£20k Track Day car - also good for the drive there

[sealtt]

Hi there,

I am looking for a good track day car, ideally under £20k, but potentially up to £30k. It does not have to be an ultra light weight speed machine, just something fun that a novice can use to enjoy the freedom of blasting around tracks every other month or so. However, I am based in Poole and so all tracks are pretty much at least a 4 hour round trip from me - make that more like 5-6 hour round trip once traffic is factored in.

As such, the car really needs to be reasonable at cruising as well, or else I really can't see myself bothering to make the effort all that often. I have an F430 Spider which is perfect on track and is good enough for me to cruise to places in, not too bad anyway. However, it presents a real issue with DB limits - a lot of 100 limits I'm seeing. Also it is an expensive piece of metal, and I'd rather something just a bit towards the cheaper end so that I'm not too worried about any potential bumps or scratches here or there.

So I have been thinking, 997 Carrera, E92 M3? It's not an area of the market I've looked at much at all, though I have previously owned an E92 M3 and thought it was great, I never took it near a track.

Look forward to some pointers, thanks.

Seal

[MrC986]

YHM

[Robert Elise]

E92 is too heavy imo.
ok, you need something comfortable enough to get you there, but don't make it so soft that the track day itself is wasted. You didn't give any other requirements for this car?
top of mind:
Porsche, obviously. mid-engined maybe better balanced for you?
Something stripped and prepped already (including M3s). just use ear plugs
Lotus, earplugs again for long m'way trips but seats and suspension are surprisingly relaxed, joy of lightweight.
Noble

i now track a stripped mx5 with bucket seats and drive it there. It's a compromise but not so bad, once ear protection in place. Tracking a standard, full-weight M3 would be too compromised the other way in imo.
The way you specified requirement, i suspect Cayman/Boxster is your answer..... although i'd urge you to consider lighter!

[sealtt]

Robert Elise said:

E92 is too heavy imo.
ok, you need something comfortable enough to get you there, but don't make it so soft that the track day itself is wasted. You didn't give any other requirements for this car?
top of mind:
Porsche, obviously. mid-engined maybe better balanced for you?
Something stripped and prepped already (including M3s). just use ear plugs
Lotus, earplugs again for long m'way trips but seats and suspension are surprisingly relaxed, joy of lightweight.
Noble

i now track a stripped mx5 with bucket seats and drive it there. It's a compromise but not so bad, once ear protection in place. Tracking a standard, full-weight M3 would be too compromised the other way in imo.
The way you specified requirement, i suspect Cayman/Boxster is your answer..... although i'd urge you to consider lighter!

Yep only requirements are comfy enough to cruise 5-6 hour round trip in one day but still light weight, responsive and fun enough to make the track day worthwhile going to.

I think the Cayman/Boxster is likely to be the best balance of those suggested, shame the M3 is looking to be too heavy, I've always liked them, but no experience of it on track, I'm sure a more focussed machine would make sense though.

[sealtt]

Maybe a Lotus Evora would be worth a look? Has come up in my searches.

A couple of nice ones available nearby. Bit over £20k, but looks nice!

[iguana]

Heck of a lot out there for that sort of budget, a properly sorted CSL alike but proper brakes & suspension- on a boggo 46 M, or on a Z4M for something diferent, a really mega e36, Porkers a plenty- Cayman S/Box S, but for an out the box near stock car & as you like the mid enginedness of your 430, not much would suit like an Exige S.

[otolith]

Robert Elise said:

Lotus, earplugs again for long m'way trips but seats and suspension are surprisingly relaxed, joy of lightweight.

20k would buy a later car, if the exhaust and induction are standard they don't really need earplugs. Will be a lot lighter on consumables than a heavier car.

[tertius]

My thoroughly sorted Z4M Coupe is about to be up for sale. I bought it to fill pretty well exactly your requirements - having had an Elise (brilliant) I wanted something sufficiently refined and relaxing for a long drive there, but still competent and enjoyable on track. With buckets, harnesses, big brakes, adjustable suspension and sticky tyres it fits the bill perfectly.

[TuxMan]

Have you thought about a Noble M12 , lightweight , fast , good cruiser and cheap to run on track !!

[QBee]

With your budget I would be buying a Noble. Or a Radical?

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/r...

Depends on whether you have a need to be the fastest thing out there, or the guy having the most fun?
Whatever you buy, make sure, as you have already pointed out, that it is relatively quiet.

With slightly less budget I track a TVR Chimaera. And struggle with noise limits since I decatted it.
Huge fun, great crowd of people that come with it - ten of us made the last track outing.
Not the fastest thing on track by a fair way.

Given your distances, perhaps give some consideration (once you have done a couple of days and have decided you want more, more, more!) to buying a camper van with a tow bar and a car trailer.
IMHO any serious track prepared car could be an absolute pain to drive 200-300 miles and then do a track day. You have to be at the track by 8 am.....so driving up the previous evening in comfort and peace and staying in the camper van overnight is not so stupid. Those things have glacial depreciation. And you might actually save fuel.

[Type R Tom]

Elise with a supercharged Honda K20?

[Dakkon]

Type R Tom said:

Elise with a supercharged Honda K20?

Could easily be done with your budget for a very competant track car

[robinandcamera]

Id be looking at something woth a lotus badge myself. Probably an Exige S.

Im a little biased of course, but they are comfortable once youre in them. Something with the touring pack for the trip to the track and the performance pack for once you are there.

Or a honda converted car, as already mentioned.

[Chr1sch]

Based on my recent trackdays the cars that always amaze are exiges, I'd look there first

Secondly a well sorted CSL or M3

[Chr1sch]

Based on my recent trackdays the cars that always amaze are exiges, I'd look there first

Secondly a well sorted CSL or M3

[otolith]

Most of the Honda converted cars are series one or earlier series two cars, though; which means that those ear plugs may be a necessity.

[Dakkon]

otolith said:

Most of the Honda converted cars are series one or earlier series two cars, though; which means that those ear plugs may be a necessity.

I really wanted to do this myself, but cannot afford it, so I have just bought a nice VX220 Turbo for commuting and trackdays.

[Rob175kks]

What an awesome position you're in!

As above Exige/Elises are probably worth a look, but I just thought I'd throw in the Ginetta G40R.

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/g...

I'd love to hear of anyone's experience with them on road or track.

[Type R Tom]

otolith said:

Most of the Honda converted cars are series one or earlier series two cars, though; which means that those ear plugs may be a necessity.

On track possibly but with a 6 speed box motorway speed wouldn't be too bad, from memory 65mph is about 3.5k rpm on an FN2.

[otolith]

It isn't so much the engine noise as the wind and road noise with the earlier cars having less soundproofing.