Sport compact
Car Show
Sport compact
Sport compact cars are typically front-engine, front wheel drive (FF)
compacts or
subcompacts driven by a
naturally aspirated 4-cylinder engine. Typical sport compacts include
the Acura Integra, Honda Civic,Mazda MX-3, Toyota Celica, and more
recently, the Chevrolet Cobalt.
The design philosophy of a sport compact sharply contrasts with those of
'true' sports cars. Sports cars are designed with a performance-oriented
philosophy, often compromising cargo space, seating, gas mileage, driveability,
and reliability. A sport compact is usually designed with a practical design
philosophy and profit in mind. This philosophy has led to several compromises
when it comes to performance, such as front wheel drive, conservative engine
design, and platform sharing.
Electronic control units are also programmed for optimal gas mileage.
Performance-oriented sport compacts focus on improving handling and
increasing engine efficiency, rather than increasing engine size or conversion
to
rear-wheel drive. For example, the Celica GT-S and RSX Type-S are both sport
compacts that produce 100 hp/ L of displacement, and have handling superior to
their stock trims. However, these models are expensive compared to sports cars
of similar performance.
Classification & debate
The exact definition of a sport compact remains a subject of debate. Many
believe that any 4-cylinder compact car with 130 hp or more falls into this
category, so a RWD car such as the Nissan 240SX would be a sport compact. High
performance versions of compact cars, such as the Subaru WRX STi or the
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution often make proper categorization ambiguous. Many see
the addition of forced induction as the delineation, as that the increased power provided by
forced induction can make a 4 cylinder engine produce more power than most six
cylinder engines.
Some would venture so far as to place any performance-oriented car with less
than 8 cylinders in this category. However, this categorization is very broad,
as cars such as the
Toyota Supra, Acura NSX, Lotus Elise, and the Nissan Skyline would then fall into the same category as the Honda Civic and
Nissan Sentra. This is probably based on the design philosophy of domestic
automakers, as they usually produce sports cars driven by eight cylinder
engines, reserving six cylinder engines for less competitive models.
Despite this,
Sport Compact Car Magazine often contains articles on the Toyota Supra, Nissan
350Z, Honda S2000, Lotus Elise, and the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution in addition
with other sport compacts.
Tuning
It has become fairly popular to modify or customize a sport compact, commonly
referred to as tuning. This has given rise to the term "tuner" for the owners of
modified sport compacts, and, by extension, their automobiles. There is a large
market for bolt-on performance enhancing equipment that fits small cars of this
type. This market also includes a lot of equipment that is cosmetic (something
that changes the appearance of the vehicle).
Many self-described "tuners" spend more money on spoilers, ground effects,
neon lighting, poorly-designed exhausts, loud sound systems, large wheels with
low-profile tires and other style/image products than they do on performance
enhancing modifications, effectively turning their cars into
rice
burners. In many cases, these modifications severely hinder the performance
of the car either by increasing curb weight or counteracting original design
decisions. For example, a large rear spoiler on a FWD car will reduce traction,
and larger wheels require more force to move.
This practice is looked down upon by car enthusiasts of all varieties, who
often refer to such characters as 'rice boys'. The rapid explosion of
ineffective (and disruptive, in the case of buzzing exhausts and rattling subs)
modifications has led to a backlash of sorts against all of those who modify
their sport compacts. Much to the distress to those participating in the
Import Scene, this has led to the term tuner becoming a pejorative in many
circles. Many tuners pour thousands of dollars into engine tuning and performance tuning, and are offended when lumped into the
same category as rice boys. Many tuners modify their sport compacts to outrun
sports cars with double or in some cases, triple the displacment of their
engines.
Restoration of a Japanese import to its
JDM specifications (or J-Spec) has become a fairly popular modification for
many tuners. It is quite common for Japanese automakers to produce or export
less powerful versions of their models to the United States. Such modifications
usually involve swapping engines and transmissions. Examples include the
conversion of a Toyota Celica GT or GT-S into a Celica GT-Four, or a Honda Civic
into a Civic Type-R or Si. These modifications can also be cosmetic, such as the
replacement of a front bumper or headlights with its JDM counterpart. Many
ricers have performed 'modifications' in the same spirit, adding a 'Type-R',
'Type-S', or 'Si' decal to their cars, or in some cases, all three.
Motorsports
Small cars with high power ratings can be formidable racing vehicles, and
racing sport compacts has become so popular that the
NHRA now has a special class for sport compact racing. Some highly modified sport compact
dragsters can accelerate from 0-60 in
less than four seconds.
Sport compacts are fairly popular for
autocross competitions. The Acura Integra, Toyota Celica, and MINI Cooper
are some of the more successful sport compacts within their classes.
Market trends
Sport compacts are one of the fastest growing segments of the performance car
market. Manufacturers such as
Honda, Toyota, Mazda, and Nissan have begun producing 'pre-tuned' sport
compacts, such as the Civic Si, Corolla XRS, Mazda3, and the Sentra SE-R Spec V. These models are often rebadged versions of models
previously created for other markets, or simply a trim level that was not
available in the United States.
Manufacturers of automobiles in the
United States have now begun to respond to the explosion of this market segment.
General Motors has responded with a new Ecotec four-cylinder engine, which is
designed specifically to be tuned. The engine is offered in the Saturn ION
Redline and the Chevrolet Cobalt. Ford now offers many bolt-on performance parts
for the Ford Focus.
Toyota has gone so far as to create an entire division dedicated to producing
customizable sport compacts, Scion. They place special emphasis on providing
aftermarket-style accessories, such as decals, exhaust tips, and a supercharger.
See also
External links
Drag Racing
Tuner Shows
Magazines for Sport Compact Enthusiasts
Social/Cultural Aspects
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