Sportscar facts for kids

A cool Porsche 911

A sports car is a special kind of car that is built to be fast and fun to drive! They are usually small and can turn corners really well. Most sports cars have only two seats, or sometimes two tiny seats in the back.

What Makes a Sports Car Special?

Sports cars are different from race cars. While race cars are made only for tracks, sports cars can be driven on regular roads. This means they have things you expect in a normal car, like a Radio for music and air conditioning to keep you cool.

A Brief History of Sports Cars

People have always wanted cars to go faster! The idea of a sports car started very early, soon after the first cars were invented. The first sports cars were often made for wealthy people who enjoyed racing them or just driving them for fun.

How Sports Cars Are Built

Sports cars come in many different designs, especially when it comes to where the engine is and which wheels get power.

• Front Engine, Rear-Wheel Drive: Many sports cars have their engine in the front and power goes to the back wheels. Good examples are the Chevrolet Corvette or the Honda S2000.
• Mid-Engine: Some cars have the engine placed in the middle, right behind the driver and passenger. One of the first famous cars with this design was the Lamborghini Miura.
• Rear Engine: Porsche uses a unique design for its Porsche 911. The engine is in the very back, behind the rear wheels!
• Four-Wheel Drive: Since the 1980s, many sports cars also use four-wheel drive. This means all four wheels get power, which can help with grip and speed.
• Front Engine, Front-Wheel Drive: This setup, where the engine is in the front and powers the front wheels, is not very common for sports cars, but a few models use it.

Seating in Sports Cars

Most sports cars are designed for just two people. They have two comfortable seats for the driver and one passenger.

• Some sports cars, like the Porsche 911, have two very small seats in the back. These are often called "2+2" cars, meaning two main seats plus two tiny ones.
• A very rare car, the McLaren F1, even had three seats! The driver sat in the middle, with a passenger on each side.

Amazing Sports Car Records

Sports cars are known for being incredibly fast and sometimes very expensive!

The super fast Bugatti Veyron Super Sport

• One of the fastest sports cars ever made is the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport. It can reach an amazing speed of 431 kilometres per hour (268 mph)!

Famous Sports Car Examples

Here are some well-known sports cars:

• Audi R8
• Bugatti Veyron
• Chevrolet Corvette
• Honda S2000
• Lamborghini Aventador
• Porsche 911

Images for kids

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  Mazda MX-5, the world's best-selling sports car

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  1996 Porsche GT2- a model homologated for sports car racing

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  2-seat layout (Ferrari 458 Spyder)

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  2+2 layout (Porsche 911)

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  Alfa Romeo 6C (1929)

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  Mercedes-Benz SSK (1929)

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  Riley Nine Imp (1935)

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  SS Jaguar 100 (1938)

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  BMW 328 (1938)

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  Jaguar XK120 Roadster (1948-1954)

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  AC Ace (1953-1963)

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  Triumph TR2 (1953-1955)

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  Austin-Healey Sprite (1958-1961)

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  MG MGA (1955-1959)

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  Ferrari 250 GTO (1962-1964)

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  Jaguar E-Type (1961-1968)

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  Lotus Elan Sprint (1970-1973)

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  Ferrari F40 (1987-1992)

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  Lotus Elise (Series 1) (1996-2001)

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  Audi TT (Mk1) (1998-2006)

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  Porsche 918 Spyder (2013-2015)

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  Alfa Romeo 4C (2013-2018)

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  Fiat 124 Spider (2016–present)

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  Stutz Bearcat Speedster (1912-1916)

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  Mercer Type 35 Raceabout (1910-1913)

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  Chevrolet Corvette (C1) (1953-1962)

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  Ford GT (2005-2006)

See also

In Spanish: Automóvil deportivo para niños