I believe the Camaro/Firebird was actually a new platform for GM. Not that
that makes it a sports car...
But while I more or less sympathize with your views, I have to point out
that your strict definition eliminates almost every sports car in the world
designed after the mid-eighties... Honda 2000, MR2, Miata, Corvette, Z3,
Porsche cabriolets, Boxsters, Ferrari Spyders... unless you are willing to
admit all the other items except for the automatic transmission.
Personally, I don't mind all that stuff on a luxury tourer -- I just wish it
wasn't mandatory on supposedly low-end sports cars like the Miata. It just
helps keep the base price out of reach of a lot of people. Plus, weight is
the enemy! And it's just more stuff to break when the car is 25 years old
(actually, I wonder how many of these high-tech wonders will still be
roadworthy in 25 or 30 years?).
on 8/8/02 1:05 PM, David Breneman at idcb@airborne.com wrote:
> ATWEDITOR@aol.com SEZ -
> (With deletions...)
>
>> The GT version Mustang had tighter
>> steering and suspension, but the point is that aside from the Corvette, the
>> Mustang and Camaro were the two sportiest cars available from this side of
>> the Atlantic, and they had some ways to go to match the handling of a mid-60s
>> MG.
>
> Well, the Mustang was built on the Ford Falcon chassis, and what
> was a Camaro? A Chevy Nova? Chevelle? Anyway, that's not exactly
> what you'd call a sporting haritage. I don't think the US has produced
> a real sports car since maybe the early Corvettes or Thunderbirds
> in the 50s, and even those were "American style" sports cars.
> I've always considered a sports car to be a roadster (anything
> with a hard top is a GT car) with a good balance of of performance.
> Handling, power, etc., are complimentary and well proportioned.
> It's also a fairly basic car. I have a hard time thinking of
> something with automatic transmission, electric windows, air
> conditioning, automatic top, heated mirrors, 8-speaker stereo,
> etc., as a sports car, even if it is a roadster (ie, the Corvette).
--
Max Heim
'66 MGB GHN3L76149
If you're near Mountain View, CA,
it's the primer red one with chrome wires
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