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Author Topic: "Sports Cars"  (Read 2879 times)

Offline eddy4

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"Sports Cars"
« on: September 14, 2005, 07:25:39 pm »
I got into a heated discussion today with a fellow at work, we were talking with a fellow that at 60 years of age , wants to buy a new Corvette... he always wanted one and now can afford it so why not I said.

Fellow number 1 told him that the insurance rate on a new Vette would be so high that he would be in shock.

Fellow 1 based this revelation on the fact that that he pays heavily on his "sports car"...his Hyundai Tiberon..!!!

Several of us told fellow 1 that in no way is a Tiberon a sports car and that if his insurance premium is high it must be for some other reason.
At this point fellow 1 scolded us for dumping on korean cars and ran off to sulk.

Were we wrong to tell him his tiberon was nothing more than a warmed over Pony...??? ???
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Offline wing

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Re: "Sports Cars"
« Reply #1 on: September 14, 2005, 07:29:33 pm »
It's a sporty car not a sports car.  And the 60 year old with the vette will not have high insurance, the tiburon is high because it was easy to steal.
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Offline paulk

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Re: "Sports Cars"
« Reply #2 on: September 14, 2005, 07:52:38 pm »
Insurance on the Tiburon is high because it's one of the most stolen vehicles in Canada, because it has above average horsepower (especially the V6), and because it's a two-door coupe with an above-average owner risk profile.

Does the Tiburon count as a sports car?  I'd say the V6 model does.  The engine is a rocket.  The body design is by Pininfarina, not Hyundai, which is why it looks so much like a good sports car.  It is a FWD car, which counts against it, but there is a decent amount of amateur racing being done with the Tiburon.
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Offline Snowman

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Re: "Sports Cars"
« Reply #3 on: September 14, 2005, 08:23:35 pm »
I strongly believe a Sports car should have rwd. Yes, I understand that fwd cars can have suspension modification to make it feel and handle like a rwd car, but the torque steer just kills it for me. As James put it….a sporty car is perhaps a better description.
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Offline wing

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Re: "Sports Cars"
« Reply #4 on: September 14, 2005, 08:31:00 pm »
Watching all the FWD cars go around the cones at auto-x it really shows you the problem with FWD.  And that's when you really put the power down one wheel will hop around and isn't even touching the ground while trying to accelerated out of a slalom.  RWD will squat and off she goes.  Although I'm sure a lot of the FWD drivers would die in RWD as they would attempt the same style and spin out multiple times before hitting a post.
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Offline ovr50

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Re: "Sports Cars"
« Reply #5 on: September 14, 2005, 08:38:50 pm »
Na, you did OK, eddy4, all you told him was the truth and he didn't like it - tough.

Real sports cars are RWD IMO.  8)
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sterling

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Re: "Sports Cars"
« Reply #6 on: September 14, 2005, 08:44:44 pm »
Real sports cars are RWD IMO.

Ya, and none of that namby-pamby AWD stuff neither. :)
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Offline paulk

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Re: "Sports Cars"
« Reply #7 on: September 14, 2005, 08:48:55 pm »
I agree that RWD is desirable in a sports car, but it's only one of a checklist of things.

The Lotus Elan M100 is FWD and few would question its "sports car" designation.
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Offline Wetson

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Re: "Sports Cars"
« Reply #8 on: September 14, 2005, 08:49:47 pm »
Also... How old is Fellow 1.  Is he married or common-law?  Those are key for insurance rates when you are male.  I can't see how a vette with a sixty year old driver is going to have sky high insurance rates.  
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Offline Brigitte

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Re: "Sports Cars"
« Reply #9 on: September 14, 2005, 09:20:49 pm »
I happen to know a 60 year-old who owns a 2004 C5, and he only drives it in the summer - brings the insurance cost wayyyy down.
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Offline The Mighty Duck

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Re: "Sports Cars"
« Reply #10 on: September 14, 2005, 10:16:06 pm »
"Sports car" isn't really a definition for anything...  but I would say it includes the Tib.  Why?  The car is made to look and feel "sporty" - it's (in theory) fun to drive, looks hot, and some of them go like stink.  I might not call a Tib a sports car in conversation, but from a manufacturers POV, that's the image they want to sell.

Same goes for any number of FWD cars - Si, Tib, Celica et al. are sports cars, yeah.
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Offline ovr50

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Re: "Sports Cars"
« Reply #11 on: September 14, 2005, 11:10:12 pm »
Quote from: Brigitte on September 14, 2005, 09:20:49 pm
I happen to know a 60 year-old who owns a 2004 C5, and he only drives it in the summer - brings the insurance cost wayyyy down.

I happen to know a 60 year-old who owns a 2001 Bullitt Mustang, and he only drives it in the summer - brings the insurance cost wayyyy down.  ;)
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Offline Brigitte

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Re: "Sports Cars"
« Reply #12 on: September 15, 2005, 12:01:36 am »
Quote from: ovr50 on September 14, 2005, 11:10:12 pm
Quote from: Brigitte on September 14, 2005, 09:20:49 pm
I happen to know a 60 year-old who owns a 2004 C5, and he only drives it in the summer - brings the insurance cost wayyyy down.

I happen to know a 60 year-old who owns a 2001 Bullitt Mustang, and he only drives it in the summer - brings the insurance cost wayyyy down. ;)

Yup.  I know him, too.   ;D
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Offline AVToller

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Re: "Sports Cars"
« Reply #13 on: September 15, 2005, 12:05:21 am »
Has he got a name? Might he live in the interior of BC?  8) ;D
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Offline vz64

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Re: "Sports Cars"
« Reply #14 on: September 15, 2005, 01:31:48 am »
Quote from: Sterling on September 14, 2005, 08:44:44 pm
Real sports cars are RWD IMO.

Ya, and none of that namby-pamby AWD stuff neither. :)

Hey, that namby-pamby AWD stuff is not that bad  - Lamborghini Gallardo, Porsche 911, Italdesign Scighera, Nissan Skyline GTR - a REAL Skyline, not a wonnabe-Skyline  G35 RWD ;)
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mdxtasy

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Re: "Sports Cars"
« Reply #15 on: September 15, 2005, 03:00:31 am »
The Tiburon does have high insurance rates because of theft stats.  It's no sports car....it's a sporty coupe but far from a true sports car....not that it really matters.  Insurance will be a tad more expensive for a Corvette but what are you expecting?  It's an expensive car!
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Offline Snowman

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Re: "Sports Cars"
« Reply #16 on: September 15, 2005, 07:28:07 am »
Quote from: Sterling on September 14, 2005, 08:44:44 pm
Real sports cars are RWD IMO.

Ya, and none of that namby-pamby AWD stuff neither. :)


Pffffffff…. AWD is for Rally Cars….An order of magnitude above them wimpy sport cars. :-*
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Offline wing

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Re: "Sports Cars"
« Reply #17 on: September 15, 2005, 10:28:41 am »
Actually laspalmas a lot of folks would argue the Lambo's and Porches are GT cars even teh Ferarri.  I don't think you need 300hp to be a sports car.  I would consider the miata one.
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Offline quadzilla

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Re: "Sports Cars"
« Reply #18 on: September 15, 2005, 10:32:26 am »
I don't think HP should be a factor in what is a sports car.  There are/were many cars with sub 200HP that are very much a sports car.  Look at Bob’s Lotus for example.  Isn’t that only 189HP but yet it’s very fast around the track.  Old Porsches had less than 200HP at one time yet they would still be called sport cars. 

A sports car is more than just raw power.
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Offline Snowman

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Re: "Sports Cars"
« Reply #19 on: September 15, 2005, 11:06:44 am »
Okay…

RWD
2 seats…or less.
1 hp/100lbs.
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