What is a sports car?

[CarSuperfreak]

same could be said for the CTS-V. then again, if you want to get real specific, I guess the evo and cts-v would be "sports sedans"


(and where did that come from nissanspdr? lol)

[kman10587]

I guess there should be two different terms here. A sports car is a car that goes fast, and looks like it. A performance car is a car that is simply made for speed, whether it looks like it or not. The Corvette is a sports car, whereas the STi is a performance car.

[youngvr4]

sounds good

[CrzyMR2T]

Originally Posted by 3000ways

Ok, I here so much about what is a sports car and what is not a sports car it get's alittle confusing. What exactly is the definition of a sports car, what guidelines should a car have to be accuractly classified as sports car? Is a Mustang SVT Cobra a sports car or a muscle car, if it's not a sports car than why not, is it because of weight and non stellar handling, then what about the Saleen Mustang SC? It also has a supercharged 8-Cylinder and weighs alot, but handles like it is on rails, is it a sports car or muscle car? The Mitsubishi Evolution is not considered a sports car because it has 4 doors, yet it's performance matches and betters many other performance cars that cost twice as much. RX-8 also has 4 doors (somewhat) is it sports car, if not a sports car than what is it? So what are the guidelines for a sports car, are there any, or is it what I suspect, every bodies own opinions on what they feel a sports car is?

i think the term sports car originated from britain, and it originated from a two door, two seater, rear wheel drive, drop top, with good handling. performance wise, most early sports cars didnt have a lot of power, they just handled really good. i guess if you go with the classic definition of a sport car, the evo, mustang cobra, or the rx-8 wouldnt be considered one, but things change, like definition of words, and car technology.

[Joseph1082]

Hmmm, I just thought of something else... I mentioned the original muscle cars, those big four or more seater cars that surprisingly have power... I know the import people are gonna hate this, but the STI and EVO are today's 21st century "muscle" cars.
Also, the all-encompassing word would be "performance car" IMO.

[kman10587]

Actually, if you go to some STi sites, you'll usually see a few muscle car fans saying the exact same thing. And then buying the STi

[stangvette1]

I have a V6 stang and I would probably call it sporty looking, but it lacks the power to be called a true sports car. In my opinion, Mach1 and SVT cobra would definitely be called sports cars. Their suspenions have been tuned, they both get around .9G, they both are VERY fast and they both are sleek.

[Joseph1082]

The problem w/ the v6 cars (owned a v6 Camaro) is that they kinda are a fake, a regular 9-5 car in the guise of a sports car. Though they fit the definition in one respect the miss in the other.

This brings up a good point, I mean, where do cars like the Integra Type R fit in... I mean, they obviously look like sports cars, driving one is a joy, but statistically they fall short, performing well within the range of family sedans.

[aznxthuggie]

Originally Posted by Joseph1082

The problem w/ the v6 cars (owned a v6 Camaro) is that they kinda are a fake, a regular 9-5 car in the guise of a sports car. Though they fit the definition in one respect the miss in the other.

This brings up a good point, I mean, where do cars like the Integra Type R fit in... I mean, they obviously look like sports cars, driving one is a joy, but statistically they fall short, performing well within the range of family sedans.

im wondering about that also.. i mean the civic/integra type R, are made for the track.. and they can be whooped by a s2k or any similar car.. so does that mean they are/are not sports cars? i duno.. confuzing stuff heh.. but lets say.. u have your own car for racing.. lets say.. an integra type R.. and u enter it into a races... it beats a crapload of "sports cars" so does that mean its a sports car itself?.. oo man im confuzing myself

[Benelli5]

I dont think that a sports car can be defined the same way that they were defined even as recent as about 10 to 15 years ago. With the way the sport-compact scene has exploded in that time, you cant really say a sports car can only be rear-wheel drive, two doors, and a large displacement engine. I think of a sports car simply as a car thats built almost exclusivly for performance. There really shouldnt be to many things that dont make the car go faster, stop faster, or handle better. Ferrari Enzo is the absolute definition of a pure sports car but a car doesnt have to be THAT extreme to be considered a real sports car. My answer is vague but It just seems like the automotive world is so much more diverse now and setting exact specifications is kinda tough.

I mean, where do cars like the Integra Type R fit in...

Type R has to be considered a sports car IMO.

[No-Townhustla]

Um i have a 95 honda civic sedan and its a sports car um yea sport car

[aznxthuggie]

Originally Posted by No-Townhustla

Um i have a 95 honda civic sedan and its a sports car um yea sport car

why not? im sure all the kids from high school will think my car is a sports car also