View Poll Results: Is the SL 65 a sports car?
Yes
21
38.89%
No
29
53.70%
I am not sure, undecided at this point, it could be either one for now
4
7.41%
Voters: 54. You may not vote on this poll
Is the SL 65 a sports car? What is a sports car?
02-08-06, 06:23 PM
#16
Super Moderator
Originally Posted by Incendiary
Drag racing? You mean pure straight-line racing? If that's the case, the new Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT is a sports car. 0-60 in 4.5 s.
02-08-06, 07:12 PM
#17
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Originally Posted by Rockville
when they used to race them. The SL65 is high powered beauty but it's not Super Light anymore. The same could be said about the Lexus SC400. SC stood for Sport Coupe and it had a great steering feel but it was way too heavy and lumbered around turns. You not only have to have power but you have to have agility to be a sports car. Much of the cost after the engine is in using exotic lightweight materials that are strong and stiff yet light like titanium, carbon fiber, magnesium etc. The Sports Car should be able to brake and brake again without fading from the red hot rotors. It should have an exotic name like Bugatti, Ferrari or my current favorite Carrera GT. It should have a heavenly sound that turns into a whine at redline.....
Rock
Rock
My original question was whether a sports car can have an automatic transmission. I think the answer to that should be yes, simply because many "sports cars" can come in manual or automatic. What about the Porsche Boxster S? Meets most of these criteria, but you can get it with a manual or automatic... It would be weird if the manual version would be considered a sports car, and the automatic not.
02-08-06, 07:17 PM
#19
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Originally Posted by diablo1
It sounds to me that your definition of *sports car* is most people's definition of *exotic*. Or do you think a Miata can be a sports car too, even though it has a wacky Spanish sounding name on a Japanese car?
My original question was whether a sports car can have an automatic transmission. I think the answer to that should be yes, simply because many "sports cars" can come in manual or automatic. What about the Porsche Boxster S? Meets most of these criteria, but you can get it with a manual or automatic... It would be weird if the manual version would be considered a sports car, and the automatic not.
My original question was whether a sports car can have an automatic transmission. I think the answer to that should be yes, simply because many "sports cars" can come in manual or automatic. What about the Porsche Boxster S? Meets most of these criteria, but you can get it with a manual or automatic... It would be weird if the manual version would be considered a sports car, and the automatic not.
02-08-06, 07:31 PM
#20
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SL65 is for people with wayy too much money and dont know what else to buy! come on, there are way better buy out there at that price range. for example, 911Turbo. Dont get me wrong, i like the SL, may be SL55? but SL65 is just for Lindsay Lohan to get away from paparazzi.
02-08-06, 07:32 PM
#21
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Originally Posted by Incendiary
Drag racing? You mean pure straight-line racing? If that's the case, the new Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT is a sports car. 0-60 in 4.5 s.
i heard it was more like 5.5s. there's no way that car is going to get 4.5s time.
02-08-06, 08:05 PM
#23
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Originally Posted by TwiBlueG35
I voted "no" for SL65 AMG. Yes it is a fast grand tourer, not a pure sports car. The typical sports car should have a "fun to drive" content in the car.
02-08-06, 08:14 PM
#24
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Originally Posted by diablo1
Doesn't the GT in Carerra GT stand for Gran Turismo/Grand Tourer? Yet that is one of the ultimate sports cars according to all of these people...
02-09-06, 06:44 AM
#27
Super Moderator
Originally Posted by diablo1
The poll is almost even, but all the comments are in favor of "not a sporst car". Come on "yes" people, speak up! You're making me look bad here... 
:
Originally Posted by bruce van
Shoot! I hit the wrong button. I agree with most of you and say it's not a sports car in the spirit of the pure driving enthusiast. It's fast and that's about it. I think it should fall into the GT category as 1SIC stated.
02-09-06, 07:06 AM
#28
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seems to me we need to come to some agreement on what defines a sports car. ANd once you agree on criteria, then it's going to be easier to determine what is & is not a sports car. Because some of the answers here for yes make me think if I pulled up in a '75 Chevy BelAir w/ a supercharged LS7 under the hood, custom HD suspension & shaved door handles it would qualify!
Here's my thoughts:
fun- SL65..yes
fast- SL65..HAYELLL yes
nimble- um...no, even though it has prob $50K in suspension electronics, physics wins
uncompromising performance over comfort- duh..it's an SL/CL
purpose built- not really..it's the same $80K luxury chassis it just adds an $80K motor
And I'm sorry to Miata fans (which I am a fan as well) but that car is a compact sporty economy car.
I'm looking for some yes people to tell me why they voted yes, and if my Chevy example would fit their bill
-Cip
Here's my thoughts:
fun- SL65..yes
fast- SL65..HAYELLL yes
nimble- um...no, even though it has prob $50K in suspension electronics, physics wins
uncompromising performance over comfort- duh..it's an SL/CL
purpose built- not really..it's the same $80K luxury chassis it just adds an $80K motor
And I'm sorry to Miata fans (which I am a fan as well) but that car is a compact sporty economy car.
I'm looking for some yes people to tell me why they voted yes, and if my Chevy example would fit their bill
-Cip
02-09-06, 07:53 AM
#29
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OK, "no" is now pulling ahead...
Here is an article from Kelley Blue Book on what a sports car is:
http://cars.kbb.com/carsapp/carskbb/...wnership2.tmpl
For a VERY technical discussion, where the author actually uses formulas to define what is and what is not a sports car, look at this:
http://www.casact.org/library/astin/vol18no2/175.pdf
The question here is what should be considered a sports car for insurance purposes. If you don't know what an eigenvector or a correlation is, this paper might be pretty boring to you. Actually, it might be pretty boring anyway.
Here is an article from Kelley Blue Book on what a sports car is:
http://cars.kbb.com/carsapp/carskbb/...wnership2.tmpl
For a VERY technical discussion, where the author actually uses formulas to define what is and what is not a sports car, look at this:
http://www.casact.org/library/astin/vol18no2/175.pdf
The question here is what should be considered a sports car for insurance purposes. If you don't know what an eigenvector or a correlation is, this paper might be pretty boring to you. Actually, it might be pretty boring anyway.
02-09-06, 08:24 AM
#30
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Originally Posted by diablo1
For a VERY technical discussion, where the author actually uses formulas to define what is and what is not a sports car, look at this:
http://www.casact.org/library/astin/vol18no2/175.pdf
The question here is what should be considered a sports car for insurance purposes. If you don't know what an eigenvector or a correlation is, this paper might be pretty boring to you. Actually, it might be pretty boring anyway.
http://www.casact.org/library/astin/vol18no2/175.pdf
The question here is what should be considered a sports car for insurance purposes. If you don't know what an eigenvector or a correlation is, this paper might be pretty boring to you. Actually, it might be pretty boring anyway.
in the company of Ferrari, Lambo, Porsche, et al....oh well.....that's from a 1985 Insurance study...It just tells me that the driver of a high powered 'Benz is just as nuts as a driver of a high powered Ferrari, but that in and of itself does not a sports car make!!! IMO