What exactly makes a sports car truly cool? The definition often begins with the classic image: a sleek, low-slung vehicle, typically designed for two, boasting impressive power and agile handling, wrapped in undeniably beautiful aesthetics. However, diving deeper into the realm of Cool Sports Cars reveals a fascinating truth – the boundaries are delightfully blurred. Many automobiles celebrated as iconic examples of cool sports cars playfully disregard some of these traditional markers. Take the Lamborghini Countach, for instance. While visually arresting and undeniably cool, its driving dynamics weren’t exactly cutting-edge. Or consider the Mazda Miata, a favorite among enthusiasts for its pure driving joy, yet hardly a powerhouse in terms of raw horsepower. Even the Mercedes 500E, with its practical four-door sedan configuration, or the audacious Plymouth Superbird, pushing the limits of muscle car styling into almost cartoonish territory, find their place in the cool sports car conversation.
Hypercars, with their extreme performance and often stratospheric price tags, exist in a different dimension, perhaps too extreme to be simply labeled as sports cars. However, many supercars comfortably fit the bill of cool sports cars, reminding us of a time when 300 horsepower was a truly significant figure. Grand tourers, designed for comfortable long-distance cruising, typically diverge from the focused sportiness of true sports cars, though roadsters and coupes, depending on their inherent athleticism, can certainly embody the cool sports car spirit. Sometimes, sheer, unadulterated automotive beauty elevates a car to cool sports car status almost single-handedly. The Bizzarrini GT Strada 5300, with its Italian flair, or the Lamborghini Miura, a masterpiece of mid-engine design, are prime examples where visual allure is a major part of their cool factor. Other cool sports cars, like the Alpine A110, earned their stripes and cool reputation through thrilling performance on the racetrack, proving that coolness can be forged in competition. Rarity, surprisingly, isn’t always a defining factor of coolness. The ultra-exclusive Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic and the relatively accessible Datsun 240Z both hold undeniable cool status, demonstrating that coolness can be found at different ends of the exclusivity spectrum. Then there are the icons, the cool sports cars that seem to tick every box: the Chevrolet Corvette and the Porsche 911. These automotive legends boast massive sales figures, undeniable cultural impact, exhilarating performance, and timeless styling that continues to captivate generations. They represent the epitome of cool sports cars for many enthusiasts.
To delve deeper into the subjective world of cool sports cars, a panel of twelve automotive experts was assembled. Tasked with selecting their top 50 cool sports cars from a comprehensive list of over 150 models, ranging from Abarth to Zonda, their collective votes shaped a definitive ranking. Interestingly, some highly desirable and technically impressive machines, including the Ford GT, Saleen S7, and McLaren 600LT, received no votes, highlighting the personal and often unpredictable nature of coolness. Other contenders, like the AMC AMX, the first-generation Chevy Camaro, and the De Tomaso Pantera, garnered passionate support, yet ultimately fell short of the top 50, demonstrating that even within expert circles, defining coolness can be contentious. Debates raged, particularly around Shelby models and their various iterations. However, the experts reached a unanimous consensus on the top five cool sports cars, showcasing a shared understanding of ultimate automotive coolness. Robb Report editors then meticulously refined these expert opinions to create the final list, reflecting a blend of expert judgment and editorial curation to pinpoint the coolest of the cool.
The concept of sports cars, and by extension, cool sports cars, originated over a century ago, initially driven by straightforward principles of design, engineering innovation, and the pursuit of victory in motorsports. However, almost from their inception, sports cars have been deeply intertwined with emotion. Any meaningful assessment of cool sports cars must acknowledge this inherent tension between objective criteria and subjective passion. The ongoing discussion about which sports cars reign supreme as the coolest is likely to persist as long as the very definition of a cool sports car continues to evolve and be reimagined, generation after generation. The essence of cool sports cars is not just in their specs or lap times, but in the emotional connection they forge with enthusiasts and the indelible mark they leave on automotive culture.
