# 2nd most popular sports car? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 25, 2003, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2nd-most-popular-sports-car/177357 "2003-05-25T04:26:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2nd-most-popular-sports-car/177357/1 "2003-05-25T04:26:15Z")
I’ve read that there have been over a million Chevrolet Corvettes sold. I have a book that says the MGB sold over half a million. So, is the MGB (1962-1980) the second most popular sports car? What about the Porsche 911 series, which has been in production since 1964/65? Is the Corvette indeed the largest-selling sports car? If not, what is? And what is the second largest-selling one? ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2nd-most-popular-sports-car/177357/2 "2003-05-25T05:11:53Z")
Mazda Miata passed the half million mark in 1999, and you find claims that it is the world’s “best selling sports car”, etc. One supposes they are basing this on yearly sales figures, but if it remains popular enough to stay in production for many more years, it should close on the Corvette. You will also have to define what you mean by a “sports car”. How many Ford Mustangs have been made? ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2nd-most-popular-sports-car/177357/3 "2003-05-25T09:58:10Z")
Stupid question: what’s an MGB? ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2nd-most-popular-sports-car/177357/4 "2003-05-25T10:07:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SenorBeef \* > \*\*Stupid question: what’s an MGB? \*\* [http://www.automotivearticles.com/get.php?action=getarticle&articleid=35](http://www.automotivearticles.com/get.php?action=getarticle&articleid=35) ---
**Author:** ![something\_clever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3bc359/32.png) [@something\_clever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/something_clever)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2nd-most-popular-sports-car/177357/5 "2003-05-25T10:23:33Z")
miata != sports car ---
**Author:** ![Flying\_Monk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/48db29/32.png) [@Flying\_Monk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flying_Monk)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2nd-most-popular-sports-car/177357/6 "2003-05-25T10:57:46Z")
Mustang \<\> sports car ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2nd-most-popular-sports-car/177357/7 "2003-05-25T11:07:01Z")
This argument ≠ sensible or appropriate for GQ. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2nd-most-popular-sports-car/177357/8 "2003-05-25T13:37:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Flying\_Monk \* > \*\*Mustang \<\> sports car \*\* Rest assured that I don’t think so either, I was just making the point that we have to define the term fairly carefully before we can answer the question. I think the Miata DOES qualify, however, though I’m willing to entertain some definition that excludes it. And the Miata is way over a half million seller at this point. ---
**Author:** ![dead0man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/edb3f5/32.png) [@dead0man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dead0man)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2nd-most-popular-sports-car/177357/9 "2003-05-25T14:27:45Z")
There has been a butt ton of Mazda RX-7s over the years (especially between 79 and 89). The Nissan Z has been around for a long time too, although I don’t think it ever saw the numbers the RX-7 did or the Miata does. …and no, a Mustang is NOT a sports car. Its a “Pony” car. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2nd-most-popular-sports-car/177357/10 "2003-05-25T15:07:20Z")
> [@](#): > > Mazda Miata passed the half million mark in 1999 “Mazda Miata – An MGB tha Works!” 😃 Right, I was thinking about the Miata. L.A. is crawling with them. (L.A. is crawling with lots of sports cars. The Miata seems to be the most popular based on casual observation, followed by the Porsche 911 series and the Boxster.) The Miata resembles the MGB very vaguely. It seems to have about the same dimensions. I heard that when the Miata was being designed, Mazda engineers tried to get the exhaust note to sound like an MG’s. What is a sports car? Hm. It’s one of those things that if I think about it I have a hard time defining it (especially before coffee), but I know one when I see one. [Dictionary.com](http://Dictionary.com) defines a sports car as “An automobile equipped for racing, especially an aerodynamically shaped one-passenger or two-passenger vehicle having a low center of gravity and steering and suspension designed for precise control at high speeds.” That seems a little narrow, since a 911 has four seats (although the rear seats are child-sized – I _have_ had four adults in a 911). > [@](#): > > …and no, a Mustang is NOT a sports car. Its a “Pony” car. I agree with you, but for me it’s “I calls 'em likes I sees 'em.” To me, a sports car is a Porsche, MGB, Miata, Ferrari, Alpine, Lotus, Corvette, BMW M3, Fiat, Alfa Romeo Spyder, etc. A Mustang seems to me to be more of a small GT. But then, what’s a Porsche 928? I think of it as a sports car, but it’s really more of a GT as well. So is the Corvette still the largest-selling sports car? Is the Miata now second? Is the MGB third? How many 911s/Carerras have been sold? ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2nd-most-popular-sports-car/177357/11 "2003-05-25T15:17:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Johnny L.A. \* > [BI agree with you, but for me it’s “I calls 'em likes I sees 'em.” To me, a sports car is a Porsche, MGB, Miata, Ferrari, Alpine, Lotus, Corvette, BMW M3, Fiat, Alfa Romeo Spyder, etc. \*\* [Fiat??](http://clubs.hemmings.com/clubsites/fiat500canada/membphoto.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2nd-most-popular-sports-car/177357/12 "2003-05-25T15:25:57Z")
**amarone** : I was thinking of the Fiat roadsters, or perhaps the X1/9. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2nd-most-popular-sports-car/177357/13 "2003-05-25T17:30:10Z")
[http://www.fiat-spider.net/](http://www.fiat-spider.net/) Watch [Fletch](http://us.imdb.com/Details?0089155) if you have any doubts. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2nd-most-popular-sports-car/177357/14 "2003-05-25T18:06:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Johnny L.A. \* > \*\ ***amarone** : I was thinking of the Fiat roadsters, or perhaps the X1/9. \*\* OK. It was just that your list gave specific models when the manufacturer doesn’t make just sports cars (BMW M3, Alfa Spyder), but said just “Fiat”, like “Ferrari”. Maybe Porsches will need to be categorized, now they are making SUVs. ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2nd-most-popular-sports-car/177357/15 "2003-05-25T18:46:38Z")
Off to IMHO. Vroooom! ---
**Author:** ![Dark\_Brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@Dark\_Brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dark_Brown)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2nd-most-popular-sports-car/177357/16 "2003-05-27T14:53:46Z")
My vote goes to the Z car. I don’t have a cite, but I always thought it was the second best selling car of all time (behind VW Beetle). I think it surpassed a million units (and Corvette) in the early 90’s? Sold from 1970 - 1996; maybe sales of the 2003 350z will help the model regain/maintain 1st… ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2nd-most-popular-sports-car/177357/17 "2003-05-27T18:28:59Z")
I owned an RX-7 Special Edition and my wife is driving a Miata, now. I hope somehow to be able to have an RX-8 in the future. [ul]:o [sup] **Sorry, I spaced out for a moment there.** [/sup][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2nd-most-popular-sports-car/177357/18 "2003-05-27T20:03:44Z")
> [@](#): > > My vote goes to the Z car. Is that considered one car? I’m pretty sure that officially the newest Porsche Carerra is still a 911 (something like “911-996” – FWIW, the first ones in 1964 were "909"s, but Peugeot made them change it – and the Corvette has always been called a “Corvette”). But is the 350Z the “same” car as the 240Z, in the same way that the “911” is still a 911 and a “Corvette” is still a Corvette? ---
**Author:** ![Frank\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Frank\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank_2)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2nd-most-popular-sports-car/177357/19 "2003-05-27T20:15:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by something clever \* > \*\*miata != sports car \*\* I’ll second this. ---
**Author:** ![Dark\_Brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@Dark\_Brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dark_Brown)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2003, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2nd-most-popular-sports-car/177357/20 "2003-05-28T17:52:31Z")
Johnny I think you have a point. I guess the ‘Z Series’ is a bit too generic to be considered one sports car… Interesting though- is the original 70’s celica-supra still the same car as the MKIV (90’s) Toyota Supra? Maybe not so much the same since the model was split into two. Is the 70’s Rx-7 considered the same car as the 90’s prescription? How about the new Rx-8? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2nd-most-popular-sports-car/177357.md?page=2)