How much does a sports car weigh?
Content
Fifteen lightest and heaviest sports models tested by Sport Auto magazine
Weight is the enemy of a sports car. The table always pushes it outward due to the turn, making it less manoeuvrable. We searched a database of data from a sports car magazine and extracted the lightest and heaviest sports models from it.
This direction of development is not at all to our liking. Sports cars are getting wider. And, unfortunately, everything is more severe. Take the VW Golf GTI, the benchmark for the compact sports car. In the first GTI in 1976, the 116-horsepower 1,6-liter four-cylinder had to carry just over 800 kg. 44 years later and seven generations later, the GTI is half a ton heavier. Some would argue that the latest GTI has 245bhp in return.
And yet, the fact is that weight is the natural enemy of a sports car. It is like what power is hidden under the body. The more weight, the shorter the car. This is simple physics. After all, a sports model should not only be able to drive in the right direction, but also own turns. And not on the first attempt to break away from the caterpillar under the influence of centrifugal forces.
Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid: 2368 kg!
There are many factors that affect weight gain. Cars need to become safer. Manufacturers are increasingly equipping them. Be it safety or comfort - with thicker upholstered seats, electronic adjustment and more insulating material against outside noise. Cables and sensors in electronic systems grow like weeds.
Cars need to be able to do more and more things: stop and accelerate on their own in traffic jams, follow the lane on the highway, and even drive autonomously one day. This does not mean that we are against security. But safety and comfort lead to more weight.
In addition, especially recently, manufacturers want and are forced to look for the most environmentally friendly solutions. At the same time, heavier sports pearls are born one after another. Such as the Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid. The limousine with a V8 twin-turbo engine and an electric motor weighs a whopping 2368 kg. This is almost 300 kg more than the Panamera Turbo. For such a heavy machine to handle turns quickly, a complex suspension technique is required. For example, a tilt compensation system. Helps, but gains weight. A vicious circle ensues.
The difference is almost two tons
Sport auto magazine weighs every car that is tested. The results obtained form the basis of this article. We searched our entire database to find out the weight of the sports cars we have introduced over the past eight years. We took January 1, 2012 as a starting point. Thus, we made two ratings - 15 lightest and 15 most difficult. The car rankings included mostly radically clean cars such as the Caterham 620 R, Radical SR3 and KTM X-Bow, as well as some small class models.
The most overweight sports cars have (with one exception) at least eight cylinders. These are luxury sedans, large coupes or SUV models. The lightest of them weighs 2154 kilograms, the heaviest - more than 2,5 tons. The difference in weight between the lightest among the light and the heaviest among the heavy is 1906 kilograms. This corresponds to the weight of one Aston Martin DB11 with a V12 biturbo engine.
In our photo gallery, we show you the lightest and heaviest sports cars that Sport Auto magazine has tested from 2012 to the present day. It is important to note that all participants were indeed weighed. With a full tank and all working fluids. That is, fully charged and ready to go. We did not use manufacturer data.
15 lightest and heaviest: sports car weight.(Values measured by sport auto magazine from 1.1.2012 to 31.3.2020)
Sport Car | The weight |
The easiest | |
1. Caterham 620 R 2.0 | 602 kg |
2. Radical SR3 SL | 765 kg |
3. KTM X-Bow GT | 883 kg |
4. Club racer Lotus Elise S | 932 kg |
5. Suzuki Swift Sport 1.4 Boosterjet | 976 kg |
6. Lotus 3-Eleven | 979 kg |
7.VW Up 1.0 GTI | 1010 kg |
8.Alfa Romeo 4C | 1015 kg |
9. Renault Twingo Energy TCe 110 | 1028 kg |
10. Mazda MX-5 G 132 | 1042 kg |
11. Suzuki Swift Sport 1.6 | 1060 kg |
12.Renault Twingo 1.6 16V 130 | 1108 kg |
13. Alpine A110 | 1114 kg |
14. Abarth 595 Track | 1115 kg |
15. Lotus Exige 380 Cup | 1121 kg |
Hardest | |
1. Bentley Bentayga Speed W12 | 2508 kg |
2. Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible 6.0 W12 4WD | 2504 kg |
3. Audi SQ7 4.0 TDI Four | 2479 kg |
4. BMW X6 M | 2373 kg |
5. Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid | 2370 kg |
6. BMW X5 M | 2340 kg |
7. Bentley Continental GT Coupe 4.0 V8 S 4WD | 2324 kg |
8. Porsche Cayenne Turbo S. | 2291 kg |
9. BMW M760Li xDrive. | 2278 kg |
ten). Tesla Model S P10D × 100 4 | 2275 kg |
11. Porsche Cayenne Turbo | 2257 kg |
12). Lamborghini Manage | 2256 kg |
13. Audi RS 6 Avant 4.0 TFSI Quattro | 2185 kg |
fourteen). Mercedes-AMG S 14 L 63matic + | 2184 kg |
15. Audi RS 7 Sportback 4.0 TFSI Quattro | 2154 kg |
Questions and answers:
Which sports car is better to buy? This is not for everybody and depends on the quality of the roads. The most powerful car is the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport (0-100 km / h in 2.7 seconds). A decent option is the Aston Martin DB 9.
What cars are sports cars? They are equipped with a revving engine with high power and cylinder capacity. The sports car has excellent aerodynamics and high dynamics.
What's the coolest sports car ever? The most beautiful (for every fan) sports car is Lotus Elise Series 2. Next come: Pagani Zonda C12 S, Nissan Skyline GT-R, Dodge Viper GTS and others.