Definition of a sports car
Discussion
The true origin of the words "sports car" is a racing car made road legal. So cars like the Jaguar XK 120 from 1949 clearly fit the definition.
Since then things have moved on and the expession has been broadened and applied more or less correctly to specifically designed 2-seat coupes and convertibles.
IMO one thing is certain; a tarted-up saloon can never be a sports car irrespective of how big the engine, how many doors it has, how many seats it has or whether its roof folds down.
Since then things have moved on and the expession has been broadened and applied more or less correctly to specifically designed 2-seat coupes and convertibles.
IMO one thing is certain; a tarted-up saloon can never be a sports car irrespective of how big the engine, how many doors it has, how many seats it has or whether its roof folds down.
2 seats... the Porsche 911 says no.
Convertible... Again, the Porsche 911 says no. Loads of cars in fact.
Front engine... That damned Porsche 911 again. And loads of others.
RWD... Frigging Porsche 911 turbo!
There is no standard definition. But... a Barchetta is not a sportscar despite meeting much of the accepted criteria. A f
king MG ZR/S/T is not a sportscar despite what newspapers say when some twonk smashes one up.
I dunno, it's too difficult.
Convertible... Again, the Porsche 911 says no. Loads of cars in fact.
Front engine... That damned Porsche 911 again. And loads of others.
RWD... Frigging Porsche 911 turbo!
There is no standard definition. But... a Barchetta is not a sportscar despite meeting much of the accepted criteria. A f
king MG ZR/S/T is not a sportscar despite what newspapers say when some twonk smashes one up. I dunno, it's too difficult.
Thats what i thought, mx5's would fit the bill, light weight, two seats convertible,rwd. Hmmm, mrs slopes has her eye on a mk1 mx5 at the moment, i could be tempted, top down motoring, with the added bonus of very occasional oversteer, but only in a controlled environment due to years of fwd
I think it's size & weight, ie wieldiness.
When the F1 was conceived Murray not only kept the weight down but wanted it to be now more than 1800MM wide, it ended up being 1820.
To be a sports car in my mind the car has to be small enough to tackle b road overtakes.
It's not having a roof, or not, or being a two seater or not, it's about the ability to slot it through a twisting road, to take corners that would unsettle a bike.
That's a very British thing.
In the US where it's wide and flat, even an XJ220 could be a sports car, but here it's a fast lorry, it's light enough, but too wide,
The 911 is now too big and has slipped into Sporting-GT, as many cars have, getting bigger, wider and heavier.
When the F1 was conceived Murray not only kept the weight down but wanted it to be now more than 1800MM wide, it ended up being 1820.
To be a sports car in my mind the car has to be small enough to tackle b road overtakes.
It's not having a roof, or not, or being a two seater or not, it's about the ability to slot it through a twisting road, to take corners that would unsettle a bike.
That's a very British thing.
In the US where it's wide and flat, even an XJ220 could be a sports car, but here it's a fast lorry, it's light enough, but too wide,
The 911 is now too big and has slipped into Sporting-GT, as many cars have, getting bigger, wider and heavier.
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