No tow bar and no possibility of fitting one, no tailgate, no roof, so I suspect this is moon-on-a-stick territory, but…

Does anyone have any positive experience of a rack that could carry a single bike on the back of a sports car (ie without damaging the car or the bike)?

What’s the car ?

You could get stainless ones for Mk1/2 MX5s that would take an upright rack.

Here we go (someone off here IIRC)

http://www.mx5oc.co.uk/forum/forums/p/36416/255140.aspx

Otherwise, boot-strap type?

OP mentioned no tailgate.

Get creative, its not hard.

Don’t buy a Saris bones (as you’ll find everyone on motoring forums reccomends) because they are cheaply built, flexy, and horrid (I used to do many, many warranty returns on these!).

Proper nuts and bolts and tubing rack will do it. Find a friendly bike shop who’ll let you take some out in the car park and try them on the car.

And remember they dont always have to be fitted as they are in the pictures —->

|http://thumbsnap.com/6kGswTyO

That was a Hollywood F1, boot opened, lights and plate not covered, rock solid stable, roof went up/down.

Think laterally!

Or get a Duff-bag

This

and strap it to one of the generic boot-mounted chrome rack-type-things said cars often have?

Thanks all – some food for thought there (although this looks like an accident waiting to happen).

On the way to coed y Benin this mornin i saw going the other way a brand new porche boxter (soft top) with a roof rack and 2 bikes on it ! …. I didn’t even know you could put a rack on a cabrio! It flashed buy so didn’t get a decent look, wouldn’t mind seeing how it was done Tbh

Have a look on mtbr.com – they have a whole car and biker thread – lots of alternatives such as ‘searsucker’ mounts and other random ideas. Worth a look…

I have used a Saris rack, not the “Bones” design, on a BMW Z4 with ni problems.
It takes a bit of tweaking to get it right and if your totally anal about the clips scratching the paintwork you might not be happy, although it doesn’t leave any noticeable damage.
I found the Saris rack I got well made and sturdy.
It is similar to this one Saris

Have you tried Towbar Express to discuss tow bar options?

adi66: porsche think of everything, that’s how 😉

Had a customer once upon a time who insisted on a Hollywood F3 thingy (your basic tubular folding rack with 6 straps for 3 bikes) for his Mercedes SL soft-top. We made him sign a waiver acknowledging that we recommended against it and he went on his way. It started off ok, but as he went down the road it gradually levered the bootlid backwards and open exposing the roof folding mechanism. No permanent damage, but a lesson learned… 🙄

I have a saris rack which fits on the boot lid great. The bike sits at about 45 degrees, the number plate and lights aren’t covered and I can still open/close the roof.

“is interested in this thread and thanks for links to mtbr”

Used a saris bones 2 on my wife’s MX5 with no major problems. Fine with hardtails but, depending on the rear suspension design, can be difficult to mount full sussers.