Old Debate - Can a FWD Car be a Sportscar?

[speedminded]

What defines a sportscar? The definition of a sport bike is the RPM's it runs, my Triumph Daytona 955i was considered a sport touring bike because it redlined at 10,500, it would still run a 10.8 second quarter in stock form and out-handle most sport bikes.

Is it the G-forces in a 60 mph slalom that defines a sports car or it's power to weight ratio? Just having two doors isn't an arguement because there's plenty of overweight coupes out...normally given the title "sport coupe".

The Integra Type-R is definitely, without a doubt, a race worthy front wheel drive... with the proper tires anyways. Normally FF cars are given the name sport compact, there is no definite answer.

[Bruce Leroy]

This question does not have a answer, and this thread could go 1000 pages and we wouldn't have one.

[Nismo]

To be a sports car you have to have over 100 horsepower, so that rules out the Yaris....

[Ran]

To be a sports car you have to have over 100 horsepower, so that rules out the Yaris....

106 factory rated.

Back on topic.

[On_Her_Face]

the corvette z06 is not a supercar, its a supercar killer, there for its still a supercar..


and i drive a corvette and yes most "sports cars" are rear wheel drive, which i also believe there is a reason for that. i am sure there is a fwd sports car out there but i can not name one off the top of my head


p.s. i am talking about in stock form

[OneSlow5pt0]

im sorry,but z06s still look cheap......yea,but compare it to a say F430 that its bout same specs...but a F430 is deff in another league in other things

[collins]

im sorry,but z06s still look cheap.

i have to... HAVE TO... HAVE TO disagree. imo, the c6z06 is one of the most agressive looking, sexiest cars on the planet!

[OneSlow5pt0]

i have to... HAVE TO... HAVE TO disagree. imo, the c6z06 is one of the most agressive looking, sexiest cars on the planet!

im talkin inside

[On_Her_Face]

true and not to get off topic look at the price difference.

[95alty]

I have a FWD altima and i believe that it is a sports car... Just because its not RWD doesnt mean its not... For instance the 240 is a sports car right??? Has the same damn engine the altima has just rwd....

[bastarling84]

I have a FWD altima and i believe that it is a sports car... Just because its not RWD doesnt mean its not... For instance the 240 is a sports car right??? Has the same damn engine the altima has just rwd....

lol

I will also vote yes, RWD is a must for it to be a real sports car.

[Elbow]

I have a FWD altima and i believe that it is a sports car... Just because its not RWD doesnt mean its not... For instance the 240 is a sports car right??? Has the same damn engine the altima has just rwd....

I hope you are kidding.....a Altima IS NOT a sports car.... LOL

In my book a real sports car is a 2 seater usually, lightweight, awesome suspension, fast revving, etc. A 240SX is not a sports car, it is sporty, but not a sports car, a EVO or STI is not a sports car, when I hear sports cars I think back to British roots like old MG's and stuff, Miatas, Elise, etc etc. Even in my book CRX's and small lightweight performance minded FWD cars.

[superboost]

I hope you are kidding.....a Altima IS NOT a sports car.... LOL

In my book a real sports car is a 2 seater usually, lightweight, awesome suspension, fast revving, etc. A 240SX is not a sports car, it is sporty, but not a sports car, a EVO or STI is not a sports car, when I hear sports cars I think back to British roots like old MG's and stuff, Miatas, Elise, etc etc. Even in my book CRX's and small lightweight performance minded FWD cars.

those are roadsters.

When I think sports cars, I think of vettes, vipers, porsches etc. Typically (but not limited to) rwd high speed, no frills cars designed to go fast. You sir are referring to roadsters. Light weight, hi-revving open top machines , also no frills. THe lines tend to blur when you define the vehicles, but those are roadsters. They are apart of the sports car genus but just like you've got super cars, hyper cars, roadsters, sports cars and sporty cars, while they may all fall under the umbrella, each one is different.

[man]

those are roadsters.

30 years ago the words roadster and sports car were synonymous.

[95alty]

Nissan BlueBird... FWD altima with a built sr20det engine in it.... built sports car... just fwd and 4 door

[On_Her_Face]

but other things change when u have a car that has the same powerplant, such as weight, gearing, suspension, brakes, and the tuning of the motor.

[95alty]

Can a stock FWD Car truly be a Sportscar? Not a "sporty" car so SRT-4 and Scion tC guys STFU. Just wondering what IA's opinion is on this long-beaten topic. Try to keep things civilized in the discussions.

This was the original question... And the answer is yes... Proof is a stock nissan bluebird(altima) that has an SR20DET in it... Doesnt matter about tuning, suspension, etc etc.... So to answer the question... Yes

[On_Her_Face]

This was the original question... And the answer is yes... Proof is a stock nissan bluebird(altima) that has an SR20DET in it... Doesnt matter about tuning, suspension, etc etc.... So to answer the question... Yes

you sir have missed my point, a suspension on a 350z is different (most likely better) than a 3.5 altima and would out handle it... that is all i am saying. and i believe they have different horsepower raitings (the engine tuning i was talking about)

[95alty]

Im not talking about the 3.5 altima... im talking about the 93-97 nissan bluebird... i apologize if i mis understood what you were referring too.

[Andy_013]

The Noble still a good looking car that I will not own.

[OneSlow5pt0]

i thought about this when i was picking up my dad's car

supercar example are:Jaguar XJ220,F40,F50,CLK GTR,S7,ME412,

these cars have stood the test of time,then under them...id start putting cars like:Zonda,Enzo,Carrea GT,TVRs,Aston Martins,SLR Mclaren,

as much as i love corvettes,it is very hard to say corvette and XJ220 in same setence

[Ran]

I love how putting an SR20 into anything automatically makes it a sports car. Come on you Nissan guys, surely you have more to add than just some "OMG SR20 IS DA GREATEST" babble. Whomever even considers an Altima as a sportscar is hardly capable of distinguishing between classes of cars. Putting a 200HP engine into something doesn't make something a sportscar. 95Alty, I'm not trying to bust your balls, but your Altima is as much of a sports car as my Yaris is. Which is not even close. A sporty car it may be, a sportscar it is not. Also, the 240SX we got here stateside may have been a sportscar back in Japan but, with it's balls chopped off and replaced with the KA series powerplants, it was more of a sport compact than a true sportscar. That and they handle like @ss which is why they're popular with drifters.

.gauge., as much as I love the B13 SE-R, and believe me I do, I just never considered it a sports car. Not sure why. Maybe it was the frumpy styling or something. It was impressive, but it's wasn't OMG WOW. I do respect how under appreciated they were though. Definitely one of the most under-rated cars of it's time.

[.gauge.]

I love how putting an SR20 into anything automatically makes it a sports car. Come on you Nissan guys, surely you have more to add than just some "OMG SR20 IS DA GREATEST" babble. Whomever even considers an Altima as a sportscar is hardly capable of distinguishing between classes of cars. Putting a 200HP engine into something doesn't make something a sportscar. 95Alty, I'm not trying to bust your balls, but your Altima is as much of a sports car as my Yaris is.
.gauge., as much as I love the B13 SE-R, and believe me I do, I just never considered it a sports car. Not sure why. Maybe it was the frumpy styling or something. It was impressive, but it's wasn't OMG WOW. I do respect how under appreciated they were though. Definitely one of the most under-rated cars of it's time.

Yeah, I understand where you're coming from.
Theres one ALTIMA I could think of that could be somewhat of a sports car. The Altima SE-R. I mean, its no beast, but it is defenitely sporty.
Now, the Bluebird Attesa SSS in Japan comes with an AWD SR20DET and competes with the STI's and such, but thats not what we're talking about.
Theres also the new spec-v that was track tested and tuned on the newburge, its even been said it takes mini coopers on the auto-x's. THAT is sporty to me. Yeah, I'm a nissan fanboy but I don't obsess over SR20's or even the VQ series engines, but Nissan has been making great cars with decent horsepower, even if they don't have any cars in any race events.

[OneSlow5pt0]

i would call a 240sx a sports coupe

while a RX-7,300ZX, an Supra would be sports cars

[allmotoronly]

it really depends on what sport you are trying to compete in. FWD makes a good sports car in the sense that some can be made into great auto-x cars. however, if drifting is your thing, then I guess you wouldn't consider a fwd to be a sports car. I would consider an ITR to be a sports car. It may not be the fastest car, but it was build with racing in mind, and is pretty sporty.

[Killer]

i've only skimmed this thread but, wouldn't an si be considered a sports car??? isn't the Gti fwd??? i think that's a sports car...

[Sport1.3]

a sports car can be defined by its original intentions. That to me is the best definition of a true "sports car".

[Sport1.3]

"A simple definition of a sports car is "a small low car with a high-powered engine, and generally seats two people". This is more or less a "textbook" definition but gives us an idea of what the public perceives to be 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".

[speedminded]

"A simple definition of a sports car is "a small low car with a high-powered engine, and generally seats two people". This is more or less a "textbook" definition but gives us an idea of what the public perceives to be 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".

Well that rules out the first 40 years of the Corvette, hahaha!

[OneSlow5pt0]

lol,the main thing to me in a sports car is 2 doors,sleek looks and great handling

[Bruce Leroy]

lol,the main thing to me in a sports car is 2 doors,sleek looks and great handling

so whats an evo or a sti?

[OneSlow5pt0]

so whats an evo or a sti?

EVO and STI and M3 and M5,are coupes and sedans or saloons

[Ran]

so whats an evo or a sti?

Turbocharged Grocery Getters

[OneSlow5pt0]

Turbocharged Grocery Getters

same diffence

[Kevykev]

Sports car = Subjective label for a car!

Not limited to amount of doors or drive train - it just has to be performance oriented.

Sport Sedans, Sport Coupes are guess what??


ALL CARS

[Kevykev]

Add an RX8 to the list and what about the Porsche Panamera?

Maserati Has a "Saloon" as well!

[OneSlow5pt0]

thier nothin wrong with saloons...their some of the fastest cars in the world

example the new TT M5

[Kevykev]

Love the way this thread transitioned away from the fwd deal.

I am partial to sedans anyway and will always love 4 door vehicles from the M dept.!


as mentioned:

[speedminded]

as mentioned:

http://bigpicture.typepad.com/.share...porsche184.jpg

[OneSlow5pt0]

eww