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Originally Posted by Elanlover
So, if I may be so bold as to try to sum up this ever-wandering thread............
The original post was asking if a FWD car can be considered a real "sportscar. I think it pretty clear the answer is yes. Now, there may be very few FWD cars made that can claim to be sportscars but that's not the fault of the drive train layout. Its more to do with the manufacturer building certain car "types" (cheap econo-boxes) around FWD systems. Building a FWD sportscar can be done. It has been done.
The drivetrain layout has NOTHING to do with a car's ability to be a "true" sportscar by any reasonable definition.
If you tried to claim otherwise in front of the Lotus engineers themselves (some of which may have been around when the M100 was created) I'm willing to bet there's be a line up to call you an a$$, kick you squarely in the nuts and repossess your Elise/Exige.
Really. I'm serious.
Lotus knows what they're doing when it comes to engineering cars. I provided sooo much info from the Mark Hughes book on the M100, complete with engineer's quotes, such that the M100's designation as a sportscar can simply not be disputed. Ever.
Doing so is a direct insult to Lotus, their abilities and knowledge and is calling the majority of Lotus staffers liars.
You want to do that? To Kimberley's face?
Can I get in that line I just mentioned please...................
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I think the answer is no sportscar is FWD, and you could care less about FWD cars, save the M100 Elan.
Please note that it's the height of conceit to think that Lotus as a company has never made any mistakes and/or unprofitable decisions.
I've even ventured to say that history itself shows that the market didn't bear the M100, therefore while the M100 was an engineering feat,
it was a mistake. FWD != sportscar.
To put thoughts and words in the mouths of Lotus folks is far more presumptuous and well-deserving of a slew of nut-kickings then anything I've said. >=P