Is the Corvette a Sports Car, Muscle Car or a Grand Tourer?
12-31-2018, 10:26 PM
#41
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DUH! Seriously??? That is one of those questions that if you have to ask... well, you know. 
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LT1 Man (01-05-2019)
01-01-2019, 11:32 AM
#43
Melting Slicks
Although the term muscle car has morphed over the last few decades, I believe you have go to back to John DeLorean when he went against GM and stuffed the 389 in a mid-sized two-door coupe, the Pontiac Tempest and created the 1964 GTO. Of course Chevy followed with the Chevelle with its 396(I had new '69 396SS) and Olds followed with its version the 442. The genre seemed to be midsized two-door coupes and even convertibles. These were the first muscle cars.
Of course Ford and Mopar followed with their versions and I can't even begin to list those models that were analogous to the Tempests, Chevelles and Olds models, but they were all called muscle cars if they had large, high powered engines, and that, I believe defined the term for that age.
Mustang brought us the first "Pony" car so that is eponymous with Mustang. Then came Camaro and Firebird. Of course Mopar again followed with its versions of the "pony" car. You Mopar guys can help with naming those models correctly.
My point is there were limited definitions of these kinds of cars and over the years, people have blurred those definitions by referring to certain cars as muscle cars and pony cars with the same breath just because they had large, high powered engines.
I always thought Corvette to be a sports car but this is from the memory of a 13-year-old kid who used to press his nose against the glass of Gibbs Chevrolet in Medina, OH in 1953, ogling and dreaming of a little white car with red interior.
I guess we need to create our own dictionary for cars past and present and change those definitions as they evolve.
Just my 2 cents.
Of course Ford and Mopar followed with their versions and I can't even begin to list those models that were analogous to the Tempests, Chevelles and Olds models, but they were all called muscle cars if they had large, high powered engines, and that, I believe defined the term for that age.
Mustang brought us the first "Pony" car so that is eponymous with Mustang. Then came Camaro and Firebird. Of course Mopar again followed with its versions of the "pony" car. You Mopar guys can help with naming those models correctly.
My point is there were limited definitions of these kinds of cars and over the years, people have blurred those definitions by referring to certain cars as muscle cars and pony cars with the same breath just because they had large, high powered engines.
I always thought Corvette to be a sports car but this is from the memory of a 13-year-old kid who used to press his nose against the glass of Gibbs Chevrolet in Medina, OH in 1953, ogling and dreaming of a little white car with red interior.
I guess we need to create our own dictionary for cars past and present and change those definitions as they evolve.
Just my 2 cents.
Last edited by nmerhaut; 01-01-2019 at 11:54 AM.
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LT1 Man (01-05-2019)
01-05-2019, 11:55 AM
#46
Good question. Fun to think about. And my definition for each keeps changing.
The Corvette is a grand touring car. It is simply too heavy to be a sports car. My sports car is over 1,000lbs lighter than my c7. I am stealing this from motor trend, but I agree with it 100%. "A grand touring car is a car you want to drive across the country. A sports car by definition is compromised, but it is so much fun to drive that you end up driving across the country." Just to be clear, I consider the 458 I drove 2,000 miles through Europe to he a grand touring car too.
The last thing a c7 Corvette is, is a muscle car. There is too much of an emphasis on handling for it to be a muscle car. I don't think there are any modern muscle cars anymore. Chrager / Callenger hellcats seem to be the closest. They still emphasize handling, braking etc but those seem very secondary to their 900 horsepower. Garbage chasis + big engine = muscle car, right? I have owned a bunch of muscle cars and it is tough to call ln the 6th gen Camaro or new mustang a muscle car. They seem like they are trying to be an alternative to BMW these days. I am not convinced America made a muscle car after 1975. It took us 20ish years to make another Corvette with 300 horsepower. Then we had "modern muscle cars" for like 20 years, but once the Camaro lost its solid rear axle and started aiming at BMW, I think they lost their muscle car tag.
I like to think I own one of each right now.
1 of 220 Nobles in the U.S. - sports car.
1 of 198 ls1 hardtop ws6 - (modern) muscle car.
1 of many Corvette z51's, but this one is mine. GT car
The Corvette is a grand touring car. It is simply too heavy to be a sports car. My sports car is over 1,000lbs lighter than my c7. I am stealing this from motor trend, but I agree with it 100%. "A grand touring car is a car you want to drive across the country. A sports car by definition is compromised, but it is so much fun to drive that you end up driving across the country." Just to be clear, I consider the 458 I drove 2,000 miles through Europe to he a grand touring car too.
The last thing a c7 Corvette is, is a muscle car. There is too much of an emphasis on handling for it to be a muscle car. I don't think there are any modern muscle cars anymore. Chrager / Callenger hellcats seem to be the closest. They still emphasize handling, braking etc but those seem very secondary to their 900 horsepower. Garbage chasis + big engine = muscle car, right? I have owned a bunch of muscle cars and it is tough to call ln the 6th gen Camaro or new mustang a muscle car. They seem like they are trying to be an alternative to BMW these days. I am not convinced America made a muscle car after 1975. It took us 20ish years to make another Corvette with 300 horsepower. Then we had "modern muscle cars" for like 20 years, but once the Camaro lost its solid rear axle and started aiming at BMW, I think they lost their muscle car tag.
I like to think I own one of each right now.
1 of 220 Nobles in the U.S. - sports car.
1 of 198 ls1 hardtop ws6 - (modern) muscle car.
1 of many Corvette z51's, but this one is mine. GT car
Finally, someone who has an accurate definition of the Corvette
THANK YOU
01-05-2019, 12:02 PM
#47
Well, why not? It's a Sports car, but it's more powerful, heavier, and luxurious which that's basically what a GT Car is. Oh well, that's fine.
Call your Vette whatever you want to call it. it's your car!! 
01-05-2019, 01:18 PM
#48
Melting Slicks
The mustang and it’s competitor (Camaro) are technically classified as “Piny” cars. However, with the advancements over the years from the originals, I don’t think they can can’t be called just Pony cars anymore. They are legitimate sports cars, even with the back seats.
01-05-2019, 01:25 PM
#49
Team Owner
Not by a old timer like me, Sports cars do not have back seats!
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JoesC5 (01-06-2019)
01-05-2019, 01:33 PM
#50
Intermediate
Agreed especially with mustang and camaro price tags (depending on configuration) costing as much or more than a corvette.
01-05-2019, 02:45 PM
#51
Le Mans Master
Do you consider a Porsche 911 a sports car?
Actually, per an earlier post the 911 could be considered a sedan!
Personally I think the Corvette is closer to a Grand Tourer. A Miata is a sports car.
I think the general public doesn't know what a Grand Tourer is so they consider them sports cars.
Actually, per an earlier post the 911 could be considered a sedan!
Personally I think the Corvette is closer to a Grand Tourer. A Miata is a sports car.
I think the general public doesn't know what a Grand Tourer is so they consider them sports cars.
01-05-2019, 02:54 PM
#52
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It sounds like something Austin Powers would say.
"It's a Grand Tourer baby. Yeah!"
Last edited by MSG C5; 01-05-2019 at 05:15 PM.
01-05-2019, 03:13 PM
#53
Instructor
01-05-2019, 03:15 PM
#54
Team Owner
Do you consider a Porsche 911 a sports car?
Actually, per an earlier post the 911 could be considered a sedan!
Personally I think the Corvette is closer to a Grand Tourer. A Miata is a sports car.
I think the general public doesn't know what a Grand Tourer is so they consider them sports cars.
Actually, per an earlier post the 911 could be considered a sedan!
Personally I think the Corvette is closer to a Grand Tourer. A Miata is a sports car.
I think the general public doesn't know what a Grand Tourer is so they consider them sports cars.
Names like sports car, muscle car,,pony car, performance car have been used wrong for such a long time, so now they are accepted as correct by the newer generation car writers and their reader out there! I was out there street and strip racing in the 1960s so I was there when most of those names originated!
01-05-2019, 04:04 PM
#55
Le Mans Master
Like said In post #6 over time the names have been compromised. I'm old school and I prefer the older descriptions. A car can handle/ preform like a "Sports Car" but its still not a sports car. Sorry some Porsches!
Names like sports car, muscle car,,pony car, performance car have been used wrong for such a long time, so now they are accepted as correct by the newer generation car writers and their reader out there! I was out there street and strip racing in the 1960s so I was there when most of those names originated!
Names like sports car, muscle car,,pony car, performance car have been used wrong for such a long time, so now they are accepted as correct by the newer generation car writers and their reader out there! I was out there street and strip racing in the 1960s so I was there when most of those names originated!
I have a Maserati Merak (mid engine - economy version of the Bora) with 2 jump seats that, as Road & Track put it, are only suitable for double amputees. The Bora and Merak are both considered Grand Touring cars even though they are mid-engined (the Bora doesn't have a back seat).
In the early days it was cheaper to insure cars that had 4 seats. I don't know if the number of seats means anything to the insurers these days since they use the VIN to establish the rate. Some places won't even quote you without a VIN.
01-05-2019, 11:10 PM
#56
Instructor
Its a Super Car! at 650 HP / 650 T it is stronger then 99% of the muscle cars. With the superb handling its far better then your Mini or Mazda sports cars. At 22 to 26 MPG and touring driving mode it is s Super GT. therefore it is a Super Car
01-06-2019, 07:51 AM
#58
Instructor
Yes, you are correct it is not as rare nor is it as expensive as other "Super Cars". However it provides daily enjoyment and for me that makes it a Super Car. I can't wait to get a 2021 C8 Mid Engine M7 Z-06. I hope they have a sexy Laguna Blue.
