The latest data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows thieves would rather snatch a high performance car over chop-shop money-makers like the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. In 2009 numbers, released last night, the Audi S8 and Shelby GT500 Mustang jumped to the top of the list of preferred targets for a generation of car thieves raised on Grand Theft Auto.
Let's be clear here — this isn't a list of the ten most stolen cars in America. The raw numbers show the best-selling car in America in 2009 was the Toyota Camry and thus the most stolen. But if you look at the thefts-per-vehicles-produced numbers, it's clear that even thieves really don't want a Camry. Everyone wants high horsepower. It's just that they're harder to find in places where they're easy to steal.
That makes sense.
Topping NHTSA's list of cars stolen in 2009 was the awesome Audi S8 with a take rate of 8.81 thefts per 1,000 vehicles produced. It seems as though America's carjackers love the Transporter as much we do.
The list also excludes light trucks and SUVs — which are actually atop the list of the most stolen vehicles in America. Again, these are just cars, and they're listed by tops in thefts-per-vehicles-produced.
Click through the list to see the ten cars in America that thieves most want to steal. And if you find yours — maybe park it in your garage or, you know, Lojack it or something.
10. Mercedes CL-Class
Theft rate: 3.91 per 1,000
9. Cadillac STS
Theft rate: 4.28 per 1,000
8. Infiniti M35/M45
Theft rate: 4.32 per 1,000
7. Chrysler 300
Theft rate: 4.57 per 1,000
6. Mitsubishi Galant
Theft rate: 5.11 per 1,000
5. Honda S2000
Theft rate: 5.60 per 1,000
4. Dodge Charger
Theft rate:6.47 per 1,000
3. BMW M5
Theft rate: 7.58 per 1,000
2. Ford Shelby GT500
Theft rate: 8.61 per 1,000
1. Audi S8
Theft rate: 8.81 per 1,000