Life With a Sports Car: Are Two Seats a Disadvantage?

Let’s face it. Owning a sports car means making more than a few compromises. More than likely, the most dedicated auto enthusiasts are the people who own a sports car in the first place, so we pretty much know what we’re getting ourselves into. Although limiting the number of seats to two is often the rite of passage to being a ‘true’ sports car, it’s not a necessity. Sure, there’s the lighter weight and higher performance by not lugging around a whole bunch of extra seats. But let’s stop and think about the glaring omission of practicality. Is it really such a bad thing? We at Sheehy Nissan of Mechanicsville have a few things for you to consider.

If you have children, then a two-seater might not be the wisest of choice for your only car. You likely spend more time shuttling your offspring and their belongings than could ever be practical for any car with less than two rows of seating and masses of cargo-carrying capability. Plus, dealing with a car full of screaming infants kind of takes away some of the pleasure of nailing that heel-toe downshift before the next hairpin.

But if you don’t have multiple children to cart around, do you really need more than two seats? If you and your significant other are going to the opera for a date night, it’s probably just going to be the two of you. And wouldn’t you rather show up in a sensual little sports car than the typical family sedan?

Then there’s the day-to-day stuff. How often do you drive down the road, and see other cars only occupied by their drivers? That’s a waste of seats. If you have a sports car at home, just sitting in the garage waiting for the weekend while you drive a sedan or minivan as a commuter vehicle, that’s also a waste of fun. Sure, there are times when you need more than one other seat, but those times are much less often than you’d think.

If nothing else, the lack of seating arrangements means that you, the driver, have more choice of who will accompany you on life’s adventures. It’s a more intimate, cozier environment that allows you to connect with your sole passenger without becoming distracted. Drivers have become so accustomed to driving vehicles as comfortable and as large as their living rooms that they have lost the sense of driving. Having a vehicle that conforms to you and wraps around you the way a sports car does makes you feel as if you are part of the car. It’s almost as if the lack of space creates a whole new sense of focus. You’re no longer just transporting yourself to a destination; the journey is just as important as the destination.

So what if you can’t haul six other people. Is it really that enjoyable in the first place? Having a two-seater puts the emphasis back on you, the driver. It isn’t about being practical and following the crowd. It’s about having fun with life. Sure, there are disadvantages to only having two seats. There are disadvantages to any car. But the advantage of having fun every time you get behind the wheel almost always outweighs any negatives associated with practicality.