What is a Sports Car?

As a simple matter of definition, a sports car is generally thought to be a small low car with a high-powered engine that generally seats two persons. This “textbook” definition gives us an idea of what a sports car is, but there are differing perspectives.

Even a more complete dictionary definition falls short of truly capturing a sports car. The Houghton Mifflin dictionary defines a sports car as: “An automobile equipped for racing, especially an aerodynamically shaped one-passenger or two-passenger vehicle having a low center of gravity and steering and suspension designed for precise control at high speeds.”

Examining the textbook and dictionary definitions, we can find any number of exceptions to the proverbial rule. Earlier British sports cars lacked powerful engines and many small cars with powerful engines that are popularly considered sports were not designed with racing, per se, in mind.
More..