“What Russian does not like to drive fast!” This expression has long since left the borders of our Fatherland. Probably even the Negroes in Jamaica understand what it means. They also understand that fast driving is simply impossible without a fast car. But not everyone can distinguish a sports car from a racing car. Let's try to understand all the subtleties.
What is a sports car
Sports cars - this name includes a long list of different sports cars. The name itself consists of two parts - the English words "sport" and "car". A sports car is easy enough to figure out among the mass of other cars. As a rule, sports cars are predominantly two-seat cars, however, there are also four seats. The second way sports cars differ from cars for a wide audience is high speed. In addition, they have a special body shape and landing.
In everyday language, a sports car is the most ordinary car with increased speed and a somewhat specific look. These cars are purchased primarily to emphasize the position in society. Their cost is higher than that of simple cars, so this acquisition also indicates the financial condition of the owner.
Often such a car is a sports two-door roadster or coupe. However, there are deviations from the rule. It can be a hatchback (Ford Focus ST) or a sedan (Bentley Continental).
Reference! Despite the fact that such cars are intended for public roads, they are equipped with a stiffer suspension and an increased number of gears.
Sports car classification
Given the rather wide range of vehicles in this class, several groups have been identified. When dividing into them, such criteria as speed, cost, level of exclusivity are taken into account. There is no clear classification.
Separately distinguish "supercars" and "hypercars". But in most cases, no one will be able to highlight the fundamental differences between these machines.
sports cars
In this case, the name does not represent a generalized group, but only indicates the first step in the hierarchy of sports cars. They are quite affordable and have a clearly defined sports focus.
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Cars for city racing
This type of car is characterized by increased power. It's on the next level. However, the name "racing" is not entirely correct in this case, since it only defines cars for racing. Therefore, such cars are classified as a subspecies of sports cars.
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Supercars
The main features are shocking appearance and a speed ceiling above 300 kilometers per hour.
They shock, first of all, with their cost. Sometimes it is believed that they are deliberately overpriced to make them more exclusive.
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exotic cars
They are distinguished by their extreme characteristics and no less extreme cost. They are super coveted, especially since they are limited editions.
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hypercars
Very fast, rare and exclusive cars. To describe them, the definition of “the best in the whole world!” is more suitable. Just because you can light a cigar off a hundred bucks bill doesn't mean you can buy a hypercar. To buy such a “machine”, you need to stand in linefor several years. The model has not yet been launched into production, and there are already a huge number of applications from those eager to buy it.
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Racing car features
Racing cars are released only for participation in competitions. Despite this, a large number of manufacturers of this class of cars have models that organically combine comfort and design ergonomics with high speed performance. 
Racing cars are distinguished by a unique structure, a very light body. They lack a number of controls, as well as security systems. This makes the car lighter. While sports cars are meant for everyday use, racing cars don't drive on public roads.
Racing life requires very high speed and excellent aerodynamics. Therefore, only high-quality alloys are used in the design, and the weight is lightened to the maximum.
The best models of racing cars
There are quite a lot of racing-class cars that can fully satisfy all the needs of a professional pilot. In 2007, KTM introduced a unique model - X-Bow. The development was carried out jointly with the concern Audi. The car has a unique structure. It has a 240 horsepower engine. The speed ceiling is 250 kilometers per hour, and if you put special tires on it, then the speed can increase to 290 kilometers per hour. 
Differences between a sports car and a regular car
Under the name "sports car" lies a fairly large list of cars. They have distinctive features that you should be aware of.
One of the main ones is a powerful engine that has the ability to accelerate the car in a short time to huge speeds. In addition, in the classic version there are only two doors, a low seating position, and the body is several times lighter when compared with an ordinary city car. However, in recent years, more and more often you can find four-door sports cars.
It is a misconception that a sports car and a racing car are one and the same. Only the car that is mass-produced is called sports. In addition, each sports car must be registered, it must have a license plate.
The difference between a sports car and a racing car
The cars that take part in the races do not differ in their appearance from the production versions.
The body of a sports model for racing has practically no differences from models that are allowed on the streets of the city. But despite this, there are still differences. Let's look at the differences between sports cars and serial assembly models.
Representatives of the serial versions have an almost silent ride, but the racing ones have a loud roar. As they rush past the stands, they emit a sound of 100 decibels. 
Reference! Airplanes emit a sound of 140 decibels, and 150 decibels are dangerous for a person's hearing aid.
A serial production car is always under a window or in a garage. You can sit down and go to it at any time. Out-of-competition racing cars are taken apart so that technicians can service and repair them.
The racing version weighs much lighter than the regular version. This makes it possible to achieve high speed and fit into the turn without any problems. 
A sports car gets rid of all unnecessary details, and some cars are intentionally lightened.
Reference! The racing version of the BMW E90 has a mass of 1 t 200 kg, including the driver. And the serial version is two hundred kilograms more and without taking into account the weight of the driver.
Production versions are used to carry passengers and luggage. In a racing car there is only a place for the pilot.
Naturally, these are not all the differences. You can delve into all the technical characteristics of one and the other representative of the four-wheeled “horses” for a long time.
Racing car
a single-seat (monoposto) car designed to participate in car races, including for setting speed records (record-racing and ultra-fast cars - "fireballs").
Foreign firms began to build G. and. after 1900. Classification and technical requirements for G. a. are regulated by the rules of the International Sports Code, adopted in 1962, and its annexes, developed by the sports commission of the International Automobile Federation (FIA).
According to the working volume of the engine (l) and its own weight (kg) G. a. are subdivided into groups ≈ racing formulas: 1 (up to 3 l, not less than 500 kg), 2 (up to 1.6 l, not less than 450 kg), 3 (up to 1 l, not less than 400 kg). Formula 4 is also used (motorcycle engine up to 250 cm3), which is not officially approved by the FIA. Record-G. A. with gas turbine engines are allocated in a separate class. The best engines of G. a. formulas 1 have a liter capacity of up to 110 kW / l (150 hp / l) at 12,000 rpm and a compression ratio of 11≈12 and a 4-valve scheme that provides high-speed engine with better cylinder filling. On all G. a. Formulas 1 and 2 use direct fuel injection devices. As a rule, G. and. have multi-stage (five-speed) transmissions. Clutches are usually double disc. Disc brakes, ventilated; the width of the rims of the wheels and tires is greater than that of ordinary passenger cars (more than 400 mm). G. and are made in the USSR. formula 4 of the Tallinn Automobile Repair Plant, sports cars ZIL-112S, record racing "Kharkov-7" and gas turbine cars "Pioneer".
The most famous for the construction of G. a. are foreign firms Lotus (Great Britain), Porsche (Germany), Ford, Italian. Ferrari factory, etc.
The absolute world speed record on land was set on October 23, 1970 by G. Gabelich (USA) on the Blue Flame rocket car ≈1014, 294 km/h. The absolute world speed record for a car belongs to R. Summers (USA) ≈ 658.5 km / h (1965).
Lit .: Beckman V.V., Racing cars, 2nd ed., L., 1967.
V. I. Martyuk.
Wikipedia
Racing car
Racing car- cars designed and built specifically for motor racing - both for mass racing and for setting speed records. Unlike mass-produced road sports cars, racing cars have the most lightweight body, which lacks many important control and safety components. These vehicles are generally not allowed on public roads.
Racing cars, unlike conventional serial cars, were created not for the transport of passengers, but for competitions, to determine the technical capabilities of the car and its driving.
Participation in races requires high speed and aerodynamic characteristics from such cars. Racing cars have a large engine power, low weight, respectively, they can quickly accelerate and reach high speeds, as well as steadily turn around.
Racing cars are produced both by the sports divisions of large automakers (such as Daimler-Benz's AMG) and by small private companies created to build a single model. As a rule, such companies design only the body of the car and some of its components, and the most important and difficult part to manufacture - the engine - is supplied to them by large car manufacturers.
Since its inception, car racing began to gather hordes of fans around the world. There are not so many of those who did not limit themselves to contemplation and became a professional race car driver - a thin school notebook with a dozen sheets is enough to enumerate. They fully quenched their thirst for high speeds and strong g-forces in competitions, while the rest could only lick their lips. But there were also enthusiasts among them who were ready to spend some of their time, money and effort on creating their own fast car. So, the salt lakes of California served as a testing ground for lovers of high speeds almost a hundred years ago. As we said in the article, by the middle of the last century, this phenomenon had become so massive that it was just right to compare it in scale with professional motorsport. The flight of fancy when building cars was often not even limited by common sense, but today we will tell about the other side of this tuning - copies of racing cars or replicas.
Why is this needed?
There are several reasons for the appearance of racing car replicas. The main one is the desire to touch motorsport and keep for oneself the most important part of it - the car. For example, among football fans, the ball and the uniform of the players who played their triumphant match are valuable; in hockey, sticks and helmets are such attributes. But if serious battles are played out for equipment at auctions, then it is almost impossible to buy a real car. In any case, for sane money. But creating a copy of such a machine is possible even in your own garage.
Such machines are also being prepared for participation in expositions and filming. In this case, budgets sometimes allow the use of genuine copies, but the difficulty in finding them pushes customers to make copies. Finally, this type of tuning is less common than others, due to which the replicas attract much more attention than their counterparts in the "regular" tuning.
Who are we copying?
Of course, we are not talking about recreating Formula class cars or sports prototypes, since they have practically nothing in common with production models. Therefore, the production of such a replica will require many times larger budgets and labor costs.
The "mainstream" of this tuning are the "body" classes of circuit and rally disciplines - WRC, WTCC and the like, as well as "charged" versions and limited series of popular models. The most banal example is to make a BMW 520i look and drive like an M5, and modify a Subaru WRX in the manner of Petter Solberg's rally car. If you're a fan of the 9,000 rpm cutoff and your Honda Civic doesn't have red badges, you'll probably want to turn it into a Type R. As with any style of tuning, there are no hard and fast rules, but we'll only look at typical examples when the final project resembles its prototype as a whole, and not by individual elements.
Where do they meet?
The final appearance and technical characteristics of replicas primarily depend on the goals that are set for them. If the project is destined to visit exhibitions, there is no need to interfere in the technical aspects, keeping the main units in native specification with a corresponding change in appearance and interior. Urban operation of the “artificial race” will require the preservation of the functionality of the cabin and the presence of comfort elements in it. The technique in this case is being finalized in accordance with the wishes and budgets of the owner. Finally, the replica can "beat" on the tracks, not inferior to the original fireballs, attacking the apexes and soaring into the air on the crest of the springboards. But the preparation of such a machine affects almost every element, with an eye to the regulations of the sports discipline for which it is being prepared. Below we will take a closer look at the main techniques used in the creation of such machines.
The technical side of the issue
As we said above, the "technical" is completely dictated by the scope of the car. In the case of rally and ring cars, everything is decided by the class regulations, which allow for quite definite changes not only in the engine and transmission, but also in all other components - from brake pads and tires to the thickness of anti-roll bars. There can be no question of a complete coincidence with the prototype, since the technical requirements change annually. One thing remains unchanged: the car is also focused on the minimum time to cover a given distance with maximum safety for the pilot. For this reason, an automatic fire extinguishing system is installed in all such machines, and an automatic fire extinguishing system is “on duty” under the hood.
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It follows from this that a city or exhibition replica can be even faster and more powerful than a real one - there are no restrictions! But even "vegetable" copies, with full external compliance with the original, must have "adult" brakes, a suspension adjusted to the desired clearance and sports tires. Otherwise, the substitution can be recognized without even lifting the hood.
Outside
Unlike, the concept of which requires the complete preservation of the standard appearance, a modified exterior is a mandatory attribute of any racing replica. Depending on which car and with what accuracy it is necessary to copy, the amount of changes also differs. The simplest scheme is when the race body differs only in a couple of elements: for example, air intakes and spoilers. In this case, you can limit yourself to changing the existing external parts without resorting to replacing them.
Another thing is when an expansion of the body is required. So, to turn the BMW E30 Coupe into the M3 Evo version, it is necessary to reshape the entire rear of the body, replace almost all elements in the front and install hubs with five-bolt wheels instead of the standard four-by-one. Fortunately, some companies have already launched the production of appropriate fiberglass parts, thanks to which tuners are spared the search for rare lots and save a lot of money.
Even more difficult when it comes to building a replica racing car. Indeed, on many of them, the wheels are fastened with a central nut, the glasses are replaced with lightweight polycarbonate ones without the possibility of lowering, and it is difficult to make copies of some parts. Thus, the exterior, being the "cover" of the replica, is often the most difficult stage of construction.
Speed has long attracted people and forced them not to stop there. A little over a hundred years ago, racing at a speed of 30 km / h was called insanity, and today's race cars easily develop 10 times faster rates and even aim at the line of 400 km / h! Of course, it is not easy to buy such cars - most of the racing equipment is available only to the richest people in the world. Some machines are even created in a single quantity, which is a reason for the special pride of their owners. What racing cars of our time are considered the best - we will try to give an answer to this question by making a speed rating.
The Swedish hypercar is a representative of the old school, so there is no smell of any electric motors here. Its main advantage is an eight-cylinder turbocharged five-liter power unit running on E85 bioethanol and capable of developing a fantastic 1360 “horses”. If we compare this figure with the weight of the car (1390 kg), then we get about 1 d.s. per kilogram. This indicator was achieved by the maximum reduction in the weight of the car - even the wheels are made of carbon fiber.
The machine is a record holder in various disciplines. For example, in the exercise 0-400-0, which is available to a very small number of vehicles, because for this you must first join the "400 club". However, in this discipline the Agera managed 36.45 seconds, improving the Bugatti Chiron by more than 5 seconds - an outstanding achievement!
Further more. In tests conducted on US Highway 160, the hypercar in two races showed first 437 km / h, and on the way back - 457. According to the rules, the resulting value is the arithmetic average of these races (conducted to level the influence of the wind), so now the current official speed record for a production sports car is 447 km/h. Up to a hundred, the Scandinavian hypercar accelerates in 2.8 seconds, and its cost is $ 1.5 million.
- Lamborghini Miura;
- Mercedes 300SL;
- Ferrari Testarossa;
- Jaguar XK 200.
Each of the named racing cars of previous years has a historical value that will appear in modern supercars only after a few decades. In addition, it is also impossible to call them the fastest, since there are faster vehicles in the world on which official speed records were set. Therefore, while modern racing cars are expensive toys designed for rare trips to the track.
The first attempts to create machines capable of transporting people date back to the end of the 18th century. Long-term research in this area led to the creation of the first car with an internal combustion engine. This significant discovery was made by German engineers Daimler and Benz in 1885, which marked the beginning of the automobile era.
The rapid development of science and technology made it impossible to stand still in the evolution of machines. In addition to the rapidity of cars, designers began to work on other indicators: strength, reliability, ease of control, ease of construction, engine efficiency. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the achievements of racing cars were tested in France, which became the center of motorsport. Speeds increased to 40 km/h, the first records were recorded - 124 km/h.
After the end of the First World War, a new stage in the development of racing cars began. Young Soviet Russia zealously joined the rivalry, where in 1924 the first Soviet car was assembled by the designers of the Likhachev Plant. A whole galaxy of eminent racers appeared, speaking only on domestic cars.
The rapid development of rallies and approaches to their organization occurred in the second half of the twentieth century. Distances during competitions have increased, racing associations have begun to actively operate in most countries. The constant competition between the largest automobile concerns forced to implement new ideas, achievements, developments.
Over the long history of the development of racing cars, many curious cases have occurred, and interesting facts have accumulated:
