Sports cars span a wide range, from lightweight roadsters to high-powered V8 and hybrid performance models. The statistics below cover sales, real-world driver death rates, historical safety benchmarks, and manufacturer-published specifications for recent Mustangs, Toyota GR Supras, Mazda MX-5 Miatas, and Chevrolet Corvettes.
Contents
- Market size and sales
- Real-world driver death rates
- Historical safety benchmarks
- 2025 Ford Mustang statistics
- 2025 Toyota GR Supra statistics
- 2026 Mazda MX-5 Miata statistics
- Recent Chevrolet Corvette benchmarks
Market size and sales
The Ford Mustang provides one of the clearest long-running sales series for a sports-car nameplate. Ford reported more than 59,000 customer deliveries in 2023. Across the ten years through 2023, Mustang deliveries approached 1 million cars, showing how a performance-oriented model can sustain substantial volume over multiple product generations.
Ford also reported that the Mustang was sold in 85 markets worldwide in 2024. Over the nameplate’s first 60 years, the company reported more than 10 million Mustangs sold. The original launch created an unusually large first-year benchmark: first-year Mustang sales exceeded 418,000 cars in 1964.
These figures are nameplate sales indicators, not a complete global sports-car market total. Ford’s global registration comparison covered more than 80 countries and about 95% of global new-vehicle volume for 2004–2023. That scope helps explain the reach of the comparison, while the individual Mustang figures describe Ford’s own reported sales and deliveries. Source: Ford, “Mustang is America’s Best-Selling Sports Car; Tops Globally For 10+ Years”.
Real-world driver death rates
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reported rates in deaths per million registered vehicle years for 2023 and equivalent models. The underlying fatality and exposure period was 2021–2024. This is a rate measure, not a percentage, and it should not be read as the probability that an individual driver will die in a crash.
Across all included vehicle classes, the average driver death rate was 37 deaths per million registered vehicle years. The average other-driver death rate was 53 per million registered vehicle years. “Driver” refers to occupants of the subject vehicle; “other driver” refers to drivers of other vehicles involved in the crashes covered by the analysis.
For the sports-car categories, midsize sports cars recorded 73 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years and 41 other-driver deaths. Large sports cars recorded 75 driver deaths and 61 other-driver deaths per million registered vehicle years. Those category figures are higher than the all-class driver average of 37, although the categories and exposure are not identical to a simple model-to-model comparison.
Two familiar nameplates in the IIHS analysis had similarly elevated driver rates. The Chevrolet Camaro’s driver death rate was 88 per million registered vehicle years, while the Chevrolet Corvette’s was 82. The Camaro’s other-driver death rate was 87 per million registered vehicle years. IIHS also reported that more than half of the 20 recent vehicles with the highest driver death rates were small cars, sports cars, or muscle cars.
The figures describe observed crash outcomes for the cited model group and period. They do not establish that a particular model causes a crash, and they should not be used to compare vehicles without considering exposure, driver behavior, road conditions, and vehicle use. Source: IIHS, “Driver death rates remain high for small cars, models with powerful engines”.
Historical safety benchmarks
IIHS historical tables show how overall driver death rates changed across groups of model years. For 2017 and equivalent models, the overall driver death rate was 36 per million registered vehicle years, based on fatalities and exposure from 2015–2018. For 2011 and equivalent models, the rate was 28 per million registered vehicle years, based on 2009–2012. For 2008 and equivalent models, the rate was 48 per million registered vehicle years, based on 2006–2009.
The sequence is not a continuous annual trend: each figure represents a different model-year group and measurement period. Still, it supplies useful context for interpreting sports-car rates alongside broader historical benchmarks. The 2008-and-equivalent group also included a particularly high listed sports-car result: the Nissan 350Z had 143 deaths per million registered vehicle years.
The IIHS table also listed 81 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years for the 2017 Ford Mustang GT coupe, with the cited measurement period covering 2015–2018. This historical figure should remain separate from the newer 2023/equivalent model-class results because the periods, model groups, and reporting context differ. Source: IIHS, “Driver death rates by make and model”.
2025 Ford Mustang statistics
Ford’s 2025 technical specifications show a three-tier powertrain range. The Mustang EcoBoost uses a 2.3-liter turbocharged inline-four engine with 2,300 cc of displacement. It produces 315 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 350 lb-ft of torque at 3,000 rpm.
The Mustang GT and Dark Horse use 5.0-liter V8 engines, each with 5,038 cc of displacement. The GT produces 480 horsepower at 7,150 rpm and 415 lb-ft of torque at 4,900 rpm before the active-valve-exhaust output increase. The Dark Horse produces 500 horsepower at 7,250 rpm. These are engine-output figures; they are not acceleration times or wheel-horsepower measurements.
| 2025 Mustang version | Engine | Horsepower | Torque |
|---|---|---|---|
| EcoBoost | 2.3-liter turbocharged inline-four | 315 hp at 5,500 rpm | 350 lb-ft at 3,000 rpm |
| GT | 5.0-liter V8 | 480 hp at 7,150 rpm* | 415 lb-ft at 4,900 rpm* |
| Dark Horse | 5.0-liter V8 | 500 hp at 7,250 rpm | Not supplied |
*Ford’s GT figures are stated before the active-valve-exhaust output increase. Across EcoBoost, GT, and Dark Horse versions, the 2025 Mustang offers six-speed manual and 10-speed automatic transmissions. Source: Ford, “2025 Ford Mustang Tech Specs”.
2025 Toyota GR Supra statistics
The 2025 Toyota GR Supra 3.0 uses a 2,998-cc twin-scroll turbocharged inline-six engine. It produces 382 horsepower at 5,800–6,500 rpm and 368 lb-ft of torque across 1,800–5,000 rpm. Toyota lists a 10.2:1 compression ratio and an electronically controlled top racetrack speed of 155 mph.
With the automatic transmission, the GR Supra 3.0 reaches 60 mph in 3.9 seconds. Toyota lists automatic fuel economy at 23 mpg city, 31 mpg highway, and 26 mpg combined. With the manual transmission, the figures are 19 mpg city, 27 mpg highway, and 21 mpg combined. Those are separate transmission-specific ratings, not values to average together.
The Supra’s listed curb weight is 3,400 pounds, with 10.2 cubic feet of trunk volume and a 13.7-gallon fuel capacity. Its dimensions are 172.5 inches long and 73.0 inches wide. Together, the figures describe a compact two-seat sports car with a relatively concentrated performance specification: 382 horsepower, a 3.9-second automatic 0–60-mph time, and a 155-mph electronically controlled racetrack limit. Source: Toyota, “GR SUPRA SPECIFICATIONS”.
2026 Mazda MX-5 Miata statistics
The 2026 Mazda MX-5 Miata uses a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 181 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 151 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm. The engine’s redline is 7,500 rpm. The supplied specifications do not include an acceleration time, top speed, curb weight, or fuel-economy figure, so those measures are not inferred here.
Transmission availability varies by trim. The 2026 MX-5 Sport and Club are offered exclusively with six-speed manual transmissions. The Grand Touring is available with either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. Mazda also lists an 8.8-inch infotainment display.
For the retractable-fastback RF, Mazda says the roof opens or closes in about 13 seconds. The 2026 MX-5 Sport 6MT starts at $30,430 before taxes, fees, and destination charges. That is a U.S. MSRP for the 2026 model year, not an estimated transaction price or a used-car value. Source: Mazda, “2026 Mazda MX-5 Miata: Pricing and Packaging”.
Recent Chevrolet Corvette benchmarks
Chevrolet’s current lineup page shows 2025 model-year Corvette performance benchmarks. The Stingray is listed with 494 horsepower, a 2.9-second 0–60-mph time, and an 11.2-second quarter-mile time.
The E-Ray is listed with 655 combined horsepower, a 2.5-second 0–60-mph time, and a 10.5-second quarter-mile time. The “combined” label matters because it describes the listed system output rather than a single engine figure.
The Z06 is listed with 670 horsepower and a 2.6-second 0–60-mph time. Its listed quarter-mile time is 10.6 seconds at 130 mph. The ZR1 is listed with 1,064 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and a 2.3-second 0–60-mph time.
| Corvette version | Listed power | 0–60 mph | Quarter mile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stingray | 494 hp | 2.9 sec | 11.2 sec |
| E-Ray | 655 combined hp | 2.5 sec | 10.5 sec |
| Z06 | 670 hp | 2.6 sec | 10.6 sec at 130 mph |
| ZR1 | 1,064 hp at 7,000 rpm | 2.3 sec | Not supplied |
These are the performance benchmarks shown on Chevrolet’s current lineup page for the 2025 model year. The page’s listed figures are manufacturer-published specifications and testing claims; they should not be treated as a single independently controlled comparison test. Source: Chevrolet, “Corvette Lineup: Stingray, E-Ray, Z06, & ZR1”.