Sports car features

Below we highlight important features for you to consider when purchasing a sports car.

Engines and fuel economy

The powertrain”the combination of engine and transmission”is a major consideration with sporty cars, as power delivery is a big part of the fun-to-drive equation. Enthusiasts often prefer a manual transmission, because a stick shift gives the driver more control. Shifting the transmission further engages the driver in the experience and helps complete the man-machine interface. But modern day automatic transmissions have developed beyond the gearboxes found in pedestrian commuter cars. Sequential gearboxes, or automated manuals, allow for rapid shifting without the use of a clutch. They can shift as fast as a manual transmission, or even faster, and some enthusiasts feel they minimize the driving enjoyment compromise inherent with an automated transmission.

Many sports cars have a high-revving engine that may get a horsepower boost from a turbocharger or supercharger”devices that force more air into the engine than a "naturally aspirated" engine can draw in by itself. The more air that's available to mix with the fuel, the more power the engine can produce.

Larger sports cars and sports sedans usually offer a six-cylinder engine, either a straight-six or more commonly a V6. On the whole, six-cylinder engines have a larger displacement (cylinder volume) than four-cylinder engines, so it's easier for the automaker to endow them with more horsepower and torque. While sixes are bigger and heavier, they are also inherently smoother-running than four-cylinder engines.

The largest sporty cars and American-style muscle cars”such as the Chevrolet Camaro, Dodge Challenger, and Ford Mustang”are offered with big-displacement, high-horsepower V8 engines. Acceleration tends to be effortless, and a brutally quick launch from a standing start goes with the territory, as does a very high top speed. The downside? Such cars tend to be heavy, sometimes emphasize acceleration over handling, and return poor fuel economy. (Check our fuel economy Ratings.)

Handling

Beyond the power delivery and sound qualities, a key to a fun car is its handling”how it reacts to both the road and the driver. Minimal body lean, quick steering response, and steering feedback are the ingredients that separate poseurs from real sports cars. These qualities cannot be taken for granted and have nothing to do with style, number of doors, or engine size.

Drive wheels

Some argue that the best sporty cars must have rear-wheel drive. While that remains conventional wisdom, there are certainly exceptions, such as the front-wheel-drive Mazdaspeed3 and Volkswagen GTI, and all-wheel-drive Audi TT and Subaru Impreza WRX. Rear-wheel drive takes its appeal from the weight distribution and how the car reacts to power routed to the rear. A rear-drive car lends itself better to handling a lot of power and is easier to finesse with the throttle, enabling a skilled driver to rotate the back end of the car in a controlled, and entertaining, fashion.

Access

Low-slung sports cars, especially roadsters, can be very hard to enter and exit. Low, heavily bolstered seats, short doors, and arched rooflines favor youthful, athletic drivers. This is less of an issue with sports sedans. It can be a challenge to access the rear seat, if there is one. Some models have a convenient one-hand-operation for scooting the front seats far forward. With all body styles, consider access issues. The trunk may be very small, as well. Some hatchbacks have a high lift-over lip and the space may be compromised with a side-to-side brace added for rigidity.

Safety features

Some sporty cars beg to be driven fast, but as speeds increase, the severity of any crash rises exponentially. Consequently, it makes sense to take all possible precautions to protect yourself and your passengers, and to practice good judgment and restraint. Just in case, it is important to have good brakes, and braking performance is one of the measurements we take on every car we test. We consider antilock brakes and electronic stability control (ESC) to be must-haves. Electronic stability control is a computer-guided system that automatically and selectively applies brakes to pull a car out of an incipient sideways slide.

All new sporty cars have standard left and right front air bags, lap-and-shoulder belts, antilock brakes, and ESC. However, it can be very difficult to install a child seat in the rear of a sporty coupe or convertible. (Check our road tests for an assessment of child seat compatibility.) Chest-level side air bags are common for front-seat passengers. Head-protecting side air bags, usually in the form of a side curtain that covers both front and rear side windows, are increasingly common and we recommend them where they're not standard.

Size is another safety consideration. Other things being equal, a larger, heavier car is safer for its occupants than a smaller, lighter car. Check our safety ratings, which factor crash-test results when available, and take those scores into consideration. However, since some sports models are low-volume specialty cars, there may not be crash test results available. (Learn more about car safety.)

Emerging safety technologies

The latest automotive safety advances include telematics systems that alert emergency personnel if an air bag deploys, lane-departure warning systems that sound an alert if you change lanes without signaling, rear-view cameras to prevent back-over accidents, and blind-spot warning systems that indicate vehicles driving to the side and rear of you. Automatic-braking systems are also becoming more readily available. These apply the brakes if you're approaching the car ahead too fast and ignore an audible warning that alerts you to the situation. (Learn more about car safety.)

Entertainment and convenience

The latest mobile electronics enable cars to deliver the fidelity of home theater, along with cell-phone connectivity and navigation guidance. There is a wide range of infotainment features available from the factory, and more so available through the aftermarket. (See our guide to mobile electronics.)

Audio system

The standard car-audio package is a stereo radio and in-dash CD player with speakers left and right and fore and aft. An upgraded system typically has higher-watt amplifier power output”so you can play music loudly while minimizing distortion”and more and better-quality speakers to enhance clarity and sound separation. Top-level systems add digital sound fields, noise-canceling, surround sound, and DVD-Audio playback. Depending on the package, an audio upgrade can add many hundreds of dollars to a car's sticker price. Cars at every price level have a standard audio-in jack where you can plug in an MP3 player for playback through the car's audio system, and many models come with a standard USB port Only stereos with a specific iPod connector, rather than a microplug port, will be able to control and recharge an iPod.

Satellite and HD radio

Subscription-only satellite radio offers broad channel selection, catering to a variety of musical and information interests, much like cable TV. Most vehicles offer satellite radio readiness in some audio systems. HD Radio allows conventional (or terrestrial) AM and FM stations to broadcast their content over digital signals with higher fidelity. It also allows stations to add more programming via several additional channels that can be broadcast "alongside" a station's main frequency, for delivering traffic or weather information, or diverse music content.

Navigation systems and connectivity

In-car navigation systems can be a valued feature if you often drive in unfamiliar territory. They typically retail for about $1,500 to $2,000 when offered alone, but they are often bundled with other features, such as a backup camera or a high-end audio system that can add another $1,000 or more. Built-in systems have large, clear screens that are centrally located in the dashboard and have generally intuitive controls. They are integrated nicely into the car, and some use touch-screen displays that make it easy to input destinations and move through menus. Some can also respond to voice commands, giving you the added safety of keeping your eyes on the road and hands on the wheel. For a fee, many systems can provide real-time traffic reports, which can alert you to congested traffic, accidents, or road construction. However, portable units can offer most of the same abilities for much less money. (See Ratings and learn more about portable GPS navigation systems.)

Bluetooth connectivity is becoming more readily available, enabling a cell phone to wirelessly communicate with the car's audio system. This can make for convenient, hands-free phone operation or streaming music from the phone or an Internet radio station.

Popularized by GM's OnStar, telematics systems use a combination of cellular telephone and Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to connect drivers with a call center staffed 24/7 at the touch of a button. For a monthly or annual fee, such concierge services can provide directions or summon emergency aid based on your vehicle's location.

See also:

GPS

Car batteries

Tires

Car seats