Originally Posted by Franc Rauscher
Then by your definition, the following cars are not "sports " cars, Fiat Cabriolet, Opel gt, Lotus Elan FHC, Posche 356,912,914,924, Austin Healy,Sprite Mk III, Giulia Speciale, Alfa Romea Giuletta, Lotus Europa, Lancia Flaminia, Abarth 1300 Scorpione, Triumph Tr 4 (any Triumph), Jag XKE "drophead6" MGAs or MGBs , Just about any Benz with SL in the logo,Etc Etc.
If it ain't fast it ain't a sports car? I think you are confusing street racers and track cars with "sport " By your definition my '69 Barracuda fastback with a 383 four barrel was a sports car. It wasn't. It was just amazingly fast.
The Corvette has a long history of being fast but not always real fast. Late 60's and mid 80's model were sexy platforms full of tech and comfort but many considered them blatantly hoggish and fat. Hardly sport cars. 240 and 260 Z's were true to the breed but 280's lost their way. Many consider that the 350's haven't really found their way back.
My understanding is that sport cars are traditionally cars built for the single purpose of driving fun, generally spartan and smallish. Many purist believe if the windows roll up, even by a crank, they are not sports cars.To be nimble is required but they do not have to be dragsters.
I may be wrong, but most of the automotive world is willing to consider the SLK320 a "sports car." The "SL" stands for Sports, Light in the world of Benz. That's good enough for me.
Call yours what ever you want, My crossfire is a "Sports Car."
roadster with a stick
Thats right, I dont consider those sports cars. I dont even consider those "porsches" you mentioned to be porsches, they are junk. And a barracuda is definately not a sports car. That thing weighs what 4000 lbs and has a solid rear axle. Its a muscle car. between 73 to the early 90's corvettes were junk too. The only good vette to come out of the early 90's is the zr1. Theres no Mercedes I would call a sports car aside from the slr, the slk's and sl's are luxury performance cars, once again sporty at best. So by your definition, mazda miatas, civic si's, and even jaguars are sports cars? my crossfire isnt a sports car and I would be embarrased to call it one.