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Asports car is a type ofcar that is designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such ashandling, acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving, andracing capability. Sports cars originated inEurope in the early 1910s and are currently produced by many manufacturers around the world.
Definitions of sports cars often relate to how the car design is optimised for dynamic performance,[3][4] without any specific minimum requirements; both aTriumph Spitfire andFerrari 488 Pista can be considered sports cars, despite vastly different levels of performance. Broader definitions of sports cars include cars "in which performance takes precedence over carrying capacity",[5] or that emphasise the "thrill of driving"[6] or are marketed "using the excitement of speed and the glamour of the (race)track"[7] However, other people have more specific definitions, such as "must be a two-seater or a 2+2 seater"[8] or a car with two seats only.[9][10]
In the United Kingdom, early recorded usage of the "sports car" was inThe Times newspaper in 1919.[11] The first known use of the term in the United States was in 1928.[9] Sports cars started to become popular during the 1920s.[12] The term initially described two-seatroadsters (cars without a fixed roof), however, since the 1970s the term has also been used for cars with a fixed roof (which were previously consideredgrand tourers).[13]
Attributing the definition of 'sports car' to any particular model can be controversial or the subject of debate among enthusiasts.[14][15][13] Authors and experts have often contributed their ideas to capture a definition.[16][17][18][19] Insurance companies have also attempted to use mathematical formulae to categorise sports cars, often charging more for insurance due to the inherent risk of performance driving.[20][21]
There is no fixed distinction between sports cars and other categories of performance cars, such asmuscle cars andgrand tourers, with some cars being members of several categories.[22][23][24][25][26]
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Traditionally, the most common layout for sports cars was aroadster (a two-seat car without a fixed roof).[27] However, there are also several examples of early sports cars with four seats.[5]
Sports cars are not usually intended to transport more than two adult occupants regularly, so most modern sports cars are generally two-seat or2+2 layout (two smaller rear seats for children or occasional adult use). Larger cars with more spacious rear-seat accommodation are usually consideredsports sedans rather than sports cars.
The 1993–1998McLaren F1 is notable for using a three-seat layout, where the front row consists of a centrally-located driver's seat.
The location of the engine and driven wheels significantly influence thehandling characteristics of a car and are therefore crucial in the design of a sports car.[28][29][30][31][32] Traditionally, most sports cars have usedrear-wheel drive with the engine either located at the front (FR layout) or in the middle of the vehicle (MR layout). Examples of FR layout sports cars include theCaterham 7,Mazda MX-5, and theDodge Viper. Examples of MR layout sports cars are theFerrari 488,Ford GT, andToyota MR2.[33] To avoid a front-heavyweight distribution, many FR layout sports cars are designed so that the engine is located further back in the engine bay, as close to thefirewall as possible.[34][35][36]
Since the 1990s,all-wheel drive has become more common in sports cars. All-wheel drive offers better acceleration and favorable handling characteristics (especially in slippery conditions), but is often heavier and more mechanically complex than traditional layouts.[37] Examples of all-wheel drive sports cars are theLamborghini Huracan,Bugatti Veyron, andNissan GT-R.[38][39]
Rear engine layouts are not typical for sports cars, with the notable exception of thePorsche 911.[40]
Thefront-wheel drive layout with the engine at the front (FF layout) is generally the most common for cars, but it is not as common among traditional sports cars. Nonetheless, the FF layout is used bysport compacts andhot hatches such as theMazdaspeed3. Sports cars with an FF layout include theFiat Barchetta,Saab Sonett, orOpel Tigra.[41][42][43][44]
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The ancestor of all high-performance cars had its origin in Germany. The 28-h.p. Cannstatt-Daimler racing car of 1899 was without a doubt the first attempt to give real performance to a road car. Many of its features, such as a honeycomb radiator and gate gear change, were continued on the much improved version which Paul Daimler designed in 1899-1900. This was of course the famous Mercedes. It also laid down standards of chassis design which were to be followed, almost unthinkingly, for the next thirty years. Several variants of the car appeared during the next year or two, all conforming to the same basic design and earning for themselves a reputation second to none for fast and reliable travel. The 60-h.p. cars were announced late in 1902. The cars were possessed of a very real performance superior to anything else which could be bought at the time... and the model achieved an almost invincible position among the fast cars of its day.
The basis for the sports car is traced to the early 20th centurytouring cars androadsters, and the term 'sports car' would not be coined until after World War One.[9][46]
A car considered to be "a sports-car years ahead of its time" is the 1903Mercedes Simplex 60 hp,[47] described at the time as a fast touring car and designed byWilhelm Maybach andPaul Daimler. The Mercedes included pioneering features such as a pressed-steel chassis, a gated 4-speed transmission, pushrod-actuatedoverhead inlet valves, a honeycomb radiator,low-tension magneto ignition, a long wheelbase, a lowcenter of mass and a very effectivesuspension system.[48] The overall result was a "safe and well-balanced machine" with a higher performance than any other contemporary production car.[45][49][50] At the1903 Gordon Bennett Cup, a production Simplex 60 hp was entered only due to a specially-built 90 hp racing car being destroyed in a fire; the 60 hp famously went on to win the race.[51]
The 1910Austro-Daimler 27/80 is another early sports car which had success in motor racing.[52] The 27/80 was designed byFerdinand Porsche, who drove the car to victory in the 1910 Prince Henry Tour motor race.[53] The Vauxhall and Austro-Daimler —like the Mercedes Simplex 60 hp— were production fast touring cars.[50] The 1912Hispano-Suiza Alfonso XIII is also considered one of the earliest sports cars, as it was a "purpose built, high performance, two-seater production automobile".[54] The model was named afterKing Alfonso XIII of Spain, a patron of the car's chief designer and an enthusiast for the marque.[54][55] Other early sports cars include the 1905Isotta Fraschini Tipo D, the 1906Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost, the 1908Delage,[citation needed] the 1910Bugatti Type 13,[45][49][56] and the 1912DFP 12/15.[49]
Early motor racing events included the 1903Paris–Madrid race, the 1905–1907 Herkomer Trophy,[57] the 1908-1911Prince Henry Tour and the 1911–presentMonte Carlo Rally.[52] The Prince Henry Tours (which were similar to modern car rallies) were among the sporting events of the period, bringing renown to successful entrants. The Prince Henry Tours started the evolution of reasonably large and technically advanced production sports cars.[45][49]
In England, the development of sporting cars was inhibited by theMotor Car Act 1903, which imposed a speed limit of 20 mph (32 km/h) on all public roads. This led to the 1907 opening of theBrooklands motor circuit, which inspired the development of performance cars such as the 1910Vauxhall Prince Henry, 1910Sunbeam 12/16,[58] 1910Talbot 25 hp, 1910Straker-Squire 15 hp and 1913Star 15.9 hp.[45][59]
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Following the halt in sports car production caused byWorld War I, Europe returned to manufacturing automobiles from around 1920. It was around this time that the term 'Sports Car' began to appear in the motor catalogues, although the exact origin of the name is not known. The decade that followed became known as thevintage era and featured rapid technical advances over the precedingBrass Era cars.[60][61] Engine performance benefited from the abandonment of "tax horsepower" (where vehicles were taxed based onbore and number of cylinders, rather than actual power output)[62] and the introduction ofleaded fuel, which increased power by allowing for highercompression ratios.
In the early 1920s, the cost to produce a racing car was not significantly higher than a road car, therefore several manufacturers used the design from the current year's racing car for the next year's sports car.[46] For example, the 1921Ballot 2LS based on the racing car that finished third at the 1921 French Grand Prix.[63] TheBenz 28/95PS was also a successful racing car, with victories including the 1921Coppa Florio.[52]Another approach— such as that used by Morris Garages— was to convert touring cars into sports cars.[46][64]
The first24 Hours of Le Mans race for sports cars was held in 1923,[46] although the two-seat sports cars only competed in the smallest class, with the majority of cars entered being four-seat fast touring cars.[65] "This race, together with theTourist Trophy Series of Races, organised after the first World War by theR.A.C., appealed to the public imagination and offered to the manufacturers of the more sporting cars an excellent opportunity for boosting sales of their products."[46] The classicItalian road races— theTarga Florio, and theMille Miglia (first held in 1927)— also captured the public's imagination.[46]
By 1925, the higher profits available for four-seater cars resulted in the production of two-seat sports cars being limited to smaller manufacturers such asAston-Martin (350 Astons built from 1921 to 1939) andFrazer-Nash (323 cars built from 1924 to 1939).[52] Then by the late 1920s, the cost of producing racing cars (especially Grand Prix cars) escalated, causing more manufacturers to produce cars for the growing sports car market instead.
Significant manufacturers[citation needed] of sports cars in the late 1920s wereAC Cars,Alfa Romeo,Alvis,Amilcar, Bignan and Samson,Chenard-Walcker,Delage,Hispano-Suiza,Hotchkiss,Mercedes-Benz andNazzaro.[52] Two cars from the Vintage Era that would influence sports cars for many years were theAustin Seven andMG M-type "Midget".[60][61] Successful sports cars from Bentley during this era were theBentley 3 Litre (1921–1929) and theBentley Speed Six (1928–1930), with the former famously described by Bugatti's founder as "the fastest lorry in the world".
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Between theGreat Depression and theWorld War II thepre-war era was a period of decline in importance for sports car manufacturers,[66][46] although the period was not devoid of advances,[62] for examplestreamlining.[67] Cheap, light-weight familysedans with independent front suspension— such as theBMW 303,Citroën Traction Avant andFiat 508— offered similar handling and comfort to the more expensive sports cars. Powerful, reliable, and economical (although softly suspended) American saloons began to be imported to Europe in significant numbers.[citation needed] Sports car ownership was increased through models such as theAustin 7 andWolseley Hornet six, however many of these sports cars did not offer any performance upgrades over the mass-produced cars upon which they were based.[62]
The highest selling sports car company of the 1930s wasMorris Garages,[62] who produced 'MG Midget' models of theM-Type,J-Type,P-Type andT-Type. The K3 version of theK-Type Magnette was a successful racing car, achieving success in theMille Miglia,Tourist Trophy and24 Hours of Le Mans.[62][68]
TheBugatti Type 57 (1934-1940) was another significant sports car of the pre-war era and is now among the most valuable cars in the world.[69][70] The T57 was successful in sports car races, including winning the1937 24 Hours of Le Mans[71] and1939 24 Hours of Le Mans.[72] Another successful Bugatti sports car was theBugatti Type 55 (1932-1935), which was based on the Type 51 Grand Prix racing car.
The decade following the Second World War saw an "immense growth of interest in the sports car, but also the most important and diverse technical developments [and] very rapid and genuine improvement in the qualities of every modern production car; assisted by new design and manufacturing techniques a consistently higher level of handling properties has been achieved."[73]
In Italy, a small but wealthy market segment allowed for the manufacture of a limited number of high-performance models directly allied to contemporary Grand Prix machines,[73] such as the 1948Ferrari 166 S.[citation needed] A new concept altogether was the modernGran Turismo class from Italy, which was in effect unknown before the war: sustained high-speed motoring from relatively modest engine size and compact closed orberlinetta coachwork.[73] The 1947Maserati A6 1500 two-seat berlinetta was the first production model from Maserati.
In Germany, the motor industry was devastated by the war, but a small number of manufacturers returned it to prominence. In 1948, thePorsche 356 was released as the debut model from Porsche.[74] The significance of the Porsche 356 and its successors was described in 1957 as "future historians must see them as among the most important of mid-century production cars".[73][75][76] The 1954Mercedes-Benz 300 SL is another significant car from this era.[73]
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The 1961Jaguar E-Type is an iconic sports car of the early 1960s, due to its attractive styling and claimed top speed of 241 km/h (150 mph). The E-type was produced for 14 years and was initially powered by a six-cylinder engine, followed by a V12 engine for the final generation.
In 1962, theMG B introduced a new era of affordable lightweight four-cylinder roadsters. The MG B used aunibody construction and was produced until 1980. Other successful lightweight roadsters include theTriumph Spitfire (1962-1980) and theAlfa Romeo Spider (1966-1993). TheFiat X1/9 (1972-1989) was unusual for its use of amid-engine design in an affordable roadster model. A late entrant to the affordable roadster market was the 1975Triumph TR7, however by the late 1970s the demand for this style of car was in decline, resulting in production ceasing in 1982.
The originalLotus Elan (1962-1975) two-seat coupe and roadster models are an early commercial success for the philosophy of achieving performance through minimizing weight and has been rated as one of the top 10 sports cars of the 1960s. The Elan featured fibreglass bodies, a backbone chassis, and overhead camshaft engines.
A different style of roadster was theAC Cobra, released in 1962, which was fitted with V8 engines up to 7.0 L (427 cu in) in size byShelby.
ThePorsche 911 was released in 1964 and has remained in production since. The 911 is notable for its use of the uncommonrear-engine design and the use of aflat-six engine. Another successful rear-engine sports car was the originalAlpine A110 (1961-1977), which was a successful rally car during theGroup 4 era.
In 1965, theBMW New Class Coupes were released, leading to theBMW 6 Series which remains in production to this day.
TheLamborghini Miura (1966) andAlfa Romeo 33 Stradale (1967) mid-engined high-performance cars are often cited as the firstsupercars.[77][78][79] Other significant European models of the 1960s and 1970s which might be considered supercars today are theFerrari 250 GTO (1962-1964),Ferrari 250 GT Lusso (1963-1964),Ferrari 275 GTB/4 (1966-1968),Maserati Ghibli (1967-1973),Ferrari Daytona (1968-1973),Dino 246 (1969-1974),De Tomaso Pantera (1971-1993),Ferrari 308 GTB (1975-1980) andBMW M1 (1978-1981).
In 1966, theJensen FF became the first sports car to useall-wheel drive.
TheFord Capri is a 2+2 coupe that was produced from 1968 to 1986 and intended to be a smaller European equivalent of the Ford Mustang. A main rival to the Capri wasOpel Manta, which was produced from 1970 to 1988.
The 1973-1978Lancia Stratos was a mid-engined two-seat coupe that was powered by a Ferrari V6 engine. This was an unusual arrangement for a car used to compete in rallying, nonetheless it was very successful and won the World Rally Championship in1974,1975, and1976.
TheLancia Montecarlo was produced from 1975 to 1981 and is a mid-engine two-seater, available as a coupé or a targa-top. It was sold as Lancia Scorpion in the USA. Its racing variant, Montecarlo Turbo, won the1979 World Championship for Makes in its division and overall for1980 World Championship for Makes and1981 World Endurance Championship for Makes. Montecarlo also won the 1980Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft andGiro d'Italia automobilistico marathon. The Montecarlo was a basis for thesilhouette racing car,Lancia Rally 037.
In the 1970s,turbocharging began to be adopted by sports cars, such as theBMW 2002 Turbo in 1973, the firstPorsche 911 Turbo in 1975, and theSaab 99 Turbo in 1978.
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Turbocharging became increasingly popular in the 1980s, from relatively affordable coupes such as the 1980–1986Renault Fuego and 1992–1996Rover 220 Coupé Turbo, to expensive supercars such as the 1984-1987Ferrari 288 GTO and 1987-1992Ferrari F40.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, several manufacturers developed supercars that competed forproduction car top speed records. These cars included the 1986–1993Porsche 959, 1991–1995Bugatti EB 110, 1992–1994Jaguar XJ220 and 1993–98McLaren F1.
The 1980-1995Audi Quattro was a pioneeringall-wheel drive sports car. The 1995Porsche 911 Turbo (993) saw the 911 Turbo model switch to all-wheel drive, a drivetrain layout that the model uses to this day.
TheBMW M3 was released in 1986 and has been produced for every generation since. The 1993-1996Mercedes-Benz W124 E36 AMG was the mass-produced AMG model.[80] Audi's equivalent division, called "RS", was launched in 1994 with theAudi RS 2 Avant.
Ford Europe withdrew from the sports car market at the end of 1986 when the Capri was discontinued after a production run of nearly two decades. There was no direct successor, as Ford was concentrating on higher-performance versions of its hatchback and saloon models at the time.
In 1989, a new generation ofLotus Elan roadster was released which used afront-wheel drive layout, a controversial choice for a "purist" sports car. The Elan sold poorly and was discontinued after three years. The 1996Lotus Elise, amid-engined, rear-wheel drive roadster, was much more successful and remained in production until 2021.[81]
Roadsters enjoyed a resurgence in the mid-1990s, including the 1989-presentMazda MX-5, the 1995-2002BMW Z3 (succeeded by the 2002-2016BMW Z4), the 1995-2002MG F, the 1996–presentPorsche Boxster and the 1998–presentAudi TT.
TheHonda S2000 roadster was introduced in 1999 for the 2000 model year and was noted for its high-revving 4-cylinder engine and its exceptionally highspecific output of 125 horsepower per litre.
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The 2000–2021[81]Lotus Exige was introduced as a coupe version of Elise. Similarly,Porsche Cayman (987) was introduced in 2006 as the coupe equivalent to the Porsche Boxster roadster. Lotus also expanded its model range with the 2009–2021[81]Lotus Evora, a larger four-seat coupe.
Audi's first mid-engined supercar is the 2006–presentAudi R8. Other sports cars of the 2000s were the 2005-2010Alfa Romeo Brera/Spider, 2009-2015Peugeot RCZ, and the 2008-2017 reintroduction of theVolkswagen Scirocco (a coupe based on the VW Golf platform).
Reflecting overall car industry trends, the mid-2010s sawnaturally aspirated engines being replaced byturbocharged engines. Ferrari's first regular production turbocharged engine was used in the 2014-2017Ferrari California T, followed by the 2015-2019Ferrari 488. Similarly, in 2016, thePorsche 911 (991.2) began to use turbocharging on all models and thePorsche 982 Cayman/Boxster downsized from a six-cylinder engine to a turbocharged four-cylinder engine.
Also in the 2010s,dual-clutch transmissions became more widespread, causing manual transmissions to decline in sales and no longer be offered on some models.
Hybrid-electric sports cars began to appear in the 2010s— notably the 2013-2016LaFerrari, 2013-2015McLaren P1, 2013-2015Porsche 918 Spyder "hypercars". The 2014–2020BMW i8 was also an early plug-in hybrid sports car.
McLaren began permanent car manufacturing operations with the 2011-2014McLaren 12C.
In 2013, theJaguar F-Type saw the brand return to the two-seat sports car market, with the four-seat grand tourer Jaguar XK discontinued the following year.
TheBMW 2 Series coupe and convertible were introduced in 2013 to sit below the largerBMW 4 Series models, with the newBMW M2 high-performance model introduced in 2015.
The 2013–presentAlfa Romeo 4C two-seat coupe and roadster used a carbon-fibre body and became Alfa's first mid-engine sports car since the 1967-1969 Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale.
Fiat had exited the roadster market with the end ofFiat Barchetta production in 2005. The company resumed production of roadsters in 2016 with theFiat 124 Spider, which is based on the Mazda MX-5.
In 2017, Renault revived the Alpine brand for the 2017–presentAlpine A110 mid-engine coupe.
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During the 1910s and 1920s, American manufacturers of smaller sports cars includedApperson,Kissel, Marion, Midland, National,Overland,Stoddard-Dayton and Thomas; manufacturers of larger sports cars included Chadwick,Mercer,[82]Stutz Motor Company,[83][49] andSimplex.[84][52]
Since the 1960s, American performance cars have often been designed asmuscle cars rather than sports cars. However, several American two-seat sports cars have also been produced, such as the 1953–presentChevrolet Corvette, 1962-1967Shelby Cobra, 1983-1988Pontiac Fiero, 1991-2017Dodge Viper, and 2005-2006Ford GT.
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The first Japanese sports car was the 1959-1960Datsun 211, a two-seat roadster built on the chassis of a compact pickup truck and powered by a 1.0 L (60 cu in) engine. Only 20 cars were built, and the 1963-1965Datsun SP310— based on the chassis of a passenger sedan instead of a pickup truck— is often considered Datsun's first mass-production sports car.
Honda's first sports car was the 1963-1964Honda S500, a two-seat roadster with independent suspension for all wheels and a 0.5 L (32 cu in) DOHC engine. In 1965, Toyota joined the two-seat roadster market with theToyota Sports 800.
Mazda is noted for its use ofrotary engines, beginning in 1967 with theMazda Cosmo. The Cosmo was a two-seat coupe with a 0.9 L (55 cu in) rotary engine producing up to 97 kW (130 bhp). Mazda continued to produce sports cars with rotary engines (sometimes turbocharged) until theMazda RX-8 ended production in 2012.
TheToyota 2000GT, produced from 1967 to 1970, was an expensive two-seat coupe that greatly changed overseas perceptions of the Japanese automotive industry. The 2000GT demonstrated that Japan was capable of producing high-end sports cars to rival the traditional European brands.
In 1969, Nissan introduced theNissan Fairlady Z / Datsun 240Z two-seat coupe, powered by a 2.4 L (146 cu in) six-cylinder engine and described as providing similar performance to the Jaguar E-Type at a more affordable price.[85][86] The 240Z began the lineage of Nissan "Z cars" which continues through to today'sNissan Z (RZ34). In 1974, Nissan expanded their coupe range with theNissan Silvia 2+2 coupe, which was powered by a four-cylinder engine and produced until 2002.
Also in 1969, Mitsubishi's first performance car was introduced, in the form of theMitsubishi Colt 11-F Super Sports coupe. The 11-F Super Sports was followed by the 1970-1977Mitsubishi Galant GTO and 1971-1975Mitsubishi Galant FTO, both based on a platform shared with the Galant sedan.
Toyota's mass-production 2+2 coupes of the 1970s consisted of the Celica, Supra, Corolla Levin, and Sprinter Trueno. TheCelica was introduced in 1971 and remained in production until 2006. From 1979 to 1986, theSupra name was used for six-cylinder versions of the Celica, until the Supra moved to a separate platform from 1986 to 2002. TheCorolla Levin / Sprinter Trueno were based on the Toyota Corolla hatchback platform and produced from 1972 to 2000.
TheNissan Skyline GT-R was initially produced as a sedan for two years before a coupe model was introduced in 1971. This first generation Skyline GT-R had rear-wheel drive, a 2.0 L (122 cu in) six-cylinder engine, and was produced until 1972.
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TheHonda Prelude front-wheel drive 2+2 coupe was launched in 1978 and remained in production until 2001. The 1985-2006Honda Integra was also a front-wheel drive 2+2 coupe produced by Honda. Other 2+2 models included the 1982-1989Mitsubishi Starion (turbocharged and rear-wheel drive) and the 1985-1991Subaru XT (available with a turbocharger and all-wheel drive). Subaru has produced few sports cars in its history, instead focusing on rally-influenced sedans/hatchbacks for their performance models, such as the Liberty RS and Impreza WRX/STi models.
In 1984, theToyota MR2 two-seat coupe became Japan's first productionmid-engine car. The MR2 switched to a two-seat roadster body style for the final generation from 1999 to 2007.
The first Korean coupe model was the 1988Hyundai Scoupe, which used front-wheel drive and was based on the Excel hatchback. The Scoupe was followed by 1996-2008Hyundai Tiburon and 2011-2022Hyundai Veloster.
In the 1990s, multiple Japanese automakers made flagship sports cars, such as theToyota Supra,Nissan Skyline GT-R,Honda NSX,Mazda RX-7, andMitsubishi 3000GT, which notably performed well against their European competition.[87][88] These automakers had a well-documentedgentlemen's agreement to officially limit advertised power figures for these vehicles to a maximum of 276 hp (280 PS; 206 kW).[89][90][91]
The Nissan Skyline GT-R was reintroduced in 1989-2002 (R32, R33, and R34 generations) which became famous for their use of turbocharging and all-wheel drive, which provided performance comparable with many more expensive sports cars.
The 1990-2005Honda NSX is considered Japan's first supercar. The NSX was praised for being more reliable and user-friendly than contemporary European supercars.
TheHonda S2000 is anopen top sports car that was manufactured from 1999 to 2009. The S2000 is named for its engine displacement of two liters, carrying on in the tradition of theS500,S600, andS800 roadsters of the 1960s. Its engine is notable for its high specific power output.
TheMitsubishi GTO coupe/convertible was introduced in 1990. The base models used front-wheel drive and anaturally aspirated V6 engine, however all-wheel drive and a turbocharged V6 engine were also available. To sit below the GTO in the model range, theMitsubishi FTO front-wheel drive coupe was introduced in 1994. Both the GTO and FTO were discontinued in 2000.
Suzuki's first sports car was the 1991-1998Suzuki Cappuccino, a two-seat roadsterkei car with rear-wheel drive and a turbocharged 0.7 L (43 cu in) engine.
From 2003 to 2012 Mazda produced theMazda RX-8, a rear-wheel drivequad coupé powered by a 1.3 LRenesistwin-rotor engine.[92]
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Due to production constraints, lower demand, and environmental regulations, the viability of new Japanese sports cars began to decrease in the mid-2000s.[93][94] The latest generation (R35) of the Nissan Skyline GT-R started production in 2007 as theNissan GT-R.[95] It was noteworthy for offering supercar performance with sports car practicality.[96][97]
TheLexus LFA supercar was released by Lexus in 2010, a two-seat front-engine coupe powered by a 4.8 L (293 cu in) V10 engine.[98][99][100]
TheToyota 86 / Subaru BRZ is a 2+2 coupe that was introduced in 2012 and currently remains in production with a new model released for the 2022 model year. The 86/BRZ is a rare modern example of a relatively affordable rear-wheel drive sports car.[101][102]
The 2016–2022Honda NSX (2nd generation) supercar marked a change in approach for Honda, by using all-wheel drive, a hybrid drivetrain, turbocharging, and a dual-clutch transmission.[103]
Toyota relaunched the Supra nameplate in 2019 after a 17-year hiatus for theToyota GR Supra front-engine, rear-wheel-drive coupe.[104][105][106] Nissan also released the newRZ34 generation of their Nissan Z in 2022.[107][108]
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Today Mazda announced a new milestone for the popular MX-5 roadster, with the 900,000th unit rolling off the production line. In doing so, it is also recognized by Guinness World Records as the best-selling sports car.
Full definition: a low small usually 2-passenger automobile designed for quick response, easy maneuverability, and high-speed driving
Definition: a production car designed for speed, high acceleration, and manoeuvrability, having a low body and usually adequate seating for only two persons.
Only it seems after theGreat War can we expect to find a general acceptance of the fact that there were on the roads bothtouring cars and sports cars.
The question 'What is a sports car?' is as old as the sports car itself! ... It would seem that under certain circumstances anything passes as a "sports car" and that the definition is as indefinite as ever it was.
I have never been quite certain what a sports car is, and when I was a young man, the distinction between a sporting car and a touring car was so fine that some people scarcely knew the difference. --W. O. Bentley
theAMX would appeal to both muscle car and sports car enthusiasts, two camps that rarely acknowledged each other's existences.
The 60 h.p. Mercedes, then, must rank as the forefather of all the splendid sports-cars that followed.
