Does removing all unboltable weight from a vehicle and increasing its performance capacity make it a performance vehicle?
Does removing all unboltable weight from a vehicle and increasing its performance capacity make it a performance vehicle?
To some, yes. ;)
Seriously, it's just a question of semantics. The definition of "performance car" is so broad that it's entirely dependent on who you're asking. I think you can broadly say that all cars perform better with less weight, all other things equal. Whether that makes them "performance cars" is up to you.
Just because I can "throw away" 400# of interior from the ST doesn't make it any more performance vehicle than it already is. I can do the same to a regular XLT or platinum model too.
Depends on how much weight.
ShinnyGroove (Forum Supporter) said:To some, yes. ;)
Seriously, it's just a question of semantics. The definition of "performance car" is so broad that it's entirely dependent on who you're asking. I think you can broadly say that all cars perform better with less weight, all other things equal. Whether that makes them "performance cars" is up to you.
I tried to come up with my own response, but this pretty much sums up how I feel.
Decontenting or not, if you feel like you own a performance car, then you own a performance car.
No. Decontenting in and of itself moves a car along the race car spectrum considerably more than it does the performance car spectrum.
To be clear hood, trunk, doors, fenders, and all that unnecessary stuff qualify for ejection in this question.
A Chevrolet Cruze starts at 3155lbs,at what weight would it become a Challenge menace?
If your Porsche you charge extra for removing things.
100lbs is worth a tenth in the quarter mile (usually).
Yes but you also need to lower it as it'll ride higher with the lower weight on stock springs. You'll need to get it around 1700lbs to make it more fun than a stock Miata.
Peter Eagan once wrote a story in R&T about "decontenting" an old Straight 8 Buick Roadmaster. It had power to weight but not much else in its favor.
If that were the case, a Yugo would be a factory performance car.
Every car in the rust belt must eventually end up a performance car then. 
In reply to earlybroncoguy1 :
also Sport Compact Car did that to a Sentra
Id say that a performance car has some degree of handling acumen. While decontenting helps in that regards some cars just aren't set up well suspension wise. If you have terrible geometry you can only do so much without massive suspension revisions.
MadScientistMatt said:Depends on how much weight.
Depends on your tolerance for physical abuse .
Driven5 said:No. Decontenting in and of itself moves a car along the race car spectrum considerably more than it does the performance car spectrum.
This. I think the designation of "performance car" would have to do with its original intention. Modding a S-box can improve performance but its not a "performance car", its a racecar.
j_tso said:In reply to earlybroncoguy1 :
also Sport Compact Car did that to a Sentra
That was what inspired me to build my kart. People always thought it was because of some YouTube guy and would get indignant when I didn't know who they were talking about. 
It definitely sounds scarier going down the road, which feels faster.
Driven5 said:No. Decontenting in and of itself moves a car along the race car spectrum considerably more than it does the performance car spectrum.
Many people might think a Racecar is naturally a "Performance car," but a few hours at a 24 Hrs of Lemons weekend clarifies the distinction pretty quickly ;)
I know removing 1000+ lbs from a crown vic and putting 315's all around definitely makes it perform better in all aspects
Decontenting a performance car makes it a more hardcore performance car (like Porsche's lightweight versions of cars)
Decontenting a regular car just makes it a E36 M3box.
In reply to NickD :
What if you start with a E36 M3 box and remove such items as power steering pumps and hoses, ignition cylinders, speakers, head unit, amp, speaker cage brackets, rear seats, rear seat belts, anchors, carpeting, head liner, rubber/tar sound deadening.
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