Define a sports car, clear this up.

T

Trav

Member
I was reading another thread and a member describes an E85 roadster as a sports car. I have a roadster and define it as a roadster (as sporty as it may be). I always think that a sports car has a roof. Making the car stiffer etc.etc. Short overhangs, minimal distance between wheel arches and upper body line. No extras thrown in keeping it lighter. A decent design effort making the car balanced etc. An engine that makes it shift, but not just shred tyres. But a roof to tie it all together and make it work. If you add weight to make a roadster stiffer, then it is immediately not as sporty. Also I never think of half of the thunder saloons as sports cars, V8 M3's and big AMG's or stupid estate car RS6's.
Mind you racing cars often have no roof. Maybe I should consider the roadie a racing car.
 
Dictionary definition:-
'a low-built car designed for performance at high speeds, often having a roof that can be folded back'
So it's either :)
 
From Wikipedia:

A sports car, or sportscar, is a small, usually two-seater automobile designed for spirited performance and nimble handling. The term "sports car" was used in The Times, London in 1919. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, USA's first known use of the term was in 1928. Sports cars started to become popular during the 1920s.

Sports cars may be spartan or luxurious, but high maneuverability and light weight are requisite. Sports cars are usually aerodynamically shaped (since the 1950s), and have a low center of gravity compared to standard models. Steering and suspension are typically designed for precise control at high speeds. Traditionally sports cars were open roadsters, but closed coupés also started to become popular during the 1930s, and the distinction between a sports car and a grand tourer is not absolute.
 
Golf is described as a sport, so a sports car must be a car that you can carry golf clubs in :D
 
road warrior said:
i tend to think of a soft top as a sports car. so anything with an unretractable roof. just isnt
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Not sure I can agree with that - 911, Cayman, Lotus Evora, Alfa 4C (and 8C), any Ferrari or Lamborghini... The list is endless, and apart from the Cayman (which has the Boxster equivalent) and the Evora, all of these can come in either coupe or convertible format. Do they stop being a sports car just because you can't take the roof off ??
 
Bing said:
road warrior said:
i tend to think of a soft top as a sports car. so anything with an unretractable roof. just isnt
Click to expand...

Not sure I can agree with that - 911, Cayman, Lotus Evora, Alfa 4C (and 8C), any Ferrari or Lamborghini... The list is endless, and apart from the Cayman (which has the Boxster equivalent) and the Evora, all of these can come in either coupe or convertible format. Do they stop being a sports car just because you can't take the roof off ??
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Agreed, but I'm sure there must have been more than a little tongue in cheek when he said that!

I think all Zs are sports cars. But some more than others :D
 
sports car <- 250 GTB SWB --- Z4 --- M240i cab | 120d cab --- Mondeo --- Multipla -> not a sports car
 
of course.. firmly placed, i prefer the Jeremy Clarkson approach to discussion - black and white - im right, your wrong :) :rofl:
 
The Zed is 100% a sports car, 2 door, 2 seats, rear wheel drive, lots of performance = sports car :driving:

Although you could open up a can of worms as to where the performance drops when does it stop being a sports car, 2.0, 2.5 etc :fuelfire: , My old mk3 mx5 although being good fun on the corners was painfully slow on the straights and I wouldn't class that car as a sports car...
 
having said that.. my definition comes from the mga days and definition, today cars are all high powered and are all capable of being called sports cars, or or gt cars or supercars or any badge you wanna put to it really - i mean.. if you include a roof you can shoehorn in the porsche cayanne, its fast after all, and i feel SOMEONE has taken it to the ring .. so is it ?
 
I think convertible or fixed roof matters not. I think important things are 2 seats maximum, 2 doors maximum, predominantly rwd, under 1500kgs. any 2+2 is a sports GT at best. any 4 door is a sports saloon at best. a 2 seat, 2 door car over 1500 kgs is a GT.
 
brillomaster said:
...I think important things are 2 seats maximum...
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What about the McLaren F1 - that had 3 seats... but, there again, so did the Popemobile...
 
So I've got it. Roof doesn't matter. Only 2 seats. Lightweight'ish is a must. Sprinty rather than a GT car (is sprinty even a word?). Driven by a bit of an old rogue (Note to self. Grow tash and start smoking. Behave like a complete boundah and scoundrel while behind the wheel). Also. It only counts as a sports car if it's Alpine white. Terry Thomas would have had Alpine white, had it been an option for him.
 
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