Sport compact
Encyclopedia
A sport compact is a high-performance version of a compact car
or a subcompact car
. They are typically are front engined, front-wheel drive
or all-wheel drive coupés, sedans, or hatchbacks driven by a straight-4
gasoline engine. Performance-oriented sport compacts generally focus on improving handling and increasing performance by engine efficiency, rather than increasing engine size. Sport compacts often feature external body modifications to improve aerodynamics or house larger wheels.
Typical sport compacts include such examples as Ford Escort RS Cosworth
, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
, Mitsubishi Eclipse
, Honda Civic Si
, Chevrolet Cobalt SS
, Ford Focus SVT, Opel Astra GTC
, Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V, Hyundai Tiburon
, Honda Prelude
, Toyota Celica
and Scion tC TRD
.
or Acura Integra
in the sport compact category. However, the Lotus Esprit was offered with a 4-cylinder engine that produced greater than 100 hp per litre engine displacement—a feat achieved only by exotic sports cars at the time. Today, its performance is largely eclipsed by high performance versions of compact cars such as the Ford Escort RS Cosworth
, Ford Focus RS, Subaru Impreza WRX STi
, Volkswagen R32 or the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
. As with most automotive language, the category "sports compact" is not precise.
However as "the term compact car is a largely North American term" and "The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines a "Compact" car as measuring between 100 cubic feet (2.8 m3) and 109 cubic feet (3.1 m3) of combined passenger and cargo volume capacity", the term compact is defined precisely in the US. A sports car such as a Lotus Esprit or Nissan 370Z is defined as a two seater, and should not be a considered a sport compact simply because it has the same length as many compacts, because a modest back seat is required for a car to be a compact. On the other hand, subcompact cars definitely are considered sport compacts, probably because the term "sport subcompact" is too awkward. In either case they are vehicles that four full sized adults could ride in their own seat on a trip across town, but they would not want to ride in on a longer trip. A mini-compact car such as a Porsche 911 does not have a rear seat big enough that full sized adults would even want to ride across town in. They are not sport compact cars either, just sports cars with miniature seats in the back. Sport compact cars in the US have always included six cylinder cars as well as four cylinder cars, from the V-6 Buick Skyhawk of the 1970's to the Citation X-11 in the 1980's, and the Cavalier Z-24 in the 1990's, just to name a few GM examples. A four cylinder engine is clearly not a requirement. Of course if a sports car maker made a subcompact or compact model it should still be considered a sport compact.
Nevertheless, the designation of the "sport compact" is generally reserved for the higher-performance versions of common, lower-performance compact and economy vehicles. A car that is specifically designed to be a performance automobile (a sports car such as grand tourer or an exotic sports car) may also be compact in size, but is clearly delineated from an ordinary compact by manufacturer's performance intent. Thus, a "sports car" is a car specifically intended to provide elevated vehicle performance. The "sports compact", on the other hand, is a compact car that has been improved (by owner or manufacturer) to provide an elevated degree of vehicle performance over the base version of the car.
Note that the debate is often confused by arguments of power, since engine power is a clear indication of straight-line acceleration performance. However, categorization by number of engine cylinders, the addition of forced induction
, or even an arbitrary horsepower reference does not provide clearer categorization. This is due to the rapidly advancing performance capability of new sport compact cars as compared to yesterday's sports cars. Cars such as the Toyota Supra
, Acura NSX, Lotus Elise
, and the Nissan Skyline
clearly fall into a different market segment than even the highest performance production versions of the Honda Civic
and specifically prepared post-production-tuned automobiles. Despite this, Sport Compact Car Magazine often contains articles on the Toyota Supra
, Nissan 350Z
, Honda S2000
, Lotus Elise
, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
, in addition to other sport compacts.
Motor Trend
often have sport compact road tests, and their 2009 group included Chevrolet Cobalt SS
, Dodge Caliber
SRT4, Honda Civic
Si, Mazdaspeed3
, Mini Clubman S
, Mitsubishi Lancer
Ralliart, Subaru Impreza WRX
and Volkswagen GTI.
Cosmetic tuning may include changing the interior (such as changing the shift knob
and steering wheel
as an example) and exterior decoration, installation of a DVD
combined with a powerful sound system, adding neon headlights and other aftermarket lighting systems to name but a few. Performance tuning can include the modification of the cars' aerodynamics
adding a nitrous oxide
injection system, changing wheels and tires, chip tuning
installation of a Weighted Gear Knob and a short shifter
, changing filters and so on.
Restoration of a Japanese import to its JDM
specifications (or J-Spec) has become a fairly popular modification for many tuners in North America. It is quite common for Japanese automakers to produce or export less powerful versions of their models to the North American market. The common exception to this is the 1993-1998 Toyota Supra
which received a more powerful engine for US export due to the "Gentleman's Agreement" in Japan. Such modifications usually involve swapping engines and transmissions. Popular examples include the conversion of parts from a JDM Silvia
onto a USDM Nissan 240SX
, or replacing JDM Honda parts and equipment (such as from a Civic Type-R) onto a United States Domestic Market USDM Honda Civic
. Most Hondas are particularly good examples of this because of the cost saving "parts bin" designing used at Honda. To save production costs many high-end production equipment use the same or similar mounting locations as a cheaper or lower-performance alternative. These modifications can also be cosmetic, such as the replacement of the front fascia or rear spoiler with its JDM counterpart.
(NHRA) has made sport compact cars eligible to compete in the Lucas Oil Sportsman Series, and Sport Compact "Pro RWD" type cars are used in the NHRA Pro Stock
category as the Chevrolet Cobalt
is used as the manufacturer's car in the class. All these classes are officially sanctioned by ANDRA and are recognised through a series of successful events and National Records.
Some highly modified sport compact dragsters can accelerate from 0-60 mph in less than four seconds.
Sport compacts are fairly popular for autocross
competitions. The Acura Integra, Toyota Celica
, and MINI Cooper are some of the more successful sport compacts within their classes.
It is also worth noting that sport compact cars have been the backbone of the latest motorsport discipline to emerge - drifting - since its beginnings.
The former NASCAR Goody's DASH Series found new life in 2005 when acquisitioned by International Sport Compact Auto Racing Series (ISCARS) DASH Touring, which tours primarily on asphalt ovals throughout the southeast. In 2008 the series accepted the sanction of American Speed Association (ASA). The TC 2000 Championship is one of the touring car racing
series which involving sport compacts.
Sport compacts remain one of the largest segments of the performance car market in Europe and Japan, and is seeing a resurgence in North America after declining sales in the 1990s.
Japanese manufacturers such as Honda
, Mazda
, Mitsubishi
, Nissan and Subaru
have continued to release new generations of modestly priced sport compacts, such as the Honda Civic Si
, Mazdaspeed3
, and the Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V. General Motors and other American companies has responded with the Saturn Ion Red Line, the Pontiac G5
GT, and the Chevrolet Cobalt SS
. Dodge also offers the Caliber SRT-4
, high performance versions of their respective models.
European manufacturers have long offered multiple high-performance compacts in Europe and many of these are imported to North America. These are called hot hatch
es or warm hatches depending on engine power as they are available as hatchback
s. They include the VW Golf GTI (which was first announced in 1975) and Mini Cooper
.
The sport compact can also refer to the top performance version of the compact executive car
(or entry level luxury car). The examples of sport compact executives are BMW M3
, Audi RS4
and Lexus IS F. In Australia they are referred to as Sports sedan
s.
Compact car
A compact car , or small family car , is a classification of cars which are larger than a supermini but smaller than or equal to a mid-size car...
or a subcompact car
Subcompact car
Subcompact car is a North American term used to describe automobiles whose class size is smaller than that of a compact car, usually not exceeding in length, but larger than a microcar...
. They are typically are front engined, front-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive is a form of engine/transmission layout used in motor vehicles, where the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel drive vehicles feature a transverse engine, rather than the conventional longitudinal engine arrangement generally found in rear-wheel drive and...
or all-wheel drive coupés, sedans, or hatchbacks driven by a straight-4
Straight-4
The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
gasoline engine. Performance-oriented sport compacts generally focus on improving handling and increasing performance by engine efficiency, rather than increasing engine size. Sport compacts often feature external body modifications to improve aerodynamics or house larger wheels.
Typical sport compacts include such examples as Ford Escort RS Cosworth
Ford Escort RS Cosworth
The Ford Escort RS Cosworth was a sports derivative of the Ford Escort. It was available from 1992-96 in very limited numbers.It was instantly recognisable due to its large "whale tail" rear spoiler...
, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, colloquially known as the Lancer Evo or Evo, is a high-performance sedan manufactured by Mitsubishi Motors. There have been ten official versions to date, and the designation of each model is most commonly a roman numeral...
, Mitsubishi Eclipse
Mitsubishi Eclipse
The Mitsubishi Eclipse was a coupe that was in production since 1989 for left hand drive traffic markets. According to Mitsubishi, the car was named after an 18th century English racehorse which won 26 races, and has also been sold as the Eagle Talon and the Plymouth Laser captive imports through...
, Honda Civic Si
Honda Civic Si
The Honda Civic Si is a sport compact / hot hatch version of the Civic built by the Japanese automaker Honda. The Si trim, which stands for "Sport Injected," was introduced for the third generation of Honda Civics in both Japan and North America...
, Chevrolet Cobalt SS
Chevrolet Cobalt SS
The Cobalt SS is a line of three sport compact versions of the Chevrolet Cobalt built on the General Motors Delta platform at Lordstown Assembly in Ohio, United States...
, Ford Focus SVT, Opel Astra GTC
Opel Astra
The Opel Astra is a small family car engineered and manufactured by the German automaker Opel since 1991.It is branded as Vauxhall Astra in the United Kingdom, the Buick Excelle XT in China and the Chevrolet Astra/Vectra in Latin America...
, Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V, Hyundai Tiburon
Hyundai Tiburon
-RC :Tiburon first began production in late 1996. It was available in a few foreign markets with engine choices of either 1.6L or 1.8L. In the United States, the Tiburon was first offered in 1997 with base models using the Elantra's 1.8L engine while the upscale FX received a 2.0L four-cylinder...
, Honda Prelude
Honda Prelude
The Honda Prelude was a sports coupe produced by Japanese automaker Honda from 1978 until 2001. It replaced the Honda S800, a front-engined, front wheel drive sports car...
, Toyota Celica
Toyota Celica
The Toyota Celica name has been applied to a series of coupes made by the Japanese company Toyota. The name is ultimately derived from the Latin word coelica meaning "heavenly" or "celestial"....
and Scion tC TRD
Scion tC
The Scion tC is an automobile manufactured and sold by Scion, a division of Toyota. Introduced in the United States in June 2004 and Canada in 2010. The name tC does not fit in with its stablemates the xA, xB, and xD, because the name XC designation has already been used by Volvo for its lineup of...
.
Classification and debate
The exact definition of a sport compact remains a subject of debate. Some believe that any 4-cylinder compact car falls into this category, clearly placing cars such as the Nissan 240SXNissan 240SX
The 240SX is a two-door compact car that was introduced to the North American market by Nissan in 1988 for the following model year. It replaced the outgoing 200SX model. Most of the 240SX were equipped with the 2.4-liter inline 4 engine . The KA24E being single over-head cam and KA24DE being dual...
or Acura Integra
Honda Integra
The Honda Integra is a compact luxury performance coupe made by Honda during the years 1985 to 2006. The sporty front wheel drive car is able to house five passengers with a two door hatch or four door sedan available.The Integra was on Car and Driver magazine's annual Ten Best list six times, in...
in the sport compact category. However, the Lotus Esprit was offered with a 4-cylinder engine that produced greater than 100 hp per litre engine displacement—a feat achieved only by exotic sports cars at the time. Today, its performance is largely eclipsed by high performance versions of compact cars such as the Ford Escort RS Cosworth
Ford Escort RS Cosworth
The Ford Escort RS Cosworth was a sports derivative of the Ford Escort. It was available from 1992-96 in very limited numbers.It was instantly recognisable due to its large "whale tail" rear spoiler...
, Ford Focus RS, Subaru Impreza WRX STi
Subaru Impreza WRX STI
The Subaru Impreza WRX STI, has the highest trim in the Subaru Impreza compact car line, produced by Japanese automaker Subaru.In the late 1980s, Subaru created the Subaru Tecnica International division to coordinate development for the FIA World Rally Championship and other motorsports activities...
, Volkswagen R32 or the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, colloquially known as the Lancer Evo or Evo, is a high-performance sedan manufactured by Mitsubishi Motors. There have been ten official versions to date, and the designation of each model is most commonly a roman numeral...
. As with most automotive language, the category "sports compact" is not precise.
However as "the term compact car is a largely North American term" and "The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines a "Compact" car as measuring between 100 cubic feet (2.8 m3) and 109 cubic feet (3.1 m3) of combined passenger and cargo volume capacity", the term compact is defined precisely in the US. A sports car such as a Lotus Esprit or Nissan 370Z is defined as a two seater, and should not be a considered a sport compact simply because it has the same length as many compacts, because a modest back seat is required for a car to be a compact. On the other hand, subcompact cars definitely are considered sport compacts, probably because the term "sport subcompact" is too awkward. In either case they are vehicles that four full sized adults could ride in their own seat on a trip across town, but they would not want to ride in on a longer trip. A mini-compact car such as a Porsche 911 does not have a rear seat big enough that full sized adults would even want to ride across town in. They are not sport compact cars either, just sports cars with miniature seats in the back. Sport compact cars in the US have always included six cylinder cars as well as four cylinder cars, from the V-6 Buick Skyhawk of the 1970's to the Citation X-11 in the 1980's, and the Cavalier Z-24 in the 1990's, just to name a few GM examples. A four cylinder engine is clearly not a requirement. Of course if a sports car maker made a subcompact or compact model it should still be considered a sport compact.
Nevertheless, the designation of the "sport compact" is generally reserved for the higher-performance versions of common, lower-performance compact and economy vehicles. A car that is specifically designed to be a performance automobile (a sports car such as grand tourer or an exotic sports car) may also be compact in size, but is clearly delineated from an ordinary compact by manufacturer's performance intent. Thus, a "sports car" is a car specifically intended to provide elevated vehicle performance. The "sports compact", on the other hand, is a compact car that has been improved (by owner or manufacturer) to provide an elevated degree of vehicle performance over the base version of the car.
Note that the debate is often confused by arguments of power, since engine power is a clear indication of straight-line acceleration performance. However, categorization by number of engine cylinders, the addition of forced induction
Forced induction
Forced induction is the process of compressing air on the intake of an internal combustion engine . A forced induction engine uses a gas compressor to increase the pressure, temperature and density of the air...
, or even an arbitrary horsepower reference does not provide clearer categorization. This is due to the rapidly advancing performance capability of new sport compact cars as compared to yesterday's sports cars. Cars such as the Toyota Supra
Toyota Supra
The Toyota Supra is a sports car/grand tourer that was produced by Toyota Motor Company from 1979 to 2002. The styling of the Toyota Supra was derived from the Toyota Celica, but it was both longer and wider. Starting in mid-1986, the Supra became its own model and was no longer based on the Celica...
, Acura NSX, Lotus Elise
Lotus Elise
The 1996 Lotus Elise weighed . Because of its relatively low weight, it was able to accelerate 0- in 5.8 seconds despite its relatively low power output of...
, and the Nissan Skyline
Nissan Skyline
The first Skyline was introduced in April 1957, by the Prince Motor Company, and was marketed as a luxury car. It featured a 1.5 L GA-30 engine producing 44 kW @ 4400 rpm. It used a de Dion tube rear suspension and was capable of 140 km/h . The car weighed around 1300 kg...
clearly fall into a different market segment than even the highest performance production versions of the Honda Civic
Honda Civic
The Honda Civic is a line of subcompact and subsequently compact cars made and manufactured by Honda. The Civic, along with the Accord and Prelude, comprised Honda's vehicles sold in North America until the 1990s, when the model lineup was expanded...
and specifically prepared post-production-tuned automobiles. Despite this, Sport Compact Car Magazine often contains articles on the Toyota Supra
Toyota Supra
The Toyota Supra is a sports car/grand tourer that was produced by Toyota Motor Company from 1979 to 2002. The styling of the Toyota Supra was derived from the Toyota Celica, but it was both longer and wider. Starting in mid-1986, the Supra became its own model and was no longer based on the Celica...
, Nissan 350Z
Nissan 350Z
The Nissan 350Z is a two seat sports car that was manufactured by Nissan from 2002 to 2009 and marks the fifth generation of Nissan's Z-car line. The 350Z entered production in late 2002 and was sold and marketed as a 2003 model. The first year there was only a coupe, as the roadster did not debut...
, Honda S2000
Honda S2000
The Honda S2000 is a roadster that was manufactured by the Japanese automaker Honda Motor Company. It was launched in April 1999 and was created to celebrate the company's 50th anniversary. The car was first shown as a concept at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1995, following which it was launched in...
, Lotus Elise
Lotus Elise
The 1996 Lotus Elise weighed . Because of its relatively low weight, it was able to accelerate 0- in 5.8 seconds despite its relatively low power output of...
, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, colloquially known as the Lancer Evo or Evo, is a high-performance sedan manufactured by Mitsubishi Motors. There have been ten official versions to date, and the designation of each model is most commonly a roman numeral...
, in addition to other sport compacts.
Motor Trend
Motor Trend
Motor Trend is an American automobile magazine. It first appeared in September 1949, issued by Petersen Publishing Company in Los Angeles, and bearing the tag line "The Magazine for a Motoring World". Petersen Publishing was sold to British publisher EMAP in 1998, who sold the former Petersen...
often have sport compact road tests, and their 2009 group included Chevrolet Cobalt SS
Chevrolet Cobalt SS
The Cobalt SS is a line of three sport compact versions of the Chevrolet Cobalt built on the General Motors Delta platform at Lordstown Assembly in Ohio, United States...
, Dodge Caliber
Dodge Caliber
The Dodge Caliber was a compact car produced by the Dodge division of Chrysler. It replaced the Neon, and it went on sale in the spring of 2006 as a 2007 model year vehicle...
SRT4, Honda Civic
Honda Civic
The Honda Civic is a line of subcompact and subsequently compact cars made and manufactured by Honda. The Civic, along with the Accord and Prelude, comprised Honda's vehicles sold in North America until the 1990s, when the model lineup was expanded...
Si, Mazdaspeed3
Mazdaspeed3
The 2010 Mazdaspeed3 retains the MZR 2.3 DISI Turbo engine. Pictures and comprehensive details were revealed to the public at the 2009 Geneva Auto Show and its North American Debut was at the New York Auto Show in April 2009. The MZR 2.3 liter engine remains, however new ECU tweaks will provide...
, Mini Clubman S
MINI (BMW)
Mini is a British automotive marque owned by BMW which specialises in small cars.Mini originated as a specific vehicle, a small car originally known as the Morris Mini-Minor and the Austin Seven, launched by the British Motor Corporation in 1959, and developed into a brand encompassing a range of...
, Mitsubishi Lancer
Mitsubishi Lancer
The Mitsubishi Lancer is a family car built by Mitsubishi Motors. It has been known as the Colt Lancer, Dodge/Plymouth Colt, Chrysler Valiant Lancer, Chrysler Lancer, Eagle Summit, Hindustan Lancer, Soueast Lioncel, Mitsubishi Carisma, and Mitsubishi Mirage in various countries at different times,...
Ralliart, Subaru Impreza WRX
Subaru Impreza WRX
The Subaru Impreza WRX is a turbocharged version of the Subaru Impreza, an all-wheel drive, four-door passenger vehicle. It is available as a sedan or wagon....
and Volkswagen GTI.
Tuning
It has become fairly popular to modify or customize a sport compact, commonly referred to as tuning. This has given rise to the term "tuner" for the owners of modified sport compacts (and other vehicle classes), and by extension, their automobiles. As with trucks and other vehicle categories, there is a large market for performance-enhancing equipment designed to fit small cars. Unfortunately, "tuning" is a term that is also symbolized by cosmetic and non-performance related vehicle modifications. It is the subject of some controversy whether to recognize a compact "tuner" car that has been modified to offer lesser vehicle performance than a "sport compact".Cosmetic tuning may include changing the interior (such as changing the shift knob
Shift Knob
A shift knob also known as a gear knob, gear shift knob and stick shift knob is the physical interface between the manual transmission stick shift and the drivers hand. Made of many materials from simple plastics through to platinum it comes in many shapes sizes and weights...
and steering wheel
Steering wheel
A steering wheel is a type of steering control in vehicles and vessels ....
as an example) and exterior decoration, installation of a DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
combined with a powerful sound system, adding neon headlights and other aftermarket lighting systems to name but a few. Performance tuning can include the modification of the cars' aerodynamics
Aerodynamics
Aerodynamics is a branch of dynamics concerned with studying the motion of air, particularly when it interacts with a moving object. Aerodynamics is a subfield of fluid dynamics and gas dynamics, with much theory shared between them. Aerodynamics is often used synonymously with gas dynamics, with...
adding a nitrous oxide
Nitrous oxide
Nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas or sweet air, is a chemical compound with the formula . It is an oxide of nitrogen. At room temperature, it is a colorless non-flammable gas, with a slightly sweet odor and taste. It is used in surgery and dentistry for its anesthetic and analgesic...
injection system, changing wheels and tires, chip tuning
Chip tuning
Chip tuning refers to changing or modifying an EPROM chip in a car's or other vehicle's electronic control unit to achieve better performance, whether it be more power, cleaner emissions, or better fuel economy....
installation of a Weighted Gear Knob and a short shifter
Short shifter
A short shifter, also known as a short throw shifter, is the result of an automotive aftermarket modification of the manual transmissions' stick shift either by modification of the existing stick shift or, alternately, by the replacement of the entire part.The purpose of the modification is to...
, changing filters and so on.
Restoration of a Japanese import to its JDM
Japan domestic market
The term Japanese domestic market refers to the local market in Japan for Japanese-made motor vehicles and components. Within the car and motorcycle hobbyist import scene, this term, and the related term Japanese domestic model, most commonly refer to Japanese-brand automobiles and parts designed...
specifications (or J-Spec) has become a fairly popular modification for many tuners in North America. It is quite common for Japanese automakers to produce or export less powerful versions of their models to the North American market. The common exception to this is the 1993-1998 Toyota Supra
Toyota Supra
The Toyota Supra is a sports car/grand tourer that was produced by Toyota Motor Company from 1979 to 2002. The styling of the Toyota Supra was derived from the Toyota Celica, but it was both longer and wider. Starting in mid-1986, the Supra became its own model and was no longer based on the Celica...
which received a more powerful engine for US export due to the "Gentleman's Agreement" in Japan. Such modifications usually involve swapping engines and transmissions. Popular examples include the conversion of parts from a JDM Silvia
Nissan Silvia
The S12 was produced from 1984 to 1988, with revisions to the exterior trim in 1987 . It was sold in three configurations—a coupe , a hatchback, and a widebody chassis called grandprix .A number of different engines were equipped in the S12 chassis, depending on production year and more...
onto a USDM Nissan 240SX
Nissan 240SX
The 240SX is a two-door compact car that was introduced to the North American market by Nissan in 1988 for the following model year. It replaced the outgoing 200SX model. Most of the 240SX were equipped with the 2.4-liter inline 4 engine . The KA24E being single over-head cam and KA24DE being dual...
, or replacing JDM Honda parts and equipment (such as from a Civic Type-R) onto a United States Domestic Market USDM Honda Civic
Honda Civic
The Honda Civic is a line of subcompact and subsequently compact cars made and manufactured by Honda. The Civic, along with the Accord and Prelude, comprised Honda's vehicles sold in North America until the 1990s, when the model lineup was expanded...
. Most Hondas are particularly good examples of this because of the cost saving "parts bin" designing used at Honda. To save production costs many high-end production equipment use the same or similar mounting locations as a cheaper or lower-performance alternative. These modifications can also be cosmetic, such as the replacement of the front fascia or rear spoiler with its JDM counterpart.
Motorsport
Small cars with high power ratings can be formidable racing vehicles. The Sports Car Club of America SCCA has long hosted races for compact cars. More recently, sport compacts have become so popular that the Australian National Drag Racing Association (ANDRA) (www.andra.com.au) now have special classes for sport compact racing, and the National Hot Rod AssociationNational Hot Rod Association
The National Hot Rod Association is a drag racing governing body, which sets rules in drag racing and host events all over the United States and Canada...
(NHRA) has made sport compact cars eligible to compete in the Lucas Oil Sportsman Series, and Sport Compact "Pro RWD" type cars are used in the NHRA Pro Stock
Pro Stock
Pro Stock Drag Racing is a class of drag racing featuring 'Factory Hot-Rods'. The class can be known as "all motor," as the cars cannot use artificial induction such as turbocharging, supercharging, or nitrous oxide, and there are very strict rules governing the modifications allowed to the...
category as the Chevrolet Cobalt
Chevrolet Cobalt
The Chevrolet Cobalt is a compact car introduced by Chevrolet in 2004 for the 2005 model year. The Cobalt replaced both the Cavalier and the Prizm as Chevrolet's compact car....
is used as the manufacturer's car in the class. All these classes are officially sanctioned by ANDRA and are recognised through a series of successful events and National Records.
Some highly modified sport compact dragsters can accelerate from 0-60 mph in less than four seconds.
Sport compacts are fairly popular for autocross
Autocross
Autocross is a form of motorsports that emphasizes safe competition and active participation. An autocross is a timed competition where drivers navigate one at a time through a defined course on either sealed or unsealed surfaces...
competitions. The Acura Integra, Toyota Celica
Toyota Celica
The Toyota Celica name has been applied to a series of coupes made by the Japanese company Toyota. The name is ultimately derived from the Latin word coelica meaning "heavenly" or "celestial"....
, and MINI Cooper are some of the more successful sport compacts within their classes.
It is also worth noting that sport compact cars have been the backbone of the latest motorsport discipline to emerge - drifting - since its beginnings.
The former NASCAR Goody's DASH Series found new life in 2005 when acquisitioned by International Sport Compact Auto Racing Series (ISCARS) DASH Touring, which tours primarily on asphalt ovals throughout the southeast. In 2008 the series accepted the sanction of American Speed Association (ASA). The TC 2000 Championship is one of the touring car racing
Touring car racing
Touring car racing is a general term for a number of distinct auto racing competitions in heavily-modified street cars. It is notably popular in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Germany, Japan, Scandinavia and Britain.-Characteristics of a touring car:...
series which involving sport compacts.
Market trends
Japanese manufacturers such as Honda
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
, Mazda
Mazda
is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Fuchū, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.In 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...
, Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi
The Mitsubishi Group , Mitsubishi Group of Companies, or Mitsubishi Companies is a Japanese multinational conglomerate company that consists of a range of autonomous businesses which share the Mitsubishi brand, trademark and legacy...
, Nissan and Subaru
Subaru
; is the automobile manufacturing division of Japanese transportation conglomerate Fuji Heavy Industries .Subaru is internationally known for their use of the boxer engine layout popularized in cars by the Volkswagen Beetle and Porsche 911, in most of their vehicles above 1500 cc as well as...
have continued to release new generations of modestly priced sport compacts, such as the Honda Civic Si
Honda Civic Si
The Honda Civic Si is a sport compact / hot hatch version of the Civic built by the Japanese automaker Honda. The Si trim, which stands for "Sport Injected," was introduced for the third generation of Honda Civics in both Japan and North America...
, Mazdaspeed3
Mazdaspeed3
The 2010 Mazdaspeed3 retains the MZR 2.3 DISI Turbo engine. Pictures and comprehensive details were revealed to the public at the 2009 Geneva Auto Show and its North American Debut was at the New York Auto Show in April 2009. The MZR 2.3 liter engine remains, however new ECU tweaks will provide...
, and the Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V. General Motors and other American companies has responded with the Saturn Ion Red Line, the Pontiac G5
Pontiac G5
The Pontiac G5 is a rebadged Chevrolet Cobalt compact car that was marketed by the Pontiac division of General Motors. It was first introduced in 2004 for the 2005 model year. For 2005 and early 2006, this car was known as the Pontiac Pursuit in the Canadian market, and G5 Pursuit during mid-2006. ...
GT, and the Chevrolet Cobalt SS
Chevrolet Cobalt SS
The Cobalt SS is a line of three sport compact versions of the Chevrolet Cobalt built on the General Motors Delta platform at Lordstown Assembly in Ohio, United States...
. Dodge also offers the Caliber SRT-4
Dodge Caliber
The Dodge Caliber was a compact car produced by the Dodge division of Chrysler. It replaced the Neon, and it went on sale in the spring of 2006 as a 2007 model year vehicle...
, high performance versions of their respective models.
European manufacturers have long offered multiple high-performance compacts in Europe and many of these are imported to North America. These are called hot hatch
Hot hatch
Hot hatch was originally an informal automotive industry term, shortened from hot hatchback, initially coined by the British motoring press in 1984, for a high-performance derivative of a car body style consisting of a three- or five-door hatchback automobile.Vehicles of this class are based on...
es or warm hatches depending on engine power as they are available as hatchback
Hatchback
A Hatchback is a car body style incorporating a shared passenger and cargo volume, with rearmost accessibility via a rear third or fifth door, typically a top-hinged liftgate—and features such as fold-down rear seats to enable flexibility within the shared passenger/cargo volume. As a two-box...
s. They include the VW Golf GTI (which was first announced in 1975) and Mini Cooper
MINI (BMW)
Mini is a British automotive marque owned by BMW which specialises in small cars.Mini originated as a specific vehicle, a small car originally known as the Morris Mini-Minor and the Austin Seven, launched by the British Motor Corporation in 1959, and developed into a brand encompassing a range of...
.
The sport compact can also refer to the top performance version of the compact executive car
Compact executive car
Compact executive car is a car classification term applied to premium cars smaller than executive cars. In European classification, compact executive cars are part of the D-segment. In North American terms, close equivalents are compact premium car, compact luxury car, entry-level luxury car and...
(or entry level luxury car). The examples of sport compact executives are BMW M3
BMW M3
The BMW M3 is a high-performance version of the BMW 3 Series, developed by BMW's in-house motorsport division, BMW M. M3 models have been derived from the E30, E36, E46 and E90/E92/E93 3-series, and sold with coupé, sedan and convertible body styles...
, Audi RS4
Audi RS4
The Audi RS4 quattro is the top tier and highest performing version of some specific generations of the Audi A4 range of automobiles. It is a sports-focused compact executive car , produced by Audi's high-performance private subsidiary quattro GmbH, in limited numbers, for German car manufacturer...
and Lexus IS F. In Australia they are referred to as Sports sedan
Sports sedan
A sports sedan or a sports saloon is a descriptive term applied to a sedan automobile that is designed to look and feel "sporty", offering the motorist more connection with the driving experience, while providing the comfort and amenities expected of a luxury sedan. A wider definition that includes...
s.