Cars

Definition of car

A car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transportation. Most definitions of cars say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four tires, and mainly transport people rather than goods. Cars came into global use during the 20th century, and developed economies depend on them.

Cars classification

Sport car

A sports car is designed to emphasise handling, performance or thrill of driving. Sports cars originated in Europe in the early 1900s and are currently produced by many manufacturers around the world.

Definitions of sports cars often relate to how the car design is optimised for dynamic performance (car handling), 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 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.

Muscle car

Muscle car is an American term for high-performance coupes, usually but not limited to rear-wheel drive and fitted with a high-displacement V8 engine. The term originated for 1960s and early 1970s special editions of mass-production cars which were designed for drag racing.

The definition of muscle car is subjective and frequently debated. Muscle cars often have many of the following characteristics: a large V8 engine in the most powerful configuration offered for a particular model, rear-wheel drive, being manufactured in the United States in the 1960s or early 1970s (the specific year range of 1964–1973 is sometimes used), a relatively lightweight two-door body (opinions vary as to whether high-performance full-size cars, compacts, and pony cars qualify as muscle cars, as it is sometimes claimed that only intermediate cars can be considered muscle cars), an affordable price and being designed for straight-line drag racing, while remaining street legal.

Luxury car

A luxury vehicle is intended to provide the driver and passengers with increased comfort, a higher level of equipment and increased perception of quality than regular cars (such as economy cars, which are intended as basic low-cost transportation devices) for an increased price. The term is subjective and can be based on either the qualities of the car itself or the brand image of its manufacturer.

Luxury cars costing over US$100,000 (as of 2007) can be considered as "ultra-luxury cars". Examples include the Rolls-Royce Phantom, Maybach 57, Bentley Arnage, and Toyota Century. High-end sports cars which are targeted towards performance rather than luxury are not usually classified as ultra-luxury cars, even when their cost is greater than US$100,000. The history of a brand and the exclusivity of a particular model can result in price premiums compared to luxury cars with similar features from less prestigious manufacturers.