What is A REAL SPORTS CAR ?

[NAiL05]

When i think of the perfect "sports car", miata is always the only answer that i can muster.

Sure its small. But it has decent power, and can be modded to be miniature beasties. Also comes from the factory like a beamer with 51/49ish stats on the f/r weight set-up.
The closest thing i can think of that would touch a miata would be the s2000. Only because its a smaller car as well. Just my opinion though.

I can vouch for the similarities in these two cars. Paired with a good driver both cars will handle beautifully on auto-x. They might not be able to go the straight line quick but they can handle like no other. I love my buddy ap1 its a really nice car. He was woopin on some miatas with stock suspension and intake in his motor. Both cars are fun (they have miata/s2000 auto x day) Thats when i go with my buddy. I hope to be able to autocross my car soon though need to get my shit chipped and some more suspension compoonents and i am there. My car (accord) will never be a sports car but it is a fun car to drive. I have my mkIII supra for that it was a sports car back in its days =D.

[AccordWarrior]

People are forgetting about the Lotus Elise/Exige.

I have a hard time accepting the M3/M5 as sports cars. Sure they'll run circles around most of them...but, they're still sports sedans derived from existing models.

In the 90's, the Maxima was marketed as a 4DSC (I'm sure people have seen the stickers), aka 4 door sports car. Can you really call that a sports car?...even though it has the NA 300zx motor in it.

[Direthought]

People are forgetting about the Lotus Elise/Exige.

I think those are just too high cost to consider... A galardo* (lambo) I consider a sports car, but its near unattainable.

[d112crzy]

whatever sparkle is driving

yup.

[Gemini]

M series BMW...even the ones with 4 doors.

[AccordWarrior]

I think those are just too high cost to consider... A galardo* (lambo) I consider a sports car, but its near unattainable.

Near unattainable?

A quick search of AutoTrader shows Elises running in the 35K range for a used one. That's not that much more than a new S2k. It undercuts any new M car.

[Direthought]

Near unattainable?

A quick search of AutoTrader shows Elises running in the 35K range for a used one. That's not that much more than a new S2k. It undercuts any new M car.

Then i stand corrected.

[m-tec93accord]

who makes those extremely exotic cars like exige, isnt it honda or somthing

just like royles-royce was made by mercedes, and austin marin are made(or owned) by ford, i think

[AccordWarrior]

who makes those extremely exotic cars like exige, isnt it honda or somthing

just like royles-royce was made by mercedes, and austin marin are made(or owned) by ford, i think

Lotus makes the Exige. Lotus is owned by some firm Asia now though. They use 1.8L Toyota engines.

[lokuputha]

I don't think a real sports car needs to be fast or needs to handle well....however, it has to feel as if it is fast and as if it handles well....


I would rather have a car feel as if it is going 150km/h at 100km/h than the other way around.

my pick: Mazda Miata



but my Honda pride tends to go with the S2000

[NAiL05]

Lotus makes the Exige. Lotus is owned by some firm Asia now though. They use 1.8L Toyota engines.

Yep. The lotus is an attainable price range. We had an elise out at the autocross last time I went just watching that thing nail every corner perfect was just like I was just damn amazed how composed the thing was. Plus it was running R compound tires also.

[lil_dcb7]

just like royles-royce was made by mercedes, and austin marin are made(or owned) by ford, i think

Since when did Mercedes make rolls royce?? last I heard, they were owned by wolkswagen then changed their name to BENTLY, after that, bmw scooped up the Rolls Royce marquee

never EVER heard anything about mercedes

[owequitit]

LOL!

Fast is fast.

So if a "sedan" can outrun, outhandle, outbrake, out slalom, etc etc a true sports car, say an older Ferrari, then it isn't a sports car?

I understand that there is a certain something that goes along with a good looking car, but I would rather have a car that looks pedestrian and can clean almost anything's clock, rather than have an enhanced manhood machine that can look like its going a million miles and hour, but can't back it up.

That is why the NSX was such a great car. It forced Ferrari to change its game, to the point where there street cars are now the most lusty machines I can think of.

They have the go, the stop, the turn, the sound, the looks, AND the name/pedigree.

They didn't used to.

In fact in many cases, the so called "sports sedans" that don't classify as real cars, would out run them or run with them. And I am not talking new vs older. Same vintage.

Hell, the GMC Typhoon would suck a Ferrari 348TS into its turbo intake, chew it up, and spit it out the tailpipe!

The NSX also just happened to be a lusty looking car, but some of the cars that could run with the Ferraris of the time were not.

And yes for the time, the Maxima was a pretty genuine sports car. At a time when Mustangs and Camaros delivered HUGE bang for the buck, so too did the Maxima, which would give those "purebred" cars a run for their money under any circumstances, while being reliable, refined, quiet and hauling people.

Also, starting in 1990 when the 3rd gen Max debuted, it was powered by the first version of the VQ, which is currently powering EVERY V6 Nissan. It didn't share the 300ZX's NA powerplant after that.

IMO, the people who get caught up solely in appearance as the definition of a sports car, have phallic insecurities. You can't see the outside from the inside most of the time anyway, and that is where a sports car really shines.

Also, Mercedes never owned Bentley or Rolls-Royce.

Rolls-Royce was an independent British company, and they owned Bentley, i.e. Bentley was a wholly owned subsidiary. That is why Bentley's and Rollers were so similar.

Then BMW was going to buy both, but a bidding war ensued with VW.

The outcome was that BMW got Rover, and Rolls-Royce, while VW got Bentley.

Rover, included all the crap cars that Rover built, because they didn't have the resources to design new ones, and Land Rover.

Land Rover was sold to Ford, Rover was sold to another British company, and Rolls-Royce was kept.

So now, Rolls-Royce is BMW, Bentley is VW, Land Rover is Ford.

Aston Martin has been sold by Ford to a group of investors, so it is no longer Ford.

Ford may be looking to unload Jag as well, but time will tell.

Lotus used to owned by GM, but was then sold in the early 90's IIRC.

Mercedes never owned anything other than Chrysler, well they "merged" (all the management was German, so I am sure it was truely a "merger of equals"), which is currently undergoing a deal to be purchased by Magna and an investment group which is going to seperate Merc from Chrysler.

Honda and Toyota are about the only independents left.

Kia and Hyundai are the owned by the same company.

Nissan is mostly owned by Renault.

Subaru and Mitsu are still independent (Mitsu more than they used to be, because Chrysler used to own a large percentage of their stock).

Isuzu, Saab, Opel, Vauxhall, Holden, Daewoo, are all GM owned.

It gets complicated.

[m-tec93accord]

Since when did Mercedes make rolls royce?? last I heard, they were owned by wolkswagen then changed their name to BENTLY, after that, bmw scooped up the Rolls Royce marquee

never EVER heard anything about mercedes

sorry......i'll go sit inna corner now.........

i just remember that the ultra-exotics are owned overseas by "normal" manufactuers(sp?), you just never hear about them

like i just watched about the GTO and their lineage, but the brand new one(say 2004 on), was modeled after a monaro over in australia, then for emission purposes and a few other legal crap, they based it on a grand prix.....i wondered why the monaro and the GTO in GT4 looked so simliar

[mozzandherb]

I love driving BMW's, Z3, Z4, 330CI, name it there all really nice. They handle awesome, they have decent power and they look nice. Some are coupes some are 4 doors, so are cabs most are hardtops. But to me a sports car is one that is fast and that handles well on the track or at the strip, and it always nice when they look good as well