View Poll Results: Is the G35 a "Sports Car"
Yes
59
66.29%
No
13
14.61%
Only modded
17
19.10%
Voters: 89. You may not vote on this poll
Is your G35 a sports car?
When I was in high school (early seventies), you ask anyone and they would say a "sports car" was a
MGB, Triumph TR-4, Fiat 124, Triumph Spitfire, MGA, etc. Nobody would have called a Corvette a sports car, it was a muscle car. Detroit really didn't make a sports car at the time.
MGB, Triumph TR-4, Fiat 124, Triumph Spitfire, MGA, etc. Nobody would have called a Corvette a sports car, it was a muscle car. Detroit really didn't make a sports car at the time.
So then the question is - if we are going to modify the definition of "sports car", how far do we twist it? Do we go by marketing standards where they've categorized all of these cars into categories they see fit? Do we go by insurance claims? Track times? Motor technologies? Power to weight ratio? The amount of engineering that went into the car's design?
Just because cars like the EVO, STi, or Type-R are built for performance doesn't mean other cars that aren't improved version of another car can't perform either. Is the WRX not going to be considered a sports car because it isn't an STi? It still has a suspension built to perform, a turbocharged boxer motor, and all-wheel drive. Is the Maserati MC12 not a sports car because it's a dressed up Enzo?
Nothing about the G beside the added luxury, sedan or coupe, says it doesn't fit in the modified sports car segment either. Sport suspension, high performance motor with 240-298 hp, 269 lbs of torque, 52/48 weight distribution, with the curb weight of the heaviest US model at just under 3400 lbs. What about the sedans' chassis is so horrible? It still has a very nice weight distribution.
Just for contrast, the GTR has a curb weight of 3800, and the 350z is only about 200 lbs lighter than the G, while the older 300ZX weighed in at under 2700 for it's heaviest model, STi - 3200, EVO X MR - 3600. If we go by weight, the G sedan is lighter than the coupe, so does that mean the sedan is more of a sports car than the coupe? The 300ZX which was seen as one of the best handling cars mainly due to it's nice, close to 50/50 weight distribution at it's time was as horrible as 55/45, and put down less power to the wheels than any G35 does. The EVO and STi have a weight distribution of about 52/48, Ferrari 458 - 52/48, Porsche 911 - 58/42, Cayman - 64/36, GTR - 50/50. IMHO, if you want to get technical, get technical with the info that matters for performance.
BTW, my G sedan can take 300ZX twin turbos all day.
Just because cars like the EVO, STi, or Type-R are built for performance doesn't mean other cars that aren't improved version of another car can't perform either. Is the WRX not going to be considered a sports car because it isn't an STi? It still has a suspension built to perform, a turbocharged boxer motor, and all-wheel drive. Is the Maserati MC12 not a sports car because it's a dressed up Enzo?
Nothing about the G beside the added luxury, sedan or coupe, says it doesn't fit in the modified sports car segment either. Sport suspension, high performance motor with 240-298 hp, 269 lbs of torque, 52/48 weight distribution, with the curb weight of the heaviest US model at just under 3400 lbs. What about the sedans' chassis is so horrible? It still has a very nice weight distribution.
Just for contrast, the GTR has a curb weight of 3800, and the 350z is only about 200 lbs lighter than the G, while the older 300ZX weighed in at under 2700 for it's heaviest model, STi - 3200, EVO X MR - 3600. If we go by weight, the G sedan is lighter than the coupe, so does that mean the sedan is more of a sports car than the coupe? The 300ZX which was seen as one of the best handling cars mainly due to it's nice, close to 50/50 weight distribution at it's time was as horrible as 55/45, and put down less power to the wheels than any G35 does. The EVO and STi have a weight distribution of about 52/48, Ferrari 458 - 52/48, Porsche 911 - 58/42, Cayman - 64/36, GTR - 50/50. IMHO, if you want to get technical, get technical with the info that matters for performance.
BTW, my G sedan can take 300ZX twin turbos all day.
2005 model for example.
Coupe: 3486 (AT), 3512 (6MT)
Sedan: 3468 (AT), 3512 (6MT)
So, the difference between a 2005 AT coupe and sedan is a whopping 10 lbs.
Edit: We both have 05 6MT's which is why I used that as an example.
There isn't much difference in weight, year for year between 1st gen coupes and sedans to make a significant difference. Most are <80 lbs.
2005 model for example.
Coupe: 3486 (AT), 3512 (6MT)
Sedan: 3468 (AT), 3512 (6MT)
So, the difference between a 2005 AT coupe and sedan is a whopping 10 lbs.
Edit: We both have 05 6MT's which is why I used that as an example.
2005 model for example.
Coupe: 3486 (AT), 3512 (6MT)
Sedan: 3468 (AT), 3512 (6MT)
So, the difference between a 2005 AT coupe and sedan is a whopping 10 lbs.
Edit: We both have 05 6MT's which is why I used that as an example.
Ferraris, Lambos, and Aston Martins are all luxury cars. The Audi R8, Mercedes SLS and plenty other models are true sports cars but they're also full of much more luxury than the G35 line will not have for at least a few more years. Like Jairen pointed out, Bimmers are full of luxury too.
If they are making econo boxes into sports cars like the EVO or STi, why can't luxury cars, which are sold at a premium price, be made as sports cars as well if they all perform exceptionally well?
The whole point of this is that sports cars have become something new to fit the changing market. There is an X5M that owns at the tracks, a SRT Jeep with a good driver can take on EVOs and STis at the track all day, and these are luxurious, big, heavy SUVs that are engineered to perform just like how the STi and EVO are. The line between what is a sports car and what isn't is not as clear anymore.
If they are making econo boxes into sports cars like the EVO or STi, why can't luxury cars, which are sold at a premium price, be made as sports cars as well if they all perform exceptionally well?
The whole point of this is that sports cars have become something new to fit the changing market. There is an X5M that owns at the tracks, a SRT Jeep with a good driver can take on EVOs and STis at the track all day, and these are luxurious, big, heavy SUVs that are engineered to perform just like how the STi and EVO are. The line between what is a sports car and what isn't is not as clear anymore.
Last edited by dofu; Oct 1, 2013 at 04:41 PM.
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Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 1,070
Likes: 45
From: NJ
When I was in high school (early seventies), you ask anyone and they would say a "sports car" was a
MGB, Triumph TR-4, Fiat 124, Triumph Spitfire, MGA, etc. Nobody would have called a Corvette a sports car, it was a muscle car. Detroit really didn't make a
sports car at the time.
MGB, Triumph TR-4, Fiat 124, Triumph Spitfire, MGA, etc. Nobody would have called a Corvette a sports car, it was a muscle car. Detroit really didn't make a
sports car at the time.
In the great words of Jeremy Clarkson:
http://www.topgear.com/uk/jeremy-cla...ars-2003-01-06
I think it's mostly a question of attitude. A sports car does not have to be fast or pretty. It need not have a folding roof and it can have seats in the back. But it does need to be uncompromising in some way, shape or form. It needs to be hard riding and noisier than necessary. It needs to remind its owner every single yard of every single journey that he or she bought the car to be exciting.
It needs, therefore, to transmit its interaction with the road with a series of semaphore signals in the driver's pants. It needs to telegraph every burp of its engine, every squeak of its tyres. A sports car is a state of mind.
It needs, therefore, to transmit its interaction with the road with a series of semaphore signals in the driver's pants. It needs to telegraph every burp of its engine, every squeak of its tyres. A sports car is a state of mind.
It's funny how everyone keeps saying its an entry level luxury car because it is an infiniti. It's like that badge makes it a level higher than the Z or something. Those who are calling it a luxury car, have you forgotten that it is only an Infiniti in North America and is a Nissan everywhere else in the world? (yes I know there are models with 2.5L engines, cloth seats and some without dual zone climate control, etc. But the majority, especially the coupes were nearly identical or could be configured.) People this is why we are calling it a terrible luxury car; its not really a luxury car just because it has an Infiniti logo.
It's funny how everyone keeps saying its an entry level luxury car because it is an infiniti. It's like that badge makes it a level higher than the Z or something. Those who are calling it a luxury car, have you forgotten that it is only an Infiniti in North America and is a Nissan everywhere else in the world? (yes I know there are models with 2.5L engines, cloth seats and some without dual zone climate control, etc. But the majority, especially the coupes were nearly identical or could be configured.) People this is why we are calling it a terrible luxury car; its not really a luxury car just because it has an Infiniti logo.
If the Z was sold under infiniti would you call it an entry level luxury car? They could have done that if they wanted to, just make certain options that almost everyone got standard, leather etc. Was the Acura integra or RSX a luxury car? Hardly.
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Joined: Sep 2013
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Brb let me check when I said that a gallardo was not a sports car. I'm back. It would seem those words were placed in my mouth. You can play your nonsense game and name every motor that was shared with another car all day long, yet I do believe I simply stated my personal preference of wanting a sports car with a motor that is its own solely. That does not negate every sports car, namely those with motors used in other models. In the event of my G and no not your G, as again this is a matter of personal preference, it's VQ being in other models much less powerful tends to lessen the sports car vibe and appeal FOR ME. Let me ask you this is it harder to read my previous posts and use common sense when it comes to a sports cars motor being solely it's own or is it harder for you to remove the "[17]" source link you copy and pasted off from Wikipedia? Stay hot
Oh and you said FOR YOU a car that shares it's motor is not a sports car... My turn to check... Yup the Lamborghini and Audi share a motor as you clearly showed in the picture
Left the 17 in there so that no one would think I was making up my info but thanks anyways. Your logic on a sports car not sharing it's motor makes absolutely no sense because the best/fastest sports cars almost all share their motor in some way either block pistons or something else detuned for a different purpose or tuned for a more "sporty" purpose. Otherwise how could a range rover motor go into everything from a van to a land rover to a tvr?
Oh and you said FOR YOU a car that shares it's motor is not a sports car... My turn to check... Yup the Lamborghini and Audi share a motor as you clearly showed in the picture
Oh and you said FOR YOU a car that shares it's motor is not a sports car... My turn to check... Yup the Lamborghini and Audi share a motor as you clearly showed in the picture