More Advice on a sports car purchase (celica, eclipse, rsx, ,wrx, altima)

Well...

If it's not a family saloon
If its not a luxury sedan
If it's not a hot hatch
If it's not a SUV
If it's got 2 doors, a stiff suspension, a coupe design with a peppy
engine....

It's possibly .. a sports car.

David

 

Here's how I classify them.

Sports car.
Has NO doors!
Has no roof (soft top or maybe a 'T' bar - no power)
Has 2 cozy seats - if you and your passenger total more than
25stone/158Kg you will probably be in contact.
Has a minimal mudguard or wheelarch height 2in/5cm and waistline to
match.
Is lightweight, less than 1980lb/900Kg.
Has RWD and manual gearbox.
Is very low to the ground and you just about sit on the floor so the
seat is about 1ft/30cm off the ground.
Look up Caterham/Westfield 7, Dax Rush and Kylama.

The other rag top cars you may think are sports cars are 'roadsters'
or 'sports roadsters' as they have doors. They weigh a ton(ne) or
more and are a bit taller at the waistline but 'sports roadsters'
still have no more than 6in/15cm height from wheel arch to top of
bonnet directly above hub center.

The real Sports coupe.
Has 2 or 3 doors - if 3 door must be fastback.
Has a fixed roof.
Has 2 seats (if it is 2+2 it's a 2+2 Sports coupe)
Is sleek and low, overall height - height from wheel arch to top of
bonnet directly above hub center, is less than 59in (1.5m).
Is lightweight - less than 2480lb/1125kg (2+2 2755lb/1250Kg).
Has RWD and manual gearbox.
Has a ground to seat height less than 15in/38cm.

The cars listed in the subject are 'sports styled coupe' or
'performance saloon'. The coupes can't claim the label 'sports
coupe'. Any coupe based on a saloon or with FWD can only ever claim
the be 'SPORTS STYLED'.

 

Ragtops are out?

 

How about a Lotus Elise?
http://www.lotuscars.com/elise_announcement.html
Now coming to the USA according to the website.

Alex Devlin

 

a tr-6 is an underpowered, undertired, poorly damped rust bucket(check your
frame) and a damn fine excuse to buy an '88 fiero.
i could pull higher numbers on a skipad or put a chain on it and drag it
down the street-my pick. i did think it was cool when i was in junior high
but that was 1975.....
as my buddies who build prototype cars put it "the english car is the road
to ruin."

 

alex, i did in fact see an elise on the street a couple of weeks ago.

 

I have - still driving an '82 Turbo, RWD and manual transmission, four
wheel ventilated disk brakes, large diameter sways bars, fuel injected -
all factory. Drove it today!

Turbos are like anything else - maintain them properly and they will
last, abuse them and they will fail quickly.

 

Actually, I never thought it was myself.

 

Ick. Hope you have a big pocketbook for maintainence.

 

Not quite that much on it, but I never claimed it was a Superlight. I
have no idea what else I could possibly bolt onto it to take it up to
nearly 2.000lb, though.

 

u dont think wrx's look good?
*smack* =]

 

Sheeeit, I bet my riding lawnmower weighs almost that much.

 

Sure he will- a little haggling and the rebates that are out there
will take care of that.

 

gt under 25k is easy via carsdirect.com or via a good dealer haggle, they
give great acceleration, but handling Im sure isnt as precise as say an rsx.
It really boils down to how much acceleration and handling this buyer wants.
The rsx really doesnt get interesting till 5-6k rpm, which in stop & go
around town driving will sometimes be tough to attain. I drove a celica gts
with a 5 speed and have a similar opinion of it. If the altima is a
consideration, why not maxima or g35? Rereading the sellers post, cheap,
reliable and fast as hell, I'd have to vote wrx, or perhaps a used eclipse
turbo with a warranty.

Bri

 

On the topic of torque for around town driving I suppose that the 6 speed
manual would get the most out of the RSX type S. I bought a manual '98 CL
in April and it's got to be one of the sweetest gearboxes ever made outside
of the Miata, although it's the only manual I've ever owned.. Celica GT-S
engine is supposed to be even peakier than the GT, and Car and Driver said
so in the last comparo which was a year and a half ago I believe (the RSX
won). For best torque in a 4 I think the VW GTI is right up there. It has
180 lb ft at 1950 rpm or something like that. Nothing can touch turbo
torque. WRX is more money than most of the ones you're looking at. 2.5 RS
looks like it for less money. Me, I can't justify buying any new car. I
might be looking at a used Integra GS-R if I was looking more performance
car but the insurance is $600 a year more. I just keep searching until I
find one that's been babied. Most people on my street think my CL is brand
new.

 

Well that just declassifies my Jag XJS as a sports car.
Vlad