So what makes a car a Sports Car?

[.mark]

This may have been done already - apologies if it has but I can find no reference but...

After a late night brush with the Absinth Fairy at the weekend I was trying (somewhat unsuccessfully) to define 'A Sports Car' to some imaginary person - could have been the wife!
So what are the teams views?
Does it have to be a convertible?
Does have to reach 60 in under 'xx' seconds?
Does it only have 2 seats?
Must it be red????

All views welcome.

[MEMSDesign]

Do you have a nervous twitch, or is there a dodgy connection on your mouse button? How many topics?

[M@H]

Well I'm not sure....

[M@H]

Well I'm not sure....

[M@H]

Well I'm not sure....

[M@H]

Well I'm not sure....

[Bodo]

A sportscar must be designed to give the driver a subjective impression of speed and thoroughgoingness (uff).

E. g. a BMW 745i is very fast, but doesn't feel as sporty as a Austin Healy Sprite Mk1!

In a few words: suspension, engine design (sound), general handling, ...

[cleg]

ROFLMFAO M@T


as Fast as a monkee throwing its sheeat trought the cages to visitors at london zoo, have character , any colour, sound great, handle well, makes u smile to drive it and get the ladies exited

>> Edited by cleg on Tuesday 21st May 10:49

[M@H]

Couldn't help it..

[Bodo]

quote:
engine design (sound)

Of course high compression!

[philshort]

Interesting. Just what is it that separates Hairdresser from Sports, and Sports from Poseur.

Basics; has to be open topped 2 seater, front engined, rear drive, no electronic driver assists, big noisy V8, and called a Chimaera. OK, or a Griffth if you must.

[Roadrunner]

Fine handling.


The lotus exige sums it all up really. It's all about handling, even though it's power isn't huge. Some cars might generate massive output but handle like a barge. If you have a fine handling car AND massive power your talking supercar.

[.mark]

M@H et al. See the Absinth Fairy has been at you too

[plotloss]

According to Dictionary.com:

quote:
An automobile equipped for racing, especially an aerodynamically shaped one-passenger or two-passenger vehicle having a low center of gravity and steering and suspension designed for precise control at high speeds.

or

quote:
a small low car with a high-powered engine; usually seats two persons

Matt.

[Don]

quote:
Interesting. Just what is it that separates Hairdresser from Sports, and Sports from Poseur.

I've asked this question a thousand times. I think "Hairdresser" is defined as looking the part but not going well. I think CAR caught it quite nicely as "an astounding disparity of mouth and trousers..."

Sports vs GT is always difficult. Is a 996 a "sports" car or is it a GT? Hmmmmn.

To me: (And I know its subjective).

A sports car should:

1) Go as well as it looks.
2) Out perform *most* other cars on the road and *all* "ordinary" cars
3) Out handle *most* other cars on the road and *all* "ordinary" cars
4) Should sound great (not necessarily loud - but that's good too!)

I think its relatively harder to make a big, heavy car "sporty" (as above) so its likely (but not certain) that the car will be small - and therefore likely that it will have only two seats.

Of course the above applies largely to European "sports" ethics and is IMHO etc

[mattc]

Easy answer, usable by everyone:

MY car is a sports car. Everything else is either:
- too small => just a kit/weekend car
- too big/heavy => sports saloon/Grand Tourer
- underpowered => woose's car
- overpowered => supercar, just for the rich (and uninsurable!)
- unreliable => weekend car only
- too reliable => not for enthusiasts
- doesn't handle => boulevard cruiser
- perfect handling => not a real man's car
- has a roof => not for real men OR enthusiasts
(and my personal favourite)
- convertible => hairdresser's car
(but I never understood the logic in that one )

[JMGS4]

Sports(?) car = a car where one can have sports in.... mine (first ever) was an Austin A35 and what sports we played!!

[kingjohn]

Hi guys,

I have often argued this with friends and have come up with a car designed to be fun to drive as opposed to a family car/hatchback etc that has been modified to make it fast. In this way an MX5 is a sportscar and a civic type r isn't. It isn't really anything about speed as I can't see anyone argueing that an M5 is a sportscar 'cos it's so fast and an MGB isn't 'cos it's so slow.

Nothing to do with roof or number of seats (although I have never heard of a sportscar with more sets than wheels). The big GT cars (eg Vanquish, 550) are still sportscars for the above reasons. What do you think of that for an answer?

John

[mattc]

quote:
To me: (And I know its subjective).

A sports car should:

1) Go as well as it looks.
2) Out perform *most* other cars on the road and *all* "ordinary" cars
3) Out handle *most* other cars on the road and *all* "ordinary" cars

I disagree with most of those because it rules out (most) classics. IMHO an old MG can still be sporty DESPITE being outrun by average repmobiles. Sports car don't lose their status just because technology has moved on.

[ninja_eli]

Doesnt the dictionary just state that it must be a two seater open top car?