Is it a "sports car"?

On my way in this morning, some kid in a newish Civic passed me. Lowered, flat black wheels, fart can exhaust. I chuckled in my 48almost49 year old head "kids, probably calls it a sports car too".

Got me thinking, what is considered a sports car these days? Probably goes back to the 50's or 60's, conjuring up images of 2-seater Triumphs and no roof, wire wheels, etc. But also things like early Datsun 240z's, plenty of import-type cars. Can you make something a sports car? If a new Civic isn't, can it be with gutted interior, roll cage, open exhaust and wide wheels with sticky tires?

I think my '88 Toyota MR2 SC is a sports car. Is the Subarust? Hm, maybe not. Sports Sedan? (That's another discussion). Would the Fiat 500 Abarth be? Probably, but what about the plain 500?

Lay it on me, what makes it a "sports car"?

To me a sports car is a vehicle driven for entertainment vs appliance.

In my books, a sports car needs two seats, although a few cars that put the barest excuse for a back seat possible get a pass (Porsche 911 and some RX-7 versions come to mind). It also needs to be relatively small and have a focus on performance driving.

This is meant to be a category definition, not a value judgement. As such, it's usually going to be pretty difficult to move something that is not in this category into it without major sheet metal work. Removing a back seat doesn't count if the car is still something designed to accommodate a back seat, but shortening it to a two seat vehicle might count. (The exception to "a car can't just be tuned to fit the sports car category" rule might be something that has two seats but was meant for an entirely different purpose. Could you make a Honda Insight jump into this category by putting a K20 and a six speed in it? Or a Buick Reatta if it had a different suspension calibration and a Getrag manual?)

I wouldnt call a fiat 500, even abarth a sports car, its a fancyfied version of a compact, er micro? Car.

I still call miatas sports cars even though they are terribly slow, but its about as fast as an old mgb or triumph. Corvette obviously, 350/370z. Id call the new fiat 124 spyder a sports car cause its a miata with a turbo and turbo =good. Only subaru id call a sports car is a brz.

To me theres a difference between a sporty car and a sports car. Mazdaspeed3=sporty where even a lowly 944 na id call a sports car, even with the insurance back seat.

No one answer here. Sports car can be defined so many different ways by different people. For me, it's a loose definition. Generally speaking it's a car designed and intended for some type of spirited driving.

Then again, my son forgot his mouthpiece for football practice last night. He couldn't do contact drills without it. So I had to run home and get it for him. The road too/from school is one of those country back road twisty deals with tons of turns. The guy in the '13 V6 'Stang convertible must have thought my minivan was a sports car because he seemed shocked I was keeping up with him, and even riding him a little to go faster.

If a Triumph Spitfire is a sports car, why isn't the Herald?

MY GF called my ZX2SR a sports car.

I was typing a pretty in depth response about my old fashioned definition of a sports car but then I remembered the article in GRM some time ago about this topic and I realized I wasn't saying anything that wasn't in that article

iceracer wrote: MY GF called my ZX2SR a sports car.

Totally jealous of your having a ZX2 S/R!

Grtechguy wrote: To me a sports car is a vehicle driven for entertainment vs appliance.

This is the only definition that fits for me. Even a Camary can be a sports car with the right attitude.

Two seats, why that limit? If it was a true sports car it would only have one seat. It's almost a bit of elitism to say somethings not a sports car because you haven't sacrificed enough space, suspension design, horsepower...

I don't like elitism and even do it. I'll pass on most front wheel drive cars. And most Hondas.

I used to be on a Corvette forum, and there was a thread about other popular "sports cars." I innocently posted that you couldn't possibly talk about sports cars without mentioning the Miata, which at that point (AFAIR) had just surpassed the MGB in numbers produced. I was told that we weren't talking about stuff like that, we were talking about "sports cars" like Mustangs and Charger RT's. Okay!

Corvettes are fun cars, but some (a lot) of the owners are shiny happy people.

RossD wrote:

Grtechguy wrote: To me a sports car is a vehicle driven for entertainment vs appliance.

This is the only definition that fits for me. Even a Camary can be a sports car with the right attitude.

So it's not the car, it's the application.

Drive anything on an autocross course, and it becomes a sports car. Drive anything to work regularly and it's now an appliance.

Can't say I'd go along with that in either way.

In the recent auto boxster thread someone said a sports car isn't a sports car if it's automatic. Crap! I've had 968, 986s and now a corvette that aren't sports cars...

I like the driven for entertainment idea but then a mudder on 44s is a sports car also.

I don't think there is one real definition. (I do remember being in the Navy in 1986 and a convo about cars, a friend rather smuggly said he needed special oil because he drove a sports car. I was thinking old Porsche, maybe 70's Vette, so I asked what he drove. 1985 ford EXP. I don't remember if I suppressed the laugh or not.)

I guess we haven't had this discussion in 2016 yet. I'm sure it will end with everybody in consensus like every other time it has come up.

The only two definitions I would say is it has to be a manual. That means the paddle shifter manuals don't count. The only reason for a automatic in a sports car is for a disability only. Having a disability between the ears doesn't count.

Two seats only. I don't count the back seats of the 944 or RX-8 as seats as they don't fit a standard human being.

Pulling the back seats out of something doesn't make it a sports car it makes it a little less efficient than what it was meant to do.

RossD wrote:

Grtechguy wrote: To me a sports car is a vehicle driven for entertainment vs appliance.

This is the only definition that fits for me. Even a Camary can be a sports car with the right attitude. Two seats, why that limit? If it was a true sports car it would only have one seat. It's almost a bit of elitism to say somethings not a sports car because you haven't sacrificed enough space, suspension design, horsepower... I don't like elitism and even do it. I'll pass on most front wheel drive cars. And most Hondas.

I don't think it's elitism. I just see it as a category. Like "sedan" or "minivan" or "compact car"

chiodos wrote: I still call miatas sports cars even though they are terribly slow, but its about as fast as an old mgb or triumph.

Even a 1990 Miata is significantly faster than an MGB, and a 2016 Miata will get to 60 mph in under 6 seconds. The only way you could do that with an MGB would be to put a big Chevy V8 in it :) Just suggesting you might want to check your stereotypes.

Our 2008 LS3 Miata went from sports car to GT when we put the big engine in. I think that's because it's now really good at blazing across the country in a relaxed manner while still being able to do sports car things.

Which makes me think that my definition of "sports car" involves some single-minded purpose. It has given up some other attributes in order to be simply about sports. That's why a Spitfire can be a sports car and a Herald isn't - the Herald is more multi-talented.

The "4 door Sports Car"

hmmmm.... based on MY ownership....

TVR Vixen... that was a sports car... The Volvo 1800(P, S, or E, NOT ES)... another sports car... any of the Shelby Mustangs, or other Mustangs... not a sports car... GTO not a sports car... VW GTI not a sports car.... 1st gen Capri and 1st gen Manta not a sports car...

even my customized Corolla isn't a sports car, it is more of a touring car

I would say 2 door, 2 seat with a manual. Granted alot of GT cars fot that but I think there is alot of overlap between the two.

Anything that makes my insurance agent suspect I'm having fun and, correspondingly, charge me more money.

foxtrapper wrote: So it's not the car, it's the application. Drive anything on an autocross course, and it becomes a sports car. Drive anything to work regularly and it's now an appliance. Can't say I'd go along with that in either way.

It's only a sports car if it's driven on an autocross course and you call it racing!

Let's make sure we use as many of our tropes at once as we can!

Fitzauto wrote: I would say 2 door, 2 seat with a manual. Granted alot of GT cars fot that but I think there is alot of overlap between the two.

So a Porsche GT3 with a PDK is not a sports car?

I will once again settle this argument with humor!

Sports car:

Station Wagon:

Muscle car:

Sport Sedan:

Crossover: