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-   -   Volvo XC70, the true sports car (https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=52567)

Bob Feb 2nd, 2008 19:40

Volvo XC70, the true sports car
 
The words "sports car" can be interpreted in two different ways. You can consider the car itself as a piece of sports equipment - a sexy beast with more power and torque than most would dare to unleash. Or you can view the car as the thing that enables you and your gear to get halfway up a frozen mountain in search of an extreme challenge.

Click here to read the full report

John_C Feb 2nd, 2008 21:33

LOL I'd like to have some of whatever Volvo's ad team were on when they decided to redefine the term "sports car" :)

ovlov25 Feb 2nd, 2008 21:43

My cousins missus drives a XC70 D5, very competent vehicle but i'd hardly call it a sports car.

My definition would be...

Lightweight, RWD, 2 seats and soft top. Basically anything from a lotus 7 to a porsche boxster.

A vehicle to get you up a frozen mountain with equipment is usually called a landrover!

Finally, something with power and torque to scare you is a supercar, of course the borders of definition are getting quite vague these days

JIM C Feb 2nd, 2008 21:47

This is the description I found on the internet.

A sports car is an automobile designed for performance driving.[citation needed] Most sports cars are rear-wheel drive, have two seats, two doors, and are designed for more precise handling, acceleration, and aesthetics.[citation needed] A sports car's dominant considerations can be superior road handling, braking, maneuverability, low weight, and high power, rather than passenger space, comfort, and fuel economy.
Sports cars can be either luxurious[1] or spartan, but driving mechanical performance is the key attraction. Drivers regard brand name and the subsequent racing reputation and history (for example, Ferrari, Porsche, Lotus) as important indications of sporting quality, but brands such as Lamborghini, which do not race or build racing cars, are also highly regarded.
A car may be a sporting automobile without being a sports car. Performance modifications of regular, production cars, such as sport compacts, sports sedans, muscle cars, hot hatches and the like, generally are not sports cars, yet share traits common to sports cars. Often, they are called "sports cars" for marketing purposes for increased advertising and promotional purposes.[2] Performance cars of all configurations are grouped as Sports and Grand tourer cars, or, occasionally, as performance cars.
A sports car does not require a large, powerful engine, though many do have them. Some classic British sports cars lacked powerful engines, but were known for exceptional handling due to light weight, a well-engineered, balanced chassis, and modern suspension. On tight, twisting roads, such an automobile performs more effectively than a heavier, more powerful luxury car with less maneuverability.
Due to North American safety regulations, many sports cars are unavailable for sale or use in the United States and Canada. In the United Kingdom, Europe, and the Middle Eastern market (e.g. UAE), a flexible attitude towards small-volume specialist manufacturers has allowed companies such as TVR, Noble, and Pagani to succeed.

dodgyken Feb 11th, 2008 15:20

I have to admit the bar that allows you to mount 2 bikes in the back of a V70/XC70 is pretty effective.

Apparently the XC70 was meant to be called the X70 but then the copyrighters finger slipped on the keyboard :D

Kobe Feb 13th, 2008 21:27

I have an XC70 and a Honda S2000

I don't think I need internet to know which one I would call a sports car..

and which one is a family sized estate car.. :)


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