Choose Road and Track Car 2007 (for me)

[SuperSportBilly]

I have a Porsche 911 at present - 997 cab.

Potentially looking at reducing our monthly outgoings - my wife is off on maternity leave and has decided to take at least another 6 months off and then go back to work part time - the boy is 9 months old now.

She will keep her company car throughout - Golf TDI.

The boy looks a little scrunched up on the days out in the Porsche. Babyseat in the rear. This means that we are using the Porsche less and less. When we do take it for family days out I find that I don`t drive it the same as I did with just the two of us - no full bore acceleration or spirited overtaking.

So I have decided (I think) to reduce overheads by selling the Porsche and getting something else. I will use the car to commute to work - 4 miles / 15 mins each way and for weekend duty if special enough. I did a few track days last year - some in the Porsche and some in BookaTrack`s Caterhams - so if possible the car would have to be entertaining on track and reasonably reliable. I plan to do more track days this year.

I`m tempted by all sorts including Clio 182 Trophy, 205 GTI Mi16 (stripped, caged & buckets), E36 M3, TVR Cerbera, M3 CSL, newish Mk5 Golf GTI chipped to 250bhp or Renault Megane 230 R26.

The Porsche costs me £590 per month. Bought @ 10 months old (12 months ago) so had already suffered stage 1 of it`s depreciation. It has cost me virtually nothing (more) in a year - including some track days. It will need some new tyres after the next track day, some new pads and it will be due it`s first service (2 years). Around £1500 all in. The monthly cost is not bad - by comparison a new Renault Megane costs £326 pcm plus £4,000 deposit.

Reducing costs is a consideration - I could find around £10K for a straight purchase (track car ?) plus around £300 pcm for something financed (road car) ?.

Even thought sod it I`ll get a 996 GT3 - approx £7,000 less than mine is worth at present. But my car eats tyres and brakes on track - I expect the GT3 would be even worse plus it is still an expensive car to be throwing around the track and is useless as a family car.

So what should I do ? Get a track day car (205 GTI) - I could live with it for commuting. But then no "special" family car for days out - so what. Or go for something like the TVR (around 15K) or M3 CSL (around £400 pcm) which could do both jobs.

As you can see I am lost - I know I should just sell the Porsche and get something cheap and sensible but .... I`m a Pistonhead !

Any suggestions / advice ?

[thinfourth]

10K will get you a reasonable enough caterham for the track in fact if you go for an roadsport A ex racer a damn near perfect track car. Also if you buy a strange device known as a waterproof jacket you can do the commute in it.

Then your 300pcm can get you something dull for family/towcar dutys

[iain_cam]

I'd probably go for something extra special as a track car - like a stripped out ex-racer, maybe even from the Porsche stable in the form of the 924/944/968 family if you're still into your Porsches. If you went for an ex-Lodge Sports 924 championship racer, running costs would be minimal - parts are cheap, tyres are pennies, and the maintenance is (apparently) DIY simple, if you're so inclined.

For £300 pcm then go for maybe an Audi A6 Quattro Avant, or VW 3.2 V6 DSG or BMW 5-series (go for the 535D). As has been said before, this could become a tow car for your real car - the toy.

Although the CSL M3 is a good choice, it will be an expensive car to keep. Many will be going out of warranty just now, and it's a car that you'd want a warranty back-up, given the specialism of the componentry. I'm not too sure about tyre or brake consumption, but the tyres are rather large so hence will be quite expensive.

Cheers,

[SuperSportBilly]

Thanks all - still unsure.

Quite fancy a TVR Cerbera as a 2+2 for road, track and is something a bit different / special.

I just cannot buy a family car for £300 pcm - would have to be a Golf GTI or Megane and then a Caterham or 205 Mi16 for track. Although also tempted by a Cio trophy. However the Golf is potentially a more useable family car option.

So spend up to my £600 pcm - or £10 - £15 K + £300 pcm.

Insurance / maintainence paid via work within reason (at present £1000 insurance + servicing & servicing on the Porsche - those Michelin Pilot Sport 2`s are expensive!)

Cheers