the genesis is more along the lines of a luxury coupe/sedan.. ala m3..

 

A sport compact is simply a car that is based on an ordinary compact car but is modded at the factory for performance, like the Speed 3, Lancer Evo, Cobalt SS, Impreza WRX, etc. The Golf GTI is considered to be the first.

Sports cars are built for performance from the design phase rather than being based on an existing compact car, that's the real distinction. That doesn't necessarily mean that one type performs better than the other though.

Power is not the primary characteristic of a sports car, and never has been. Power is the primary characteristic of a muscle/drag car.

The primary characteristic of a sports car is handling, because they are designed to be (or be like) road course race cars, and absolutely have to be able to handle the turns. Sports cars often trade power for handling because powerful engines tend to be heavy and sports cars *must* be light to handle well. Sports cars have *always* placed handling above power, for very practical reasons.

And that is why roadsters are considered the most pure of sports cars. Because they are light and agile, not because they are powerful.

And the 8 is a sports car, there really is no question about that. You can talk about the back seats, extra doors, and moderate power until you're blue in the face, but at the end of the day it's still a sports car. Take a look at the Grand Am series and see what cars are running in American sports car racing.

[Yes I know Speedsource #70 is hardly even an 8 let alone stock, but the Porsches ain't exactly stock either]

 

^yes most ppl do consider the 8 a sports car which to normal ppl it is...however we were just arguing the actual DEFENITION of a sports car which by definition we are not!....just saying..

 

^ I'm not sure that definition is really adequate anymore, though it was at one time. I think the RX-8 kind of dissolved the distinctions between 2-seat and 2+2 coupes and full sedans; it really doesn't quite fall anywhere in there.

Is it any less of a sports car than the Miata, and in what way? Are distinctions based on seats and doors and tops necessary, or merely traditional?

 

Poop. Nice and Round. Has the aerodynamics of a Murcielago and the speed of a Geo Metro.

 

I pretty much believe the hype that Mazda created the first true 4-seater sports car, but I stand by what I said above that a 2-seater RX-7/8/9 would still be a better sports car, with fewer compromises, less practical. As much as I love my 8, it still doesn't fly through the air as easily as my 2200-lb Miata on my 'mountain' commute. 5-800 lbs does have consequences.

 

There are two Genesis models... the Sedan and the Coupe. The two have little in common other than the catchy name.

Do yourself a favor and test drive the V6 with the track package. I think you'll agree it's a sports car. Not a high end one, but impressive nonetheless.