Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Sport compact


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.

Typical sport compacts include such examples as Ford Escort RS Cosworth, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, Mitsubishi Eclipse, Honda Civic Si, 8th generation Mercury Cougar, the Ford Focus SVT, the Ford Focus RS, the Opel Astra GTC, the Renault Clio V6/Sport, the Mazdaspeed3, the Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V, Hyundai Tiburon, the Honda Prelude, the Toyota Celica and Scion tC TRD, and the Dodge SRT-4.

Performance-oriented sport compacts focus on improving handling and increasing engine efficiency, rather than increasing engine size or conversion to rear-wheel drive. For example, the Celica GT-S and Civic Si are both sport compacts that produce 100 hp/ L of displacement, and have handling superior to their stock trims and other cars in its price range.

Quantum Sports Cars


Quantum Sports Cars were founded by Mark and Harvey Wooldridge in 1987.

Their first car was the Mark1 Quantum saloon, based on the Mark1 Ford Fiesta reusing all of its components in an elongated, more rounded shape. Due to its reduced weight over the donor vehicle, performance was significantly improved. The first two cars produced were kept for testing purposes by family and friends. Car 003 was the first to be sold after a short period of use in magazine tests and promotional materials.

By 1991 the firm were producing a restyled version of the saloon, now based on the Mark2 Ford Fiesta, which was now available in sufficient numbers and at a low enough cost to justify use as a donor.

By 1993 the firm was also offering a 2+2 convertible, also based on the Mark2 Ford Fiesta.