HYR12K

Hi All,

Just yesterday I was saying how i'd like the RX-8 to be classified in the 2005 Australia's Best Sports Car Over $57k category seeing that in previous years its been thrown into the Under $57k category.

Well they did it this year, our car has been thrown in with the big boys (which is fair enough considering the leather pack costs $60k brand new) and i still can't believe the results.

http://www.australiasbestcars.com.au...ports_over.htm

1st. Merc CLK 350
2nd. BMW M3
3rd. Porsche Boxter S
4th. Ford FPV-GT
5TH. MAZDA RX-8 !!!!

it beat the ALL the following cars:

- Audi TT
- Merc SLK
- HSV Clubsport
- Nissan 350z
- Chrysler Crossfire
- BMW Z4
- Alfa Romeo GT
- Alfa Romeo 147 GTA
- Lexus SC430
- Saab Convertible
- Honda s2000

I guess the only bad point is that it got a 3 for Performance. But for Ride, Handling & Braking .. it beats every car ranked lower than it and is up there with the top 3 German performance cars.

Ageo

How the hell did a ford make it in there?

lol no idea

AMG

my thoughts exactly

takahashi

Ditto here - that is a truck that cannot find a bloody apex on the track.

AMG

more like the ford becomes a mobile apex as the 8 overtakes it mid corner

yellowrx8inoz

Souped-up sedans should not be called sports cars.

The RX-8 is the second-best purpose-built sports car on the list, after the Boxster.

THAT makes me feel much better!

Revolver

Oh, I reckon I could put up with an M3, souped up coupe or not.

You only have to look at how different those top five cars are to realise how dumb and arbitrary these awards are.

I mean, are the Merc, M3 and Boxster S really 3 times as good as the RX8 (as their pricing suggests)?? Not to me they're not. And I'd like to see how you carry two kids around in a Boxster.

How do you define 'sports car' anyways? A number of forum members have speculated that even the 8 isn't a sports car as the purists would define the concept. For example, if you define a sedan as having 4 doors that seats 4 in relative comfort isn't the 8 a (mildly) souped up sedan??

<that should get them going>

Gibbo

For me a true sports car can not carry kids, I hate to say though, where is the GT3 Porsche or the Turbo, possibly the two best sports cars ever built.

I too echo everyone elses sentiments....how the hell did the Ford make it in to this list....hell next year we may see a Hyundai Accent with a rear wing make the list.

That list lost its credibility when that ford appeared on the list.

AMG

Revolver, I was right on the tail of an M3 going through the adelaide hills last year, if it were two lanes (or if I were guaranteed no oncoming traffic) I would have overtaken him, obviously he pulled in the straights, only to have me on his bumper later.

Tru sports cars, my friend brought his new toy around to work yesterday,a ferrari F430, didn't get to drive it as i was mid surgery, but he'll bring it around later. I'll post some piccies when I get them. Cool feature is launch control. press a button, hold the brake, the car will rev to 5k, let go of brake it'll take off for you like a rocket ship.......and these guys are calling the Ford a sports car????? All it is is a mobile chicane.

Revolver

That's my view too - must be a light weight 2 seater.

For mine, the only sports car on that list is the Boxster. The rest may be performance cars but do not fit the category of sports car.

That said, most of us have to compromise when buying a car (unless you're Lawsie or Leno), which is why cars like the M3 and RX8 will always attract a healthy following.

Now if only they would make another decent looking M3 - curse that Bangle freak!

Revolver

Lap times for both cars seem to be similar on a lot of tracks I agree. However, maybe the guy you were behind was just a ***** and couldn't drive.

Ageo

The Ferrari 430 Monza is perhaps the best sports car going around atm.

There is also the lamborghini and if the M3 was in there i would pick the Aston Martin V12 Vanquish over that any day.

yellowrx8inoz

All true, all true - the RX-8 broke new design ground so difficult to classify. M3, FPV and Merc are sedans first, with sports mods, no matter how good they are to drive, or how fast they go in a straight line. The 8 was not built on a sedan platform - it's new from the ground up, and is certainly much closer to a lightweight sports car than a family sedan IMHO.

Oh and doesn't the Vanquish have rear seats (however disfunctional)? The MGB GT does, and everyone calls that a sports car...

yellowrx8inoz

And MY Adelaide Hills experience was to outmanoeuvre a storming modded Dodge Charger in a little 660cc turbcharged rocket (Suzuki Cappuccino). Now that's a real sports car!

timbo

'Sports cars' to me are all about the driving experience, with a heavy bias towards that (as opposed to number of passengers and whether you can carry the groceries )

That said, there are 'sports cars' in a range of price categories, and bang for buck, the 8 is a 'sports car' and clearly the value winner in that class

Ageo

Yes it does but thats why i said if the M3 (has rear seats) is in there than the Vanquish should be infront.

Also the Koenisegg (sp?) should be there also.

And if thats the case the Mclaren F1 should be there somewhere also hehe

idolo

The M3 is boring. Its about time BMW had some ***** and designed something new.

The Aston Martin is slow (compared to other cars in its price range). Pommies always have a tendancy to make very nice looking but gutless (i use this term relatively...M6, SL65) cars in my opinion.

AMG i would of left my patient mid surgery for the chance to drive an F430.

EZZY

saw a 5th gear special not too long ago, their 2002 - worlds greatest car....
to them a sports car must be a convertable, rwd (dont know why they had the new mr2 for that?!), practibility and driver experience....
they had (from memory),
lotus elise
current shape mr2
previous shape mx5
s2000
radical one-seater something
aerial atom
boxster/boxster s

other more exotic cars were included, such as lambo murci, zonda, fezza 360, because they were originally a tin top and/or 4wd....

at the end, the boxster s came on top as the world's greatest sports car in 2002 according to 5th gear.....

back to the topic, i'd say the boxster should be #1 as the best sports car

AMG

I can get the offer any time, I drove his 360 Modena a few times. I have friends with an enviable livery of cars. new M3, TT, convertible maserati, 930 Turbo, AMG SL55, Porsche boxter S ( to be delivered Jan 2006). 4 door Maseratti, Corvette. All I can say when we catch up for lunch or brunch on Sundays we have fun.

idolo

Personally I hate convertibles and would never buy one.

And the Ariel Atom. I think thats stretching the term "car".

I guess the term sports car comes down to one's opinion. An MX-5 for example is a convertible and only has 2 seats however i think that the far more practical RX8 is much more of a true sports car than a car that has 118kw.

Revolver

I think we've just comprehensively proved that - which goes back to my first point that all these lists are good for is stimulating pub debates.

timbo

Except "Ford" and "sports car" should never appear in the same sentence ........ unless that sentence also contains GT40

takahashi

Ford GT is not a sports car... it is a muscle car

Revolver

BIG diff between the domestic Ford Falcon GTs of the 60s and 70s and the American GT40 built to tackle Le Mans.

Actually, Timbo, I'd call the GT40 a race car that has been detuned for street use.

And we haven't even got into Grand Tourers properly yet...

Ah, pedantry, it's a great time waster.

ILIV48

Just watch the Ford GT go around Sandown. A sports car it ain't!