Am I the last person on the planet who like all sports cars?

[Ozzie Osmond]

So many brand specific fanbases.

But is there anyone else out there who simply likes sports cars and doesn't care who makes them? Perhaps it helps that I actually buy the darned things too!

Currently driving one from Germany but I'd be in a British or Italian at the drop of a hat if the car was on the button. Sad to see TVR, Spyker and many others hit the fan but have I ever owned either of those? No. Nor have I owned a trackday special from Caterham or KTM; preferring road cars which are homologated for global markets. Never owned a Jag either but that F-type looks pretty serious. And the new Corvette seems a devastating sportscar for the money. Ferrari/Lambo/McLaren? - well I could but it's a lot of cash to chuck at a car which sooner or later you need to drive to Sainsburys.

[jamieduff1981]

I like seeing almost all sports cars out and about. I'd probably have a good time driving any sports car I was given. The number I'd actually buy with my own money is much smaller, but I think it's fair to say I "like" all sportscars

[Ozzie Osmond]

jamieduff1981 said:

The number I'd actually buy with my own money is much smaller,

Yes, I think that's the crucial point.

An internet fanbase isn't worth a row of beans unless people with cash are willing to open their wallets and buy the cars!

[glazbagun]

Not just sports cars but I increasingly like seeing anything which shows the owner has held on to that last bit of eccentricity, character or stubborness. There's a guy runnign around near where I work in a bright yellow 205 Rallye. I hope he's owned it for years and it isn't just someone's shed (it's back seats are always full of crap), but it brightens my day alongside so many diesel Merc/BMW repmobiles and other practical efficient modes of tranport.

[xRIEx]

Love 'em all, no matter which manufacturer or country they're from. Unless they're ugly or st.

[jamieduff1981]

Ozzie Osmond said:

jamieduff1981 said:

The number I'd actually buy with my own money is much smaller,

Yes, I think that's the crucial point.

An internet fanbase isn't worth a row of beans unless people with cash are willing to open their wallets and buy the cars!

If money was unlimited I'd buy them all, but it comes down to priorities. One tries one's best to buy things others may shy away from - for example I'll probably never own a Porsche as there are plenty other people falling over themselves to buy them. BMW M3s are the same - plenty of others can fawn over them. There are plenty more interesting cars out there to buy.

[feef]

I like them all. I bought the cars I have because they met certain criteria, and I have some brand loyalties related more to technology and design than brand alone, but I really wouldn't get into a fight over it. So no, you're not alone. They're all good.

[Ozzie Osmond]

xRIEx said:

Love 'em all, no matter which manufacturer or country they're from. Unless they're ugly or st.

feef said:

I like them all. I bought the cars I have because they met certain criteria, and I have some brand loyalties related more to technology and design than brand alone, but I really wouldn't get into a fight over it. So no, you're not alone. They're all good.

Excellent! This is the kind of stuff I was hoping to hear!

To my mind the crucial factors are,
1. Does it look right?
2. Does it go right?
3. Can it reasonably be relied upon to continue working?

There have been too many ugly ducklings over the years, and too much over-priced nonsense. The makers sell a few cars initially as "novelty value" but genuine interest never grows.

Mazda have had stunning success with their MX5 and Toyota shifted a good many MR2s before they abandoned ship.

[T0MMY]

I only really care about how cars drive; don't really care about looks or image. I don't care what make a car is, if it's good it's good.

I definitely don't like all sportscars though, just the ones I consider worthy of the name based on my own metric!

[feef]

Ozzie Osmond said:

xRIEx said:

Love 'em all, no matter which manufacturer or country they're from. Unless they're ugly or st.

feef said:

I like them all. I bought the cars I have because they met certain criteria, and I have some brand loyalties related more to technology and design than brand alone, but I really wouldn't get into a fight over it. So no, you're not alone. They're all good.

Excellent! This is the kind of stuff I was hoping to hear!

To my mind the crucial factors are,
1. Does it look right?
2. Does it go right?
3. Can it reasonably be relied upon to continue working?

There have been too many ugly ducklings over the years, and too much over-priced nonsense. The makers sell a few cars initially as "novelty value" but genuine interest never grows.

Mazda have had stunning success with their MX5 and Toyota shifted a good many MR2s before they abandoned ship.

One of my cars is an MX5.

The other is a Citroen C6.

[Raman Kandola]

Definatley like the majority of sports cars. I think variety is the key and looking/being unique and different. If there was just one company that did everything, the world would be a oring place

[kambites]

Ozzie Osmond said:

So many brand specific fanbases.

But is there anyone else out there who simply likes sports cars and doesn't care who makes them? Perhaps it helps that I actually buy the darned things too!

I wouldn't say I like all sports cars but I don't care who makes them - I like all good sports cars.

When it comes to sports cars my definition of good is probably quite different than many people's though. Looks and reliability are both a very long way down my list of priorities and within reason I don't care at all about things like straight-line performance and lap times - it's almost all about how it responds and, more crucially, how it feeds information back to the driver. Unfortunately most modern sports cars are rubbish at the latter.

Edited by kambites on Tuesday 9th December 09:29

[Hasbeen]

What is a sports car? I can't think of a sedan with a bit a hot engine as a sports car.

My cars a TR7, a TR8, a Honda S2000, & an Oz Ford/Mercury Capri. Not sure they all actually qualify, but they have to be closer than a hot hatch.

[T0MMY]

Hasbeen said:

What is a sports car? I can't think of a sedan with a bit a hot engine as a sports car.

That's a bit of a can of worms isn't it but I think I'd agree with you on hot hatches and sporty versions of normal cars.

I'm not going to attempt to define sports cars but I actually don't think power comes into it at all...MX5s for me are most definitely proper sports cars whilst for example an Audi RS-whatever with 4 times the power definitely isn't.

[prg123]

I like all sports cars having had an R8, lancia delta, Maserati gransport, and now a Jaguar F-Type

- Pete

[Ozzie Osmond]

I have a simple rule - if it doesn't look like a sports car it isn't a sports car.

Conversely, if it looks like a sportscar it is a sportscar irrespective of whether the engine is a 1,600 cc 4-pot or a 5-litre V8.

OzOs



Sticking 600 bhp in a saloon doesn't make it a sportscar.

Sticking a Sport badge on the back of an SUV doesn't make it a sports car.

Sticking Sports seats in a lowered hatchback doesn't make it a sportscar.

[xRIEx]

Ozzie Osmond said:

I have a simple rule - if it doesn't look like a sports car it isn't a sports car.

Conversely, if it looks like a sportscar it is a sportscar irrespective of whether the engine is a 1,600 cc 4-pot or a 5-litre V8.

OzOs



Sticking 600 bhp in a saloon doesn't make it a sportscar.

Sticking a Sport badge on the back of an SUV doesn't make it a sports car.

Sticking Sports seats in a lowered hatchback doesn't make it a sportscar.

Completely agree.

[T0MMY]

I think it has to do more than look like a sports car though. You could argue an Audi TT looks like a sports car but I'd never say it was one, even forgetting the FWD or diesel versions!

[Robert Elise]

T0MMY said:

I think it has to do more than look like a sports car though. You could argue an Audi TT looks like a sports car but I'd never say it was one, even forgetting the FWD or diesel versions!

Yep. Nothing to like in a TT.

and an M5 (any version) will always be a 4 door saloon....

[anonymous-user]

I do like them but I'd never buy one unless I could afford one of the greats like your 458s and GTRs.