11 Types of Sports Cars
Looking for a cool, fast car but not sure where to start? The best car for you depends on your lifestyle and objectives.
Someone looking to improve their driving skills might choose a different car than someone who just wants to commute to the office in maximum comfort. Here are some of the different sports cars you can buy today.
Many luxury sports cars are premium and made for the wealthiest customers in the automotive market. However, there are also many inexpensive sports cars that don’t sacrifice the driving experience at all.
Classification of Sports Cars
1) Sports Cars
A “sports car” is a general term for a car that is relatively low-riding and designed for driving pleasure. The traditional idea of a sports car is a coupe, convertible or targa roof with two doors, two seats, and a powerful engine, with rear-wheel drive. However, there are cars that many people think of as “sports cars” that do not fit this description.
There is some debate about which cars qualify as “sports cars.” For example, many people would not consider a sports sedan to be a sports car because it has four doors. When you look at the pure performance of vehicles like the BMW M5, Audi RS6 Avant, and Porsche Taycan, it’s easy to see why many consider them sports cars.
2) High-Performance Sports Cars
High-performance sports cars are typically vehicles designed for the race track. This could be a regular road car that has been modified from the factory with bigger brakes, stiffer suspension, smarter differentials, and even a roll cage. Some of these trims even have the back seats removed to save weight or make room for racing harnesses.
High-performance sports cars are some of the fastest cars you’ll see on race day. It offers a great balance of performance, mechanical grip, and even aerodynamic benefits. By adding downforce to an already fast car, drivers achieve incredible cornering speeds in high-speed corners.
3) Supercar
Super sports cars include many exotic cars such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, and high-quality Mercedes-AMGs. Supercars are usually mid-engine and rear-wheel drive, but not always.
Even if a car ages, it does not lose the title of “super sports car.” Although there are many modern cars that can beat a Lamborghini Diablo on the track, the Lamborghini Diablo is (and will always remain) considered a supercar. The debate about which cars qualify as supercars continues. For example, some consider the Chevrolet Corvette and Dodge Viper to be supercars. The higher trim levels of the Corvette are in fact fast enough to beat many exotic cars, but there’s something special about a supercar.
Most would agree that the mid-engine C8 Corvette is a supercar. This is especially true of the Z06, which features a flat-plane crankshaft and a high-pitched engine noise reminiscent of the Ferrari 458’s engine.
4) Hypercars
A hypercar is a supercar taken to the extreme. The term “hypercar” was coined to describe a particular car as the supercar of all supercars. Hypercars are usually very rare and expensive exotic cars.
Most of these cars are already acquired before they are even produced. Even if you have the money to buy a hypercar, it is very difficult to get your hands on one. Hypercars are the pinnacle of automotive engineering and are comparable to F1 cars in many ways.
Examples of hypercars include the Porsche 918, McLaren P1, Pagani Huayra, Bugatti Chiron, Koenigsegg Jesko, and Ferrari LaFerrari.
Other Types of Sports Cars There are many subcategories of sports cars. There is significant overlap within each of these categories. Here are some other types of sports cars you may have heard of:
5) Luxury Sports Cars
Luxury sports cars are designed with comfort and style in mind. These are typically high-quality, expensive vehicles. Most luxury sports cars have MSRPs over $100,000. Another name for luxury sports cars is Grand Touring, or “GT.” These cars emphasize comfort without sacrificing too much handling. Examples of luxury sports cars include the Porsche 911, Bentley Continental GT, Aston Martin Vantage, and Ferrari 812.
6) Exotic Sports Cars
Most exotics are also supercars or hypercars, but some are luxury sports cars. Some manufacturers of exotic cars are Lamborghini, Ferrari, Koenigsegg, McLaren, Bugatti, etc.
7) Compact Sports Car
A compact sports car is a small sports car designed for nimble handling. These cars are perfect for canyon carving, autocross, or blasting down a twisty back road.
Many compact sports cars offer lower horsepower figures. This is to save cost and to make the cars more accessible to a wider audience. You can typically buy one of these vehicles new for $25,000 to $50,000. Examples of compact sports cars are the Mazda MX-5 Miata, Subaru BRZ/Toyota 86, the Toyota Supra, and the Toyota MR2.
8) Sport Compact
The term “sport compact” refers to a car that might not typically fall within the definition of a sports car, but still offers nimble handling and tons of fun. This term was popular in the early 2000s with the tuner scene. A modified sport compact can punch well above its weight, with some able to outperform higher end sports cars.
Examples of sport compacts are the Subaru WRX STI, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, Mitsubishi Eclipse/Eagle Talon, Nissan 240SX, and the Honda Civic Type R.
9) Hot Hatch
Hot hatches hit the sweet spot of price, practicality, and performance. If you can only space for one vehicle, a hot hatch should be near the top of your list.
Examples of hot hatches include the Volkswagen Golf GTI, Mini Cooper S, Ford Focus RS, Toyota GR Corolla, and the Ford Fiesta ST. Some Subaru WRXs also came in wagon or hatchback form.
10) Retro Sports Car
A retro sports car is an older sports car. These cars typically have achieved a cult following, but are no longer performant when compared to a modern sports car.
Examples of retro sports cars are the Mazda RX-7, Honda NSX, Lancia Stratos, Renault 5 Turbo, and the Nissan Skyline GT-R.
11) Electric Sports Car
A new class of sports cars has emerged within the last decade. Electric sports cars use a large battery and an electric powertrain to give you instant acceleration. Few cars are faster in a straight line. Many electric cars offer dual motor designs to give you all wheel drive.
Examples of electric sports cars are the Tesla Model S, Tesla Model 3 Performance, Porsche Taycan, Audi e-tron GT, and the Lucid Air.
Conclusion
There’s a sports car out there for everybody, no matter the lifestyle or the budget. If you’re looking for a cool sports car, start by figuring out what you’d like to do with it. Write down your goals for your car and each of their priorities.
Each car has its own car community. If you like to stop by Cars and Coffee on Saturday mornings, some of the rarer cars on this list are much more likely to break necks as you drive by. Anyone who chases the euphoric feeling of a great car on the perfect back road should give the Mazda MX-5 Miata a shot.
