Coupe cars are incredibly popular; go out driving on British roads or motorways and you'll probably catch a glimpse of a number of coupe models, such as the BMW 3 Series Coupe and the Audi TT. A standard coupe model will usually feature just two doors; it will also offer a slightly different take on the sedan body style.
As well as producing coupes, many car manufacturers also produce sportier variants - unsurprisingly known as sports coupes. There a number of fantastic sports coupes currently in production, including the highly stylish Peugeot RCZ, with its eye-catching double bubble roof.
While commonly seen, many people might not know what they actually are.
Sports coupes aren't actually too dissimilar to their standard counterparts though; they feature two doors and are usually designed to bear some kind of resemblance to the coupes they're based on - albeit a much sleeker, refined version.
Differences can be seen, however, in the interior of sports coupes. Offering less space than found in a standard coupe model, they certainly aren't a practical option for a family unit. The interiors are also sportier too; you'll usually find that console trim, seats and main car components (steering wheel, gearstick, accelerator etc.) have been designed to reflect the appearance of a race car.
On a technical level, sports coupes will often feature a more powerful engine - though it should be noted that they don't always. Extras, like spoilers and vents, are also stock inclusions on many sports coupe models.
Whereas standard coupe models are quite easy to define - a two-door, hardtop car featuring a cabin measuring around 10 cubic meters - sports coupes are more ambiguously defined. Usually these cars are classed as sports coupe models if they feature the racing design elements previously mentioned in this article.
Because of this ambiguity, some dealerships will often sell coupes as part of what is known as a sports package. This package may consist of rims, spoilers and grills which can be fitted to the car to make it look sportier. Once they've been fitted, the car can be classed as sports coupe.
Although they undoubtedly look absolutely fantastic, sports coupe models can be quite expensive; there are almost always more expensively priced than the standard coupes produced by the same manufacturer.
As cars that rely heavily on aesthetic innovations to draw people in, new sports coupe models are produced almost every two years. In a bid to keep up with the latest trends, many motorists will simply trade in their old sports coupe and put the money towards the latest model at their local dealership.
This factor can benefit those new to the sports coupe market.
Those looking to buy sports coupes should ideally look towards car dealerships, online auction sites or specialist classified car sales publications. Although the cars they display are usually a couple of years old they do represent great value for money. If you are desperate for a car to catch the eye in, you could do a whole lot worse than a sports coupe.

An extremely popular type of car, sports coupes boast racing design elements. This article provides more information on this particular class.