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Originally Posted by Slade
good point about getting educated before voting. I'll quote wikipedia here (I didn't see that done in this thread): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sports_car
Some sport cars have used use the front-engine, front-wheel drive layout (FF), e.g. Lotus Elan M100, Fiat Coupé, Fiat Barchetta, Saab Sonett, and many Berkeley cars. This layout is advantageous for small, light, lower power sports cars, as it avoids the extra weight, increased transmission power loss, and packaging problems of a long driveshaft and longitudinal engine of FR vehicles. Yet, its conservative handling effect, particularly understeer, and the fact that many drivers, believing FR more appropriate for a sports car, this layout is atypical to high-performance sports cars. The FF layout, however, is common in sport compacts and hot hatches, such as the Honda Civic Si and Type-R, the Volkswagen Golf GTi, and the Peugeot 205 GTi. |
Well, I'm into it now and there's no turning back.
Slade, not sure what you're saying from that wik quote. FWD can or can't be a sportscar??? So, without knowing for sure let me just add that the Elan is remarkable becuase it changed the general thinking that all sportscars must be RWD. If you've never driven one you'll be amazed. Zero torque steer, spectacular - race inspried handling, magnificent fun and still raced on the track today.
Someone on a post elsewhere here (think it was one about 4 door cars being sportscars) commented that a sports car is designed to be just that from its inception. Not a car that someone makes sporty when its already mostly designed. The Elan was definitely that. A good read through Mark Hughes book on the build and history of the Elan would convince anyone its a true sportcar.
Or, a run on the track
