Totally unsporty "sport" models
Discussion
RobM77 said:
Hugo a Gogo said:
maybe I'm daft, but I thought the 'sport' in sports utility meant you could use it for doing sports, taking your mountain bike, windsurfer, skis, skateboards etc
That's the intention of the manufacturer and it's how SUVs are marketed. The irony is that they're bloody useless at those things. I'm a keen windsurfer, SUPer and cyclist and I can't think of a worse vehicle for it - I don't know a single person in those sports who has an SUV - most have estate cars. On an SUV or RR etc the roof's too tall to load things and the boot is tall and short, which is the opposite of what you need to sling a bike or masts, sails etc in the back.
. I think they're great for that sort of thing, mine is taller inside than any estate car, has a split tailgate and is huge. It's not even slightly sporty though (even if it does say turbo on the side). 
cerb4.5lee said:
crostonian said:
CrgT16 said:
daveco said:
FWIW I think they should end up getting rid of SE spec altogether-most of the range looks like, excuse the French, absolute dog s
t in standard spec.
Needs to be present on the lineup for 2 reasons:t in standard spec.1- So they can say you can have a BMW from (competitive price)
2- So they can charge you extra to make car look nicer
crostonian said:
cerb4.5lee said:
crostonian said:
CrgT16 said:
daveco said:
FWIW I think they should end up getting rid of SE spec altogether-most of the range looks like, excuse the French, absolute dog st in standard spec.
Needs to be present on the lineup for 2 reasons:t in standard spec.1- So they can say you can have a BMW from (competitive price)
2- So they can charge you extra to make car look nicer
cerb4.5lee said:
crostonian said:
cerb4.5lee said:
crostonian said:
CrgT16 said:
daveco said:
FWIW I think they should end up getting rid of SE spec altogether-most of the range looks like, excuse the French, absolute dog st in standard spec.
Needs to be present on the lineup for 2 reasons:t in standard spec.1- So they can say you can have a BMW from (competitive price)
2- So they can charge you extra to make car look nicer
d so never had a problem with SE seats!crostonian said:
cerb4.5lee said:
crostonian said:
cerb4.5lee said:
crostonian said:
CrgT16 said:
daveco said:
FWIW I think they should end up getting rid of SE spec altogether-most of the range looks like, excuse the French, absolute dog st in standard spec.
Needs to be present on the lineup for 2 reasons:t in standard spec.1- So they can say you can have a BMW from (competitive price)
2- So they can charge you extra to make car look nicer
d so never had a problem with SE seats!
Completely agree that the SE suspension/wheels combo offers the best road compliance for everyday use on UK roads.mperhpas the ES is even better, would you consider a new 3 series with 16 inch wheels? It doesn't look right...
BUT for me, at least on a 3 series the SE trim doesn't look good and I need to like the look of what I drive as well. I am just picky. Granted the M-Sport is just too extreme for some but the Sport or Luxury trims are a much better resolved products in my opinion.
BUT for me, at least on a 3 series the SE trim doesn't look good and I need to like the look of what I drive as well. I am just picky. Granted the M-Sport is just too extreme for some but the Sport or Luxury trims are a much better resolved products in my opinion.
Sport may not be important to PHers but to the wider world it is. Listen to your partner/offspring/their friends as they describe their new "sports car". We'll think it's a 911 but they are describing the 1.1 Sports hatch they got for £99 per month on PCP. It's like a someone putting on a tracksuit and trainers for the school run. 99% of the time the only sporty activity was putting on the aforementioned garments. Having Sport on your car is like wearing a shellsuit (PH Answer = Chavdom).
It's the same with company car drivers in Sport Edition 2 Litre cars. Every reprobate wants sports suspension, sports seats, sports decals, sport badge, sport this, sport that. It's maintaining the L/GL/GLX/Ghia differentiation from the 60's/70's/80's. There are 1,000,001 Audi's that I never look at in everyday life. The one I do stare at is a pensioner who has a Black 64 Plate A4 2.0 SE that looks "so right".
It's the same with company car drivers in Sport Edition 2 Litre cars. Every reprobate wants sports suspension, sports seats, sports decals, sport badge, sport this, sport that. It's maintaining the L/GL/GLX/Ghia differentiation from the 60's/70's/80's. There are 1,000,001 Audi's that I never look at in everyday life. The one I do stare at is a pensioner who has a Black 64 Plate A4 2.0 SE that looks "so right".
KTF said:
This is from the BMW UK site describing the 1 series Sport
"The front of the new BMW 1 Series 5-door Sport model indicates its true athletic character. The bumper, air inlets, exterior mirrors and bars of the kidney grille are all High Gloss Black, giving the car a wider, more powerful stance. This feel is continued when viewed from the side, with 16 or 17-inch (depending on model) alloy wheels in the ‘Sport’ design, and at the rear, with a Chrome Black exhaust pipe finisher and High Gloss Black bumper.
Getting inside, you will firstly step on a ‘BMW Sport’ entry sill, before settling into a Sport seat in Anthracite, with unmistakably sporty Grey or Red highlights. This upholstery is complemented by a trim that perfectly frames the interior in High Gloss Black with Red highlights. In the cockpit, you’re greeted with exclusive highlights in the instrument panel and a Sport leather steering wheel with distinctive red stitching. Before you start the engine, you know you’re in for an exhilarating ride."
And the 1 series M Sport:
"‘M’ has always represented something special, and the new BMW 1 Series 5-door M Sport model continues this flawless reputation. The design of this already dynamic-looking car has been taken up a gear with features such as the 17 or 18-inch double spoke M light alloy wheels and the M aerodynamic package which lends a sublime athleticism to the contours of the car.
In the exclusive M Sport Estoril Blue metallic paint finish, with BMW Individual High Gloss Shadow or Chrome finishing touches, every inch of the exterior looks dipped in perfection. The M Sport suspension improves road-holding and the LED lights increase safety and presence on the road, day or night.
Inside, the exclusivity of the M Sport model continues, with Sport seats in a cloth/Alacantra combination, an M multifunction steering wheel and an Aluminium Hexagon interior trim with a blue or black highlight. The cockpit feels sportier than ever, with a shortened gear lever featuring the M logo, which gives a hint of the incredible M driving experience that awaits."
...... Also what the hell is 'unmistakably sporty Grey or Red highlights' other than marketing BS.
Or is it some sort of charitable venture to keep the deluded occupied?
The only "Sport" motif on my car:
Which allows my car, with no sporting pretensions whatsoever (other than the owner-applied -functional- auxiliary driving lamps and throttle pedal extension), to stick to wet and dry roads with aplomb.
Admittedly, I am in the tiny minority that like to push the car a fair bit around bends, so the non-sports seats are a bit lacking in the side support department, but bracing yourself against the centre console does work quite well.
Which allows my car, with no sporting pretensions whatsoever (other than the owner-applied -functional- auxiliary driving lamps and throttle pedal extension), to stick to wet and dry roads with aplomb.
Admittedly, I am in the tiny minority that like to push the car a fair bit around bends, so the non-sports seats are a bit lacking in the side support department, but bracing yourself against the centre console does work quite well.
Edited by MC Bodge on Friday 22 May 21:03
Dapster said:
Oh yeah baby...
"...the R-Sport was based on the DLS trim level featuring sporting additions such as self-adhesive 'R-Sport' decals and rev counter..."
Still, a rev counter in an early 80's hatch was pretty rock and roll.
Yeah, and an uprated camshaft and a couple of massive twin choke solex carburettors "...the R-Sport was based on the DLS trim level featuring sporting additions such as self-adhesive 'R-Sport' decals and rev counter..."
Still, a rev counter in an early 80's hatch was pretty rock and roll.
Edited by morgrp on Friday 22 May 21:22
My first car was a Fiat Cinquecento Sporting. Hardly a rocketship but it felt like one compared to my mate's SX with 1.1 litres and 55bhp instead of 45bhp and 0.9 litres. It also had a better gearbox, firmer suspension, alloy wheels, body-coloured bumpers, oval exhaust, sports seats, red seatbelts and leather-trimmed steering wheel and gearknob, so I think the Sporting tag was mostly justified and I loved it despite the modest power. I think the "sporty" new small cars with 1.0/1.2 engines are mainly aimed at young drivers who want something that looks good and sporty but with an engine that they can afford to insure. There isn't such a "Max Power" scene these days and any modifications, however minor, can bump up your insurance premium, so something that looks good from the factory but with a small engine is attractive to a lot of people.
My wife's Toyota Corolla Sport is a bit more cynical. Exactly the same engine as all the other Corollas but it does look quite good. 17" alloys, boot spoiler, sports seats and different dials. To be fair, it does have a Sport mode and paddleshift for the automatic transmission, whereas the equivalent but more luxury-oriented LE does not. I had an LE as a courtesy car recently and I preferred the interior on our Sport (half leather seats with blue inserts compared to light grey) but thought that the LE rode better than our car on it's higher profile 16" alloy wheels and not really to the detriment of handling. I think the LE wheels look fine but not available on the Sport.
Sport
LE
My only bugbear with "Sport" models is that the ride is often too firm and the tyres ridiculously low profile but in general they look better outside and in. Why can't I have a car that looks good AND rides well?
My wife's Toyota Corolla Sport is a bit more cynical. Exactly the same engine as all the other Corollas but it does look quite good. 17" alloys, boot spoiler, sports seats and different dials. To be fair, it does have a Sport mode and paddleshift for the automatic transmission, whereas the equivalent but more luxury-oriented LE does not. I had an LE as a courtesy car recently and I preferred the interior on our Sport (half leather seats with blue inserts compared to light grey) but thought that the LE rode better than our car on it's higher profile 16" alloy wheels and not really to the detriment of handling. I think the LE wheels look fine but not available on the Sport.
Sport
LE
My only bugbear with "Sport" models is that the ride is often too firm and the tyres ridiculously low profile but in general they look better outside and in. Why can't I have a car that looks good AND rides well?
Topic covered by Daily Mash...
http://sniffpetrol.com/2014/09/03/land-rover-annou...
I love the idea of BirminghAm or Manchester being renamed "London Sport".
http://sniffpetrol.com/2014/09/03/land-rover-annou...
I love the idea of BirminghAm or Manchester being renamed "London Sport".
TurboHatchback said:
RobM77 said:
Hugo a Gogo said:
maybe I'm daft, but I thought the 'sport' in sports utility meant you could use it for doing sports, taking your mountain bike, windsurfer, skis, skateboards etc
That's the intention of the manufacturer and it's how SUVs are marketed. The irony is that they're bloody useless at those things. I'm a keen windsurfer, SUPer and cyclist and I can't think of a worse vehicle for it - I don't know a single person in those sports who has an SUV - most have estate cars. On an SUV or RR etc the roof's too tall to load things and the boot is tall and short, which is the opposite of what you need to sling a bike or masts, sails etc in the back.. I think they're great for that sort of thing, mine is taller inside than any estate car, has a split tailgate and is huge. It's not even slightly sporty though (even if it does say turbo on the side). For those of us of average height they're useless 
. My 3 series roof is level with my chest, so it's easy for me to pop the boards on the top and I actually strap two boards on it every time I go to the coast, one on top of the other. The inside of the car then takes two two piece masts, with the boot shut My mum had an anterior abdominal aneurysm rupture (read bad - 5% survivability - thank you Silverstone paramedics and Northampton general).
She was in intensive care for 4 weeks (and thankfully survived). During the many hours sat by her intensive care bed I noticed it was labelled 'sport'.
Do I win?
She was in intensive care for 4 weeks (and thankfully survived). During the many hours sat by her intensive care bed I noticed it was labelled 'sport'.
Do I win?
ChevronB19 said:
My mum had an anterior abdominal aneurysm rupture (read bad - 5% survivability - thank you Silverstone paramedics and Northampton general).
She was in intensive care for 4 weeks (and thankfully survived). During the many hours sat by her intensive care bed I noticed it was labelled 'sport'.
Do I win?
Definitely. Unless it actually did have different springs and dampers fitted?She was in intensive care for 4 weeks (and thankfully survived). During the many hours sat by her intensive care bed I noticed it was labelled 'sport'.
Do I win?
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