A sportscar shouldn’t have...

A sportscar shouldn’t have...

Author
Discussion

Pan Pan Pan

9,956 posts

112 months

Monday 16th December 2019
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CABC said:
rockin said:
To my mind you are talking about "track cars" more than "sports cars", which are primarily road-going vehicles.

IMO weight is a red herring. Enjoyable road-going performance is the key, usually with a convertible top and below supercar pricing. Mid-engine helps towards sports car status.

Definitely sports cars - MX5, Boxster, S2000, MR2, MGB.

Elise/Exige - sit on the borderline of track cars.

Alpine - sits on the borderline of coupe.

Z4/SLK - sports cars, even if not all that sporty.

Caterham/Atom - track cars, even if they can be driven to the pub twice a year.

Morgan - museum piece.

Ferrari Portofino - good question.
i haven't always appreciated your posts.... but i'd agree with the above.

The Morgan is a museum piece, but also a fun sports car, even today. yes it's crude and the suspension the opposite of sophisticated, but a sports car doesn't need to be as competent as a GT, Sports GT, Supercar etc. on a smooth piece of curcy tarmac it entertains. the real complaint is that the tarmac must be smooth. i do own one but would happily swap it out if i were to be allowed.

Strangely many drive Caterhams on more than two days a year. I have driven one across the USA, and Europe, and it sort of takes a bit more than two days to do that, But I understand that not all people would be able to cope with driving a Caterham across the Mojave desert, or through the heights and snow of the Rocky mountains. In fact quite a few cannot even cope with driving a Caterham on UK roads, the poor (soft) little darlings smile

bcr5784

7,120 posts

146 months

Monday 16th December 2019
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Cotty said:
I believe Lotus only had electric windows in the Elise as they were lighter than manual windows
Or it might have been to get rid of the utterly hideous Morris Marina manual ones in the S1.

Cold

15,259 posts

91 months

Monday 16th December 2019
quotequote all
Miserablegit said:
What other trinkets do manufacturers fit that, perhaps, could be missed off a sportscar
A stupid fan on the back.

Mr Tidy

22,502 posts

128 months

Monday 16th December 2019
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Well definitely not 4WD (sorry eric)!

And no turbo - but that may be just me.

bcr5784

7,120 posts

146 months

Tuesday 17th December 2019
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Cold said:
A stupid fan on the back.
Rather ugly maybe (but perhaps less vulgar than a big wing) but stupid it ain't. Functionally a better solution to providing downforce as the Brabham fan car demonstrated in spades.

Lily the Pink

5,783 posts

171 months

Tuesday 17th December 2019
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Mr Tidy said:
And no turbo - but that may be just me.
Hmmm - Fiat 124 Spider ? Surely that's a sportscar but it has a turbo.

Monkeylegend

26,498 posts

232 months

Wednesday 18th December 2019
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Cold said:
Miserablegit said:
What other trinkets do manufacturers fit that, perhaps, could be missed off a sportscar
A stupid fan on the back.
Or a nodding dog on the parcel shelf.

Mort7

1,487 posts

109 months

Wednesday 18th December 2019
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Or a parcel shelf!

Monkeylegend

26,498 posts

232 months

Wednesday 18th December 2019
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Mort7 said:
Or a parcel shelf!
hehe

I was going to say that as well but then had nowhere to put the dog.

Many years ago I had a TR6 which I consider a sports car, and an Old English sheepdog which loved laying in the back behind the seats.

He would always sit up and have a look round when we stopped at traffic lights or were driving through town, much to the amusement of people in cars behind, so I suppose I did have a nodding dog in mine.


Edited by Monkeylegend on Wednesday 18th December 10:14

Mort7

1,487 posts

109 months

Wednesday 18th December 2019
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smile Did he have a pair of doggles?


blueg33

36,058 posts

225 months

Wednesday 18th December 2019
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A sportscar shouldn’t have...

A massive debate about whether its a sports car or not!

Monkeylegend

26,498 posts

232 months

Wednesday 18th December 2019
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Mort7 said:
smile Did he have a pair of doggles?
biggrin


I had to google that. No he didn't, but wish he did have. Not sure they were a thing 40 or so years ago.

Mr Tidy

22,502 posts

128 months

Thursday 19th December 2019
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Lily the Pink said:
Mr Tidy said:
And no turbo - but that may be just me.
Hmmm - Fiat 124 Spider ? Surely that's a sportscar but it has a turbo.
I think you'll find most of them didn't, and those are the ones I would want!

kiseca

9,339 posts

220 months

Thursday 19th December 2019
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Mr Tidy said:
Lily the Pink said:
Mr Tidy said:
And no turbo - but that may be just me.
Hmmm - Fiat 124 Spider ? Surely that's a sportscar but it has a turbo.
I think you'll find most of them didn't, and those are the ones I would want!
Also it's not about what makes a sportscar a sportscar, it's about what a sportscar shouldn't have. So the question would rather be, I think, is a 124 Spider a better sportscar with the turbo or without it?

I think a turbo, autobox, four wheel drive, traction control, etc are a bit different to, say, saying a sportscar shouldn't have 21 seats.

SuperPav

1,095 posts

126 months

Thursday 19th December 2019
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In my immediate vision of a sports car (for the road), it shouldn’t have a roof.

Controversial I’m sure.

anonymous-user

55 months

Thursday 19th December 2019
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kiseca said:
Also it's not about what makes a sportscar a sportscar, it's about what a sportscar shouldn't have. So the question would rather be, I think, is a 124 Spider a better sportscar with the turbo or without it?

I think a turbo, autobox, four wheel drive, traction control, etc are a bit different to, say, saying a sportscar shouldn't have 21 seats.
A 124 is not a sports car

Tyre Smoke

23,018 posts

262 months

Thursday 19th December 2019
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yonex said:
A 124 is not a sports car
Why?

kiseca

9,339 posts

220 months

Thursday 19th December 2019
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yonex said:
A 124 is not a sports car
What is it then?

anonymous-user

55 months

Thursday 19th December 2019
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Tyre Smoke said:
Why?
IMO, too many modern niceties, platform shared etc.

Lily the Pink

5,783 posts

171 months

Thursday 19th December 2019
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yonex said:
Tyre Smoke said:
Why?
IMO, too many modern niceties, platform shared etc.
Looks like one, drives like one, is totally impractical for other purposes. Seems like one to me. Are you saying that the mx5 isn't a sportscast for the same reasons?