What is definitely NOT the future is anything with an engine in it burning 36 litres an hour. I sincerely hope that all the American aircraft, the current ageing fleet of Cessna 152/172 etc and PA28 derivatives are all scrapped in a few years' time.
You don't expect a motor vehicle to last more than 10 years, why a plane? The present UK training/hire fleet are the aviation equivalent of a Morris Minor. You may have a pang of nostalgia when you see one on the roads, but try using one for day-to-day transport or travel for any distance - uncomfortable, cold in the Winter and hot in the Summer, cramped inside, noisy, fuel-inefficient, hard to source parts for and generally unattractive for potential users. The above equally applies to the C152 as it does to the Moggie.
To prove the point...
A couple of years ago, the first Cirrus appeared on our airfield; an enterprising person saw this as the way forward, despite the fact that they cost 5 times as much as a PA28 or C172. Since then, 14 have arrived and are probably flown more than many of the other aircraft. People DO have the money to spend when they see something attractive. How can we expect folk to turn up in a new 5-series BMW and climb into a clapped out aircraft with cracked trim, worn-out carpet and a weight-and-balance situation that means they can't take their friends flying?
TheOddOne.