Midlife crisis... or what $75k sportscar

[the Teuton]

Here's my definition of a sports car:

A car intended for high speed or high performance driving that is compromised in practicality or carrying capacity for the sake limited audiences and more focused enjoyment centered around the driver.  A sports car should be designed around the driver with a focus being placed on enhanced awareness of the vehicle over ease of use or passive driving.  It should have no more than 2 doors for passengers, and it should be no larger than a 2+2 capacity, although it should generally seat no more than 2 people.  Racing pedigree can often establish the car's reputation as a performance-oriented machine where minor disparities in some of the aforementioned areas may lie.  See also:  Selfish.

[FoMoJo]

Imo, there are Sports Coupes, Sports Sedans, Sports Convertibles, Sports Trucks, Sports Luxury ; they are all sports cars.  However, the epitome of a sports car is the Roadster -- a two-seater that doesn't have a top.  Arguably, it has side-curtains rather than roll-up windows however, I consider that moot.  That so many have determined all and sundry to be sports cars doesn't matter to me but I do believe that there should be some distinction between Touring cars and Sports cars.

[Onslaught]

Even manufactures can't get it right. Mazda called the RX-7 a sports car when by the books it isn't. In the end I really don't give a shit what any of them are called.

[the Teuton]

I consider the M3, the GT-R, and the 911 sports cars even though AWD is standard on one and optional on another, one doesn't even have a manual transmission as an option, and they all three have back seats.

The M3 is the iffiest of the bunch, but compared to the sedan counterpart of the 3 Series, the back seat has always been somewhat compromised.

[NomisR]

Even manufactures can't get it right. Mazda called the RX-7 a sports car when by the books it isn't. In the end I really don't give a shit what any of them are called.

Well, considering all these terminologies are run by the marketing department and marketing people don't really care about accuracies, things like this becomes confusing.

I mean, there are people that considers a Pontiac Sunfire a sports car because it has 2 doors...

[Onslaught]

Well, considering all these terminologies are run by the marketing department and marketing people don't really care about accuracies, things like this becomes confusing.

I mean, there are people that considers a Pontiac Sunfire a sports car because it has 2 doors...

When you go get insurance on a car with 2 doors they think of it as a sports car. Even if it's some piss ant civic.

[NomisR]

When you go get insurance on a car with 2 doors they think of it as a sports car. Even if it's some piss ant civic.

Well, that's why the Rx8 has significantly cheaper insurance than the RSX.. but then again.. my Elise has cheaper insurance than the RSX too.. that shit pisses me off.

[Raza]

Well, that's why the Rx8 has significantly cheaper insurance than the RSX.. but then again.. my Elise has cheaper insurance than the RSX too.. that shit pisses me off.

911 has cheaper insurance than a 3 series, I bet.  It has a lot to do with demographics and crash rates.  My Boxster was cheaper to insure than my Jetta is.

[sandertheshark]

(Votes zed-ought-six, backs away slowly and runs.)

[sportyaccordy]

I believe he had a 500+hp SLP Formula Firehawk.

Which enabled him the ability to dyno a vehicle by visual analysis of its acceleration on a race track...

My pick of the litter? Z06. What better way to end a midlife crisis than to buy a car that puts you in way over your head?

If I had my pick of ANY $50-70K car, I'd prob go with a 997... or 650Ci... or XK8... yea no sports car. I'd rather an overweight GT w/a useless back seat...

[Vinsanity]

If I had my pick of ANY $50-70K car, I'd prob go with a 997... or 650Ci... or XK8... yea no sports car. I'd rather an overweight GT w/a useless back seat...

I'm with ya too on this one. Unless you are using PCH or some other cool secondary road in your daily commute, pure sports cars just aren't suited for everyday driving.

[TBR]

Evora.

If I was taking a brute power approach (ie: Z06 or GTR), then I think I would have to go with the SLK63.

[TBR]

Must be why Porsche and Ferrari still run in GT classes and name their cars the way they do.

[sportyaccordy]

I'm with ya too on this one. Unless you are using PCH or some other cool secondary road in your daily commute, pure sports cars just aren't suited for everyday driving.

All that $$$ and you can't even drive the car every day... no thanks. Z06 is a beautiful car but I'd rather take my chances modding a base C6.

[Tave]

C6 and ZR-1 seem like the best buys of the current Vette line. I wouldn't get the Z06 either.

[ChrisV]

Remember, GTs can be open cars. That's why there are Ferrari GTS models. Sports cars aren't closed. But it's kind of like how all maples are trees, but not all trees are maples.  This model is a continuation of Porsche's GT1 program, and was designed originally with FIA's GT class rules in mind, thus its designation.

[ChrisV]

Even manufactures can't get it right. Mazda called the RX-7 a sports car when by the books it isn't. In the end I really don't give a shit what any of them are called.

And they called the Miata a roadster even though it clearly has roll up side windows. Mazda is not one of the players that invented the terms or built their business aorund building cars that personified those terms.

Once everything that performs even halfway decently is a "sports car" then the term has lost all meaning.

[Tave]

Oh n0es, descriptivists have destoryed Engrish again.

[TBR]

And they called the Miata a roadster even though it clearly has roll up side windows. Mazda is not one of the players that invented the terms or built their business aorund building cars that personified those terms.

Once everything that performs even halfway decently is a "sports car" then the term has lost all meaning.

No, it loses the meaning that a bunch of English car nuts arbitrarily assigned it some 60-70 years ago.

The English language evolves as society evolves.

[Raza]

No, it loses the meaning that a bunch of English car nuts arbitrarily assigned it some 60-70 years ago.

The English language evolves as society evolves.

Yet, a sofa will always be a sofa and a sofa chair is still a chair. 

[Tave]

The idea that the word "has lost all meaning" is demonstrably false, as Chris articulated a meaning in that exact same sentence: "everything that performs even halfway decently."

[Raza]

The idea that the word "has lost all meaning" is demonstrably false, as Chris articulated a meaning in that exact same sentence: "everything that performs even halfway decently."

Fine, then it has very little meaning, and is far too open. 

If you want to play at that, then you might as well let in the SSR and G and ML AMGs into the sports car mix as well.  And the Cayenne Turbo.  They perform halfway decent, and would probably even beat an MX-5 around a track. 

[Tave]

Yet, a sofa will always be a sofa and a sofa chair is still a chair. 

Done a lot of research into the word "sofa" have you? Enough that you're confident it didn't originally refer to a very specific design and style of sofa?

Fine, then it has very little meaning, and is far too open. 

It's undeniably broader.

[Raza]

Done a lot of research into the word "sofa" have you? Enough that you're confident it didn't originally refer to a very specific design and style of sofa?

I minored in sofas.

Wait, you're not going to go haywire again over nothing, are you?

Let me guess: they sell sofas for $15 at your local gas station, and they are often single seat.

[Tave]

I minored in sofas.

Wait, you're not going to go haywire again over nothing, are you?

Let me guess: they sell sofas for $15 at your local gas station, and they are often single seat.

The idea that the term "sports car" must mean either "this" or "that" is a logical fallacy. Why can't "sports car" have a denotation and connotation? Is it not a word? Does it have a "Get out of Linguistics Free" card?

[Raza]

The idea that the term "sports car" must mean either "this" or "that" is a logical fallacy. Why can't "sports car" have a denotation and connotation? Is it not a word? Does it have a "Get out of Linguistics Free" card?

Wait.  Words aren't supposed to have set meanings?  Oh man, someone better tell Webster! 

Or maybe I should say "Dingo ham sandwich fuzzy Webster!"?

[ChrisV]

Without meaning, we can't communicate.

Changing meanings randomly because you simply feel like it worked well for you in school, I see. What a simple way to get 100% on every test or assignment! "Well, I don't care what you think it means or it's always meant. This is what I say it means now because times change."

[Tave]

Wait.  Words aren't supposed to have set meanings?  Oh man, someone better tell Webster! 

Words always have set meanings and they always have connotative meanings. You cannot permanently erase one or the other, nor would you want to.

Or maybe I should say "Dingo ham sandwich fuzzy Webster!"?

Get off yourself. You use connotation every day of your life, like everyone else on the planet.

[Raza]

Words always have set meanings and they always have connotative meanings. You cannot permanently erase one or the other, nor would you want to.

Get off yourself. You use connotation every day of your life, like everyone else on the planet.

Fan ball house tennis can watcher shoelace!

[Tave]

Without meaning, we can't communicate.

Changing meanings randomly because you simply feel like it worked well for you in school, I see. What a simple way to get 100% on every test or assignment! "Well, I don't care what you think it means or it's always meant. This is what I say it means now because times change."

If we continue to let connotation run around the world will end.