No one knows what a sports car is anymore.
#23
Regardless, that definition is an anachronism. While 2-seat, ragtops (or no tops) gave birth to the term, the application and success of aerodynamics in making cars significantly faster rendered that configuration obsolete on race tracks. That's the domain of true "sport cars."
Here's another of my non-sport cars. :-)
Here's another of my non-sport cars. :-)
Last edited by Foosh; 02-21-2016 at 12:06 AM.
#24
Regardless, that definition is an anachronism. While 2-seat, ragtops (or no tops) gave birth to the term, the application and success of aerodynamics in making cars significantly faster rendered that configuration obsolete on race tracks. That's the domain of true "sport cars."
Here's another of my non-sport cars. :-)
Here's another of my non-sport cars. :-)
#26
#27
Obviously, mainstream US car makers are unable to produce anything like that for economic reasons. Their infrastructure is scaled to produce thousands of cars per day which are built to US customer expectations of being able to drive it in a wide range of temperatures over pretty much any surface (New Jersey Turnpike...) while wearing whatever they normally do in the house/office, and without having to concentrate on driving.
It'll be interesting to see how that Alfa turns out once tailored to the US market...
It'll be interesting to see how that Alfa turns out once tailored to the US market...
The following users liked this post:
tberg (02-21-2016)
#28
Not so simple, a new, completed Caterham 7 is not legal for sale in the US as a complete vehicle. It can only be sold as a rolling chassis and completed by the owner. It then must be registered under the regulations governing "kit cars" in the owner's resident state.
#30
I've actually been looking to buy another, and used ones are appreciating. The fact that Lotus gave up on complying w/ US stds. definitely boosted the used market. A comparable, clean '05 like I sold 4 years ago (pictured above), now goes for $10K more than I sold mine for.
BTW, I bought the car above used in Chapel Hill in '06. I put 30K miles on it in 5 years (street and track) without ever doing anything but regular fluid changes and new tires--lot of new tires.
#32
Excellent thread. Where I grew up in 60s and 70s there were coupes, sedans, muscle cars, performance, exotics, sports cars and roadsters.
Coupes and sedans with small or big block drivetrains could be transformed into muscle cars. The performance cars off the line were Vettes, Z28s, Barracudas, Chargers, Boss, Mach I, Javelins, Trans Ams, GTOs, GTXs, Road Runners, Dusters, Demons, GSs, GSXs. Exotics were Lambos, Maseratis, Lotus', Ferraris, Porsches, Alfa Romeos. Sports cars were the Fiat 850s, Triumphs TRs and Spitfires, 240Zs. Jag Es, Mercedes SLs, BMW 2002 were roadsters. And, a rim plus a tire was a wheel.
Coupes and sedans with small or big block drivetrains could be transformed into muscle cars. The performance cars off the line were Vettes, Z28s, Barracudas, Chargers, Boss, Mach I, Javelins, Trans Ams, GTOs, GTXs, Road Runners, Dusters, Demons, GSs, GSXs. Exotics were Lambos, Maseratis, Lotus', Ferraris, Porsches, Alfa Romeos. Sports cars were the Fiat 850s, Triumphs TRs and Spitfires, 240Zs. Jag Es, Mercedes SLs, BMW 2002 were roadsters. And, a rim plus a tire was a wheel.
#33
Here, we have the option of buying it for £3k less and building it ourselves, or paying full price for a car. My palms itch just thinking about it...
#36
#37
I think the classic definition of sports car is pretty much what the author said. The preposterous notion that a "true" sports car had to go 0-60 in 5.5 seconds would have eliminated virtually all 1960-1980 Ferraris, Maseratis, and everything else up through the '90's. That eliminates an awful lot of great sports cars. I also agree that when the definition started to change to include coupes, all of us of the over 50 generation have a pretty good idea of what we thought of as sports cars.
When I bought my '72 Pantera, I certainly didn't buy it for its comfort or luxury, I bought it for a) what it looked like (a sports car) and b) its Ferrari beating 0-60 as well as the thundering exotic sounds coming out of the engine.
Now here's my sports car!
When I bought my '72 Pantera, I certainly didn't buy it for its comfort or luxury, I bought it for a) what it looked like (a sports car) and b) its Ferrari beating 0-60 as well as the thundering exotic sounds coming out of the engine.
Now here's my sports car!
#38
But here's some more monkeywrenching:
What Is A Sports Car, Exactly?
Read that column, and *the comments*. Then read the comments section of the original article. =)
I love the debate. I am too naive to have a deeply rooted and vested allegiance to the semantics, but it does seem what is defined as a "sports car" is a soft top two seater that is meant for racing. That is pretty simple. It seems to keep being simple when you say any two door hardtop coupe is meant for touring in all weather, and that is a GT.
But the argument is whether sports car and roadster are interchangable, or what the original author meant...
https://www.reddit.com/r/cars/commen...ctually_means/
It's one of the more fascinating yet arcane conversations I've had in a long time. It's inconsequential, while still demanding attention because, as the author says, WORDS HAVE TO MEAN SOMETHING. LOL =)
#39
This quote is marvelous, and it immediately recalls one of my favorite sayings, which was a throwaway line from a B-scifi-movie...
"One can do without life's necessities, provided your have some of its finer luxuries".
LOL
Last edited by Uncle Fishbits; 02-22-2016 at 10:07 AM.
#40