What's
Considered a Sports Car?
by SolveYourProblem.com
As
a simple matter of definition, a sports car is generally
thought to be a small low car with a high-powered engine that
generally
seats two persons. This “textbook” definition gives us an idea
of what a sports car is, but there are differing perspectives.
Even a more complete dictionary definition falls short of
truly capturing a sports car. The Houghton Mifflin dictionary
defines a sports car as: “An automobile equipped for racing,
especially an aerodynamically shaped one-passenger or two-passenger
vehicle having a low center of gravity and steering and suspension
designed for precise control at high speeds.”
Examining the textbook and dictionary definitions, we can
find any number of exceptions to the proverbial rule. Earlier
British sports cars lacked powerful engines and many small
cars with powerful engines that are popularly considered sports
were not designed with racing, per se, in mind.
Additionally,
the “two seat rule” seems outmoded. Many sports
cars today offer small back seats (sometimes referred to as
2+2 seating) and there is a current movement underway to increase
the seating room in models long considered sports cars by most
automotive experts.
Insurance
companies use their own formula in classifying automobiles
and often the presence of two doors automatically
makes any car a “sports car” in their eyes. This perspective,
of course, is as overly simplistic as the standard dictionary
approach to defining a sports car. One can certainly think
of any number of two door vehicles that fall far short of being
an actual sports car. Economy cars and even larger two-door
vehicles that are not built with power and performance in mind
should not qualify as true sports cars.
Often, car
buffs will refer to high-performance muscle cars and other larger vehicles as sports cars. Others, however,
draw a distinction between these vehicles and “true” sports
cars. These individuals will claim that a car can be a “sporting
car” or simply “sporty” but still fall short of being a true
sports car. Thus, “regular” cars may be outfitted with a “sports
package” and/or accessories to make the car sportier, but may
not fit a strict definition of a sports car.
Not all automotive enthusiasts, however, embrace this restrictive
view of sports cars. In many circles, a sports car is any car
offering greater performance or power than more standard offerings.
This school of thought will consider muscle cars and other
larger vehicles designed with performance in mind as sports
cars.
Others will maintain that the distinction between a sports
car and any other type of car lies in how the car’s suspension
and handling are addressed. Technical debates rage over whether
various suspension packages qualify as belonging to true “sports
cars.”
Some will argue that a sports car can be defined by its intentions. If
the car is designed for performance more so than for utility,
they say, it is a sports car. This intent-based definition,
however, provides little guidance in determining whether a
car is a sports car or not. Particularly in the modern era,
the notion of designing a car of any sort without significant
consideration of its feasibility and utility seems unlikely.
Any commercially viable vehicle, regardless of its performance,
must retain significant utility.
Road and Track, a leading automotive publication, summarizes
the sports card definition debate with a simple observation: “Ask five people the exact definition of a sports car, and
you’ll likely get five different answers.”
There is no clear-cut definition of what really is a sports
car. The restrictive definitions of the past seem ill suited
to categorize today’s diverse automotive offerings and common
usage of the term runs contrary to most long-held definitions.
There is, however, a strand of thought that seems to run through
almost all of the outlooks on the meaning of “sports car.”
If a car is designed with high performance or race-like capabilities
in mind, it can probably be safely termed a sports car. Some
purists may balk at such a liberal perspective, but alternative
definitions fall far short of accurately distinguishing sports
cars form regular production models.
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SolveYourProblem.com : 2007
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