Sports sedan
 | The examples and perspective in this articlemay not represent aworldwide viewof the subject.(March 2019) |
Asports sedan(also known as asuper saloonorsports salooninBritish English)[1][2]is a subjective term for asedancar that is designed to have sporting performance orhandlingcharacteristics.[3]
History
[edit]
The term was initially introduced in the 1930s. Early examples include the Sports Saloon versions of theRover 14[4][5]andRover 16.[6][7]
From the 1960s, the termsports sedanwas increasingly applied by manufacturers to special versions of their vehicles that allowed them to enter production cars in motor races. These cars contained modifications not usually permitted by the regulations, which therefore required cars to behomologatedtypically by selling them in minimum numbers to the public. Some of the earlier examples were theAlfa Romeo 1900,[8]Renault R8 Gordini,[9]Triumph Dolomite,[10]Lotus Cortina,[10][11]andBMW 1800 TI.[12]
By the 1980s, the sports sedan was described byPopular Mechanicsmagazine as being "well-made five-passenger cars that are modest in size, appearance, and appetite for fuel, yet can outperform all but the fastest two-seater cars".[13]Invented in Europe, the U.S. market share of these types of models had grown from 50,000 units per year in 1975, to 500,000 in 1985.[13]
Characteristics
[edit]In the twentieth century, most sports sedans usedmanual transmissionsandrear-wheel driveconfigurations. However, with other transmission types and drivetrain layouts have become more widespread for sedans in general, and increasing adoption offront-wheel driveandall-wheel drivein motorsports such astouring car racingandWorld Rally Championship,many sports sedans such asMitsubishi Lancer Evolutionhave also used these.
While many sports sedans use notchback designs as their defaultbody configurations,fastbackandliftbackvariations are not unheard of, with some smallerhot hatcheswith three-box or liftback designs crossing into this territory. Some manufacturers share similar engines and interior features as sports sedans in coupe and convertible body styles; therefore, some rankings of this market segment include those versions.[14]
North American usage
[edit]
The term "sport sedan" was initially used in North America for luxury import sedans (i.e.,BMW,Audi,andMercedes-Benz). These cars prioritizedhandlingmore than the domestic luxury sedans (i.e.,CadillacandLincoln), which were more focused on comfort. However, since the 2000s, the domestic brands have begun producing sports sedan models such as theCadillac CTSandLincoln LS.[15][16][17]
Another term sometimes used to describe sports sedans in the US ismuscle car,but that refers typically to V8-powered two-doorcoupeAmerican cars.[18]
Examples
[edit]References
[edit]- ^"saloon (noun)".Oxford Learner's Dictionaries.Retrieved5 January2024.
- ^"saloon".Cambridge Dictionary.Retrieved5 January2024.
- ^"Best sport sedans in America".Autoblog.1 February 2017.Retrieved28 March2021.
'Sport sedan' doesn't have a strict dictionary definition, but we have assembled here our favorite cars with four proper doors and a trunk, not a hatchback.
- ^"Rover Speed 14".classicandsportscar.com.Retrieved12 March2018.
- ^"1936 Rover 14 Sports Saloon P2 - Superb, Restored cond. For Sale".carandclassic.co.uk.Retrieved12 March2018.
- ^"1947 Rover Sixteen Sports Saloon".bonhams.com.Retrieved12 March2018.
- ^"1938 Rover P2 16 Sports Saloon".classicandsportscar.ltd.uk.Retrieved12 March2018.
- ^"1954 Alfa Romeo 1900 Super Sprint".Sports Car Market.1 November 2003.Retrieved28 March2021.
- ^Heseltine, Richard (September 2008)."Renault R8 Gordini".Motor Sport Magazine.pp. 122–126.Retrieved28 March2021.
- ^abKitman, Jamie Lincoln (31 March 2011)."The 20 Best Sports Sedans of All Time".GQ.Retrieved28 March2021.
- ^McCourt, Mark J. (May 2016)."1966 Ford Lotus-Cortina Mk I - Before BMW's 2002 popularized the genre, Ford imported the original sports sedan".Hemmings Motor News.Retrieved28 March2021.
- ^"Curbside Classic: 1965 BMW 1800 TI – Süddeutsche Zeitgeist".curbsideclassic.com.20 May 2024.Retrieved21 August2024.
- ^ab"'85 Imports - The Sports Sedans ".Popular Mechanics.Vol. 162, no. 3. March 1985. pp. 92–94, 144, 146.Retrieved22 August2024.
- ^"Best Sports Sedans 2024-2025".Car and Driver.Retrieved22 August2024.
- ^"2004 Lincoln LS review".autoblog.com.Retrieved17 March2018.
- ^"2017 Cadillac CTS V-Sport: Continuously Chasing The World's Best Sport Sedans".forbes.com.Retrieved17 March2018.
- ^"2018 Cadillac CTS".caranddriver.com.Retrieved17 March2018.
- ^Mueller, Mike (1997).Motor City muscle.Motorbooks International. p. 13.ISBN9780760301968.
- ^Grasso, Marc D. (9 November 2020)."A movable feast: Alfa Romeo's Giulia sport sedan".Boston Herald.Retrieved5 January2024.
- ^Evans, Scott (5 June 2020)."2020 Alfa Romeo Giulia Q4 Ti Sport AWD First Test Review: Yep, Even Better".Motor Trend.Retrieved28 March2021.
- ^Wong, James (December 2020)."2021 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sport review".CarExpert.Australia.Retrieved28 March2021.
- ^"2006 Euro Sport Sedan Showdown".Car and Driver.September 2005.Retrieved7 April2024.
- ^"Battle of the super-saloons: BMW M5 vs. Vauxhall VXR8".Autocar.25 April 2014.Retrieved31 August2014.
- ^Gall, Jared (27 April 2015)."2014 Cadillac CTS Vsport".Car and Driver.Retrieved18 May2021.
is a sports sedan of singular focus
- ^Hogan, Mack (12 May 2019)."Review: Cadillac's $100,000 2019 CTS-V sports sedan gives BMW, Mercedes a run for their money".CNBC.Retrieved18 May2021.
- ^Krebs, Michelle (2 June 1998)."1999 Chrysler 300M First Test".Motor Trend.Retrieved5 January2024.
- ^"2001 Chrysler 300M Review & Ratings".Edmunds.Retrieved5 January2024.
- ^Kreindler, Derek (22 December 2014)."Capsule Comparison: 2015 Dodge Charger SRT 392 Vs. 2014 Chevrolet SS".The Truth About Cars.Retrieved28 March2021.
- ^Capparella, Joey (14 October 2019)."2019 Dodge Charger R/T Scat Pack vs. 2019 Kia Stinger GT: Which Sports Sedan Packs a Bigger Punch?".Car and Driver.Retrieved28 March2021.
- ^Veron, Max (5 December 2020)."Here Are The 10 Best Sports Sedans Of 2020".HotCars.Retrieved28 March2021.
- ^Wendler, Andrew (20 November 2014)."SHO 'Nuff: A Visual History of Ford's Iconic Taurus SHO Supersedan".Car and Driver.Retrieved22 February2024.
- ^"Mercedes S63 AMG vs Jaguar XJR: super-saloon battle".Auto Express.21 January 2014.Retrieved31 August2014.
- ^"Kia Stinger".torquenews.com.Retrieved7 April2024.
- ^"The Super-Saloon".City AM.April 2014.Retrieved31 August2014.
- ^"Tested: 2008 BMW M3 vs. Audi RS 4 vs. Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG".Car and Driver.December 2007.Retrieved7 April2024.
- ^"MG Rover 45".Autoexpress.April 2003.Retrieved22 February2024.
External links
[edit]
Media related toSports sedansat Wikimedia Commons