Series	757	- 17.4%	7689	- 12.9%
BMW 3-Series	10,745	+ 26.6%	99,602	+ 5.5%
Cadillac ATS	2979	-----	7008	-----
Cadillac CTS	3372	- 37.8%	46,979	- 14.6%
Infiniti G	5516	- 15.5%	59,844	+ 2.7%
Lexus CT200h	1598	- 29.3%	17,673	+ 22.9%
Lexus HS250h	2	- 99.3%	649	- 77.3%
Lexus IS	2497	- 31.2%	27,708	- 6.6%
Mercedes-Benz B-Class	1	-----	29	+ 52.6%
Mercedes-Benz C-Class	7757	+ 0.2%	81,697	+ 17.9%
Volvo C30	240	- 9.1%	2827	- 18.6%
Volvo S40	-----	- 100%	51	- 98.3%
Volvo S60	2344	+ 20.1%	23,356	+ 9.7%

Midsize Luxury Car	December 2012	% Change	2012 Year End	YTD % Change
Acura RL	18	- 64.0%	379	- 65.4%
Acura TL	2246	- 31.6%	33,572	+ 7.5%
Audi A6	1875	+ 1.1%	18,998	+ 70.8%
Audi A7	926	+ 4.4%	8598	+ 37.1%
BMW 5-Series	8385	+ 71.6%	56,798	+ 10.3%
Cadillac STS	4	- 94.9%	164	- 95.1%
Cadillac DTS	-----	- 100%	465	- 96.0%
Cadillac XTS	2939	-----	15,049	-----
Hyundai Equus	350	+ 7.7%	3972	+ 24.4%
Hyundai Genesis	2397	- 3.0%	33,973	+ 3.0%
Infiniti M	849	- 21.7%	9130	- 15.6%
Jaguar XF	527	- 12.3%	5526	+ 4.2%
Lexus ES	7987	+ 63.6%	56,158	+ 37.4%
Lexus GS	2796	+ 1341%	22,160	+ 492%
Lincoln MKS	1350	- 1.9%	12,524	+ 2.5%
Lincoln MKZ	1630	- 33.1%	28,053	+ 1.9%
Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class	703	+ 10.2%	8065	+ 42.4%
Mercedes-Benz E-Class	6984	+ 31.7%	65,171	+ 3.9%
Volvo S80	207	- 2.4%	3277	- 30.8%
Volvo XC70	518	- 13.2%	5513	- 3.6%

Source: Manufacturers & ANDC 
Large-size Equus and XTS and DTS are here on pricing grounds. Genesis sales refer to both sedan and coupe. Buick, Chrysler, Avalon, Maxima etc. are listed here.

Related From GoodCarBadCar.net
Luxury Car Sales In America - January 2013
Small/Entry & Midsize Luxury Car Sales In America - December & 2011
Small/Entry & Midsize Luxury Car Sales In America - November 2012
Top 30 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In America - 2012 Year End
Top 30 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In America - December 2012
U.S. Auto Sales Brand Rankings - December & 2012 Year End

December 2012 And 2012 Year End Small & Midsize Luxury SUV Sales In America

The Lexus RX Was By Far The Best-Selling
Luxury Utility Vehicle In America In 2012

2012 Small Luxury SUV Sales Chart
Click Any Chart For A Larger View

U.S. sales of luxury utility vehicles in December 2012 grew forcefully at Audi, Volkswagen, and and Porsche, grew substantially at Volvo, and grew at an average rate at Land Rover. Four of the ten best-selling premium brand vehicles in America last month were SUVs or crossovers, including the top-ranked Lexus RX, sales of which rose 15.5% in December. (The RX trailed the BMW 3-Series by a small margin in the year end standings.)

You'll notice that the RX and Cadillac SRX are listed in both tables below, giving you the opportunity to see how they perform against either slightly smallexuler or slightly less expensive SUVs or vice versa. 2012 was the second-best U.S. sales year for the RX in the last five. Cadillac sold more SRX crossovers in 2012 than in any year in the nameplate's history.

All 266 Vehicles Ranked By 2012 Year End U.S. Sales

2012 Midsize Luxury
SUV Sales Chart

Obviously, sales have never been higher than in 2012 for the BMW X1, Infiniti JX, and Land Rover Range Rover Evoque. They've only been on sale in America since August, March, and October 2011, respectively. 

But more best-yet sales years were recorded by the Acura RDX, Audi Q5, BMW X3, BMW X5, BMW X6, Mercedes-Benz GLK, and Volvo XC60.

Want proof? Yearly U.S. and Canadian sales figures going back as far as 2002 (and monthly numbers going back to January 2010) are available for every model still on sale through the dropdown menu at GCBC's Sales Stats home. That's one way GoodCarBadCar.net has tried to make sales data more accessible. The other relates to the two tables which are visible after the jump: both are now sortable. Click any column header to sort vehicles by December volume or 2012 volume or alphabetically.

Click On Column Headers To Sort

Small Luxury SUV	December 2012	% Change	2012 Year End	YTD % Change
Acura RDX	4024	+ 155%	29,520	+ 94.3%
Audi Q5	3626	+ 55.2%	28,671	+ 15.1%
BMW X1	2806	-----	8947	-----
BMW X3	5162	+ 46.1%	35,173	+ 26.6%
Cadillac SRX	6400	- 12.6%	57,485	+ 1.0%
Infiniti EX	334	- 38.6%	3495	- 42.0%
Land Rover LR2	246	- 35.8%	3113	+ 12.1%
Land Rover Range Rover Evoque	1117	+ 48.1%	8901	+ 297%
Lexus RX	12,534	+ 8.9%	95,381	+ 15.5%
Mercedes-Benz GLK	3004	+ 28.0%	29,364	+ 20.8%
Volvo XC60	1760	+ 56.0%	19,139	+ 48.0%

Midsize Luxury SUV	December 2012	% Change	2012  Year End	YTD % Change
Acura MDX	5069	+ 10.5%	50,854	+ 17.5%
Acura ZDX	50	- 41.9%	775	- 50.4%
Audi Q7	1493	+ 62.5%	11,008	+ 22.3%
BMW X5	5722	- 4.7%	44,445	+ 9.6%
BMW X6	1039	+ 36.5%	6749	+ 9.0%
Cadillac SRX	6400	- 12.6%	57,485	+ 1.0%
Infiniti FX	988	- 9.9%	10,424	+ 4.9%
Infiniti JX35	2708	-----	21,674	-----
Land Rover LR4	774	- 5.0%	7316	- 8.4%
Land Rover Range Rover Sport	2003	+ 10.0%	16,491	+ 7.6%
Lexus GX460	1407	+ 15.4%	11,039	- 4.9%
Lexus RX	12,534	+ 8.9%	95,381	+ 15.5%
Lincoln MKT	653	+ 13.8%	7094	+ 41.2%
Lincoln MKX	2617	- 2.4%	25,107	+ 7.3%
Mercedes-Benz M-Class	4241	- 20.2%	38,101	+ 6.3%
Porsche Cayenne	1565	+ 88.6%	15,545	+ 19.8%
Volkswagen Touareg	1408	+ 26.1%	10,553	+ 40.1%
Volvo XC90	873	- 2.5%	9513	- 10.3%

Source: Manufacturers & ANDC

Related From GoodCarBadCar.net
Small & Midsize Luxury SUV Sales In America - January 2013
Small & Midsize Luxury SUV Sales In America - December & 2011 Year End
Small & Midsize Luxury SUV Sales In America - November 2012
Top 30 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In America - 2012 Year End
Top 30 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In America - December 2012
U.S. Auto Sales Brand Rankings - December & 2012 Year End