Exotic Sports Cars

What is it that really defines an exotic car? This is a word that is thrown about by a lot of people and used in describing things as varied as food and even exotic beauty. The naming of a car as an exotic sports car takes a little more consideration.

The sleek and aerodynamic looks of true exotic sports cars are much more than just appearance. The slick look of these beauties also contributes to their speed as they cut through the air with very little resistance or friction. The true high performance exotic sports car is as fast as it looks.


With true exotic sports cars the design is crucial to giving the vehicle that designation and is a must for the serious car enthusiast. The car makers are well aware of this fact and the makers of the high end vehicles pay particular attention to creating standout designs that draw attention and gather crowds of onlookers wherever they are parked.

Car makers such as Ferrari actually outsource the design of their vehicles such as the way that they had Pininfarina design the ’02 ENZO. Another newer model that comes to mind which draws crowds is the new Lotus Elise. We saw one outside of a local restaurant last week and everyone who saw it walked over and stared at it.

While design is what makes the exotic stand out from the mere mortal vehicle it is sheer performance that is what the high end auto enthusiast seeks. The speed and handling while maintaining high speeds and hugging tight curves are the factors that truly set them apart. Think about it, the first thing that comes to mind is how fast the car is, how fast is goes from zero to sixty. Beauty really must be more than skin deep when it comes to a true high performance automobile like the 1994 Dauer 962 LeMans which currently holds the record for fastest sports car with a zero to sixty time of 2.6 seconds.

True exotics are limited production automobiles and in many cases there is a waiting list for them. This is another thing that increases the appeal, the fact that you don’t see one at every stop light, except maybe in South Beach.


Even people who don’t consider themselves to be car enthusiasts can easily name some of the more notable makers such as Lamborghini, Ferrari, Porsche and Lotus. Personally, I like the new Lotus Elise since it is a vehicle that is somewhat more affordable at under 50k. If you get a chance to see one up close or you are lucky enough to be able to drive one you will see what I mean. I thought that at 6’3" and 240 pounds I wouldn’t be able to get in one but they are deceptively roomy.

The Battle Between Porsche And Ferrari

The two European automakers, Porsche of Germany and Ferrari of Italy, have a lot of similarities even though the two compete with each other head to head for a niche market of the automotive industry. Both companies have a patriarchal founder, companies honed their skills in racing, are over five decades old, and both have a commitment to the integrity of their styling. If you question whether the two are the dominant force in performance autos just take a street survey and you will find that even a novice who knows nothing about cars knows these names.

For the purposes of this comparison we have chosen to feature the iconoclastic 911 Carrera from Porsche and the gorgeous Ferrari F430 because the two are representative of their respective company�s long standing tradition of marrying style and performance while offering some practicality but in the end are true sports cars though and through.

Both of these cars have the basic requirements of the modern sports car which are the ability to be started easily, handles well in town, takes winding country roads well and has race car performance coupled with safety.

When comparing standing start times the Ferrari is a slight bit faster edging out the Porsche by .8 seconds with a four second time in the zero to 100km/h test which is needless to say lightning fast. With speeds like these it is also imperative that the two speedsters be able to stop equally efficiently and the two do so offering optional cutting edge ceramic braking systems.

Porsche definitely wins in the fuel economy comparison getting nearly twice the mileage that the F430 gets. Both cars transfer the power of their engines through state of the art six speed transmissions.

The interiors of both vehicles offer a great deal of comfort that belies the small space and doesn�t leave the driver feeling cramped or closed in. The overall appearance in style goes to the Porsche hands down though as masters of high quality finish work.

When having to decide between the two, assuming you have the money to do so, the biggest difference is appearance with the Ferrari having the head turning looks but overall we have to give the fight to Porsche as the more well rounded of the two and the one that is less costly to maintain. It was fun to compare them however and maybe you should make a comparison of your own.