"A true sports car is a performance car whose primary function is to provide driving pleasure, and to allow the driver to immerse himself in that experience and communicate with the road as directly as possible. Its purpose is pure and singleminded.

The idea of a sports car has always been the same and it will never change. The designs will change as times change. But the concept will always remain.

A true sports car is light, direct and does without the things that more pedestrian vehicles possess. It is often derived from a race car in some fashion. The car may be a direct variation of a race car. It may feature technology and design from a race car. Or the people who designed and developed it have a competition background. It has heritage.

The car rewards drivers who are skilled and able. All drivers are not created equal. Those who can best feel and understand the subtle messages of the machine are rewarded with the greatest satisfaction. A sports car is meant to be driven well quickly.

What Do Sports Cars Look Like?

They turn your head, they get you interested. You know just from looking at them that they offer performance and excitement. They are not ordinary cars. Even when parked, a sports car gives the impression that it is in forward motion."

http://www.davewin.com/articles/sports-car.shtml

 

My definition's much simpler...

True Sports Car = 350Z

 

Shorter yet...

"The" Z

 

Found it interesting, did not write it, picture was MY definition!

 

Me too... thanks for sharing it with us...

 

Okay....I really don't mean to start a war about this, but IMO, a true sports car has to have a manual transmission, or some modern day variant thereof ( F1 style paddle shifters). Since yours ( the car in the pic) is an auto, it is a bit of a pretender. The truest sports cars aren't even built with an automatic transmissions.

 

A "pretender"???

Jeeeeezzzzzz... That description above was copied (please see the web link to it's author posted above) and posted because it Simply Seemed Slightly interesting at the time, and when thinking of the Z, I for one did not differentiate between the Roadster or the Coupe Model, or whether a Z had an automatic or a manual transmission, to regard it as a “true sports car”.

It’s almost laughable that a picture of my own ZR car posted below (which I am quite proud of) would spark such a commentary from you. To take such commentary seriously for even the slightest moment in time, most Z automatic owners would be quite amused being told they should Not think of THEIR own Z car as a sports car!

Those that select an auto may have considered what type of driving they will be doing 90% of the time, and if they are married (like myself), they may Choose to also consider their Spouses stick driving capability as well. By the way, automotive technology and engineering has evolved considerably over the years, clutches could almost be considered antiquated…

I like to drive my Z fast, but I'm not (at least not reguarly) racing other people the moment the traffic lights turn green, or preparing my ZR for the local MIR Track Events. If you had actually directed this sports car negativity comment at me… and Not AT my Z car Mr. Speedracer, I might had commented that the boy-racer in me grew up Many years ago… But Since you (“really don't mean to start a war about this”) actually directed this at my Z Car (My Baby!) and felt the need to call her a “pretender”, you have succedded in mildly offending her…, and She (only for the most briefest of moments) considered an apology should be forthcoming from you for such narrow thinking…of course she knows she is a 100% True Sports Car, and would never actually expect someone that thinks your way to appreciate that, or to apoligize… She always performs great for me, that is her automatic response…

 

To each their own....As long as you enjoy it....whatever you want to call it. Also, not saying it's not a great car even in automatic form. I'd take a Mercedes E55 in a heartbeat. Just not a "true sports car" in my opinion.

 

. . . . he said, as the E55 blew his doors off. What does it say about your manual Z if you're eaten alive by a "pretender," w/an auto tranny, no less? Give a lot of sports sedans (e.g., M5 in auto) wider rubber, and they'll outrun you through the twisties, too. As for me, if it can outrun me, I ain't insulting it.

I traded in a manual S2000 AND a manual G35 coupe on my auto Z (and have owned many manual cars and trucks in the past), and after living w/the auto Z a while, I think the extra "fun" quotient of manual shifting in a sports car is overrated, at least versus modern autos.

For example, I can "shift" w/my right foot in the middle of a curve and still keep both hands on the wheel; if you accelerate into the turn before braking, the tranny won't upshift and will keep the car in the same gear so you can drop the hammer, or even downshift, coming out of a turn; and the "manumatic" shifter does its job, once you get used to it, about as fast as one can shift manually.

I'm not saying I don't enjoy driving a manual, or that I wouldn't consider one again if I was purchasing a weekend toy, but my roadster is my daily driver, which I'll be putting 30k mi/yr. on, often in stop and go traffic, and the tiny fun penalty I may pay is worth the convenience, especially since I think driving a pure manual really hard and really fast and really well, all at the same time, is so hard a skill that I'll bet most drivers would post better track times in an auto.

 

Appreciate anothers automatic viewpoint! - Well Said!

'I can "shift" w/my right foot in the middle of a curve and still keep both hands on the wheel...'

 

Hey, this is only my opinion, and nothing more. I'm expressing it. I'm not saying that there are not fast automatics, great automatics, etc. There most certainly are. Not saying that dealing with the realities of commuting, etc, may necessitate certain choices. A true sports car, however, has nothing to do with being a rational and/or practical means of transportation. It is a pure toy, a machine with which to engage in the pleasure and art of driving. To engage yourself in this experience to the fullest, many would agree with me that the car should have a manual transmission.

It all really depends on what you define as a "true sports car". Once again.....it's not just about being the fastest, it's also about the DEGREE OF DRIVER INVOLVEMENT in the overall performance and function of the car. There are some purists who would argue that power windows, seats, doors, A/C, etc. are all frivilous and add extra weight to an otherwise "true sports car". Where one chooses to draw this line is a personal and arbitrary decision.

My previous car was a sedan with 440hp and 515lb-ft of torque. It blew the doors of my Z. But...it was a four door sedan, and in my opinion, less of a true sports car than my Z.

 

OK - Nuff Said!
Let's agree to disagree.

Have a Nice Weekend...

 

Not flaming at all; just curious. With your definition, why did you buy a Z instead of a Lotus Elise? The Elise seems to be more of what you're talking (writing ) about than even a manual Z: a raw, lightweight toy with incredible response to driver input; avail. only in a manual; and no electronic gremlins like VDC to spoil your fun.

 

Well, I never once said that I was in the market for a "true sports car". I was only commenting on the definition of what such a vehicle is. I was looking at the Honda S2000, but decided that I wanted a car that was a LITTLE LESS of a true sports car. Also, one of the big factors in the purchase of my Z was it's looks. For me, the Z roadster is one of the most beautiful vehicles on the road. Period. And, yes, by my own definition, it is less of a true sports car than the S2000 and Lotus Elise. For me, the enjoyment of the manual transmission is just too much to give up, however. All depends on where one chooses to draw the line.

 

My definition of a sportscar= two seats, uncomfortable, quick, poor ride, unbelievable blind spots, looks fast while standing still...sounds like the Z to me!

 

I don't know what Henry Ford was talking about in 1923, but this quote seems to me to be an outstanding definition of a "sports car".

Quote: "Strength has nothing to do with weight, the mentality of the man who does things in the world is agile, light and strong. The most beautiful things in the world are those from which all excess weight has been eliminated, strength is never just weight-either in men or in things." End of quote.

Les