Best all-around sports car for $50k-$100k

[Dooling37]

Well, here's one picture of the next RX-7:
http://www.busybeetoys.com/SCOOP/scoop-2000-01-19.htm

This is a different picture than what I've seen previously, though. (I think I may have seen the RX-Evolv concept model - which this site declares is dead). I don't like this design nearly as much.

According to this site, it will produce 280hp (doesn't mention size of engine, though - I could be wrong about the 4cyl).

Warning: I take no responsibility for the authenticity of the information on this site. I've seen some good information here before, and I've also seen some Photoshop jobs and complete BS.

 

[Dooling37]

Oh yeah, and a link to NSX info:

http://www.busybeetoys.com/SCOOP/scoop-2000-07-16.htm

They say a 3.5L V8 here also...

 

[NFS4]

Thanks Dooling37

That Integra looks TIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Damn

The front reminds me a little of the Avanti though :Q The Z looks like crap though

 

[M O M O]

lotus and v8's.. lol

 

[NFS4]

What's so funny MOMO?

 

[SuperGroove]

Well well well....Anand has taken over any say so at these boards. Some us can't go down to the local Porsche dealership and try these cars out. Sigh...HEY ANAND CAN I LIVE WITH YOU? I'll be your best friend...if not I've...I've...I know Natalie Portman.

You listed cars that were all fun. The Porsches, the NSX, and the Bimmers are all nice, but Corvette's are year round drivers here in Colorado. They survive the harsh winters and everything. I hardly ever see a Porsche out here in the winter. If i do, it's watching them exit the Porsche dealership on their way straight to a gas station.

The Corvette is simply stunning in its C5 form. It doesn't have the flair Porsche 911s do...but that's the price you pay when you want a car to go where you want it to go. THe 911s will punish those who have never driven one. I know, when you pay this much for a 911, you should enlist in a driving school. Still...coming up from a wha...Skip Barber Ford Mustang to a Porsche 911? Come on...The Corvette is very neutral in its handling capabilities, and it will tail wag, but not as much as most rwd cars. The only thing restricting the corvette from exotic car status, is the name that once made it stand out from the rest. It IS a Chevrolet. That means it has the most god awful looking interior anyone has ever laid eyes on. Why doesn't Chevrolet hand over the Corvette to cadillac to take care of the interior? Sigh...maybe we'll have to wait for the Evoq. That sexy flanks...but the corvette is definitely more svelte.

Why do I love the Corvette? Because it's American...and there's nothing like the sound of a healthy American V-8. God bless the LS-1 and kudos the LS-1 engineers I love the Porsche...but it sounds like a gnat outta hell compared to the low baritone song of the Corvette.

M O M O,

What's wrong with a Lotus and a V-8? The V-8 was a WELCOME addition to the Lotus Espirit. It made the car worlds better, and actually WORTH something. It has a sweet sound, and loses almost nothing to the tired 4-cylinder it replaced. However, the V-8 has to be the swan song of the Espirit, as the design is decades old. It will surely live on as one of the more beautiful, lasting designs, but it's old, and needs to be retired before it gets more humiliated by newer cars.

CORVETTE, CORVETTE, CORVETTE, CORVETTE!

How come no one ever flames me when I talk about cars?

Paul

 

[Mike Andrawes]

Dooling37 - I visit the busybeetoys Scoop page too fairly often, but unfortunately, the majority of their info comes from these random Japanese car mags, who unfortunately speculate way too much and know photoshop entirely too well. Then the busybeetoys guys add their own speculation on top of that. They are sometimes right, but they're definitely not a reliable source.

Any RX-7 replacement that Mazda would bring out would use the Renesis rotary engine (or a variation of it) that they showed in the RX-EVOLV concept car at recent auto shows. I think the redline of the EVOLV was in the range of 9000rpm, but it could have been higher. A normally aspirated 280HP is the figure they gave out too I think.

SuperGroove - the problem with the Corvette is that it's simply huge! And I completely disagree with you on the engine note of the Porsche vs the Vette. The older air cooled Porsche's were a bit loud and blatty for my taste, but the new 996's have this incredible jet-like sound. If both cars were sitting side by side and I could just take either one, it'd definitely be the Porsche for me.

 

[DLC]

Heres some pics on the beasty skline GTR...

check out the pic with the flames coming out.... awesome.

http://members.xoom.com/ykkok/r33.html

Yeah, and whoever said it is a 200SX look alike, you are so wrong. Around Australia, people buy body kits to make their 200SX's look LIKE a Skyline GTR... so its the other way around

Oh and heres the TVR Super 12.. check out the pic and specs...
0-60mph in 2.5 seconds!!!

http://www.rapidcars.com/ then click on TVR Super 12.. have a look at the Mclaren F1 aswell, I totally forgot to mention this mad car!!
(even though it well and truly breaks the budget)

 

[DLC]

For those who doubt the power of the skyline, have a look at this link. The V-Max skyline >1000 hp, set a record for quater mile... 8.47 seconds at 165.75 mph... that makes it the fastest unibody import car in America to date...(in '98) "fast enough to compete with back-halved Grand Nationals on 14 inch wrinkle wall slicks in the NHRA Super Stock class!"

All that from a 2.7 litre straight 6..... not bad at all.. the turbo boost of 29.4 psi helps alot though!!!

from December 1998... so its an OLD skyline too!!
http://www.skylinegtr.8k.com/article3.htm

 

[NFS4]

<< The Corvette is simply stunning in its C5 form. It doesn't have the flair Porsche 911s do...but that's the price you pay when you want a car to go where you want it to go. THe 911s will punish those who have never driven one. I know, when you pay this much for a 911, you should enlist in a driving school. Still...coming up from a wha...Skip Barber Ford Mustang to a Porsche 911? Come on...The Corvette is very neutral in its handling capabilities, and it will tail wag, but not as much as most rwd cars. The only thing restricting the corvette from exotic car status, is the name that once made it stand out from the rest. It IS a Chevrolet. That means it has the most god awful looking interior anyone has ever laid eyes on. Why doesn't Chevrolet hand over the Corvette to cadillac to take care of the interior? Sigh...maybe we'll have to wait for the Evoq. That sexy flanks...but the corvette is definitely more svelte. >>


The current C5 is a styling hodgepodge. The front end is from the Firebird, the headlamp shape is from the RX7. The scoop behind the front wheels, door shape, and roof is all RX7. I don't know where the heck they got that massive rear end. It is just hideous.

No one can doubt its performance though


<< For those who doubt the power of the skyline, have a look at this link. The V-Max skyline >1000 hp, set a record for quater mile... 8.47 seconds at 165.75 mph... that makes it the fastest unibody import car in America to date...(in '98) &quot;fast enough to compete with back-halved Grand Nationals on 14 inch wrinkle wall slicks in the NHRA Super Stock class!&quot; >>


That means nothing...you can't drive it on the road.

 

[BoberFett]

Mike Andrawes

The RX-7 is a more than a car, it's a work of art.

I had the oppurtunity to own a 2nd Gen RX-7... for about a day. I was 18 and the insurance would have killed me. Fortunately the dealer took the car back. But driving that car for a day was quite an experience. I've drooled over some 3rd Gen RX-7s at a dealer in Minneapolis, they're actually not all that expensive. The problem is going to be that they're getting to the age where it's near impossible to find a low mileage car.

As far as affordable sport cars, the RX-7 is my dream. I may just have to bite the bullet and get one now. How to convince the wife...

 

[BoberFett]

As for the Vette, they are getting progressively uglier. Who decided that it needs that HUGE @SS?

 

[NFS4]

<< Who decided that it's needs that HUGE @SS? >>


Maybe Jennifer Lopez was on the styling team

 

[rpaller]

Anand: I must say that you pretty well wrapped up this discussion! That was a great review. Have you ever thought of writing for Car &amp; Driver?

Rob

 

[NFS4]

That wouldn't be possible...the magazine would ballon to 300+ pages an issue

 

[kabelogo]

All these cars of which you guys speak are boring. What happened to the true idea of a sports car. A lower priced car that is a ball to drive and needs too much care just to run.

The TR6, sunbeam tiger, mgb, e type, austin healey sprite, morris minor, etc...

Better yet, I'll stick to my american chunk of steel and smile at some of you guys that only get to drive your dream car in video games.

and i'll enjoy it.

 

[NFS4]

<< The TR6, sunbeam tiger, mgb, e type, austin healey sprite, morris minor, etc... >>


That's what the Toyota MRS, Mazda Miata, and Honda S2000 are for

 

[SuperGroove]

The Corvette is not ugly! The rear end was when I first laid my eyes on a early spy shot, but it grows on you. It grows on you much like the current Ford Taurus.

Paul

 

[NFS4]

The restyled 2000 Taurus looks OK now, but the '96 to '99 model looks like a cockroach.

The Corvette is not a pretty site to look at...especially those industrial-looking 17&quot; and 18&quot; wheels. I saw the pictures of the '04 Corvette in the latest issue of Motor Trend magazine. GM continues the tradition of copying everyone elses design themes. The whole front end was taken from the Ferrari F360 Modena :|

 

[SuperGroove]

NFS4,

WHA?! GM copying OTHER cars designs? Um...how about no? The intakes behind the front wheels are a direct tribute to the corvette's of yore. The Front end belongs to the modern (84-90)Corvette. The rear end also is CLASSIC corvette. There is nothing about the current C5 that is copied from other cars. NOTHING. The C5 might've looked like a blown up RX-7, but it was the RX-7 that looked like earlier corvettes. The 17&quot; Mag wheels look gorgeous on the new corvette.

Bah,
Paul

 

[NFS4]

<< There is nothing about the current C5 that is copied from other cars. NOTHING. The C5 might've looked like a blown up RX-7, but it was the RX-7 that looked like earlier corvettes. >>


The 3rd generation RX7 has a style of its own. Everyone griped about the C5's styling when it came out and nearly every automotive group declared it a direct rip of the RX7. The RX7 is a distinctively round shape while the C5 take the RX7 and puts a little &quot;edge&quot; to it. Just look at the shape of the doors and the side mirrors. The headlamp covers like I mentioned above are a mirror image. Other styling &quot;donors&quot; I've heard according to automotive mags include:

Pontiac Firebird (front clip includeding brake scoops and parking lights)
Mitsubishi 3000GT

 

[NFS4]

Hehe, just saw a black 993 Turbo...man was it gorgeous. The 996 Turbo pales in comparison

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[lupin]

The 993s do look much more agressive than the 996s.

DLC:
&quot;For those who doubt the power of the skyline, have a look at this link. The V-Max skyline >1000 hp, set a record for quater mile... 8.47 seconds at 165.75 mph&quot;

I don't think anybody ever doubts the power of the skyline. 1000 hp IS impressive, but it's only good for DRAG RACING. And drag racing gets boring after a while. (Not as fun as sports car/GT/formula races)

Look at the McLaren for example. It has ~600 hp, but it's coupled by some serious chassis, aerodynamics, and suspension. Only then, if you have the right level of driving skill will you be able to track a 600 hp car. Now the skyline has 1000 hp, and with a suspension that's less sohpisticated than the McLaren, what can you do with it??

After all, DRAG RACER NOT== SPORTS CAR.

 

[DLC]

I probably should clear myself up a little.
With the Skyline, even though I admit its not the most exotic or upper class car, its still one of the worlds best drives. That stuff about the 1000hp Skyline was to give an idea at how easily the Skyline can be beefed up and kick real ass. From a 2.7 litre engine straight 6, those numbers are damn impressive. A scaled back street legal version can be as fast as the law permits you... all from that little engine. Thats why the Skyline is special in its own kind of way, the technology it uses maximises a sh#t load of the power the engine produces. However, dont get me wrong, I love v8s and the rest. Its awesome at how much fun you can have with a huge big ass motor... hey im from Australia, plenty of v8s around
I just respect the Skyline GTR for what it gives out. Its also one of the better cars to drive in the world due to its 4wd. Its been described as having the grunt and grip of the Corvette with the precision of the Supra.
The article below tells of the Skyline setting a new speed record on the Autobahn in Germany. Guess what, its classed a street car Read the last few paragraphs, the only trailer they needed for the car was to get it from Japan to Germany... the rest, it drove itself. The Skyline didnt beat the &quot;unoffical&quot; RUF Porsche fastest speed in the world record, just missed out by a few miles per hour. Still fairly impressive from the little engine no? And its a street car too.

 

[NFS4]

<< After all, DRAG RACER NOT== SPORTS CAR. >>


Exactly. 1000HP doesn't mean sh!t if you can cut a corner or make a lap around Road Atlanta with out making a fool of yourself.


<< With the Skyline, even though I admit its not the most exotic or upper class car, its still one of the worlds best drives. That stuff about the 1000hp Skyline was to give an idea at how easily the Skyline can be beefed up and kick real ass. From a 2.7 litre engine straight 6, those numbers are damn impressive. A scaled back street legal version can be as fast as the law permits you... all from that little engine. Thats why the Skyline is special in its own kind of way, the technology it uses maximises a sh#t load of the power the engine produces. >>


So what? You can enlarge and blow up just about any engine you want. That doesn't make the Skyline special The damn thing has to use twin turbos to make a meager 280-300HP, hehe. Why not just bump the displacement up in the first place and get rid of the expensive turbos. I mean, the 911 gets 300HP from 3.4 liters, and the Boxster S gets 252 from 3.2 liters. And to add fuel onto the fire (although no totally fair), Mazda's new rotory engine makes 280HP normally aspirated from a very small displacement engine.

Folks out in Californina turbocharge and rice out their Civis to pump out 500+ HP at the front wheels from 1.6-1.8 liter engines. Point is, just because you can get 1000HP out of a turbocharged Skyline doesn't really mean anything. The Skyline makes roughly 280-320HP with turbos (but nobody really knows it true output as the cap is 280 in Japan). A Viper GTS makes 450 while being normally aspirated. If you enlarge the Viper engine and throw on a couple of Turbos, that 1000HP from the Skyline will be nothing