Any Tractor Guys Into Sports Cars Too?

[AchingBack]

You are correct, Roy. As with all words, the definition depends upon the broad acceptance of the population. I once drove a Studebaker Lark, that hugged the road like a Porsche. It just weighed too much, and was a bit under powered. And, it did not look sporty. Thus, the Avanti. The Avanti - The Classic Avanti Automobile Overview

From Wikipedia: Sports car versus sporting models Sports car - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A car may be a sporting automobile without being a sports car. Performance modifications of regular, production cars, such as sport compacts, sports sedans, muscle cars, hot hatches and the like, generally are not considered sports cars, yet share traits common to sports cars. They are sometimes called "sports cars" for marketing purposes for increased advertising and promotional purposes.[5] Performance cars of all configurations are grouped as Sports and Grand tourer cars or, occasionally, as performance cars.

 

[art]

I still have a desire for a Jensen and I don't know if I'll break down to get one.

One of my favorites was the TR-3's. At top speed to turn the wheel they would turn! Another two miles and you would be at top speed again!

About the only thing I found worse was a Sunbeam alpine!

Been in a lot of newer cars and there is some awsome performance out there!

I just wish I had a bigger garage and a more understanding wife!

 

[RoyJackson]

I still have a desire for a Jensen and I don't know if I'll break down to get one.

You talkng about the Healy or the Interceptor?

 

[art]

You talkng about the Healy or the Interceptor?

Being a old mopar big block nut it has to be the Interceptor!

 

[N80]

I think there are 'sport' minivans now. And there have been SUV's for 30 years now....of course the right SUV can be sporty in the right environment...I can remember doing 70 in the deep sand on the Eglin AFB reservation in my '90 Pathfinder and rally-caring it through the corners, sand flying everywhere....ah to be young and stupid. And there are 500 hp BMW MX5's.

I am inclined to view sports cars as small, reasonably fast cars with good handling often at the expense of creature comforts and that have become popularly known as 'sports' cars for those very reasons.

By this definition a Veyron or a Zonda would not be a 'sports' car and I don't think they are. They are something else altogether.

And most GT cars are not sports cars either because they are built for comfort and long trips with more than a pair of undies for luggage.

And as I kind of get into this more and more I think for now a GT type car is for me since mine probably provides as much 'sport' as I can safely handle and is moderately comfortable. In one view you could say it does not do either the luxury or the performance well, and you'd be right. It is loud, it rides rough and it is fairly hard to get into and out of for me. And it clearly can't handle like an Exige or a Boxter or a Miata.

However, it does 0-60 in 5.5., top speed limited at 157, 1/4 mile in 14.7. And in the mountains it takes the corners, tires squealing, well enough to give me sweaty palms and yet give me a real big grin too. And it has a trunk big enough for a bag and a small cooler.

As far as the BMW 2002, I have not poked around the car in probably 5 years. My B-I-L owns it and has no intention of selling it unless it is too me. About every 4-5 years I think about getting it running again as a track (not race) car. Every time I start to do the math I figure there are other places that money would be better spent. It is not a Ti or Tii. I'm also guessing it is a 4 speed not a 5.

 

[JDgreen227]

Being a Ford guy from 1970-1995, I really wanted a Sunbeam Tiger 260, party because that was what Don Adams drove in "Get Smart". Had a friend back in high school who owned an Alpine, learned a lot of choice words from him while we struggled over deducing the constant problem with the electrics....:laughing:

 

[art]

I feel that cars just like everything else have transformed, progressed, or regressed to where we are today. Through engineering suspensions have improved from days past so that what was racing, is today the normal!
Engines have done the same with design for the same type efficiency that was often done only for racing or high performance. Transmissions as well, like driving our companies old KB-8 International vs the newer truck transmissions.
When people say that all metal is the same and don't think it makes a difference I often feel sorry for their lack of ability to accept change and recognize improvements.
The best part of all this is that there have been some that have always built for that little bit extra and some that just stay with mediocrity. There have always been the cars that were even beyond. The 365 spyder Ferrari in 1969 would do 0-60 in 5.5 seconds and 175 mph. That was in 1969 and in factory original condition although it wasn't for everyones wallet just like some of the others mentioned. It does bother me though that by the time I could afford many of the cars that I've liked they had appreciated faster then my wallet. To think our fine congress couldn't justify a social security increase but found a need for them to have one! Just another way they are tring to keep seniors from having a more enjoyable retirement after paying well for congresses idiotic retirement programs.
I'd say that originally sports cars had a open top, GT cars normally have all had a hard top! Now today when we talk of sports cars they do have a solid top and I know why! The wind at 120 plus in an open top car gets quite excessive depending on it's design much less getting to 200mph.
Good handling cars that have been discussed here that we know today will be nothing compared to those ten years from today!

 

[pclausen]

My daily driver is a sedan that I think would qualify as a sports car even though it has 4 doors.

You just gotta love that high reving naturally aspirated V10. Red-line is at 8250 RPM. Thinking about getting the ESS supercharger, which would take it from an already impressive 507hp to about 650hp. There is no such thing as too much horsepower, is there?

Btw, it has the SMG 7-speed transmission with the paddle shifters. No clutch pedal, it is hydraulically controlled, much like the PowerReverser on my JD4700. :laughing:

Previous car was a real sports car, a Corvette convertible modded to about 500hp and about 1000lbs lighter than the beast above. As you can see, sometimes I was late leaving for work in the mornings.

 

[ToadHill]

As we Italian sportscar owners used to tell those British guys, "The only problem with British cars is if someone spits on the ground near your car, it won't start."

Actually Alfas came with three different ignition systems, Lucas, Bosch, and Mirelli, when ever I was looking at a new Alfa the first thing I checked was the ignition systen and if it was Lucas, it was replaced with a Bosch.

 

[RoyJackson]

My daily driver is a sedan that I think would qualify as a sports car even though it has 4 doors.

Nope...it's a GT car...Beemers are nice GT cars...and, they have made a couple nice sports cars..but your sedan is a GT car.