Misplaced Pages

#172827

80-503: The Maserati MC20 (MC being the acronym for Maserati Corse 2020 , internal code M240) is a two-seater, rear-mid-engine sports car produced by Italian car manufacturer Maserati . The debut of the MC20 was initially scheduled for May 2020, but was rescheduled along with brand redesign for September 2020 in Modena. A racing variant was also announced at the same time. The open top variant of

160-438: A kingpin for horizontal radial movement in older designs, and rubber or trunnion bushings for vertical hinged movement. In newer designs, a ball joint at each end allows for all movement. Attached to the knuckle at its center is a bearing hub, or in many older designs, a spindle to which the wheel bearings are mounted. To resist fore-aft loads such as acceleration and braking , the arms require two bushings or ball joints at

240-399: A controversial choice for a "purist" sports car. The Elan sold poorly and was discontinued after three years. The 1996 Lotus Elise , a mid-engined, rear-wheel drive roadster, was much more successful and remained in production until 2021. Roadsters enjoyed a resurgence in the mid-1990s, including the 1989-present Mazda MX-5 , the 1995-2002 BMW Z3 (succeeded by the 2002-2016 BMW Z4 ),

320-409: A definition. Insurance companies have also attempted to use mathematical formulae to categorise sports cars, often charging more for insurance due to the inherent risk of performance driving. There is no fixed distinction between sports cars and other categories of performance cars, such as muscle cars and grand tourers , with some cars being members of several categories. Traditionally,

400-706: A double stripe in Bianco Pastello, a combination that recalls the style of racing cars. Ahead of the 2022 24 hours of Spa , Maserati launched the MC20 GT2 intended for competition in the GT2 European Series in 2023. The racing variant of the MC20, named the GT2, made its public debut at the 2023 24 Hours of Spa in June 2023. While the engine and body shell remain the same as the road-going counterpart,

480-461: A dual-clutch automatic transmission with 10 more horsepower and 60 kg less than the other MC20s. Maserati has unveiled an exclusive version of the MC20 tailor-made for Alberto and Ettore Maserati, descendants of founder Ettore Maserati . This special edition, called "MC20 Maserati for Maserati", is part of the Fuoriserie customization program. The car stands out with Blu Infinito livery and

560-407: A mechanical limited slip differential . Stopping power is provided by ventilated carbon ceramic Brembo brakes. Other features include a FIA-standard 120 L (32 US gal) fuel tank, along with a FIA-standard fire extinguisher and roll cage . Air-conditioning, a feature traditionally not found on track-focused cars, is also standard along with a seat for a passenger. MC20 Icona recalls

640-410: A pivot or pivoting system. The opposite arrangement, a "pull rod", will pull on the rod during bump travel, and the rod must be attached to the top of the upright, angled downward. Locating the spring and damper inboard increases the total mass of the suspension, but reduces the unsprung mass , and also allows the designer to make the suspension more aerodynamic. A short long arms suspension ( SLA )

720-448: A power output of 630 PS (463 kW; 621 hp) at 7,500 rpm and 730 N⋅m (538 lbf⋅ft) of torque from 3,000 to 5,500 rpm. The red-line of the engine is set at 8,000 rpm. The engine's use of a passive pre-chamber is a unique quirk. Inspired by Formula 1 and combined with the use of twin-spark ignition, one inside the small cylindrical pre-chamber placed at the center of combustion chamber, and another placed in

800-399: A pressed-steel chassis, a gated 4-speed transmission, pushrod-actuated overhead inlet valves , a honeycomb radiator, low-tension magneto ignition , a long wheelbase, a low center of mass and a very effective suspension system. The overall result was a "safe and well-balanced machine" with a higher performance than any other contemporary production car. At the 1903 Gordon Bennett Cup ,

880-427: A production Simplex 60 hp was entered only due to a specially-built 90 hp racing car being destroyed in a fire; the 60 hp famously went on to win the race. The 1910 Austro-Daimler 27/80 is another early sports car which had success in motor racing. The 27/80 was designed by Ferdinand Porsche , who drove the car to victory in the 1910 Prince Henry Tour motor race. The Vauxhall and Austro-Daimler —like

SECTION 10

#1732783043173

960-626: A racing spec exhaust system and 18-inch forged alloy wheels. An extreme aero package consisting of canards on the front bumper, a front splitter and a newly designed hood is optional. Customers can also add the passenger seat, a rearview camera and a tire pressure monitoring system at an extra cost. The car made its racing debut at the final round of the Fanatec GT2 European Series with LP Racing, taking pole position and finishing in second place in race one, while finishing seventh in race two. In 2024, LP Racing will compete and defend

1040-400: Is also known as an unequal-length double wishbone suspension. The upper arm is typically an A-arm and is shorter than the lower link, which is an A-arm or an L-arm, or sometimes a pair of tension/compression arms. In the latter case, the suspension can be called a multi-link, or dual-ball joint suspension . The four-bar linkage mechanism formed by the unequal arm lengths causes a change in

1120-452: Is an iconic sports car of the early 1960s, due to its attractive styling and claimed top speed of 241 km/h (150 mph). The E-type was produced for 14 years and was initially powered by a six-cylinder engine, followed by a V12 engine for the final generation. In 1962, the MG B introduced a new era of affordable lightweight four-cylinder roadsters. The MG B used a unibody construction and

1200-551: Is mainly designed with the reduction of emissions in mind, but also promises increased fuel economy. On 2 July 2020, Road & Track magazine criticized a press release from Maserati that claimed the engine is "100% Maserati". The magazine countered that "it's not hard to see the connection to the Ferrari F154 engine and the Alfa Romeo 690T engine ". The publication argued that the similarities that were identical to

1280-540: Is no genetic relationship between MacPherson strut and double wishbone suspension. Double wishbones have traditionally been considered to have superior dynamic characteristics as well as load-handling capabilities and are therefore commonly found on sports cars and racing cars throughout automotive history . Examples of cars with double wishbone suspension include the Aston Martin DB7 , the Mazda MX-5 , and

1360-406: Is notable for using a three-seat layout, where the front row consists of a centrally-located driver's seat. The location of the engine and driven wheels significantly influence the handling characteristics of a car and are therefore crucial in the design of a sports car. Traditionally, most sports cars have used rear-wheel drive with the engine either located at the front ( FR layout ) or in

1440-442: Is over 250 kg (551 lb) lighter than the MC20. Double wishbone suspension along with adjustable dampers , front and rear anti-roll bars provide ride height control for the car. The Nettuno engine has been fitted with two new turbochargers , increasing the power output to 544 kW (740 PS; 730 hp), sent to the rear 18 in forged aluminium wheels via a 6-speed sequential manual transmission paired with

1520-404: Is usually shorter to induce negative camber as the suspension jounces (rises), and often this arrangement is titled an "SLA" or "short, long arms" suspension. When the vehicle is in a turn, body roll results in positive camber gain on the lightly loaded inside wheel, while the heavily loaded outer wheel gains negative camber. Between the outboard end of the arms is a knuckle. The knuckle contains

1600-520: The Audi RS 2 Avant . Ford Europe withdrew from the sports car market at the end of 1986 when the Capri was discontinued after a production run of nearly two decades. There was no direct successor, as Ford was concentrating on higher-performance versions of its hatchback and saloon models at the time. In 1989, a new generation of Lotus Elan roadster was released which used a front-wheel drive layout,

1680-541: The BMW 303 , Citroën Traction Avant and Fiat 508 — offered similar handling and comfort to the more expensive sports cars. Powerful, reliable, and economical (although softly suspended) American saloons began to be imported to Europe in significant numbers. Sports car ownership was increased through models such as the Austin 7 and Wolseley Hornet six , however many of these sports cars did not offer any performance upgrades over

SECTION 20

#1732783043173

1760-623: The Bentley Speed Six (1928-1930), with the former famously described by Bugatti's founder as "the fastest lorry in the world". Between the Great Depression and the World War II the pre-war era was a period of decline in importance for sports car manufacturers, although the period was not devoid of advances, for example streamlining . Cheap, light-weight family sedans with independent front suspension— such as

1840-485: The Jaguar IRS . In elevation view , the suspension is a 4-bar link, and it is easy to work out the camber gain (see camber angle ) and other parameters for a given set of bushing or ball-joint locations. The various bushings or ball joints do not have to be on horizontal axes, parallel to the vehicle center line. If they are set at an angle, then anti-dive and anti-squat geometry can be dialed in. In many racing cars,

1920-520: The Jensen FF became the first sports car to use all-wheel drive . The Ford Capri is a 2+2 coupe that was produced from 1968 to 1986 and intended to be a smaller European equivalent of the Ford Mustang. A main rival to the Capri was Opel Manta , which was produced from 1970 to 1988. The 1973-1978 Lancia Stratos was a mid-engined two-seat coupe that was powered by a Ferrari V6 engine. This

2000-618: The Packard One-Twenty from 1935,[1] and advertised it as a safety feature. During that time MacPherson strut was still in the area of aviation technology and was derived from aircraft landing mechanisms. Later on, in 1951, Ford Company decided to use the MacPherson strut on small production cars, the English Ford Consul and Ford Zephyr.[2] Thus, the double wishbone was applied early in automobile history and there

2080-494: The RORC Caribbean 600. In late 2019, a series of spy shots were published online showing a highly modified Alfa Romeo 4C -based test mule of an upcoming new Maserati sports car. Apart for the typical camouflage, the car featured a much larger rear portion and wider track. Maserati later confirmed that it was using the test mules for development of a new powertrain for the upcoming sports car, but did not confirm whether

2160-490: The heads are new and Maserati-developed. The interior features a steering wheel constructed mostly of carbon fiber, with Alcantara accents. There is a TFT 10.25 inch digital instrument cluster, and a 10.25 inch infotainment screen. The seats have leather seating surfaces on the bolsters and headrest, with the middle seating surface made from Alcantara. In May 2022, Maserati unveiled the MC20 Cielo, an open-top variant of

2240-583: The "thrill of driving" or are marketed "using the excitement of speed and the glamour of the (race)track" However, other people have more specific definitions, such as "must be a two-seater or a 2+2 seater" or a car with two seats only. In the United Kingdom, early recorded usage of the "sports car" was in The Times newspaper in 1919. The first known use of the term in the United States

2320-403: The 1905 Isotta Fraschini Tipo D, the 1906 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost , the 1908 Delage , the 1910 Bugatti Type 13 , and the 1912 DFP 12/15 . Early motor racing events included the 1903 Paris–Madrid race , the 1905-1907 Herkomer Trophy, the 1908-1911 Prince Henry Tour and the 1911–present Monte Carlo Rally . The Prince Henry Tours (which were similar to modern car rallies) were among

2400-495: The 1921 Coppa Florio . Another approach— such as that used by Morris Garages— was to convert touring cars into sports cars. The first 24 Hours of Le Mans race for sports cars was held in 1923, although the two-seat sports cars only competed in the smallest class, with the majority of cars entered being four-seat fast touring cars. "This race, together with the Tourist Trophy Series of Races , organised after

2480-404: The 1948 Ferrari 166 S . A new concept altogether was the modern Gran Turismo class from Italy, which was in effect unknown before the war: sustained high-speed motoring from relatively modest engine size and compact closed or berlinetta coachwork. The 1947 Maserati A6 1500 two-seat berlinetta was the first production model from Maserati. In Germany, the motor industry was devastated by

Maserati MC20 - Misplaced Pages Continue

2560-499: The 1980 Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft and Giro d'Italia automobilistico marathon. The Montecarlo was a basis for the silhouette racing car , Lancia Rally 037 . In the 1970s, turbocharging began to be adopted by sports cars, such as the BMW 2002 Turbo in 1973, the first Porsche 911 Turbo in 1975, and the Saab 99 Turbo in 1978. Turbocharging became increasingly popular in the 1980s, from relatively affordable coupes such as

2640-452: The 1980–1986 Renault Fuego and 1992–1996 Rover 220 Coupé Turbo , to expensive supercars such as the 1984-1987 Ferrari 288 GTO and 1987-1992 Ferrari F40 . In the late 1980s and early 1990s, several manufacturers developed supercars that competed for production car top speed records . These cars included the 1986–1993 Porsche 959 , 1991–1995 Bugatti EB 110 , 1992–1994 Jaguar XJ220 and 1993–998 McLaren F1 . The 1980-1995 Audi Quattro

2720-506: The 1990s, all-wheel drive has become more common in sports cars. All-wheel drive offers better acceleration and favorable handling characteristics (especially in slippery conditions), but is often heavier and more mechanically complex than traditional layouts. Examples of all-wheel drive sports cars are the Lamborghini Huracan , Bugatti Veyron , and Nissan GT-R . Rear engine layouts are not typical for sports cars, with

2800-458: The 1995-2002 MG F , the 1996–present Porsche Boxster and the 1998–present Audi TT . Double wishbone suspension The double-wishbone suspension can also be referred to as " double A-arms ", though the arms themselves can be A-shaped or L-shaped. A single wishbone or A-arm can also be used in various other suspension types, such as variations of the MacPherson strut . The upper arm

2880-646: The MC20 called the Cielo (Italian for sky) made its debut in May 2022. The car was developed by the Maserati Innovation Lab with an all-electric option slated to reach production in the future. The new sports car is produced at the Maserati Modena plant that is undergoing necessary modernization. The new car's logo appeared on a Maserati-sponsored Multi 70 trimaran's mainsail that was due to race in

2960-454: The MC20 has also undergone changes to produce more power. Customers who purchase the car will be able to customise it via Maserati's Fuoriserie (custom-built) program, and production will be limited to 62 units. The car features significant use of carbon-fibre along with other natural fibres to significantly lower the weight compared to the road-legal MC20. Maserati aims for a dry weight of 1,250 kg (2,756 lb), which would mean that it

3040-592: The MC20. It features the same 3.0 litre twin-turbo V6 and styling but adds on the two-piece foldable hard-top that has an electrochromic glass roof. The roof system weighs an additional 65 kg (143 lb), and the folding and unfolding of the roof sequence takes only 12 seconds. The MCXtrema is a track-only derivative of the Maserati MC20 introduced in August 2023, with significant weight savings and more advanced aerodynamics. The Nettuno engine found in

3120-468: The Mercedes Simplex 60 hp— were production fast touring cars. The 1912 Hispano-Suiza Alfonso XIII is also considered one of the earliest sports cars, as it was a "purpose built, high performance, two-seater production automobile". The model was named after King Alfonso XIII of Spain , a patron of the car's chief designer and an enthusiast for the marque. Other early sports cars include

3200-610: The aforementioned engines included the 90-degree V angle, the firing order of 1-6-3-4-2-5 (identical to the F154-based V6 engine found in the Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio ), arrangement of cooling passages, cylinders, and liners, oil filter mounting, bore and stroke, and rev limit of 8,000 rpm (the same as the Ferrari SF90 Stradale ). However, the unique 11:1 compression ratio indicated that

3280-431: The beginning of jounce travel and then reverses into positive camber gain at high jounce amounts. Double wishbone suspensions are more complex, impose more difficult packaging constraints, and are thus often more expensive than other systems like a MacPherson strut . Due to the increased number of components within the suspension setup, it takes much longer to service and is heavier than an equivalent MacPherson design. At

Maserati MC20 - Misplaced Pages Continue

3360-426: The body. At the knuckle end, single ball joints are typically used, in which case the steering loads have to be taken via a steering arm, and the wishbones look A- or L-shaped. An L-shaped arm is generally preferred on passenger vehicles because it allows a better compromise of handling and comfort to be tuned in. The bushing in line with the wheel can be kept relatively stiff to effectively handle cornering loads while

3440-418: The camber of the vehicle as it rolls, which helps to keep the contact patch square on the ground, increasing the ultimate cornering capacity of the vehicle. It also reduces the wear on the outer edge of the tire. SLAs can be classified as short spindle, in which the upper ball joint on the spindle is inside the wheel, or long spindle, in which the spindle tucks around the tire and the upper ball joint sits above

3520-479: The car appeared during the next year or two, all conforming to the same basic design and earning for themselves a reputation second to none for fast and reliable travel. The 60-h.p. cars were announced late in 1902. The cars were possessed of a very real performance superior to anything else which could be bought at the time... and the model achieved an almost invincible position among the fast cars of its day. The Sports Car: Development and Design The basis for

3600-481: The car will be based on the Alfa Romeo 4C's platform. In March 2020, Maserati had completed their first prototype for the new car which was ready for both road and track testing. On 13 May 2020, a prototype of the MC20 was covered with graphics commemorating Sir Stirling Moss , who died on 12 April 2020 at the age of 90. The Maserati 420M/58 "Eldorado", an iconic single-seater race car was also brought out on

3680-558: The commemoration of its debut in 1958 on the occasion of the Race of Two Worlds on Monza circuit. On 1 July 2020, Maserati announced a six-cylinder engine for the MC20 called the Nettuno . The engine was described as a 90-degree, 2,992 cc (3.0 L; 182.6 cu in) V6 with a dry sump , twin-spark and pre-chamber ignition system. It also has twin-turbochargers and fuel injectors. The 220 kg (485 lb) engine can generate

3760-411: The development of performance cars such as the 1910 Vauxhall Prince Henry , 1910 Sunbeam 12/16 , 1910 Talbot 25 hp , 1910 Straker-Squire 15 hp and 1913 Star 15.9 hp . Following the halt in sports car production caused by World War I , Europe returned to manufacturing automobiles from around 1920. It was around this time that the term 'Sports Car' began to appear in the motor catalogues, although

3840-442: The differences include an aerodynamic package consisting of a large rear wing, a new rear diffuser and a roof scoop, a stripped down interior having a single seat, fire extinguisher, adjustable steering wheel column and pedal box, a new 6.5-inch display and an FIA homologated roll-cage while retaining the air-conditioning, a six-speed sequential gearbox with a self-locking mechanical limited-slip differential, two-way adjustable dampers,

3920-400: The early 1920s, the cost to produce a racing car was not significantly higher than a road car, therefore several manufacturers used the design from the current year's racing car for the next year's sports car. For example, the 1921 Ballot 2LS based on the racing car that finished third at the 1921 French Grand Prix. The Benz 28/95PS was also a successful racing car, with victories including

4000-427: The effect of moving each joint, so the kinematics of the suspension can be tuned easily and wheel motion can be optimized. It is also easy to work out the loads that different parts will be subjected to which allows more optimized lightweight parts to be designed. They also provide increasing negative camber gain all the way to full jounce travel, unlike the MacPherson strut , which provides negative camber gain only at

4080-463: The exact origin of the name is not known. The decade that followed became known as the vintage era and featured rapid technical advances over the preceding Brass Era cars . Engine performance benefited from the abandonment of " tax horsepower " (where vehicles were taxed based on bore and number of cylinders, rather than actual power output) and the introduction of leaded fuel , which increased power by allowing for higher compression ratios . In

SECTION 50

#1732783043173

4160-472: The first supercars . Other significant European models of the 1960s and 1970s which might be considered supercars today are the Ferrari 250 GTO (1962-1964), Ferrari 250 GT Lusso (1963-1964), Ferrari 275 GTB/4 (1966-1968), Maserati Ghibli (1967-1973), Ferrari Daytona (1968-1973), Dino 246 (1969-1974), De Tomaso Pantera (1971-1993), Ferrari 308 GTB (1975-1980) and BMW M1 (1978-1981). In 1966,

4240-528: The first World War by the R.A.C. , appealed to the public imagination and offered to the manufacturers of the more sporting cars an excellent opportunity for boosting sales of their products." The classic Italian road races— the Targa Florio , and the Mille Miglia (first held in 1927)— also captured the public's imagination. By 1925, the higher profits available for four-seater cars resulted in

4320-573: The late 1920s were AC Cars , Alfa Romeo , Alvis , Amilcar , Bignan and Samson, Chenard-Walcker , Delage , Hispano-Suiza , Hotchkiss , Mercedes-Benz and Nazzaro . Two cars from the Vintage Era that would influence sports cars for many years were the Austin Seven and MG M-type "Midget". Successful sports cars from Bentley during this era were the Bentley 3 Litre (1921-1929) and

4400-581: The livery and colors of the 2004 MC12 Stradale . MC20 Legenda recalls the livery and colors of the Maserati MC12 GT1 . Maserati has created this new one-off MC20 for the 2024 Monterey Car Week . At the 2024 Monterey Car Week Maserati presented the GT2 Stradale, the GT2 version approved for road use but with extreme track performance. The Maserati GT2 Stradale is powered by a 640 hp 3.0 twin-turbo Nettuno V6 with rear-wheel drive and

4480-518: The mass-produced cars upon which they were based. The highest selling sports car company of the 1930s was Morris Garages , who produced 'MG Midget' models of the M-Type , J-Type , P-Type and T-Type . The K3 version of the K-Type Magnette was a successful racing car, achieving success in the Mille Miglia , Tourist Trophy and 24 Hours of Le Mans . The Bugatti Type 57 (1934-1940)

4560-537: The middle of the vehicle ( MR layout ). Examples of FR layout sports cars include the Caterham 7 , Mazda MX-5 , and the Dodge Viper . Examples of MR layout sports cars are the Ferrari 488 , Ford GT , and Toyota MR2 . To avoid a front-heavy weight distribution , many FR layout sports cars are designed so that the engine is located further back in the engine bay, as close to the firewall as possible. Since

4640-544: The most common layout for sports cars was a roadster (a two-seat car without a fixed roof). However, there are also several examples of early sports cars with four seats. Sports cars are not usually intended to transport more than two adult occupants regularly, so most modern sports cars are generally two-seat or 2+2 layout (two smaller rear seats for children or occasional adult use). Larger cars with more spacious rear-seat accommodation are usually considered sports sedans rather than sports cars. The 1993-1998 McLaren F1

4720-809: The notable exception of the Porsche 911 . The front-wheel drive layout with the engine at the front ( FF layout ) is generally the most common for cars, but it is not as common among traditional sports cars. Nonetheless, the FF layout is used by sport compacts and hot hatches such as the Mazdaspeed3 . Sports cars with an FF layout include the Fiat Barchetta , Saab Sonett , or Opel Tigra . The ancestor of all high-performance cars had its origin in Germany. The 28-h.p. Cannstatt-Daimler racing car of 1899

4800-412: The off-line joint can be softer to allow the wheel to recess under fore-aft impact loads. For a rear suspension, a pair of joints can be used at both ends of the arm, making them more H-shaped in plan view. Alternatively, a fixed-length driveshaft can perform the function of a wishbone as long as the shape of the other wishbone provides control of the upright. This arrangement has been successfully used in

4880-456: The philosophy of achieving performance through minimizing weight and has been rated as one of the top 10 sports cars of the 1960s. The Elan featured fibreglass bodies, a backbone chassis, and overhead camshaft engines. A different style of roadster was the AC Cobra , released in 1962, which was fitted with V8 engines up to 7.0 L (427 cu in) in size by Shelby . The Porsche 911

SECTION 60

#1732783043173

4960-423: The production of two-seat sports cars being limited to smaller manufacturers such as Aston-Martin (350 Astons built from 1921 to 1939) and Frazer-Nash (323 cars built from 1924 to 1939). Then by the late 1920s, the cost of producing racing cars (especially Grand Prix cars) escalated, causing more manufacturers to produce cars for the growing sports car market instead. Significant manufacturers of sports cars in

5040-558: The sporting events of the period, bringing renown to successful entrants. The Prince Henry Tours started the evolution of reasonably large and technically advanced production sports cars. In England, the development of sporting cars was inhibited by the Motor Car Act 1903 , which imposed a speed limit of 20 mph (32 km/h) on all public roads. This led to the 1907 opening of the Brooklands motor circuit , which inspired

5120-408: The sports car is traced to the early 20th century touring cars and roadsters , and the term 'sports car' would not be coined until after World War One. A car considered to be "a sports-car years ahead of its time" is the 1903 Mercedes Simplex 60 hp , described at the time as a fast touring car and designed by Wilhelm Maybach and Paul Daimler . The Mercedes included pioneering features such as

5200-476: The sports car, but also the most important and diverse technical developments [and] very rapid and genuine improvement in the qualities of every modern production car; assisted by new design and manufacturing techniques a consistently higher level of handling properties has been achieved." In Italy, a small but wealthy market segment allowed for the manufacture of a limited number of high-performance models directly allied to contemporary Grand Prix machines, such as

5280-415: The springs and dampers are relocated inside the bodywork. The suspension uses a bellcrank to transfer the forces at the knuckle end of the suspension to the internal spring and damper. This is then known as a "push rod" if bump travel "pushes" on the rod (and subsequently the rod must be joined to the bottom of the upright and angled upward). As the wheel rises, the push rod compresses the internal spring via

5360-592: The third through eighth generation of the Honda Accord . Short long arms suspension, a type of double wishbone suspension, is very common on front suspensions for medium-to-large cars such as the Peugeot 407 , Citroën C5 , and the first two generations of the Mazda6/Atenza . The double wishbone suspension provides the engineer with more design choices than some other types do. It is fairly easy to work out

5440-431: The tire. Short spindle SLAs tend to require stiffer bushings at the body, as the braking and cornering forces are higher. Also, they tend to have poorer kingpin geometry, due to the difficulty of packaging the upper ball joint and the brakes inside the wheel. Long spindle SLAs tend to have better kingpin geometry, but the proximity of the spindle to the tire restricts fitting oversized tires or snow chains. The location of

5520-549: The title with two MC20s; Van Der Horst Motorsport and TFT Racing will also compete with the Maserati MC20 GT2. Sports car A sports car is a type of car that is designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as handling , acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving, and racing capability. Sports cars originated in Europe in the early 1910s and are currently produced by many manufacturers around

5600-404: The traditional combustion chamber, designed to help combustion in low-load scenarios. The air-fuel mixture, provided by a hybrid port and direct injection system is compressed during the compression stroke of the engine into the pre-chamber, where it is then ignited by the chamber's spark plug. The resulting explosion spreads throughout the traditional chamber, creating a faster fuel burn. The system

5680-458: The upper balljoint may have styling implications in the design of the sheet metal above it. SLAs require some care when setting up their bump steer characteristic, as it is easy to end up with excessive, or curved, bump steer curves. The double wishbone suspension was introduced in the 1930s. French car maker Citroën began using it in their 1934 Rosalie and Traction Avant models. Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan , used it on

5760-478: The war, but a small number of manufacturers returned it to prominence. In 1948, the Porsche 356 was released as the debut model from Porsche. The significance of the Porsche 356 and its successors was described in 1957 as "future historians must see them as among the most important of mid-century production cars". The 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL is another significant car from this era. The 1961 Jaguar E-Type

5840-417: The world. Definitions of sports cars often relate to how the car design is optimised for dynamic performance, without any specific minimum requirements; both a Triumph Spitfire and Ferrari 488 Pista can be considered sports cars, despite vastly different levels of performance. Broader definitions of sports cars include cars "in which performance takes precedence over carrying capacity", or that emphasise

5920-415: Was a pioneering all-wheel drive sports car. The 1995 Porsche 911 Turbo (993) saw the 911 Turbo model switch to all-wheel drive, a drivetrain layout that the model uses to this day. The BMW M3 was released in 1986 and has been produced for every generation since. The 1993-1996 Mercedes-Benz W124 E36 AMG was the mass-produced AMG model. Audi's equivalent division, called "RS", was launched in 1994 with

6000-684: Was an unusual arrangement for a car used to compete in rallying, nonetheless it was very successful and won the World Rally Championship in 1974 , 1975 , and 1976 . The Lancia Montecarlo was produced from 1975 to 1981 and is a mid-engine two-seater, available as a coupé or a targa-top. It was sold as Lancia Scorpion in the USA. Its racing variant, Montecarlo Turbo, won the 1979 World Championship for Makes in its division and overall for 1980 World Championship for Makes and 1981 World Endurance Championship for Makes . Montecarlo also won

6080-627: Was another significant sports car of the pre-war era and is now among the most valuable cars in the world. The T57 was successful in sports car races, including winning the 1937 24 Hours of Le Mans and 1939 24 Hours of Le Mans . Another successful Bugatti sports car was the Bugatti Type 55 (1932-1935), which was based on the Type 51 Grand Prix racing car. The decade following the Second World War saw an "immense growth of interest in

6160-485: Was in 1928. Sports cars started to become popular during the 1920s. The term initially described two-seat roadsters (cars without a fixed roof), however, since the 1970s the term has also been used for cars with a fixed roof (which were previously considered grand tourers ). Attributing the definition of 'sports car' to any particular model can be controversial or the subject of debate among enthusiasts. Authors and experts have often contributed their ideas to capture

6240-694: Was produced until 1980. Other successful lightweight roadsters include the Triumph Spitfire (1962-1980) and the Alfa Romeo Spider (1966-1993). The Fiat X1/9 (1972-1989) was unusual for its use of a mid-engine design in an affordable roadster model. A late entrant to the affordable roadster market was the 1975 Triumph TR7 , however by the late 1970s the demand for this style of car was in decline, resulting in production ceasing in 1982. The original Lotus Elan (1962-1975) two-seat coupe and roadster models are an early commercial success for

6320-675: Was released in 1964 and has remained in production since. The 911 is notable for its use of the uncommon rear-engine design and the use of a flat-six engine . Another successful rear-engine sports car was the original Alpine A110 (1961-1977), which was a successful rally car during the Group 4 era. In 1965, the BMW New Class Coupes were released, leading to the BMW 6 Series which remains in production to this day. The Lamborghini Miura (1966) and Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale (1967) mid-engined high-performance cars are often cited as

6400-417: Was without a doubt the first attempt to give real performance to a road car. Many of its features, such as a honeycomb radiator and gate gear change, were continued on the much improved version which Paul Daimler designed in 1899-1900. This was of course the famous Mercedes. It also laid down standards of chassis design which were to be followed, almost unthinkingly, for the next thirty years. Several variants of

#172827