“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.
Until recently, electric vehicles were perceived, first of all, as city cars, which can be conveniently and cheaply driven only from home to work and back. But automakers are gradually expanding these horizons. And there are already quite a few electric and hybrid sports cars and even racing cars. Pro top ten of which will be discussed in this review.
Toyota TS040 Hybrid Race Car - hybrid racing car from Toyota
The most recent example of a racing car with an electric motor was recently presented by the Japanese company Toyota. The Toyota TS040 Hybrid Race Car was created specifically for racing in the 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship series, the goal of which is no longer the sports principle of “faster, higher, stronger”, but the development of modern energy-saving technologies.
The Toyota TS040 Hybrid Race Car is based on the Toyota TS040 racing car that will compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. A 3.7-liter fuel engine, as well as an electric motor, will give the hybrid a total output of 989 horsepower.
Nissan ZEOD RC - electric car to participate in the 24 hours of Le Mans
And if Toyota released two separate TS040 cars for different competitions, launching a car with an internal combustion engine for the 24 hours of Le Mans, then a year ago Nissan created not even a hybrid for endurance racing, but an electric car - Nissan ZEOD RC. He is expected to hit the track in 2014.
Nissan is one of the world's "locomotives" in the electric vehicle market. She created a unique technology to charge 80 percent of the battery in just 30 minutes. And it is to popularize her achievements that she plans to exhibit the Nissan ZEOD RC at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Of course, she can't count on winning. But even the very finish of an electric car in endurance competitions will be a huge marketing breakthrough.
Monster Sport E-RUNNER - racing sprinter from Mitsubishi
It turns out that the Pikes Peak auto racing in Colorado has had separate races among electric cars for several years. But if earlier they were attended mainly by mass-produced cars with an electric motor, then for the last two years Mitsubishi has been creating special models of electric vehicles specifically for these competitions. And in 2013, the Monster Sport E-RUNNER from this manufacturer won the race by a wide margin.
Pikes Peak is an international auto race, the essence of which is to climb Pikes Peak mountain as quickly as possible along a 20 km long road with 156 turns and a vertical drop of 1439 meters. The track record is 8 minutes 13 seconds. The Monster Sport E-RUNNER electric car in 2013 completed the task in 9 minutes 46 seconds, taking 5th place in the overall standings of the race.
Nuna 7 - solar record holder
And in Australia, for several years in a row, races have been held among a special type of electric vehicles - cars powered by energy from solar panels installed on them. Luckily, the weather conditions make it possible to arrange such competitions. And in 2013, the 3,071-kilometer race between the cities of Darwin and Adelaide was won by a crew in a Nuna 7 car, spending 33 hours and 3 minutes on it.
The Nuna 7 solar electric car was created especially for the World Solar Challenge by a team of students from the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. The weight of this car is 190 kilograms, and the maximum speed is almost 100 kilometers per hour.
Lola B12/69 EV - the world's first electric racing car
And the first modern electric car, created specifically for serious, and not special auto racing, was. It was released in 2012 for the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance competition in 2013. The 850 horsepower engine allows this electric car to reach speeds of 329 kilometers per hour.
However, the Lola B12 / 69 EV could not participate in the 2013 races at Le Mans - its debut at these competitions was postponed to 2014. But the car has proven itself well in many other racing races. And the Drayson Racing team is scheduled to become one of the participants in the Formula E series, a new FIA project starting in September 2014.
Sports electric vehicles
In order not to limit our review to only electric racing cars that can only be seen on the tracks, we decided to tell you about some of the most remarkable modern electric sports cars - production cars already driving on the streets of cities.Inizio EVS is the world's first mass-produced electric sports car
For a long time, electric sports cars presented at car dealerships by various manufacturers remained concepts, released in one or more copies. The world's first mass-produced sports electric car became in 2011.
The cost of this car ranged from 139 to 249 thousand US dollars, depending on the model. Its maximum speed is 273 kilometers per hour, the acceleration time from zero to hundreds is 3.4 seconds, and the cruising range on a single battery charge is 402 km.
The fact is that the doors in this electric car do not open sideways, like in the vast majority of cars, but upwards, which has been a sign of expensive, high-status cars for several decades. Among other characteristics, the Tesla Model X boasts the ability to accelerate to a speed of 100 kilometers per hour in 4.4 seconds, a range of 440 kilometers and a fairly moderate price of 50 to 90 thousand dollars, depending on the model.
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG - electric sports car from Mercedes-Benz
The auto giant Mercedes-Benz did not miss the opportunity to enter the electric sports car market. In 2013, the Germans launched a new variation of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG supercar equipped with an electric motor into mass production.
The maximum speed of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG electric sports car is 250 kilometers per hour, the same distance the car can travel on one full battery charge. The cost of this car starts from 544 thousand US dollars.
Audi e-tron - the sports car of the future from Audi
In 2014, Audi fans are looking forward to the start of sales of one of the most controversial modern cars from this manufacturer. We are talking about the electric sports car Audi e-tron.
The Audi e-tron is based on the Audi R8 gasoline engine, which was replaced with four electric engines. They allow the car to accelerate from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in 4.8 seconds. The maximum speed of the car reaches 250 km / h, but the manufacturer at the hardware level limited this figure to 200, so that fans of driving do not drain the batteries of their sports car so quickly. The Audi e-tron starts at $200,000.
Porsche 918 is the most expensive hybrid sports car in the world
The most expensive mass-produced electric sports car in the world is the Porsche 918 hybrid car, which went on sale in 2013 in a limited edition of 918 cars.
The use of a hybrid engine with a total capacity of 887 horsepower allows the Porsche 918 to accelerate to hundreds in just 2.8 seconds, and its maximum speed reaches 345 kilometers per hour without any restrictions. True, with all these impressive characteristics, the hybrid from Porsche has a significant disadvantage - its price starts from 845 thousand dollars.
As soon as the production of cars became massive, the manufacturers faced the question of whose car is better. There was only one way to find out - to arrange a race. Very soon, the founders abandoned the use of ordinary cars in speed competitions and began to create single-seat racing cars special for this.
Pioneers of racing can now only be seen in the museum, with wealthy collectors, but in the photo. Racing cars became more and more over time, their speed increased, and interest in them increased. Today, motor racing is one of the most legendary sports on the entire globe.
Race cars are the fastest cars built using the latest technology. By the way, these innovations are then applied in the production of conventional "iron horses". The weight of racing cars should be small, the shape should be streamlined. Therefore, the body of these cars is made from ultra-light raw materials used in space technology. Aerodynamic shapes allow you to minimize the resistance of air masses and develop the highest possible speeds.
The most famous brands of racing cars are Ferrari (Italy), Ford (Italy), Porsche (Germany), Lotus (Great Britain) and others.
Competitions vary, and cars are divided into four main types: for high-speed competitions on short straight tracks - dragsters, sports types, stock and open wheels.
The most popular racing cars with open wheels are Formula 1 and Grand Prix. Designed according to samples close to those established by the International Automobile Federation, Formula 1 cars weighing about 600 kg are based on a monocoque chassis and autonomous suspension. The place for the rider is located in the center, where he should be in a prone position. Immediately behind it is a 4- or 6-cylinder engine with up to 1200 horsepower, capable of reaching speeds of up to 360 kilometers per hour. The fight for the championship is contested exclusively on highways. Whereas the larger, heavier race cars of the Championship class, the Indies compete on oval-shaped tracks ranging from 1.6 kilometers in length. Their top speed can reach 368 kilometers per hour.
American models of the Sprint class weighing about 730 kg with a serial Chevrolet 550 engine are the most dangerous for racing due to their straight and high seating position, but these competitions are the most spectacular. Competitions are held on asphalt or cinder tracks with a length of up to 1.6 kilometers.
Racing small cars with 4-cylinder engines are like miniature Sprint cars. Three-quarter racers are even smaller.
Production cars, unlike the Formula 1 class, are consumer cars modified for racing, which are also popular and are held in many countries around the world. This converted "Iron Horse" of the "Grand National" class in the National Association of stock car racing is the best today.
And which one do you prefer?
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.
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:
