PROPER sportscar or hairdressers runabout?

[tvr5]

:redwineinducedrant:

What is a proper sportscar and what is just a hairdressers runabout?

IMHO a PROPER sportscar has the following:

1. Exciting to drive. (Must have huge grunt. There's no point in calling yourself a sportscar and then being out dragged at traffic lights by a big SAAB carrying a family of 4 for example).
2. Exciting to look at. (Beautiful or purposeful or brutish).
3. Sounds great. (Nice deep throaty roar and burble and popping, not a sewing machine hummmm).

Now....what a few examples of what passes and what fails these criteria.

Porsche Boxster fails on 1,2 and 3. (As JC once said... I thought this would be an automotive Bloody Mary but someone forgot the Tobasco sauce...and the vodka). As does an MGF, Z3 (not M), Audi TT (all), Mazda MX 5s. Therefore all a bit hair dresser type cars for my liking.

What passes? TVRs, Aston Martins, Ferraris, Lambo's, Caterhams, Dodge Vipers. + more......

Anyone agree / disagree?

:endofredwineinducedrant:

[robp]

Agree with most of it

Apart from the bit about speed. True, it has to be quick but I can think of a few sportscars that are not "that" quick in terms of straight line speed (e.g. Elise)

Definatly agree with the big about sound, for me thats the biggest attraction

mmmmmmmmmm V8 :dribble:

[apache]

tricky, some geek on men and motors was convinced a subaru was a sports car. TG said any ragtop that put a grin on yer face would suffice. My Saab can blow off most 'sports' cars but it is not a sports car.
Our Griff is my perfect sports car and as the guy who tested it in EVO said, "it feels as if it was built for me" and two years down the road I am completly unable to think of anything that can better it.

[AllTorque]

robp said: Agree with most of it

Apart from the bit about speed. True, it has to be quick but I can think of a few sportscars that are not "that" quick in terms of straight line speed (e.g. Elise)

Definatly agree with the big about sound, for me thats the biggest attraction

mmmmmmmmmm V8 :dribble:

So that's the elise out again, n'est-ce pas? Are we saying it's not a true sports car? Surely not....

[Simond001]

Disgree on the Boxster. S is quick, well balanced, and sounds good.

Honda S2000 would be adifficult one. 240 horses says its quick, but electronic everything, silent exhaust says blue rinse.

[AllTorque]

Simond001 said: Disgree on the Boxster. S is quick, well balanced, and sounds good.

Honda S2000 would be adifficult one. 240 horses says its quick, but electronic everything, silent exhaust says blue rinse.

I think this shows why the hairdresser tag is so wishy-washy. In my opinion, the S2000, Boxter and Elise are most definitely sports cars (surely even the Z3, MGF and MX5 brigade are more sporting than a milk-float?), but are perhaps not as raw as something like a TVR. I guess there's a sliding scale with differing shades of grey, although where you draw the line is anyone's guess. Maybe there isn't one, and it's just been invented by purists as a form of one-upmanship.

[griff2be]

I agree. I chose a 1.9 Z3 over a 318 coupe - ok it wasnt the best car in the world, but compared to what else I could have had, or had previously, it was a sports car to me, and I felt great owning it.

If my budget had permitted I would have loved a TVR, but there was no way I could afford to run one at the time..

All these so-called hairdressers cars are a step in the right direction and should be welcomed in my view. Far better there are these cars out there than just a whole series of dull Euroboxes.

[chris watton]

I agree totally with Griff2B,
My first 'sports car' was an MGF 1.8i, and, compared to the 1.8 Escort I had before, it was great and hughly enjoyable. However, after once getting use to the 'power' and realising that base Vectras could keep up no problem, I went for a Trophy 160. Once again though, I got too use to the power too quickly, and discovered just how quick Golf diesels are, which kept up no problem!!
Changed to a TF160 last year, but that affair lasted only 5 months before finally trading it in for my Chim 450.
I now know and appreciate what defines a true sportscar to me. I think you have to give a true sportscar respect or it will bite back. You have to have your senses aroused when driving, you have to look at the car and thing, damn, that is nice! and the it has to go as good as it sounds. TVRs are perfect for my own personal doctrine of what truly is a sportscar, and it ain't MG!!!
My other half has an MG ZR 160, and it just leaves me cold, both in shape, ride height and performance, screaming 1.8s just don't do it for me, nor to 'tweaked' exhausts that sound just plain silly considering the engine they're mated to. Give me raw, unadulterated grunt and performance any day!

Chris

[belJames]

Mat of mine has a Honda S2000 which I drove last week. Nice car, well designed, love the engine, but well, you know, it just didn't scare the crap out of me. In fact, at times, it was quite 'nice'.

I've owned the TVR for 18 months now, it's "only" a 4 litre, but it still has the capacity to scare the absolute living bejeezers out of me from time to time. And it's a car that I drive sometimes just for the hell of it, rather than because I need to go anywhere.

So I guess that's my criteria then! By the way - it does now annoy my friend when I refer to his Honda as 'his little sports car'.

[jimi]

A hairdressers car for me is definately, the Peugeot 206 CC, also in this mould are the Escort Cabrio and the such like, a sportcar is just as stated, noisy, exciting and fast, altough I think an MGB roadster is a sportscar and that is slooooow. The Mx5s and the MGFs of the world are great cars in their own right and do what they say on the tin but they are not sports-cars IMO.

[s2k]

I've had a Cerbera, a Griffith 500 and now an S2000. I promise you, the S2000 is definitely a sports car. A different animal to the TVRs but well up there in delivering the performance, fun, thrills and sensory ecstasy of the TVRs.

Cheers Paul

[gixxer1000]

MGF and MX5 are nice roadsters for the masses, but there's no way they are sports cars. They have about as much poke as an asthmatic ant carrying two bags of heavy shopping.

[robp]

AllTorque said:

robp said: Agree with most of it

Apart from the bit about speed. True, it has to be quick but I can think of a few sportscars that are not "that" quick in terms of straight line speed (e.g. Elise)

Definatly agree with the big about sound, for me thats the biggest attraction

mmmmmmmmmm V8 :dribble:

So that's the elise out again, n'est-ce pas? Are we saying it's not a true sports car? Surely not....

No! I am just saying that its not that quick, but it is still a true sportscar. It has driver appeal by the shed-loads, looks good etc etc, I love em

[gemini]

I scanned the previous posts and couldnt see the 5Th Gear definition of a true sports car quoted by anyone?

[tvr5]

gixxer1000 said: MGF and MX5 are nice roadsters for the masses, but there's no way they are sports cars. They have about as much poke as an asthmatic ant carrying two bags of heavy shopping.

Fantastic!!! Well put.

I agree with most of the replies to this question.
I think the term 'sportscar' is bandied about far to lightly these days, and has just become a term used to describe anything with 2 seats that is convertible, nevermind that the engine / chassis etc is the same as other cars in the manufacturers range. To me these cars are just that, ie 2 seater convertibles.

My day of enlightenment came 7 years ago when I went to look at a 400SE. Just to look at it was awesome. Made me grin. But then when he started the thing up and revved it a bit I was actually laughing. Then when I was taken for a test drive....Jeeeez. Blown away.
THAT to me is a sportscar. Can't imagine having the same experience with Boxsters, Z3s, etc etc etc...

[lady topaz]

Seems to me some people are missing the point. Dont see anywhere E Types Austin Healy Jag D Type etc These were and still are classic Sports cars along with a number of cars which certainly wouldnt match modern cars for performance, handling etc. Really cant get on with stereotyping as nearly all the hairdressers I know drive normal every day saloons. Bloke in a Range Rover called my Tusc a hairdressers car the other day.

[robp]

tvr5 said:

gixxer1000 said: MGF and MX5 are nice roadsters for the masses, but there's no way they are sports cars. They have about as much poke as an asthmatic ant carrying two bags of heavy shopping.

Fantastic!!! Well put.

I agree with most of the replies to this question.
I think the term 'sportscar' is bandied about far to lightly these days, and has just become a term used to describe anything with 2 seats that is convertible, nevermind that the engine / chassis etc is the same as other cars in the manufacturers range. To me these cars are just that, ie 2 seater convertibles.

My day of enlightenment came 7 years ago when I went to look at a 400SE. Just to look at it was awesome. Made me grin. But then when he started the thing up and revved it a bit I was actually laughing. Then when I was taken for a test drive....Jeeeez. Blown away.
THAT to me is a sportscar. Can't imagine having the same experience with Boxsters, Z3s, etc etc etc...

Sound is SO important. A true true sports car must scare the crap out of you everytime you fire it up. I remember the first time I heard a Griff fire up, it made my legs shake

[krispy]

Interesting that everyone is taking as read that sportscars have to be convertibles..........

So where does that leave Cerberas etc....not to mention my lowly M (which despite only being a 1700 goes and sounds very nice thankyouverymuch)???
Kris..

[T88CAN]

lady topaz said]. Bloke in a Range Rover called my Tusc a hairdressers car the other day.

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If a Tuscan is a hairdressers car it would be giving you a number one all over with a wet "cut throat"razor