GTP Cool Wall: Ford SportKa. Voting Open!

[Jim Prower]

Well it should, and this would be a poor example of it, making poor Henry roll over in his grave and cry.

1.6 in 2009 producing 100 hp should not carry a "Sport" name, and saying its the European version is slapping SVT, and all SVT owners, in the face. Come out with a supercharged version producing atleast 180 hp and Ford would have a winner.

It'd be a helluva winner. 180HP in that car would outrun most Mustangs built before 2001. with the front tires smoking.

It's smaller than my 1988 Nova. Think the Festiva, only 100,000,000 times less suck.

 

[homeforsummer]

Handy note for all Americans who might be unaware: European small cars are not all like the Geo Metro, Chevy Aveo and Ford Festiva, as you might imagine they are. We do things much better over here.

The SportKa is one of those breed of old-school hatches that can make significantly more powerful cars look quite silly on the sort of bumpy, twisty roads we get over here.

 

[Adamgp]

Handy note for all Americans who might be unaware: European small cars are not all like the Geo Metro, Chevy Aveo and Ford Festiva, as you might imagine they are. We do things much better over here.

The SportKa is one of those breed of old-school hatches that can make significantly more powerful cars look quite silly on the sort of bumpy, twisty roads we get over here.

Doesn't make them cool.

 

[homeforsummer]

True. Though once again people are mistaking a car with not much power for one that isn't fun. This is what I'm correcting.

I gave my reasons for finding it cool anyway. Basically, because it is fun, and because people don't think you're an idiot for driving it. It's a small, fun car perfectly suited for bombing around city centres with a dash of style. They look great on the road and certainly turn more heads than their competitors (unless the competitor happens to be a Suzuki Ignis or Swift painted in banana yellow... though you can paint anything banana yellow and it'll turn heads so I consider that cheating...).

Though I would say that being a giant-killer is cool. It certainly helped the original Mini, which was more than up to the task of beating MkII Jags and Mustangs on the track.

 

[Giancarlo]

Handy note for all Americans who might be unaware: European small cars are not all like the Geo Metro, Chevy Aveo and Ford Festiva, as you might imagine they are. We do things much better over here.

The SportKa is one of those breed of old-school hatches that can make significantly more powerful cars look quite silly on the sort of bumpy, twisty roads we get over here.

Deh..French chicks' got hairy pits right?

 

[homeforsummer]

They might do. I've never got close enough to a French chick to find out.

 

[Adamgp]

True. Though once again people are mistaking a car with not much power for one that isn't fun. This is what I'm correcting.

I gave my reasons for finding it cool anyway. Basically, because it is fun, and because people don't think you're an idiot for driving it. It's a small, fun car perfectly suited for bombing around city centres with a dash of style. They look great on the road and certainly turn more heads than their competitors (unless the competitor happens to be a Suzuki Ignis or Swift painted in banana yellow... though you can paint anything banana yellow and it'll turn heads so I consider that cheating...).

Everyone has their own definition of fun. Not everyone finds enjoyment putting around in a hampster powered jelly bean.

Though I would say that being a giant-killer is cool. It certainly helped the original Mini, which was more than up to the task of beating MkII Jags and Mustangs on the track.

What track would that be? I know the old Mini won Monte Carlo a few times. The Mini isn't being debated here though.

What races has the SportKa won?

 

[Joey D]

What track would that be? I know the old Mini won Monte Carlo a few times. The Mini isn't being debated here though.

See: British Touring Car Racing

I believe the Ford Ka has a rally trim as well that is used.

 

[Worst_Driver]

Well it's maybe that I'm from north america but I don't like it but fit a 5.4 L Triton V8 and now we're talking.

 

[homeforsummer]

Everyone has their own definition of fun. Not everyone finds enjoyment putting around in a hampster powered jelly bean.

Perhaps not. But a hamster-powered jelly-bean isn't what we're discussing. We're discussing a small car that's been described as great fun by magazines like EVO, who spend much of their time driving Enzos, Veyrons and McLaren F1s, and where their contributors have actually owned some of the aforementioned cars as well as Carrera GTs and Zondas in the past. When these sort of people still describe a SportKa (or the Ignis, or the Panda) as great fun, then you generally assume they know what they're talking about.

They're also likely to be significantly more open-minded than many on this forum appear to be, despite their much more priveleged positions. Is it easy to be complacent about a SportKa when you've driven a Ferrari the previous week? Very probably, but if a car is fun to drive, then it's fun to drive.

What track would that be? I know the old Mini won Monte Carlo a few times. The Mini isn't being debated here though.

Any track that's featured a round of the BTCC back in the 60s. And the Mini may not be being debated here, but it's an example of how a smaller car can stick it to much more powerful ones, just as humble hatches can to more powerful road cars.

What races has the SportKa won?

As Joey mentions, much of the development work on the SportKa was the result of many years of the regular Ka being rallied in one-make series.

 

[SRV2LOW4ME]

You do realize that the car is the size of a shopping cart, yes? 100 HP is plenty when the base car has something like 60.

Compare the stock V6 Mustang to the SVT Cobra. Now compare the stock base Ka to the SportKa. See the difference? I want over the top performance with an engine that looks like it came from a performance garage and not the back shelf of a go kart track.

 

[Adamgp]

Perhaps not. But a hamster-powered jelly-bean isn't what we're discussing. We're discussing a small car that's been described as great fun by magazines like EVO, who spend much of their time driving Enzos, Veyrons and McLaren F1s, and where their contributors have actually owned some of the aforementioned cars as well as Carrera GTs and Zondas in the past. When these sort of people still describe a SportKa (or the Ignis, or the Panda) as great fun, then you generally assume they know what they're talking about.

Hampster powered jelly bean = SportKa

Since test drivers for a British magazine think this car is fun, they speak for everyone else on the planet? I don't assume they "know what they are talking about", being fun is only their opinion.

American magazines praise alot of cars I don't care for, but since they like them, I'm supposed to like them?

They're also likely to be significantly more open-minded than many on this forum appear to be, despite their much more priveleged positions. Is it easy to be complacent about a SportKa when you've driven a Ferrari the previous week? Very probably, but if a car is fun to drive, then it's fun to drive.

See above about "fun to drive" being an opinion of the magazine.

Any track that's featured a round of the BTCC back in the 60s. And the Mini may not be being debated here, but it's an example of how a smaller car can stick it to much more powerful ones, just as humble hatches can to more powerful road cars.

The Mini is not being discussed here.

As Joey mentions, much of the development work on the SportKa was the result of many years of the regular Ka being rallied in one-make series.

So it is/was only raced against itself? How again is it able to beat other cars if it's not proven?

 

[YSSMAN]

Compare the stock V6 Mustang to the SVT Cobra. Now compare the stock base Ka to the SportKa. See the difference? I want over the top performance with an engine that looks like it came from a performance garage and not the back shelf of a go kart track.

So, what are you complaining about then? Ford Europe tinkered with the chassis, made it a substantially better vehicle, and they came away with a car that was 1000 times better than the "regular" model. No, SVT didn't tune it. Even if they did, they likely would have done the same thing to it. Add a little bit of power, firm up the suspension substantially, and make it look spectacular. The same formula worked on the SVT Focus, and that is arguably the best car SVT engineers ever developed.

 

[Rykon Zero]

I want someone who's actually driven one to make an opinion, because then they'd have a proper opinion.

And still, despite extreme pessimism, I still think it's an awesome car.

 

[Casio]

It's a Ford Ka for crying out loud.

S-UC.

 

[Leonidae]

^because it's not a Saab?

 

[niky]

Hmmm...

ancient underpinnings...

ancient engine... (oh, okay... it could well be heavier if it were a DOHC... but it could be lighter if it were the original Ka OHV with a snail stuck onto it... that would be epic cool. Turbo-ing the piste out of a bad engine? Cool. Swapping one ancient lump out for another? Not cool.)

odd looks....

It could well be a Saab.

 

[Casio]

^because it's not a Saab?

No because it's a Ford ****ing Ka. You're not going to pick up girls in a Ford Ka, no matter how much you say "NO BUT IT'S A SPORTKA". And your mates will think you are a girl because you have a Ka.

I have a mate, who tries to tell people he drives a Ford Trios, because he knows if he tells people he drives a Ford Festiva Trio S, he'll look like a woman. Same case here.

 

[Jondot]

Modern engine?

1.6 and only 93 horsese?

8 valves?!?

What is this... the 80's?!?!?

Damn, I was rather hoping nobody was going to bring that up

Yeah, it is a slightly ancient engine, but output and um... MPG aside, it's not half bad. Makes quite a nice noise too

Since test drivers for a British magazine think this car is fun, they speak for everyone else on the planet?

Yes, because (shockingly enough) that's what they're paid to do. I'm sorry, but the motoring press is there to do just that - provide a (fairly) unbiased review so everyone need not take 3 hours out of every day to roadtest every single new variety of Kia Rio.

If you'd prefer, we can totally discount the opinions of anyone in here who hasn't driven the car themselves. And that leaves... um, me! And I say it handles wonderfully. Turrah.

It's a Ford Ka for crying out loud.

S-UC.

...perhaps if I changed the name to Kaab?

 

[Famine]

You're not going to pick up girls in a Ford Ka

Not Jon's main aim, but... wrong.

Bad men don't drive small, cute cars. Bad men drive larger, aggressive cars.

In the black on black, growly Mondeo ST220 I was anonymous even though the car itself is chuffin' awesome. In the NA MX-5 with the roof down I could have porked my way round Cambridge.

 

[homeforsummer]

Since test drivers for a British magazine think this car is fun, they speak for everyone else on the planet? I don't assume they "know what they are talking about", being fun is only their opinion.

Of course it's only their opinion, that's what they're paid to do. But if the same journalist who describes a Ferrari as fun describes a SportKa as fun, I'm inclined to believe them and not just think they're being ironic.

American magazines praise alot of cars I don't care for, but since they like them, I'm supposed to like them?

You don't have to like them, just have a reasonable degree of faith that they're not lieing out of their backsides when they say something is good or not.

The Mini is not being discussed here.

Frankly, I can discuss whatever I damn well please provided I stay within the AUP. As I haven't dragged us off topic I think you'll just have to put up The Mini was relevant to the discussion to illustrate my point. If you don't like me discussing it then basically, tough.

So it is/was only raced against itself? How again is it able to beat other cars if it's not proven?

Given that rallying is one of the toughest motorsport disciplines on the planet in terms of wear and tear on a car, any car that's had development on the stages doesn't need to prove itself against competitors for it to be good or not. Though as the reviews that people have already posted have shown, it is a good car.

Look: We get it, you don't like little hatchbacks with little engines. That doesn't mean they aren't good cars. And it also doesn't mean that some of us don't find them cool. But don't think that when you start discussing irrelevancies and trying to dismiss something as rubbish just because you don't have a clue about it that I'm just going to let it slide.

 

[Danny]

Bad men don't drive small, cute cars. Bad men drive larger, aggressive cars.

Ian Huntley had a Fiesta.

I'll just throw that in there.

 

[homeforsummer]

Fiestas aren't cute, which explains that. I doubt Huntley went anywhere near a Fiat 500...

 

[Famine]

Ian Huntley had a Fiesta.

And a bath big enough for three.

Anyway, it's the perception. In reality all men are bad. It's just that women think nice guys drive cute cars.

 

[Joey D]

Bad men don't drive small, cute cars. Bad men drive larger, aggressive cars.

I'm a total badass....*looks in garage*....guess not .

 

[TheCracker]

Ian Huntley had a Fiesta.

I'll just throw that in there.

He'd have driven a Matiz if he could cram enough schoolgirls in it.

 

[Jondot]

Has anyone else noticed that the haters of the well balanced, lowish-HP little SportKa seem to overlap quite nicely with those who rate the ghastly, figure-chasing supercharged mess of a 9ff GT9-R as Sub Zero?

Over compensation? Non, c'est impossible!

 

[homeforsummer]

I could have guessed that from people's responses, to be honest. What amuses me is that people seem to see me as someone who'd rather drive around in something with no power or less than twelve feet long and gets eleventy-billion MPG, which isn't the case (well, not all the time anyway). Two of the cars I enjoyed driving the most in the past year were a Toyota Prado 4.0 V6 that did 20mpg, and a Volkswagen Transporter TDI van with my all my flatmate's worldly posessions in the back. And my avatar is a Porsche. And I reached the final of a motor racing scholarship in the past. And I certainly wouldn't say no if someone put, I dunno, a Jaaaaaag XF-R in my parking space outside.

It's just I'm also open-minded (and daresay realistic) enough to know that small, low-powered cars can be fun too. And generally, they're cooler than a big, flashy sports car that makes you look a twonk.

 

[Adamgp]

Of course it's only their opinion, that's what they're paid to do. But if the same journalist who describes a Ferrari as fun describes a SportKa as fun, I'm inclined to believe them and not just think they're being ironic.

Again, it's their opinion. Not mine.

You don't have to like them, just have a reasonable degree of faith that they're not lieing out of their backsides when they say something is good or not.

I don't think their lieing. It's just that? I'm able to form my own opinion and not just agree with them.

Frankly, I can discuss whatever I damn well please provided I stay within the AUP. As I haven't dragged us off topic I think you'll just have to put up The Mini was relevant to the discussion to illustrate my point. If you don't like me discussing it then basically, tough.

Discuss what ever you like. It doesn't make alot of sense to me when the debate is about car A, to be talking about car B or C, when B & C have nothing to do with the thread topic.

Given that rallying is one of the toughest motorsport disciplines on the planet in terms of wear and tear on a car, any car that's had development on the stages doesn't need to prove itself against competitors for it to be good or not. Though as the reviews that people have already posted have shown, it is a good car.

I know rallying is tough on a car. What makes this car a "giant killer" if it's only been raced in a one make series?

Look: We get it, you don't like little hatchbacks with little engines. That doesn't mean they aren't good cars. And it also doesn't mean that some of us don't find them cool. But don't think that when you start discussing irrelevancies and trying to dismiss something as rubbish just because you don't have a clue about it that I'm just going to let it slide.

I've told you before I don't like them, and I'm not trying to force my opinions on you.

You love this car, great. I'm happy for you. Can you accept that maybe some others don't feel the same way?

 

[Famine]

I've told you before I don't like them, and I'm not trying to force my opinions on you.

You love this car, great. I'm happy for you. Can you accept that maybe some others don't feel the same way?

It's not a Like Wall or even a Love Wall. It's a Cool Wall. There might be some overlap between Cool and Like, but it's not necessarily a particularly large overlap.

I know rallying is tough on a car. What makes this car a "giant killer" if it's only been raced in a one make series?

The SportKa has never been raced (officially) in any series that I know of. The normal Ka had a one model series and is often thrown at junior rallying and Super1600 stuff.