on the promise of cheaper insurance (false)
IO540
Are you sure this is just one of those myths?
I dont know a deal about the US insurance market and I agree here it would make any difference.
However Flying (a reputable mag. in my view) reported that it was difficult if not impossible for low hour pilots to get insurance on retractables in the US or at any rate only with a hefty policy loading. The wisdom of attracting high wealth low hour pilots into a Cirrus is perhaps questionable; that is one of the more dubious sides of marketing perhaps Scooter was referring to, but as they might say on the otherside of the Pond, hey if it sells aircraft.
After all as I indicated earlier it only takes one pilot to land gear up for whatever reason and that is probably a 50K payout at the bottom end and maybe a lot more - that takes some recovery in the premiums charged.