New Austrian and British sports cars

There are some interesting sports cars coming out just now. In Austria, KTM, famed for its off-road motor cycles, has unveiled the X-Bow, an open-wheeled mid-engined sports car with near supercar performance owing to its light weight. It is powered by an Audi 2.0 liter turbo engine developing 240 bhp, and has a carbon fiber body built by Dallara in Italy.

It is an odd-looking car, but will doubtless be very quick. Also very basic – just a plastic wind deflector instead of a windscreen and no top.

More conventional is the Avocet, a British sports car with a smooth sporty body and Ford 2.3 liter engine modified by Cosworth to 200-300 bhp, according to spec. This has a conventional steel frame, but will be fairly light.

Brilliant Sportscars

I’ve always been a fan of sports cars, from the time I first saw an MG or Triumph TR4. I do remember being rather disappointed in the performance of the TR4, which is not surprising because in those days the engines of sports cars were hardly changed from the boring old engines in the sedans.

Even so, sports cars could always run rings round other cars on twisty roads, and still can – this is what sports cars are all about. They are low and light, so the corner, brake and accelerate better than ordinary cars, and should also steer better. Some did not, and one of two are still a bit lacking in the steering department – the Chrysler Crossfire is a good example of poor steering on an otherwise good car.

There are some very compact and cheap sports cars, too. Most of these are supplied as kits, part-built, and you get your own engine, gearbox and rear axle. They tend to be front-engined, with open front wheels, aping the look of the Lotus Seven,, which, of course, became the Caterham Seven. These small sports cars are good fun, but so are bigger more civilised sports carts like the Mazda Miata or MX-5, or the Honda S-2000, Nissan 350Z or Porsche Boxster.

Hello sports car world

Sports cars are a load of fun, whether you drive a mass-produced Mazda Miata or MX-5 – same car, different name in different continents – or a Porsche Cayman or even a specialist car like a Caterham CSR or Donkervoort.

The great thing about sports cars is that there are plenty of them about, some old some new, and they were all designed to give you fun when you drive. Even in these days of low speed limits and too much traffic you can find roads where you can have fun with a sports car.

I will be adding more blogs about different sports cars soon.