Actually, I would say that Perl is like Toyota. Toyota makes many many many types
of motor vehicles, from small motorbikes to helicoptors and just about everything in
between. If Perl/Toyota can't get you there, well then.

COBOL is like my old 1977 Thunderbird. Innovative in it's day, powerful for it's time.
It still runs now, though not as good as it could, and it's wasteful because it
has that big steel frame (Sections, Paragraphs, etc) that weigh it down. People still drive the
COBOL Thunderbird, some people still enjoy it, and there are still mechanics who will
work on it. Hell there may even be a factory somewhere that still makes brand new ones.

But I don't drive it anymore. If someone else wants to drive it, so be it. I prefer something
smaller, nimbler, and cheaper on the gas...

Cheers! :)