I’ve always wanted one but never owned one.
Well, dreams are helpful, so will you advise me?
Which sports care would you buy? If you have
one, how do you like it?
I’ve been looking at Miatas, Porsche Boxsters,
Nissan 353, Mazda RX-8…
BMW Z4. www.bmwusa.com
a corvette, or a bmw M3
Not really a sportscar but I’ve always liked Volkswagen Karmen Ghias and those old tiny BMWs.
I always wanted one of those box shaped MGs with the wire and rim wheels that had just barely enough room let your legs slide in the tunnel where the pedals were.
I always thought that was the coolest sports car I had ever seen, but I guess it is considered one of those antiques now…
A really nice sporty car is the Audi TT. A simply beautiful car that performs quite well. Not quite a “sports car”, but enough for most people, and it does have power. The selling point is that this car only runs around 35,000 and up, which is extremely cheap considering the market you’re in.
Seth
For me, the old Sunbeam Tiger…a wee bit bigger than the MGB, but from the factory with nice little Ford V-8, reliable, easy to get parts for the main functions if they ever need it…the only weak points are the Lucas fuel pump (replace with something modern) and the brakes which were adequate when the car started out as an Alpine with 1725cc engine, not so adequate with 4200cc V-8. We bought one in 1977, used, and still have it.
Shelby AC Cobra: http://www.289register.de/cobreple.html
0 to 60 in 4.2 seconds should suffice even for L.A.
“Automobile designs capable of generating instant pulse increase and palm moisture have always been rare.”
Of course, the Jaguar XKE did that for me, too: http://classyauto.com/v/Jaguar+XKE/Coupe/18373
I finally decided to go with women, rather than cars…
When I was 18 my Dad decided to buy me a car. One of the choices was a Triumph TR6. Had the real wooden dash. It cost a bit over $3,000. I decided to be practical and get the Datsun since it was half the price and had four seats. I’ve regretted that decision…and on the rare occasion that I see one, I’m drooling. 
There is only one sports car that really sets my heart to thumping, and that’s the Corvette. Late model, classic, it doesn’t matter.
Redwolf
A classic British racing car is my preferred choice, but a Cobra would be the choice of the modern sportster who loves speed and doesn’t want to work on his own car.
I keep this 1960 MGA Roadster in my garage most of the time. I restored this one about 15 years ago, all original except for paint, and it has 66K original miles on it and runs perfect. At 70mph, the foot pedal is about 1/2 way to the floorboard.
drool
Thats a Sweet wee Death Trap Lorenzo..
I dont know why.. but the big, bad and “sick” monsters just dont take my fancy. My dream car right now is a Turbo Mini, I would have a life expectancy of exactly 2 weeks in that machine.
As, I think, the first European to join this thread, it is unsurprising that no real sports cars have yet been mentioned.
Going fast in a straight line is no big deal for any car these days; the true definition of a sports car (as opposed to a fast car) is one that will go fast around a bend and then accelarate quickly out of it before last minute braking to repeat the procedure at the next bend. Not easy in a corvette!
So a true sports car:
Mid-engine
2-Seater
V8
Italian
Blood Red
Ferrari
You said SPORTS ?
-
A big engine
-
or a smaller, but two-stroke engine
3) TWO WHEELS!* 
(*) Three are tolerable…
Even a two-stroke 125cc motocrosser or 250cc street racer will give you more sensations on a road than a muscle sports car.
Hence, “sports car” is an oxymoron to anyone who tried both.
And… for the price difference between a decent sports car and the motorcycle, you can get yourself a real car, preferably a van:
- air-conditioned
- full stereo
- cruise-control
- whistle rack
TVR Chimera - nearest I ever got to one was a full TVR body set on a Mazda 626…ho hum. Trials of being a parent…
Trisha
I may be missing something, but I could never see the excitement of spending mega bucks on a car. When all is said and done, they’re 4 wheels and an engine. In NY state, the speed limit is 55 except for a few interstates, and even if I were to choose to walk on the wild side and drive 65 (not that I would do such a thing), ANY car out there will handle that.
For me, a car should have some distinctive style, be comfortable, able to schlepp a lot of stuff and have some of the modern bells and whistles like a decent stereo, sunroof, ABS, etc. My relatively inexpensive PT Cruiser (electric blue) fits the bill quite nicely even without the turbo.
It’s not a sports car, but I’d like to have a Citroen Deux Chevaux (apologies if my French spelling is not correct). I love the mystique of plastic windows and a canvas top, and that feeling of being about to topple over during turns is priceless.
Mike
When I think of sportscars I don’t think
of terrific power. The classic British sportscars
weren’t ferociously powerful, but they handled
wonderfully. Also I’m not necessarily thinking
of lots of money; so the Miata, which is the
British Lotus made by Japanese, so that
it starts, isn’t expensive,
and the beatufilly designed Mazda RX-8, which is a sportscar
with a rotary engine which enables it to
actually have room for four doors,
is about 25 grand.
Youre spellingue ise perfècte–
considering it’s a hassle to find the Citroën on your keyboard
Now, “plastic windows”? Don’t go for cheap imitations: a “Deuche” (pronounce Dushhhh, not “douche”) has glass screens, that’s why they all were flat, to keep costs down.
Also, toppling a 2CV takes a hairpin corner AND a sidewalk; otherwise, it will slide (from the rear wheels first) before it topples, but this takes to go real fast, even with its meager 1.25" tyres and on an off-camber road…
A common joke here is to say that if you gt one equipped with safety belst, you may insure it as a backpack (rucksack)…
PS: alternative to a fancy sports car, when you can’t afford an Aston Martin, or Cobra, and chicken outta motorbike: a TRUE rallye Austin-Cooper with the real thing Cosworth head: a sidecar on four wheels. This or a Lotus Seven…
Where’s RBM when we’re talking of British roadsters? 