Sports cars: Starting with the need for speed
If high acceleration, top speed and looks are what you want in a vehicle, then a sports car is probably what you're looking for.
Sports cars are a $4.5 billion industry with about 55,000 units sold annually.
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Sports cars are built as performance vehicles – meaning they're meant to be pushed in ways that regular cars can't. For example, acceleration from 0 to 100 mph is usually no longer than 5 seconds.
Sports cars are specially designed for higher speeds because a faster object is more difficult to maneuver.
The term "sporty" was coined to refer to an elegant yet robust design that reveals the strong personality of the man behind the wheel.
What follows is a basic overview of sports cars on the market - their general design and layout, as well as a list of the most popular models and manufacturers.
FF – front engine, front wheel drive.
The FF layout has a moderate ability to handle high speeds and can be seen in select models such as the Fiat Coupe and Lotus Elan M100.
FR – front engine, rear wheel drive
Considered a "classic" sports car, the engine drives the rear wheels but keeps the weight behind. The FR is good at cornering while maintaining control. Mercedes-Benz has been approved to use this look for its models.
RR – rear engine, rear wheel drive
The rear engine drives the rear wheels, putting weight on the RR layout gives the car excellent traction. However, handling becomes difficult without driving aids such as stability control. To this day, Porsche is the only manufacturer that has retained the RR look for its cars.
AVD – All Wheel Drive
The AVD layout offers the easiest handling, making it ideal for those new to sports cars. Audi pioneered the widespread use of this technology by Quattro. Japanese manufacturers such as Mitsubishi used this layout to improve handling, making it an excellent rally car.
There are more sports car manufacturers in Europe than in the United States due to more restrictions in the states. However, American brands are equally competitive with European and Asian brands. Some recognized manufacturers and models are:
- Alfa Romeo
- Alpine
- Aston Martin
- Austin-Healey
- BMW
- Bugatti
- Caterham
- Davarian
- De Laurentiis
- Ferrari
- Fisker
- Jaguar
- Koenigsegg
- Lamborghini
- Lotus
- McLaren
- Maserati
- M.G
- Morgan
- Panoz
- Porsche
- TVR
- Vector
Now that you've started, take the next step by discovering the excitement a sports car can bring you today for generations.
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