The category is both obvious and vague. Once, the definition was easy. Any small, nimble, two-seat, open car would do. That worked fine in the days of MG-TCs, perhaps, but was soon obsolete.
Coupes have advantages over open cars in terms of aerodynamics and driver comfort.
Some, like the Alfa Romeo Giuletta and Giulia coupes, even had vestigial rear seats suitable for small children or luggage. So there is plenty of precedent for a small but reasonably roomy coupe to be considered a true sports car. The Integra Type R is a real sports car, and factory performance special, in the fine tradition of the Alfa Romeo Veloce coupes, Ferrari berlinettas, and lightweight Jaguar E-Type. It has all of the sensory inputs of sports cars of the 1950s and 1960s in a thoroughly modern chassis. It is a true limited-production factory special, with 750 available in the U. S. for the 1998 model year.