Sports Car
By Shenron on Jun 17, 2008 with Comments 0
The term sports car refers to a small car having a high powered engine which normally carries two persons. The sports cars are exclusively known for its extra ordinary performance, eye catching design and its lightning speed. Almost all the sports cars are having a back wheel drive and will be designed with two seats and two doors. Compared to other cars, sports cars are designed in such a way that it is close to the ground with an accurate handling. For a sports car, importance will be given to acceleration, design, engine power, low weight, braking and accurate handling instead of mileage, cost, and passenger space.
A sports car can either be simple or luxurious. Normally a sports car does not require any powerful engine however most of the cars are now having it. Most of the olden day’s sports car didn’t have any powerful engine but they were known for its strong and balanced chassis, light weight and accurate handling which most heavy weight luxury cars don’t have.
There are different companies known for the production of sports car. Companies such as McLaren, Ferrari, Porsche, etc are known for its racing reputation. There are also famous sports car producing companies like Lamborghini which do not participate in races.
Engine layout and driving mechanical performance determine the handling of any car and so is the case for a sports car. The rear-wheel drive and front-engine is the common concept used in almost all the sports cars which continues even in the latest models also.
There are also models with rear engine and rear wheel drive layout. Porsche is one such manufacturer who followed this concept. Though this method of designing provides an excellent grip, it does not have a good balance as the weight of the engine is not balanced between the two axles. Later with the help of technical advancement and improvement in design, Porsche overcame this drawback.
While some sports cars like Saab, Lotus, Fiat coupe etc uses front engine and front wheel drive layout. This design is highly suitable for small cars as it avoids high transmission power loss and reduces excess weight. There also sports cars with four wheels drive. The major advantage of a four wheel drive sports car is that it can make the drive comfortable on any weather condition.
Normal sports cars are designed with two seats and two doors while some sports car come with two additional small seats which is designed especially for children or luggage. Companies like Lamborghini and McLaren tried to increase the passenger space by shifting the driver’s seat to the center of the car. But due to the practical difficulty for driver to enter and leave the car, they dropped that design.
Some of the major sports car manufacturers include
Filed Under: General
