So is being "sporty" a function of how it looks, its engine specs, or some combination of both?
I listed my rather restrictive criteria, which admittedly is too narrow, whatever. I don't consider a Porsche Macan to be sporty even though it can put down some solid numbers. I think a broader more modern criteria list for being "sporty" would be:
Two seater, low slung, a bit cramped
Good performance, e.g., 0-60 under 5 seconds, good handling, skidpad over 0.90 G.
Nice to have convertible option and manual option.