How many people really know if their vehicle is a sports car, sporty car or family vehicle? Example: is a 2007 to 2011 Chevrolet Corvette a sports car, sporty car or family vehicle? Can a truck be classified as a sports car? What about a three wheel off-road dirt buggy? Is your classic 1969 Volvo P-1800 Coupe an authentic sports car? The debate goes on. No one really knows and most do not care. But I do.
I believe that a government agency (is it the EPA?) classifies vehicles as “two seater”, “subcompact”, “compact”, “midsize”, etc. for fuel-economy regulations purposes.
“Sports car”, “sporty car”, or “family vehicle” are marketing terms with no true meaning.
A truck or suv is generally classified as a “light truck” by the EPA.
I would classify the Volvo as a “grand touring” or “shooting brake” style, but that is just my opinion.
Why would you care??? What difference does it make what the vehicle is called??? Does it suite your needs.
Many years ago Volvo had a commercial that really started people looking at Volvo’s beyond a good well built safe vehicle (They were 30+ years ago…can’t make that statement today).
The commercial was very short…It showed a Volvo Station wagon racing a Porsche in the quarter mile…They both crossed the finish line at the same time.
“is a 2007 to 2011 Chevrolet Corvette a sports car, sporty car or family vehicle?”
I have to wonder if people are just trolling when they post a question like that.
Consider this question: Can you safely place a child safety seat in that Corvette?
Answer: Obviously no, since there is no back seat, and child safety seats should not be placed in the front of a car. Ergo, it is fairly obvious that the Corvette is not a “family car”.
As to whether it is a sports car or a sporty car, that might depend on whether you are in North America or in Europe. Europeans consider the Corvette to be a pretender to the throne in the sports car category, and would probably classify it as a “muscle car”.
As Mike stated or implied, you should buy what suits your needs, despite the category that others think the vehicle fits into.
What’s next? Are you going to ask others to decide what you should eat for dinner tonight?
;-))
I don’t select my car to please or impress anyone but me, so I don’t care if you call my car a sports car, a sporty car, a family vehicle, an econobox, or a heap. I’ll regard it as I please.
Stupid labels.
Ever wonder why cars like the old Mercedes SL and the Fiat Spyder had quasi rear seats? It was because the insirance industry rated 2-seat vehicles as sports cars and ones with a rear seat as coupes.
What a car is depends on who you ask. The D.O.T., who promulgates the regulations for over the road vehicle design, has its classification. The insurance institite for highway safety has its classification. Toyota calls the Scion tC a “sports coupe”. I call mine a “sporty coupe”.
Nomenclatures are often nebulous and ever-changing. Some folks call any tewo seater with a ragtop a sports car, others don’t consider it a sports car unless it’ll do 60mph in 5 seconds or less. Some consider a Mustang a sports car, yet the original '64 was built on a Falcon platform and could barely get out of its own way. The 64-1/2 was the first "Stang with a chassis of its own.
Would you consider a Maseratti Radipe a sports car? How about a Bugatti Veyron Super Sport (0-62 in 2.5 seconds, top speed 268 mph…but no ragtop)?
But I avoided the actual question. I’ve never met anyone in all my decades that didn;t consider a Corvette to be a sportscar.
You’d think nobody would question that a Corvette’s a sports car, but if you go to the discussion of “sports car” on Wikipedia somebody did exactly that - go figger…
“… if you go to the discussion of “sports car” on Wikipedia somebody did exactly that”
Was his name Julian Assange?
The Europeans that question whether a Corvette is a sports car are Eurocentric snobs. Do they question whether an Audi R8 is a sports car? What about a Ferrari 458 Italia? Of course they revere the R8 and 458 Italia. All 3 race at Le Mans and in the ALMS. Those are races for sports cars, ya know.
Hey Mike do you remember the Volvo ad that simply showed a VUVU Wagon…I think it was…Driving straight off a 35-50 ft CLIFF? I dont think there were any words in the Ad either, but I was young. It made an impression on me for certain. They drove the car off the cliff and it landed nose down…bent the nose up in the air…But simply kept on rolling. No cabin damage at all… It was impressive… I know I am dating myself a bit but even as a kid I was seriously impressed.
When was that commercial? Anyone else remember it?
Also to the point…it REALLY doesnt matter what your vehicle is called…Its all about your needs and if the car fits them… You could call it a Toaster if you wanted (My name for Dads Datsun B510)…but if it is what you want and need in a set of wheels then thats the car for you.
*** I just looked into it a little…and found a Volvo 850 going off a cliff…BUT I SWEAR I saw an Orange Volvo 240 doing the same thing MANY years before this 850 did the same thing… Like I said I was young so I know the 850 Ad was way way after the first one with the 240… Help please…its bothering me now… LOL
I have had several sports cars throughout my car ownership years. When they were new, they were family sedans. After I purchased them used and put a few years on them, they became sports cars–you had to be a real sport to want to ride in them.
Hey Mike do you remember the Volvo ad that simply showed a VUVU Wagon…I think it was…Driving straight off a 35-50 ft CLIFF?
I remember the one where they dove a Volvo off a 2 store building…Crumpled the whole front end…but the engine compartment was still fine…GREAT commercial.
I also remember when they stacked up several 240s to ‘prove’ their safety - turns out they had added reinforcements to the roof structure…oops…
In my opinion, there is no such thing as a front drive sports car…except for maybe the SAAB Sonnet. That should eliminate a little of the confusion for me.
VDC…Europeans can pretend a Vette is not a real sports car, as long as they acknowledge that many of their excuses for cars, aren’t cars at all…Smart for Two ?