Good point, and well said. I'm building a junkyard rescue
up to a (hopefully) competitive Prepared car for Solo2, and after
I reached a certain plateau of roadworthiness I found it less
and less enjoyable on the street. The transistion from non-running
junker to fun "sports car" was pure joy. The transistion from
streetable "sports car" to dedicated, performance-oriented autocross
car is painful.
From the racing-oriented perspective of the SCCA, it's
hard to say where the "upper" line is drawn between "sports" cars
and "performance" cars, but the "lower" line is pretty obvious:
If it looks like a sports car, drives like a sports car, and is
as much fun as a sports car, then it's a sports car. (Quack!)
Personally, I think Neons and Imprezas are amongst the
ugliest cars ever built (don't flame me, it's just a personal
opinion), but I've ridden (autox passenger) in a Neon and was
quite impressed and have been outrun on a road course by a Soobie,
so who am I to say what car is sportier than another?
I think "sports car", as a definition, is more a matter
of who's driving the car and what his/her level of appreciation
for the sport of driving is, and what the demands/expectations
he/she makes of their vehicle are, rather than an absolute category of
automobile. I could have tons of fun with a 59 VW Beetle, but
some people might hate a 911S Porsche 'cause it's "cramped".
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I think that's
where this "definition" belongs.
IMHO, of course...a horse...of course...
Phil Ethier wrote:
>
> Subject: Re: Definition of a Sports Car
>
> >Even though I think the Miata is probably one of the more true-in-name of
> >the term "sports car", my definition of a sports car usually includes the
> >factor that the car is not a convertible.
>
> As they say here in Minnesota: That's different.
>
> >This is mainly from a structural standpoint... and becomes less of an issue
> >as cars get stiffer.
>
> There's part of the difference between performance car and sports car.
>
> The most important thing about a performance car is numbers. How fast does
> it accelerate. What is the maximum speed. How quickly does it brake. What
> lateral g-forces can it generate. How fast can it negotiate a given course.
>
> The most important thing about a sports car is how much fun it is to drive
> it. The wind in the hair can be a big part of that. The Europa is clearly a
> sports car, even though it has a fixed roof and even though ACBC really
> envisioned it as a European GT car. But my wife feels that a real sports
> car must have a top that goes down and a seating position rather more
> upright than a Formula Ford. So the TR4 suits her idea of a sports car more
> closely. It stands to reason that, at a similar level of development and
> prep, the Europa will still blow the doors off the TR4 on an autocross
> course. A strange reversal can occur here. The stick of the car as it
> increases to be higher performance can actually reduce the sports-car fun in
> street use. The Europa, and even the Midget, could not be driven in a
> sporting manner on the street if the car was wearing sticky autocross tires.
> The speeds need to work the car were simply too high. Jails, hospitals or
> death would likely occur first. On the other hand, a Midget with sway bars
> and skinny all-weather tires can be driven safely to a very sporting edge
> and be virtually unnoticed.
>
> One other factor that occurs to me is isolation. The heavier the car and
> the more isolated the driver is from the road and the weather, the less
> "sports car" it becomes.
>
> This does not seem to be a serious discussion of the correct definition of
> "sports car". I am very grateful for that. That would be a
> largely-fruitless exercise. Better we should just drive them and have fun.
>
> Now, for the purposes of Solo 2 autocross rules, the definition of sports
> car seems to be cars which do not qualify under the official definition of
> "sedan". Close enough.
>
> >And I agree with the 2 door, 2 seats, and less than 3000lbs... but I think
> a
> >RWD
>
> The later incarnation of the Lotus Elan is a sports car. Trust me on this.
>
> >with an LSD would be good.
>
> Actually, in a Europa, a Limited-Slip Differential is seriously ungood.
> Dedicated readers of this list know how I disabled mine to improve the
> low-speed (Hey! That's autocross!) handling markedly. A TorSen-type
> differential might not sabotage the car with overwhelming understeer like
> the more-common Salisbury or Positraction styles. Since the car certainly
> has no problems with wheelspin in cornering, it seems particularly foolish
> to have spent the time, money and effort to put the damned thing in there.
>
> Phil Ethier Saint Paul Minnesota USA
> 1970 Lotus Europa, 1992 Saturn SL2, 1986 Suburban, 1962 Triumph TR4 CT2846L
> LOON, MAC pethier@isd.net http://www.mnautox.com/
> Daughter Amanda has presented us with a second grandchild. Sirena Mae
> Stremski
> arrived on the first day of Spring 2001, weighing 7 pounds 3 ounces.
--
Chris Shepard
Bailey, Colorado
http://www.unixbox.com/~maverick/
FP 83 RX-7
|