I am a young member, and definately a young person to be driving a 200bhp+ car, but I think its a mix of factors why you see younger people driving niceer cars.
1.) Your getting older
2.) Young people are realising that rather then spend 3k on a crap wagon then 5k over two years doing stuff to it to get an extra 10bhp, they have realised they can get finance dead easy and hence buy a 10k and pay for it over 3 years.
3.) Finance Finance Finance, bubble loans, personal loans etc.. are all dead simple to get. I bought my car out right, but when i was looking at cars i realised i could easly get a 30k new car, with a bubble load scheme pay for it over 5 years, keep it at the end if i wanted if so take a loan out on the rest, if not get rid of it and hopefully make a few bob, thats without having to put any extra money in or having any sort of finacial backup (not having to put it against a house, etc..)
4.) The scrapage scheme has got rid of lots and lots of crap cars that students etc.. would normally buy...some friends of mine were looking to do the ramshackle rally, and litrally struggled to find a crap wagon that was in budget...
5.) Imports are so easy to get hold of and so cheap, you can now get import 350zs for around 4-6k admitably they might be dogs but still your getting alot of car for the same price as a new punto...
Just my 50cents (agreeing with you/ giving some other factors)
I agree for sure bud - Rich is right though some of them are still out there somewhere lurking....getting their Nova ready to drive themselves up to the Jeremy Kyle Show
In the last 10 years since I first started work people earn more, buy more and care less about credit......especially younger generations because they've become economically aware in a period where the government, financial institutions and the media all say that its 'fine' to be up to your nips in credit (hence my 2 car loans )