I'm not sure where this should go but I was reading some articles when I googled "best sports cars" and it just basically disgusted me. On several of the articles, Mazda Miata was the #1 sports car. I do not agree with that being #1. I didn't agree with most of the rest on the list either. I'm no car expert but I believe Hyndai Tiburon was like #8 on the list. So, I just wanted some opinions from people that actually know what they're talking about and get some logical lists. I know the lists were basically the best sports cars that you don't have to be rich to buy but Crossfires weren't even on there.....Not even the SRT's!!!!! So let me know what you guys think I'm interested in learning. Just reasonably priced cars though because obviously there are cars out there (for 400-500k or so) topping 600hp but I'm wondering about cars that we can actually afford. Have fun with it!

 

I wouldnt call a miata a ricer, they are pretty cool cars. I dont fit in them though, so they are out of the question for me. Our car got a bad wrap right from the start, so magazines and testers kind of repeated each other throughout the lifetime of the car. I am kind of happy about this though, because it put it in my price range and I have a blast driving it. I would never have bought one new though, for $40k its not exactly a bargain.

 

You're going to find there are A LOT of ex-Miata owners here... watch out!!

 

Here's a top 20 list I can almost live with....well at least 5 of the top 10 have always been on my Top 10 list.
http://www.ridelust.com/the-top-20-s...s-of-all-time/
Here's my list in no paticular order.
1962 Ferrari 250 GTO
Shelby Cobra 289/427
XKE (coupe)
63/67 Vette (coupe)
96 Viper GTS
68/69/70 AMX
63/64 Studebaker Avanti
1968 Charger R/T
1956 Mercedes Gullwing
Ford GT
Crossfire
OK, I know the Avanti and the Charger really don't belong under the "Sports Car" catagory, but those are my Top 11 favorite cars.
And I don't care how fast, or how good it handles, if it has 4 doors, it ain't a SPORTS CAR!!

 

Woah, sorry. haha I didn't mean to hit a nerve. As I said I was in shock and awe at the list and insulted that Crossfires weren't on there. I didn't mean to insult anyone's car or anything like that.

But yeah I don't fit in the Miata's at all. I'm 6'4" so my length don't pack into them too well. I test drove a convertible Solstice one time and the top was down when I got in and my head was sticking out over the windshield. Surprisingly, though, my Crossfire fits me like a glove. Granted, I don't have have an abundance of room but I am comfortable.

So what do you guys think? What cars should be up there on the list and where do our beloved Crossfires fit? I am not sure why Crossfires are frowned upon. I watched a video review by some British guy and he dogged it the entire time and I mean every little detail. However, he was comparing it to 100k+ cars like Porches and the upper model BMW's and Benz's.

 

I'm 6'2" and I fit in my 91 Miata just fine, even with the top up. Actually, even better than I fit in my Crossfire.

 

I can definitely live with that list though. The 68 Chargers are one of my favorite cars ever made whether they are sports cars or not. The Ferraris, Vipers, etc. aren't too shabby either. I don't know much about the Avantis or the Gullwings though I will have to take a look at those.

 

There is no 4 door sedan that would ever go on my top 1000 sports car list. I don't care how quick and nimble a little grocery getter may be, it is not a sports car. It is a kiddie toting soccer momobile. Adding a wing and some cheesy graphics does not change it.

 

Bought my wife a 90 miata and that was one of the best cars we owned. Not the most exciting but it was fun with the top down and it passed through our family for 17 years and almost 200,000 miles with little trouble but it shore didn't have the feel of the srt

 

Exactly I completely understand that. There are a lot of nice cars out there but it seems the people who write about cars don't know their butt hole from a hole in the ground. Miata's are attractive little cars but if you line one up next to a Crossfire (NA or SRT) there is really no comparison. I've drove both as well as many other of those cars and I just don't understand how a Tiburon is rated higher than our beloved Crossfires. The first time I sat down behind the wheel of mine I got out, got down on my knee, and proposed. We are now married and living happily ever after. Yesterday we destroyed a pimped out Lexus together. It was romantic haha.

So nobody is giving their opinions on the best cars and why. Let's hear some and why you picked them. Not just on performance but overall as well.

 

Valorian, one of the biggest reasons all the magazine's Road Testers rave about the Miata, is because it's the closest thing anybody has ever come to duplicating Colin Chapman's "Lotus Elan". The car that many "hard core, died in the wool" REAL sports car lovers feel was the car that redefined what it meant to be a sports car.
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/lotus-sports-cars3.htm
Before the Elan, an MG from the late 40's and early 50's was considered by many to be the only "REAL" sports car.
Perceptions change, as things improve. It's no different than what you see right here on the Forum. Some SRT owners feel that only the SRT6 deserves to be called a "Sports Car". While most NA drivers will argue that fact. It's all in good natured fun, and makes for some lively conversations and threads, but in the end it's simply boils down to how an individual perceives something.

 

First off, plain and simple, the Tiburon is not a sports car by almost any definition you can find. That's just stupid.

As for the Miata - it's probably the purest sports car on the market today. My '99 was an awesome little car - incredibly tossable (far more so than my Crossfire), very lightweight (much more so than my Crossfire), with a super slick shifting gearbox (much more so than my Crossfire). That doesn't make either one better than the other, especially since they are very different cars. It seems that the folks who usually complain about the Miata being classed as a "sports car" are those who think a sports car, by definition, must have a ton of power. Many of these same people think the Mustang and Camaro are sports cars, but they aren't. Last I checked, they have useable back seats (I know our Camaro does) and that automatically excludes them (the only exception to this rule being the Porsche 911).

 

Don't forget the Austin Healey 3000 (BT7-4 seater)
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1038...36879291vMjZZa

Or the 3 seater Datsun 2000:
http://www.earlydatsun.com/cars.html

 

I hate ignorant comments like this.. First.. it shows you don't know the definition of sports car, second you have never driven a miata, especially on a track..

But you do have the right to your own opinion..

 

Lol, do not knock the tiburon. It can do more than you think, I have beat 300zx twin turbos, mustang gt's and many other cars on the road course with my old one. Here is an old video of it at the dragstrip, before I sold it I had it running 12's in the 1/4 mile and it was the most reliable car I had ever owned. Nothing ever broke on that car. I know some of you guys on here can be a little "car arrogant" but realize your not driving a Bugatti lmao.

[MEDIA]http://youtube.com/watch?v=dYJtjfezpGk[/MEDIA]

as for miata's, I am not a fan but they are one of the favorite cars to take out on a road course. They are balanced really well and do great on the track.

 

ooooops, you were warned...just about bought a new miata not long ago...but decided we didn't need two "sports cars" so I bought her a Mazda 6...and surprisingly...I like it too...Mazda makes a really good car, and for the money...they are hard to beat...son #3 is looking @ a speed 3...I like the Mazdas

 

Mrphotoman, you won't get any arguments from me on the Tiburon. I've always liked them, especially the latest models with the new front ends.
But I've always considered them to be in the "Sports GT" category. Right beside Celicas, 240 SX's, etc.

 

Exactly.. its a sporty car.. not a sports car.

 

yes a true sports car is 2 seats, rwd but my point was it is not a POS becuase it is a hyundai. Some people like to bash the cars because of the name even though they are ranked as one of the highest in quality every year. The older cars back in the 80's and early 90's were not the greatest though lol.

I think the new z06's are the best bang for the buck true sports cars out there. They perform better than cars 2 and 3x the price and look amazing too

 

Probably because there is no well-accepted definition of "sports car." I've seen this thread on every board I've ever been on, I think. Miata is. Miata isn't. 4 seats can be. 4 seats can't be. etc.