We worship our Crossfire, pamper it and love it with the tenderness you would afford a new born babe.

 

My choices would've been 2, 3 and 4 but now I drive it almost everyday... as it gets better MPG than my Silverado and its easier to park downtown

 

sorry, but this car is a fun daily driver. I would never even think about keeping it in storage, or having it as a sunday driver. Its really nothing special, it just looks cool. Not like it sucks in the rain or anything, 215 horse isnt too hard to control. The other day it was wet out and I spun the tires through 1st and 2nd gear to abour 40 mph, it wiggled around a little but this thing is a joke to control. I love my car, but its not a collector car, and its not a sports car.

 

I'm sorry. I don't mean to be pugnacious, but define "Sports Car"

roadster with a stick

 

cars that handle, are fast and pretty much are designed to go around a race track are sports cars. Crossfires really are not fast (at all, at least the N/A's, and the srt's arent "fast"), dont really handle too great compared to sports cars. Im not knocking the car, its just that I feel like my mom's Maxima pulls harder and handles almost as good as my car. I also have driven a c6 z06 which is a sports car in my book. My lowly crossfire doesnt even hold a candle up to it, I couldnt keep up with my dad getting on to the parkway and he wasnt even trying. If anything, its a "sporty" car.

 

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

 

Well put FR.

 

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.

 

OK ya' got me. I have no way to respond to that.

roadster with a stick

 

I had a '68 Barracuda Fastback and loved it also, and you are so right. It's interesting that I actually shipped it to Germany and drove it there when I was in the Army. It actually didn't do so well in the high-speed German environment (no speed limit). It was amazing to watch those German cars pass you at speeds of 100 to 140 mi/hr. I was pushing reliable operation of the Barracuda at 80 to 90. Had to stay in the truck lane most of the time to keep from getting rear-ended! I sold the car to another American over there when stuff started to break down, and parts where not available.

 

So, it sounds as though you have many many years of car experience. How about giving us a list of your 10 favorite 'sports cars', and maybe tell us which ones you have actually experienced.

 

Of the many muscle cars I owned or drove, it was my favorite. It was copper in color and all leather inside. I would put my foot thru the carb and nothing happened for a second except blue tire smoke would envelope the car. And then it was gone. I called it my David Copperfield impersonation.

roadster with a stick

 

I bought mine new in 1968. It was very red with white interior. Had the 340 w/4 speed stick. Not as powerful as your 383. I think I paid about $3100. It was a great American car. It just wasn't designed for the sustained high speeds of the German environment.

 

The official definition of a "Sports Car" as entered by Webster..

"
Main Entry:
sports car Function: noun Date: 1928 : a low small usually 2-passenger automobile designed for quick response, easy maneuverability, and high-speed driving

"

By that definition..the Crossfire is a "sports car"

Unless you can show me a more official reference for definitions.. I'd say that it stands as such...

 

I guess it must depend on what your definition of what "is" is.


roadster with a stick

 

The definition of "sports car" is not so simple and triggers "religious" debate when attempting to do so.

Consider this reflection on the definition of a sports car (click).

I'm thinking my other vehicle is a sports car - See? It say's so right ("Sport") on the side! It's built for performance (we didn't define the context), is a two-seater, two door. Oh well maybe the suspension stuff isn't quite right but hey...!

 

I'm sorry I took this thread so far away but nobody who trashes any one of those classics on the list I provided has one ounce of credibility. I'm sure there are a few Porsche fans here would would be happpy to explain it to him.

He probably pronounces it "Porch" anyway.

roadster with a stick

 

My God, man, you are a 21 year old kid and you really have no idea what a true sports car is. I don't mean to be disrespectful but you are really wrong here. My Crossfire is a true sports car. A sports car is a driving machine. Perfectly capable of doing what sports cars are meant to do. The British started the trend towards less expensive sports cars, for the masses. The Italians most likely designed and engeneered the first sports cars, and still do today. You can't argue that point because you will lose, big time. Muscle cars are totally different, as are hot rods, still not sports cars though. Yes, a Miata is a sports car as are many marques that you probably have never heard of, never mind actually seen.
So, it remains that this club, our cars, our pride and our respect goes out to anyone who chooses to call them sports cars.
Finally, in summation, a sports car is this: A four wheeled conveyance that has two seats, is built close to the ground, corners well, accellerates with a great degree of heartiness and for good measure, turns heads wherever she goes. A pedigree, if you will that is based on all the above and has the love of those few that understand them and drive them in the way in which they were intended. No they are not Ferraris or Lamborghinis, they are not intended to be. Just a GREAT SPORTS CAR!!
Take it from one who knows, I have driven and loved a great many true sports cars in my day, as long as you've been here on this earth and then a lot longer. I'm 62 and can still beat your butt!
Rick (Crossfire Trail)

 

OK, I read Webster's definition and I read yours.

I like yours best.

roadster with a stick

 

It sounds as though, by your definition, there weren't many sports cars built prior to the 1990s. A Ferrari Dino 246GTS is most definitely a sports car, but they weren't all that fast. The E-Type Jaguar is considered to be one of the greatest sports cars of all time, but by today's standards it's a bit lacking. And of course your definition basically obliterates the entire history of British sports cars, from the Lotus Elan to the Austin Healey to the "lowly" MGB - great cars all, and true, pure sports cars. And the Mazda Miata is generally accepted to be the modern embodiment of all those old British sports cars - it is almost the definition of "sports car".

Even those of us who believe that a sports car is defined as a pure driving experience, a vehicle that connects with the driver, talks to the driver, and provides a quick, responsive environment may only debate whether the Crossfire is a real sports car or merely a very capable GT car (seriously, heated seats and SATNAV in a "sports car"? Blasphemy!!).

You may want to ask the guys in the race prepped Spec Miata, the C5 Corvette, or the late 80's Porsche 911 that were put in their respective places by my lowly little Limited Roadster while hot lapping the road course at California Speedway a couple months ago.

People put too much emphasis on power these days - sure, it can be great fun, but there's so much more. We have canyon roads out here that are so tight and twisty that you can't make full use of a high powered car, not even close. On those roads you can use lowly Miata will give a C6 Vette a real run for the money.