Learn About Sports Cars Before You Buy One

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Nothing beats the exhilaration brought about by speed. Anyone who has ever driven an automobile has at least dreamt of taking the role of Steve McQueen in "Bullitt", getting into a high-speed car chase. If not Bullitt, each driver has dreamt playing Michael Caine's Charlie Cosker in "The Italian Job", driving that gorgeous convertible into the very heart of the gold heist.. Anyone who has ever taken control of the wheel has at least once dreamt of driving not just to get from point A to point B but to go from point A to B in flair. And driving a fantastic sports car fulfills this dream.

In making an automobile or any land vehicle for that matter, a lot of factors are being considered: cost of material, safety, efficiency, and performance are only some of these at play on the drawing board of a car maker. A sports car however, in definition gives priority to performance above all other factors. By performance, speed is usually the first thing that comes to mind. Speed relies heavily on the power of the car's engine.

Most sports cars do have muscle engines which can outrun even the fastest sedans easily. A sports car engineer therefore puts it first on the list of factors that he has to consider: how to travel the distance with the least amount of time possible.

But of course, even if performance is a cut above every other consideration, the other factors are never neglected. Safety cannot be compromised, because even the fastest sports car needs a driver on the wheel at all times, and safe at all times. Besides, everyone wants to drive from start to finish in one piece, after all. So a performance-oriented vehicle must pay attention to the other factors and not rely solely on the car engine's power.

A number of sports cars compensate for a not-so-powerful engine with a light body, paying due respect to the laws of physics: the lighter the mass, the smaller amount of force required to move this mass. This is also the reason why a sports cars usually are smaller, and do not have backseats. If these cars do have backseats, these are not as convenient as a sedan's and is only a throwaway to please the insurance companies. One may also notice that a sports car quite often only has two doors, and it shares the same reason as that of the backseat.

Because it can outperform any of the regular four-seater cars out in the market, sports cars are sold obviously at a higher price. Another reason is because quality materials are almost always being used to withstand the heavier wear and tear in this type of vehicle.
This also explains why purchasing a sports car remains a pipe dream to most car enthusiasts. But it doesn't have to be that way anymore. It is easier to get one's hands on the steering wheel of a sports car than most people think. One just has to have the imagination and acumen to do so.

Buying a sports car does not have to mean going to your nearest car dealer and getting a brand new vehicle off the rack. There are quite a handful of these vehicles beyond the dealer's garage, in very good condition and sold at a lower price. You can always check out car auctions and watch out of sports car models being sold at pancake rates. Pre-owned sports cars are always available on your local car magazine or website; sometimes it just requires you to pay more attention to these ad placements; you'll never know when the sports car of your dreams is right under your nose.

Buying second-hand sports cars maybe the best way to go if one is facing monetary constraints. If a pre-owned sports car is taken cared of properly, it will give one the same excitement that a new one can provide.

There are also private sellers particularly of sports cars. More often than not, owners of these sports cars found themselves short of cash and are willing to dispose of their sports cars at considerably low prices, much to their resistance. Desperation is in a way good for buyers on the look-out: they get their dream vehicles at bargain prices.

And once you have spotted the car of your dreams, it is wise to exercise routine vehicle inspection, the way one does when buying a regular car. Do not forget to visually inspect the engine, the interior and the body. It is a folly to disregard these simple reminders, especially when buying a pre-owned sports car. You as a buyer can easily assess the condition of the car, how well it was maintained by the owner, simply by looking at it. Then, the proof of the pudding is in the eating: do not forget to test-drive your prospect sports vehicle before closing the purchase. Give it a go and see how it feels. If it feels good – and you feel like Steve McQueen in Bullitt – it is time to call that sports car your own.

Lee Dobbins writes for sportscars.unique-articles.com where you can learn more about the sports care and get tips on buying a sports car