So How Does One Define a 'Supercar"?
 

I know this discussion has been played out but I got into a discussion with my Son who says while a 996TT or 997TT are amazing they are not 'supercars' like the Italians...hmmmm. I still shall have one though...a TT that is!

External vents?

I would tend to agree with your son. I don't consider mainstream Porsches to be supercars. I would consider a Carrera GT or a 918 to be a supercar.

My brainstorm of supercar characteristics:
Low production
Cost north of $250k
Mostly mid engine
Bonkers horsepower
Use of rare materials like carbon and titanium
Mostly two seaters with focus on weight savings
Few dealers around
Can't realistically be used as a daily driver
Main purpose is to go fast.
No creature comforts like massaging ventilated seats, etc


So what about supercar vs hypercar?

My opinion is that a supercar does super things. It can get to 60 in a couple of seconds, brake from 100 in a few dozen feet, hold near a g or more on a skidpad, and boogie around the Nurburgring, which is the defacto supercar proving grounds.

...and it has to have a million horsepower, two foot wide tires, scoops, and ducts and vents, and spoilers, and wings with extra absorbancy, and a knee-high roofline....:D

One litmus test for supercar is it gets you laid.

Example 1: At one time I owned a Chevette. I never got laid driving that car. Conclusion, while the Chevette may be the precursor to the highly regarded Astec, it is not a supercar.

Example 2: I bought a 911 3.2 Carrera. I got laid. More often than my neighbor who owned an SC. Conclusion, the 911 3.2 Carrera is a supercar, but while it gets you more tail than the SC, it is low on the supercar totem pole, but not the lowest.

Example 3: I bought a 964 C2. That in combination with example 2, oh man let me tell you, I now get laid morning, day, and night. Conclusion 1: the 964 C2 is a supercar. Conclusion 2: owning 2 super cars lower on the super car totem pole is easy on the wallet and also gets you the quality chicks, the ones that like sex, sports, beer, and the great outdoors.

This whole Tread about materialistic wants is insane...and is part and parcel of Barrack Obama's delusional mindset of "America is a rich nation>"

To my knowledge a supercar is one that requires little to no maintenance. Thus the LandCruiser, Camry and 944 in the driveway are supercars.

Are they in the Drive way because they do not run?

Currently they are not running, but if given some air, fuel and ignition, all of them have the ability to be driven away from the concrete slab in front of the house. How've you been Ted?

I would throw price out the window, performance is all that matters... but to achieve supercar performance usually requires six figures ;)

I would start with under 4 sec. in zero to 60MPH, over 1G in the skidpad, top speed in the 150 to 200 range.

Says the guy that posts about the cool/rare/expensive stuff that he finds in dumpsters or buys at auctions whether the items are for him to keep or flip to make more money...

One's definition of supercar depends on whether you make 50K or 500K.

If I had to formulate a definition, it would be a car that is quick (0-60 in <4secs), fast (top speed >200mph), with fantastic handling and stopping ability. Besides that, there is usually also a quality of the extra-exotic about them.

Ruf yellowbird, absolutely a supercar.
Carrera GT, and probably the newest 911 GT2 I think would both qualify. THe GT2 has the performance, but the quality of the extra-exotic may not be quite enough.
997TT, I think it's almost there, but not quite. Honestly, it's so close, and they are probably so much more fit to be everyday drivers that they should have their own category that puts them on top, but in a parallel category.

Rarity. Period.

For $30k, you could make a Subaru WRX perform at 'super car' levels. But no one would call it a super car, because of their ubiquity.

Maybe it's a bit like porn: Hard to define exactly, but you know it when you see it.

IMO: Would not rate the 996tt or 997tt as supercars. Not built in limited enough numbers.

I remember reading that the 928 was the first car called a Super Car.

Is a Ferarri even a super car when parked next to a Koenigsegg CCX or Pagani Zonda? Two cars that make even a Ferarri seem a little pedestrian.

It's relative to the contemporary cars that were available at the time it was new. It must have performance in the top 2% of cars that were available at the time. A Duesenberg SJ would qualify. Homebuilts don't count.
I saw a list somewhere of the top 100 Supercars. I don't think there have been 100 cars that qualify by my criteria.

928 ftw!

I jokingly call mine the $3500 supercar. :p