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Flight Service
Flight Service MegaDork
2/15/15 8:24 a.m.

Well, what is it? Is The Answer the Answer or something else. Inquiring minds want to know.

mad_machine
mad_machine GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
2/15/15 8:33 a.m.

I am going to say the air cooled 911s are the most reliable. They can easily go hundreds of thousands of miles with proper maintence

doc_speeder
doc_speeder HalfDork
2/15/15 8:33 a.m.

I think a 350z would be up there.

NordicSaab
NordicSaab New Reader
2/15/15 8:44 a.m.

depends what you consider a "sports car"

Pretty sure any car with a carbuarted sbc and live axle fits the bill.

My father-in-laws '81 VW rabbit diesel is dead reliable but IDK how many would qualify that as a "sports car"

tr8todd
tr8todd HalfDork
2/15/15 8:56 a.m.

As far as british cars go, you can't beat a TR8. As long as it has a 4 barrel conversion, headers and any other mods that unclutter the engine bay. The only car I have ever had that gets more reliable the more you use it. Let it sit, and Lord Lucas starts to get his hands on the electrics.

wspohn
wspohn HalfDork
2/15/15 9:02 a.m.

A well restored MGB is hard to beat for durability and easy maintenance.

pres589
pres589 UltraDork
2/15/15 9:05 a.m.

n/a RX-7?

Knurled
Knurled GRM+ Memberand UltimaDork
2/15/15 9:30 a.m.

12A RX-7. It's like a Miata without a timing belt.

mad_machine
mad_machine GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
2/15/15 9:32 a.m.

I would have never put the words "rotory" and "reliable" in the same sentence

doc_speeder
doc_speeder HalfDork
2/15/15 9:40 a.m.

I have no direct experience with any LBC, but a good friend had a very nicely sorted Triumph Spitfire. It never left him sitting, but it also rarely got put away without needing "something" to make it right before the next drive.

So I'll add to my 350z suggestion above by mentioning an S2000.

BoxheadTim
BoxheadTim GRM+ Memberand UltimaDork
2/15/15 9:49 a.m.
mad_machine wrote: I am going to say the air cooled 911s are the most reliable. They can easily go hundreds of thousands of miles with proper maintence

... and the odd top end rebuild, but that kinda qualifies as "proper maintenance".

dean1484
dean1484 GRM+ Memberand UltimaDork
2/15/15 9:59 a.m.
mad_machine wrote: I would have never put the words "rotory" and "reliable" in the same sentence

proper care and feeding and they are great. The problem I found with almost every car I had was the motor was either killed by an old cooling system. Or the oil injection fails. This means the motor will be short lived. Fix/upgrade these two things and they are fantastic.

carbon
carbon Dork
2/15/15 10:15 a.m.

IS300 gets my vote, my red car has almost 200k of track, drift, autocross and tons of fast road use on it with zero failures.

mr2 spyder has been damn good for me. Just watch out for precast and high g cornering with low oil level (neither has happened to my in 160k of boosted r comp abuse).

oldtin
oldtin UberDork
2/15/15 10:25 a.m.

What about corvettes? Mechanically pretty understressed.

Jarod
Jarod GRM+ Memberand Reader
2/15/15 10:27 a.m.

NSX

sanman
sanman HalfDork
2/15/15 10:32 a.m.

Having watched the recent Top Gear patagonia special, my answer is Lotus esprit twin turbo v8. On a,more serious note most cars with na engines that are well maintained are pretty reliable. Most v8 mustangs, my non-turbo sw20 is pretty reliable, na 300zx cars, supra, and the list goes on.

Keith Tanner
Keith Tanner GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
2/15/15 10:34 a.m.

The answer is the answer.

Seriously, MGB? My mom used to tell me stories about having to occasionally cool the fuel pump with ice cream on her brand new B.

TR8owner
TR8owner HalfDork
2/15/15 11:23 a.m.

Had zero problems with my TR8's which is very unBritish. But as Todd mentioned, get a 4 bbl carb.

oldeskewltoy
oldeskewltoy SuperDork
2/15/15 11:36 a.m.

exotic... only one NSX. If not for it the exotics would still be uber unreliable.

all others... sorry "the answer" devotees... the most reliable sports car is still the Volvo 1800. Irv has over 3 million miles now. Nothing even comes close

Giant Purple Snorklewacker
Giant Purple Snorklewacker MegaDork
2/15/15 11:48 a.m.
Keith Tanner wrote: My mom used to tell me stories about having to occasionally cool the fuel pump with ice cream on her brand new B.

hahaha. I bet that makes the garage smell terrible the next day.

wheelsmithy
wheelsmithy GRM+ Memberand HalfDork
2/15/15 11:57 a.m.
Keith Tanner wrote: The answer is the answer

This, Crx/Civic/Integra. Nothing British, Italian, or Rotary. Ever. My two cents... and worth every penny.

Knurled
Knurled GRM+ Memberand UltimaDork
2/15/15 12:09 p.m.
mad_machine wrote: I would have never put the words "rotory" and "reliable" in the same sentence

If you got less than 200k miles out of a 12A then it is because you abused it. 300k was not uncommon.

Don49
Don49 HalfDork
2/15/15 12:32 p.m.

S2000 ftw. Great performance and Honda reliability.

kazoospec
kazoospec Dork
2/15/15 12:49 p.m.

By my definition of a "sports car" probably "The Answer" or an STS Civic.

Appleseed
Appleseed MegaDork
2/15/15 12:57 p.m.

If you've had to modify it to make it reliable, that kind of disqualifies it. That means it was broken to start with.

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