Sports Car or Muscle Car

[titan81]

But if your choice is to call your Corvette a musclecar, or anything else for that matter (I call mine "whore" because it costs me so much :L), there's nothing wrong with that either.

Hear you on that one.
huuh lol

 

[C3RVETTE]

Considering what you get for the money,compared to the European choices,if a Corvette is a sports car it comes out on top every time.I think the modern vettes are a sports car/muscle car hybrid.Whats the base C6? 405 HP?

 

[pasvorto1]

I put the Corvette as a sports car. My '64 GTO was a muscle car. Designed to go 1/4 mile in as little time as possible. Take a "family" car (Lemans) and add horsepower.

 

[C3RVETTE]

I put the Corvette as a sports car. My '64 GTO was a muscle car. Designed to go 1/4 mile in as little time as possible. Take a "family" car (Lemans) and add horsepower.

Yeah,I had a couple "muscle cars" myself-a Roadrunner for one,and a muscular pony car-a 67 Camaro,& I wish I still had them:cry

 

[69stroker]

How about a muscular sports car?

 

[JJS]

I haven't had time to read all of the posts here, but I thought I'd throw my 2 cents worth in. I have a '71 LT-1 that I consider to be a muscle car. I believe any vette manufactured between '64-'71 would be considered muscle.....and that might also include '72.
Wasn't the muscle car era started by Pontiac in '64? Anyway, this is just my opinion, and you all know what that's worth!

 

[pasvorto1]

If I remember right, when deLorean and his boys introduced the GTO package to the 64 Lemans, the muscle car era was born. However, 4 years earlier Chevy had a car with some 'nads, the 409 impala(?). It didn't get the hype of the GTO, though.

 

[JJS]

If I remember right, when deLorean and his boys introduced the GTO package to the 64 Lemans, the muscle car era was born. However, 4 years earlier Chevy had a car with some 'nads, the 409 impala(?). It didn't get the hype of the GTO, though.

You are correct, if memory serves me!
Also, mopar had wedge engines out there prior to '64 that were extremely potent.

 

[wallyknoch]

How about a muscular sports car?

This I like, Vettes with big engines can qualify for this all day long.:L

 

[Ken]

And the beat goes on ...

 

[Stallion]

How about a muscular sports car?

Sounds good to me.

 

[UKPaul]

Simple answer: It's neither a sports car, nor a muscle car - IT'S A VETTE. Simple as that. Most people know what a sports car is & a lot know what a muscle car is, but everybody knows what a Vette is
Originally the "American sports car" may have competed well with Euro sports cars, probably due to the vastly superior engine ( ), but as the power advantage was lost due to smog controls in the 70's it became a GT. Or, as most people call it.... a Corvette! The Euro sports car handling got better & better while not a lot was done to the C3 (in fact, it got heavier until a peak in '79, after which it was put on a diet). Also consider that the chassis was based on the C2 chassis. It handles well for its time, does a brilliant job of meeting its design criteria of delivering a great bang for the buck, but saying that it's as good a handling car as any euro sports car of the time is a good way of going about getting your ass handed to you on a plate! Try hanging with a late 70's Porsche or Lotus on the twisty bits, particularly with a bad road surface, & you'll soon be aware of the error of your claims! On wide roads with smooth surfaces & long sweeping bends (like the roads I've seen in the US) I've no doubt that a C3 would do a much better job of staying with the euro cars. But put it on the euro sports cars home turf & it's a different story. I know, I've tried :lol: While things like Esprits will leave it in their exhaust fumes on some of my favorite twisty roads, it still handles as well as I need it to, it can still go round corners better than a lot of modern cars & I wouldn't swap it for any euro sports car below $100 000! Be aware of it's limitations & just accept that as an overall package, it's very hard to beat a Vette. Especially for the price

 

[JOE BYRNE]

Both!! for sure

 

[like2drive]

I would not own one if I didn't think of it as a sports car. My best idea of a sports car is the old Austin Healy 100-4, 100-6, and 3000's which Ive raced and owned. Wish I'd kept one. Like the C-2s, which I like best ...and often thought were modeled after the AH, (as well as the Cobra), they looked like they were going 100mph sitting still., were spirit lifting to drive (even w/70-30 weight distribution), and always a crowd pleaser. Also, my idea of a sports car would include a rag-top and 4-speed by necessity. My current '81 is an affordable compromise that allows me some of the pleasures of ownership I encountered w/the Healys. GM knowed all this when they produced the different classes depending on what we wanted in those years. IMO, after '67, the vettes were marketing compromises that I don't understand until the C5's...which are light years out of my pocketbook reach. Maybe I would call those a sports car. thanks for the reflection. Jim

 

[C3RVETTE]

I would not own one if I didn't think of it as a sports car. My best idea of a sports car is the old Austin Healy 100-4, 100-6, and 3000's which Ive raced and owned. Wish I'd kept one. Like the C-2s, which I like best ...and often thought were modeled after the AH, (as well as the Cobra), they looked like they were going 100mph sitting still., were spirit lifting to drive (even w/70-30 weight distribution), and always a crowd pleaser. Also, my idea of a sports car would include a rag-top and 4-speed by necessity. My current '81 is an affordable compromise that allows me some of the pleasures of ownership I encountered w/the Healys. GM knowed all this when they produced the different classes depending on what we wanted in those years. IMO, after '67, the vettes were marketing compromises that I don't understand until the C5's...which are light years out of my pocketbook reach. Maybe I would call those a sports car. thanks for the reflection. Jim

I think your opinion of vettes after 67 would be different if the government hadnt started putting on major restrictions,& gas prices hadnt started climbing in those days,and there was no interference in the natural progression of Corvette evolution

 

[craig32]

If you're a North American, the Corvette is YOUR sports car. Europeans may see it differently, as they have many others to compare with. Through the years they have evolved to meet government standards as previously mentioned, the short discontinuation of the convertible, California standard transmissions, fuel economy and others.

However, many were built during the 'classic muscle car' era, and it shows. While the GTO's, 396 Camaros and Chevelles, Daytona Chargers were getting all the ink then, don't forget the police were driving Fury III's and Ford interceptors. Almost everything built from '67 to '72 that didn't have a six-banger was built for power. Try entering your Vette in a parade of 10 blocks in July - if you can't finish without overheating, you're in a muscle car as well!

Funny someone mentioned wartime as a reason for a muscle car - now that we are in the Middle East keeping peace, Corvette unleashes a 400+ HP engine.

Just my opinion, I could be wrong.
Craig

 

[KANE]

Wow- I am impressed that this thread has had soooo much life!

Stallion, you are right though. The "muscle car" / "sports car" argument is up there with so many other questions for our time.

ITS RABBIT SEASON!!
ITS DUCK SEASON!!

Tastes great- less filling.

Sometimes you feel like a nut- sometimes you don't.

Tomayto / tomawto...

How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop?

Is it a sports car or a muscle car?

 

[UKPaul]

Er, Tomato, it's "tom-ar-toe"

It's like Floyd fans arguing over which is best, "Dark Side of the Moon" or "Wish You Were Here". Does it really matter, they like them both so why not stop worrying and just enjoy it?
Cheers
p.s. Dark Side of the Moon!

 

[craig32]

It's like Floyd fans arguing . . .

Floyd fans argue? really???

 

[commando57]

Meddle