Sports Sedan

[C M Smith <cmsmith@domain.elided>]

There is no definition of a sports sedan. BMW is supposed to have 
"invented" the category with the 2002 (or its predecessor the 1600). After 
making horrible little cars and a few bigger and less horrible ones, BMW 
finally hit on the right balance between size and performance.

I can't help feeling that any car much over 3,000 lbs curb weight (or kerb 
weight for the Brits) can possibly qualify as a sports anything. My SAAB 
9000 turbos are around 3,100 lbs before I get in (and I ain't admitting 
what that does to the weight) and they are pretty peppy. The 86 will easily 
turn an 8 second 0-60 mph and the 97 Aero can get into the high 6's if you 
can stop the front tires smoking into oblivion. A box stock 91 164L 5 spd 
has trouble getting down to 8 seconds. The S could but only by reducing the 
final drive ratio by 10%, sacrificing its top end. Any of these cars would 
run circles (ponderously) any 2002 or 320.

If one allows for modern crash regulations adding inexorably to the weight 
of even sports sedans I guess a 3,100 lb car could be classed as a sports 
sedan, but 3,500 lbs? Or, god forbid, 3,700 lbs which is what those porky 
German cars weigh, the new M3 and the A4. Come on, where's the sport? If 
one breaks too far above a reasonable weight why not include the Bentley 
Turbo R. This frighteningly quick and fast car handles extremely well, goes 
very fast and accelerates very quickly. But it's HUGE man, and FAT weighing 
in at nearly 6,000 lbs. It drives like a rocket powered living room (or 
smoking room in a gentlemen's club more like) nowhere near what seekers of 
"sport" are looking for.

Nope, there are very very few sports sedans left in North America. North 
America doesn't build any. The VW is the only European entry i can think 
of. The Subaru WRX, or even the lesser models, and the Mazda MP3 certainly 
qualify.

Mercedes? Give me a break. I know Mercedes has just released a toy car, 
three door hatch, to "capture" its youth market but it ain't  a sedan let 
alone a sports sedan in my books, and the rest are way too heavy.

So, in the fine tradition of this digest let us compare our own definitions 
of what a sports sedan is (remember how much fun it was defining a sports 
car) and list our candidates.

Enjoy



Michael Smith
Calgary, Alberta,Canada
91 Alfa 164L
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