What is the difference between a Sports car and a Muscle car (whats your opinion)

[NiR]

shouldnt a camaro be closer to a sports car since it DOES have good handling/and is great in curves and stuff??? it does right?? i hope so! that can be a deal breaker for me since i am buying one very soon. real world has curves !

[SEOhioSS]

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Originally Posted by Beelzebubba

That's a grand tourer.

The Datsun/Nissan Z cars ceased to be sports cars in 1979 with the introduction of the 280ZX.

Don't think of it as an insult. Other Grand Tourers include the Porsche 928, Mitsubishi 3000GT...etc...

The definition for sports car keep including "powerful engines" and acceleration.

What about sports cars like the Triumph Spitfire, MGB, and FIAT X1/9?

None of those are particularly powerful, they do not accelerate well but they all have an undeniable racing history.

The original Z's were def sports cars, i have one, and it is a fun little car with low power, but still feels sporty.




As far as the 3000gt being a sports car, i think that the VR4's are...I daily drive one of these, and i dont know about it being a grand tourer per say, mine which is the Convertible version has terrible storage space, handles about as well as anything with its 4 wheel steering, is very fast with a v6 twin turbo and all wheel drive, and has a useless back seat. I think it is a sports car myself, but it really doesnt matter.

Muscle Cars to me are cars with a v8, usually rear wheel drive, and a very masculine body to them. This includes, Camaro's, mustang's, etc...

[AK Mike]

Gen 5 Camaro's might just be a combination of sports/muscle car ..."spuscle" car?? Shoot, I just pick up a Motor Trend or Car & Driver...those guys can define anything 'cause they know everything there is to know about cars...just ask 'em!

[Bodih]

The literal definition of muscle car was the smallest/lightest vehicles the Big 3 had in the 60's that they could shoehorn a V8 into. They knew they'd sacrifice handling and ride, but the goal was 1/4 mile times and racing between lights (aaah, the smell of rubber...). The term carried over to the home-built versions in the 70's as well (the factory muscle cars died by the early 70's).

Today's technology allows for lighter cars and more powerful engines. They're designed that way from the ground up, so handling and ride don't suffer. I feel the new Camaro, Mustang and Challenger are "tributes" to the muscle cars of yore, but they still fall in the sports car catagory.

I don't believe they make muscle cars anymore. They were a product of their time, and purely American. What really yanks my chain is when the "euro's" start calling their BMW M3 and Benz AMG muscle cars...
...don't recall seeing them cruising Lake Shore Drive back then.

[daveagogo1]

Here is how to tell. Take a Porsche a Lambo and a Ferrari and line them up next to a SS Camaro. Put them all in neutral and rev them to high RPM's and you will know what one of the 4 is a Muscle car.

[THE EVIL TW1N]

Camaro's are pony cars, not muscle cars.