Sports Cars

Sports Cars at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show

Sports Cars are all about performance. They aren't the most practical or fuel efficient. Most sports cars have two doors and a small cargo area that's covered by either a hatckback or a traditional trunk. Some come in convertible form.

Almost all sports cars have rear-wheel drive. Prices vary greatly and range from about $20,000 to $100,000 plus. Engines types are all over the board as well. Some offer high-revving four cylinders while others pack fire-breathing V8s.

Though there are no traditional sports-car classes, they do generally fall into three groups: Cool Crusiers, Pony Cars, and Super Cars.

Cool Cruisers. These cars are generally small in size and come with either four-cylinder or V6 engines--think Mazda RX-8 and Nissan 350Z. They have small, but useful, back seats and reasonable cargo space. Don’t be fooled by looks or size, these Cool Cruisers pack a punch when you stomp the go pedal.

Pony Cars. You know them as Mustang, Camaro, and Challenger. They are rear-drive V6- and V8-powered performance cars that have the potential to double as super cars in a pinch. Top-line pony cars can get quite expensive but have the chops to play with the big boys.

Super Cars.  They are traditionally the highest-performing cars on the road and are often the choice of the hard-core enthusiast. Sports cars have high sticker prices, but thanks to new technologies, are becoming more useful to daily drivers. Almost all have high-strung V8 engines and fat rear tires.

Whether your tastes run to a lithe cool cruiser, a brawny pony car or an exotic super car, if you got the coin there's a sports car for you. You can find the following sports cars on display at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show or at the Vehicles on Display section of the auto show Web site.