What Makes A Car A Sports Car?

[MiniGibbo 142]

A sports car for me, is a car that has outright driving performance as its aim from the initial design stage onwards. I don't think it has to be completely uncompromising, and in my opinion an Ariel Atom or a Radical is a sports car as much as a 911, or an Esprit, or an S2000 or an Elise.

 

Anything else, like a grand tourer, or a saloon, or a hatch back, or a coupe or a convertible with sporting pretentions are just that, something else that has been made sporty, but not a pure proper sports car. So an Integra Type R, or an XKR or a 205 GTI are not sports cars in my book. They are just sporty coupes, GTs and hatch backs.

 

As for an Astra with a sports button - oh dear.

 

This.

[CaptainK 11]

A sports car for me, is a car that has outright driving performance as its aim from the initial design stage onwards.

^^ +1.

[Andy_C 50]

My old Astra SRi had a sport button. It was a diesel. The button appeared to do nothing.

 

Agree that a sports car is one which is designed from the outset with sport in mind, whether it's a road legal car or not.

[cybernck 402 1 Cars]

But what's the meaning of the word "sport" in this case?

 

sport (spɔːt)

1. an individual or group activity pursued for exercise or pleasure, often involving the testing of physical capabilities and taking the form of a competitive game such as football, tennis, etc

 

Like someone on here said, it would imply it's for use in motorsports.

 

 

Or perhaps:

 

2. diversion; recreation; pleasant pastime.

 

Which would mean that it's subjective and that any car can be a "sports" car.

[lagonda 42]

Good question. The term "sports car" has been violently abused over too many years. When I bought my Lagonda, the only insurer that would provide agreed value cover was Cornhill...and that was only if you were a member of the VSCC; the Vintage Sports Car Club. I was horrified; the thought of joining a club peopled by twats driving MGs was just too appalling. Had no choice though, so joined...only to find (at least at that time!) that MGs were not eligible for membership; what a relief.

So in reality there are two definitions

1/ as Andy_C states

2/ the public perception of the term; ie a car driven by a twat/poser thinking he is Fangio and driving some horror styled on a used bar of soap (but oh how fancy those chrome bumpers are) and powered by a (probably detuned) Sherpa van engine. Slowly.