What is your track day car, and why?
Discussion
MR2 Roadster
Donington Park Trackday by Lewis Craik, on Flickr
I didn't want another MX-5 and I couldn't afford an Elise.
Pros
Donington Park Trackday by Lewis Craik, on Flickr
I didn't want another MX-5 and I couldn't afford an Elise.
Pros
- Handling
- Lightweight
- Its slow on the straights
- Less modifications available than MX-5
Edited by Craikeybaby on Thursday 22 October 13:20
Porsche 997.1 GT3
Having raced cars previously I generally felt that road cars are too compromised to make a good track car. Moving to a 911 changed my view on this. The low centre of gravity of the engine means the cars dont roll too much, and the engine/chassis layout gives you many options to adjust the car mid corner. So the GT3 makes a great road car and actually a pretty decent track car. Mine runs standard PASM suspension - hard mode in the dry, standard mode in the wet. Mine didnt have ceramics so I have upgrade brakes pads to RS29's and run Alcon front discs - huge stopping power and so far seem to be wearing very well.
Pros
Great handling and performance
Loads of feel through steering and chassis
Quick enough on most circuits
Sounds great
Drive it to and from the circuit - great on Euro track days!
Mine has been utterly reliable so far - but there are stories of problems with coolant hoses etc
Cons
Value of the car and cost of repairs - I have insurance but excess is very high
Tyre wear and cost of replacements - not too bad if you manage tyre pressures well, but track tyres in GT3 sizes are hard to source and expensive
Probably not quite quick enough any more vs 991 GT3, 458Spec, 650s etc
Having raced cars previously I generally felt that road cars are too compromised to make a good track car. Moving to a 911 changed my view on this. The low centre of gravity of the engine means the cars dont roll too much, and the engine/chassis layout gives you many options to adjust the car mid corner. So the GT3 makes a great road car and actually a pretty decent track car. Mine runs standard PASM suspension - hard mode in the dry, standard mode in the wet. Mine didnt have ceramics so I have upgrade brakes pads to RS29's and run Alcon front discs - huge stopping power and so far seem to be wearing very well.
Pros
Great handling and performance
Loads of feel through steering and chassis
Quick enough on most circuits
Sounds great
Drive it to and from the circuit - great on Euro track days!
Mine has been utterly reliable so far - but there are stories of problems with coolant hoses etc
Cons
Value of the car and cost of repairs - I have insurance but excess is very high
Tyre wear and cost of replacements - not too bad if you manage tyre pressures well, but track tyres in GT3 sizes are hard to source and expensive
Probably not quite quick enough any more vs 991 GT3, 458Spec, 650s etc
|http://thumbsnap.com/PrWyTllg[/url]
|http://thumbsnap.com/ikwE75FV[/url]![](http://thumbsnap.com/sc/U8FhGm7T.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="http://thumbsnap.com/u5EENEaW" Target="_blank">[img]http://thumbsnap.com/sc/u5EENEaW.jpg)
Lotus 2-Eleven
Pros
Quite quick - 260bhp
Light - 700ish KG
Variable traction control
Good brakes (AP)
Good handling and lightweight means it doesn't wear out pads or tyres that quickly
Cons
Fair weather only as no roof/screen/heater
Really needs to be trailered to track as ground clearance is less than 90mm
Rear visibility, mirrors tend to move themselves where they want to be, rather than where I want them
No wheel arch liners so likes to throw stones up and crack itself
Pros
Quite quick - 260bhp
Light - 700ish KG
Variable traction control
Good brakes (AP)
Good handling and lightweight means it doesn't wear out pads or tyres that quickly
Cons
Fair weather only as no roof/screen/heater
Really needs to be trailered to track as ground clearance is less than 90mm
Rear visibility, mirrors tend to move themselves where they want to be, rather than where I want them
No wheel arch liners so likes to throw stones up and crack itself
Edited by Alex L on Wednesday 21st October 17:41
F40GT346 said:
Porsche 997.1 GT3
Having raced cars previously I generally felt that road cars are too compromised to make a good track car. Moving to a 911 changed my view on this. The low centre of gravity of the engine means the cars dont roll too much, and the engine/chassis layout gives you many options to adjust the car mid corner. So the GT3 makes a great road car and actually a pretty decent track car. Mine runs standard PASM suspension - hard mode in the dry, standard mode in the wet. Mine didnt have ceramics so I have upgrade brakes pads to RS29's and run Alcon front discs - huge stopping power and so far seem to be wearing very well.
Pros
Great handling and performance
Loads of feel through steering and chassis
Quick enough on most circuits
Sounds great
Drive it to and from the circuit - great on Euro track days!
Mine has been utterly reliable so far - but there are stories of problems with coolant hoses etc
Cons
Value of the car and cost of repairs - I have insurance but excess is very high
Tyre wear and cost of replacements - not too bad if you manage tyre pressures well, but track tyres in GT3 sizes are hard to source and expensive
Probably not quite quick enough any more vs 991 GT3, 458Spec, 650s etc
Interesting - just bought one of these with clubsport spec - yet to take it on track but can already feel the standard brake fluid and pads wont be up to it and thinking alcon too... What tyres do you use on track?Having raced cars previously I generally felt that road cars are too compromised to make a good track car. Moving to a 911 changed my view on this. The low centre of gravity of the engine means the cars dont roll too much, and the engine/chassis layout gives you many options to adjust the car mid corner. So the GT3 makes a great road car and actually a pretty decent track car. Mine runs standard PASM suspension - hard mode in the dry, standard mode in the wet. Mine didnt have ceramics so I have upgrade brakes pads to RS29's and run Alcon front discs - huge stopping power and so far seem to be wearing very well.
Pros
Great handling and performance
Loads of feel through steering and chassis
Quick enough on most circuits
Sounds great
Drive it to and from the circuit - great on Euro track days!
Mine has been utterly reliable so far - but there are stories of problems with coolant hoses etc
Cons
Value of the car and cost of repairs - I have insurance but excess is very high
Tyre wear and cost of replacements - not too bad if you manage tyre pressures well, but track tyres in GT3 sizes are hard to source and expensive
Probably not quite quick enough any more vs 991 GT3, 458Spec, 650s etc
Alfa 156 v6 with a gta engine in it. Now gone, sorely missed, sounded ace;
Pit wall drive by;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozM7GQBlOIA
and a piccie
It was my only car and a daily drive too. I also spent 12 months rebuilding it from the ground up beforehand.
Pit wall drive by;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozM7GQBlOIA
and a piccie
It was my only car and a daily drive too. I also spent 12 months rebuilding it from the ground up beforehand.
Duratec Powered MK2 Escort.
Introduction in Motorsport (and Life!) was in the 70's and early 80's with Hotrods and Rally Cross, MK2's were the thing to have in those formulas.
Pros... Love it, very quick, relatively easy to drive
Cons... Cash Black hole! Never finish upgrading it.
Introduction in Motorsport (and Life!) was in the 70's and early 80's with Hotrods and Rally Cross, MK2's were the thing to have in those formulas.
Pros... Love it, very quick, relatively easy to drive
Cons... Cash Black hole! Never finish upgrading it.
Edited by Frankie Vaughn on Thursday 22 October 07:57
Nissan Skyline R32 GTST
Pros - Lighter and more nimble than the GTR (1150kg)
- The straight six turbo lump (revvy and god it sounds great)
- Cheaper, simpler and less fickle than the GTR
- Plenty of parts available
- Forgiving chassis with loads of feedback
Cons - Doesn't have the traction of the GTR as RWD (The new diff should hopefully reduce this deficit)
- The straight six lump (heavy up front, though not as noticeable as you'd think)
- Brakes could be better
Homebrew flat bottom and diffuser should be ready for next year.
Pros - Lighter and more nimble than the GTR (1150kg)
- The straight six turbo lump (revvy and god it sounds great)
- Cheaper, simpler and less fickle than the GTR
- Plenty of parts available
- Forgiving chassis with loads of feedback
Cons - Doesn't have the traction of the GTR as RWD (The new diff should hopefully reduce this deficit)
- The straight six lump (heavy up front, though not as noticeable as you'd think)
- Brakes could be better
Homebrew flat bottom and diffuser should be ready for next year.
Edited by Cable on Thursday 22 October 08:07
Edited by Cable on Thursday 22 October 09:41
E36 328i Touring:
Pros:
Pros:
- The look on people's faces when you overtake them in a wagon
- Loads of info and parts around
- Its a wagon, so its easy to bring a full set of track tyres, spares and tools with you
- Just enough power to get past
- Oodles of grip on Kumho V70a's makes going around people easier than get by on the straight!
- Brakes are good enough simply by fitting decent pads and using good braking fluid.
- Cheap to buy (Cheap to crash? Lets not find out!)
- The E36 platform is a bit of an obvious choice
- People assume its the tow car
- Needs a shorter ratio LSD and some significant weight saving (All in good time...)
I had a 2007 Renault Megane r26.
Pros:
Spec out of the box - brembo's, recaro's, diff etc
Cheap and easy power - 300bhp/300ftlb easily.
Amazing chasis - geometry wise it's about a square as you can get and well developed. Was the quickest FWD production car at the ring until the r26r came out.
Huge used market - plenty of cheap parts and aleternatives now available as the cars are getting older.
Weight - once stripped out mine weighed sub 1200kg.
Cost - Car was cheap and subsequently performance parts. I think mine owed me about 9k in the end and was very extensive in terms of spec and modifications. (In total I think I got about 7.5k back which given the mods and i didnt strip it, I didn't think was too bad).
Consumables - generally well priced. Used well priced slicks and supersports depending on weather. Managed to get ferrodo Ds1.11s for £60 from the Clio cup series.
Performance - suprised a lot of people on track. Did a 1.42 at Cadwell on slicks and a 2.02 at Oulton. There was still more to give than that.
Cons:
Being French - build quality was poor so a lot of money (about £800-1000) was spent on preventative maintenance and replacing/repairing common problems that nearly every megane of that shape had.
Useability - in my quest to make it a track 'weapon' I removed all driveability on the road. The coilovers were to hard, it was running 2.75 degrees of negative camber, the pads had no cold bite etc. So the car stayed stood between trackdays (one of the reasons unsold it)
No 'bigger brother' - as the car was the a range topper from Renault there was very little parts that could be sourced and utkised for cheap upgrades such as brakes, wheels etc.
Pros:
Spec out of the box - brembo's, recaro's, diff etc
Cheap and easy power - 300bhp/300ftlb easily.
Amazing chasis - geometry wise it's about a square as you can get and well developed. Was the quickest FWD production car at the ring until the r26r came out.
Huge used market - plenty of cheap parts and aleternatives now available as the cars are getting older.
Weight - once stripped out mine weighed sub 1200kg.
Cost - Car was cheap and subsequently performance parts. I think mine owed me about 9k in the end and was very extensive in terms of spec and modifications. (In total I think I got about 7.5k back which given the mods and i didnt strip it, I didn't think was too bad).
Consumables - generally well priced. Used well priced slicks and supersports depending on weather. Managed to get ferrodo Ds1.11s for £60 from the Clio cup series.
Performance - suprised a lot of people on track. Did a 1.42 at Cadwell on slicks and a 2.02 at Oulton. There was still more to give than that.
Cons:
Being French - build quality was poor so a lot of money (about £800-1000) was spent on preventative maintenance and replacing/repairing common problems that nearly every megane of that shape had.
Useability - in my quest to make it a track 'weapon' I removed all driveability on the road. The coilovers were to hard, it was running 2.75 degrees of negative camber, the pads had no cold bite etc. So the car stayed stood between trackdays (one of the reasons unsold it)
No 'bigger brother' - as the car was the a range topper from Renault there was very little parts that could be sourced and utkised for cheap upgrades such as brakes, wheels etc.
Edited by Tubes89 on Thursday 22 October 09:16
cuda said:
Interesting - just bought one of these with clubsport spec - yet to take it on track but can already feel the standard brake fluid and pads wont be up to it and thinking alcon too... What tyres do you use on track?
Mine had Pirelli pzero corsas on when I got it and I have stuck with them. They dont seem to have the outright dry grip of the Michelin Sport Cups, but they also perform well if the road / track is wet and have lasted longer than I expected. I have read very good feedback on the Michelin Sport Cup 2 so would probably use those or the Pzero trofeo.
My trackday cars over the last few years:
1999 Nissan Micra 1.3
Pros
- Looks ridiculous
- Hilarious to drive
- Makes you obsessed with maintaining momentum
- Weighs very little
- Cheap
Cons
- Looks ridiculous
- Biblically slow
- Questionable handling
IMG_4297 by Jim Harris, on Flickr
2000 Toyota MR-S
Pros
- MR handling
- Light
- Nice engine with just enough power for me
Cons
- MR handling - I'm terrified it's going to spin
- Not that fast on the straights
ML1_1549-2 by Jim Harris, on Flickr
1999 Nissan Micra 1.3
Pros
- Looks ridiculous
- Hilarious to drive
- Makes you obsessed with maintaining momentum
- Weighs very little
- Cheap
Cons
- Looks ridiculous
- Biblically slow
- Questionable handling
IMG_4297 by Jim Harris, on Flickr2000 Toyota MR-S
Pros
- MR handling
- Light
- Nice engine with just enough power for me
Cons
- MR handling - I'm terrified it's going to spin
- Not that fast on the straights
ML1_1549-2 by Jim Harris, on FlickrMy track day car has always been my daily driver. I probably do about 25k a year in the car and then 2-3 'Ring trips and a few track days every year.
Started out with a Corrado VR6, that I modified a little...
...then decided that I wanted a comfier car for the mileage I was doing, but one that was fast enough for track days too. So ended up with a 3.8 big-brake e34 M5. Had lots of fun in that, but ultimately the weight of the car (and the track rubber) meant all the suspension/braking components wore out very quickly. So I was doing a set of pads a day, a set of discs every 3 days, a caliper rebuild every year, and new EDC suspension every 2 years.
Had another M5 for a while - a 3.6 e34. The only mods to that were to put decent suspension on it and upgrade the pads. Would still have that now except it kept failing to get to the 'Ring for various reasons (alternator, melted battery, crank mass damper), so I got rid of that and got the Z4MC.
Now using the Z4MC, and it's coming up to about 7 years. Costs about half what the M5s did to run, even when I include the cost of the recent suspension upgrade, clutch replacement & cooling pack overhaul...after 140,000 miles on original kit.
They all have the same pros and cons as far as I can see, in that they're road cars, set up for road use. So any tweaks you make for track use makes them a little worse for road use. I've tried to mitigate this on the Z4MC by keeping the alignment road-biased and just cranking the suspension settings up or down depending on use/weather conditions (i.e. hard for a bone dry Oulton Park, soft for a soaking Nordschleife, medium for the rest of the time).
As for the 'why'...it's really down to my desire to have one car that does all the roles I need. Whilst this will always be a compromise, I do like to sometimes show that the uber-barges are fun on track, even if not as quick & nimble as a dedicated track car - and the cruisers always make the trips to the more distant tracks a little easier (e.g. I wouldn't want to drive to Circuit de Catalunya in a stripped out e30, or Caterwestical).
Started out with a Corrado VR6, that I modified a little...
...then decided that I wanted a comfier car for the mileage I was doing, but one that was fast enough for track days too. So ended up with a 3.8 big-brake e34 M5. Had lots of fun in that, but ultimately the weight of the car (and the track rubber) meant all the suspension/braking components wore out very quickly. So I was doing a set of pads a day, a set of discs every 3 days, a caliper rebuild every year, and new EDC suspension every 2 years.
Had another M5 for a while - a 3.6 e34. The only mods to that were to put decent suspension on it and upgrade the pads. Would still have that now except it kept failing to get to the 'Ring for various reasons (alternator, melted battery, crank mass damper), so I got rid of that and got the Z4MC.
Now using the Z4MC, and it's coming up to about 7 years. Costs about half what the M5s did to run, even when I include the cost of the recent suspension upgrade, clutch replacement & cooling pack overhaul...after 140,000 miles on original kit.
They all have the same pros and cons as far as I can see, in that they're road cars, set up for road use. So any tweaks you make for track use makes them a little worse for road use. I've tried to mitigate this on the Z4MC by keeping the alignment road-biased and just cranking the suspension settings up or down depending on use/weather conditions (i.e. hard for a bone dry Oulton Park, soft for a soaking Nordschleife, medium for the rest of the time).
As for the 'why'...it's really down to my desire to have one car that does all the roles I need. Whilst this will always be a compromise, I do like to sometimes show that the uber-barges are fun on track, even if not as quick & nimble as a dedicated track car - and the cruisers always make the trips to the more distant tracks a little easier (e.g. I wouldn't want to drive to Circuit de Catalunya in a stripped out e30, or Caterwestical).
Edited by mmm-five on Thursday 22 October 11:50
Ariel Atom 2 300 (s/c) on A048s
Pros:
• Great braking power and feel due to lack of servo and low weight.
• EPIC (and linear) power delivery. 500+ BHP/tonne! Sufficient to pass most traffic with relative ease.
• Handling. Razor sharp and utterly focused. Also fully adjustable.
• Reliable. Simple, and well made with strong Honda engine.
• Cheap running costs. Brakes and clutch last forever. Tyres not expensive but don't last long. Reasonable factory or home servicing.
• Road legal.
• Low depreciation.
• Sounds good IMO (s/c whine), but not too noisy for trackday testing.
• Rare and special / unusual with the WOW factor to make every drive / lap an event.
• (Pro for me) With no driver aids its a challenge (after more road focused cars) and a good way to really test your track ability.
• If your a race car fan its about as close to a proper open cockpit space-frame race car you can get on the road.
Cons:
• High initial cost.
• Impractical (noisy, cold, wet etc).
• You can't hear your passenger / instructor etc without complex / expensive intercoms etc.
• Properly quick, so you spend quite a bit of time passing traffic.
• (Con for some) With no driver aids, high power and mid rear layout it can bite.
• Small fuel tank and hideous aero drag lead to lower top speed and low high speed range.
Ridiculously FAST, utterly focused, and truly MAD tbh. LOVE IT!
Edit: Some vids here https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2dfLlhrRQPvSUujU... on my YouTube Channel if your interested!
Pros:
• Great braking power and feel due to lack of servo and low weight.
• EPIC (and linear) power delivery. 500+ BHP/tonne! Sufficient to pass most traffic with relative ease.
• Handling. Razor sharp and utterly focused. Also fully adjustable.
• Reliable. Simple, and well made with strong Honda engine.
• Cheap running costs. Brakes and clutch last forever. Tyres not expensive but don't last long. Reasonable factory or home servicing.
• Road legal.
• Low depreciation.
• Sounds good IMO (s/c whine), but not too noisy for trackday testing.
• Rare and special / unusual with the WOW factor to make every drive / lap an event.
• (Pro for me) With no driver aids its a challenge (after more road focused cars) and a good way to really test your track ability.
• If your a race car fan its about as close to a proper open cockpit space-frame race car you can get on the road.
Cons:
• High initial cost.
• Impractical (noisy, cold, wet etc).
• You can't hear your passenger / instructor etc without complex / expensive intercoms etc.
• Properly quick, so you spend quite a bit of time passing traffic.
• (Con for some) With no driver aids, high power and mid rear layout it can bite.
• Small fuel tank and hideous aero drag lead to lower top speed and low high speed range.
Ridiculously FAST, utterly focused, and truly MAD tbh. LOVE IT!
Edit: Some vids here https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2dfLlhrRQPvSUujU... on my YouTube Channel if your interested!
Edited by Peter255 on Thursday 22 October 13:24
Porkie said:
Got 3 and they all do different things on track.
Standardish Lotus Exige S-
Drives to and from track in comfort, so great for evenings and Ringtrips where you cant be arsed to tow. Easy to drive, still pretty quick and thrilling. Very reliable as its standard... has Traction, stability control and ABS so great in wet
500bhp Turbocharged Cosworth Westfield.
Bats
t scary fast. Tries to kill you if you take liberties, but is alot of fun. Is a pain for ALOT of the time... its road legal but needs towing as its bound to break something! normally the expensive sequential gearbox! Tests my patience for most of time, but delivers 'highs' like nothing else on those rare sunny days where its all working and putting its 800bhp per tonne down!
Renaultsport Clio200 Cupracer.
LOVE this car. proper racecar. TOTALLY different and makes even a track oreintated roadcar like the Exige feel compromised and unfocused. Feels very special and hardcore to drive. Its no ball of fire in straight line at all... but the corner speeds are truely senational and its been VERY reliable. Everything IS made to go around tracks (not like converted roadcars) The gearbox makes you feel like a BTCC driver as well (sadev Sequential with flat shift)
Epic collection. Did you delete your posts with your pictures of the racecars?Standardish Lotus Exige S-
Drives to and from track in comfort, so great for evenings and Ringtrips where you cant be arsed to tow. Easy to drive, still pretty quick and thrilling. Very reliable as its standard... has Traction, stability control and ABS so great in wet
500bhp Turbocharged Cosworth Westfield.
Bats
t scary fast. Tries to kill you if you take liberties, but is alot of fun. Is a pain for ALOT of the time... its road legal but needs towing as its bound to break something! normally the expensive sequential gearbox! Tests my patience for most of time, but delivers 'highs' like nothing else on those rare sunny days where its all working and putting its 800bhp per tonne down!Renaultsport Clio200 Cupracer.
LOVE this car. proper racecar. TOTALLY different and makes even a track oreintated roadcar like the Exige feel compromised and unfocused. Feels very special and hardcore to drive. Its no ball of fire in straight line at all... but the corner speeds are truely senational and its been VERY reliable. Everything IS made to go around tracks (not like converted roadcars) The gearbox makes you feel like a BTCC driver as well (sadev Sequential with flat shift)
Anyway, how far do you usually trailer them to track? I would need to try a racecar but surely exige is least hassle: fun drive there, drive the nuts off it, drive home.
E36 M3 3.0ltr.
Lots of changes from OEM spec, stripped, caged, brakes, tyres etc - all details on www.projectnordschleife.co.uk. the car was wrapped by the cracking team at Mission Motorsport and was bought as a replacement for my previous track BMW, an E36 328i sport coupe.
The car is road legal, but not every used on the roads other than too and from the circuits. Out as often as possible inc this Monday at Donnington
Lots of changes from OEM spec, stripped, caged, brakes, tyres etc - all details on www.projectnordschleife.co.uk. the car was wrapped by the cracking team at Mission Motorsport and was bought as a replacement for my previous track BMW, an E36 328i sport coupe.
The car is road legal, but not every used on the roads other than too and from the circuits. Out as often as possible inc this Monday at Donnington
Puma Clubman - Lotus 7 style car (generically called Clubmans or Clubbies in Australia) but slightly wider than the 'book' style clubman. Nissan SR20DET with around 400 crank hp. One of 60 Pumas in Australia (so far).
Pros
Versatile racer - trophy winner in hillclimbs, circuit sprints, tarmac rallies.
Tractable street car - vice free and easy to drive slowly.
Stonking amounts of power when the boost sweeps in.
Good handling - not in the Caterham league but plenty of lateral grip.
Room for two without touching shoulders
Looks tough in the flesh.
After 5 years of sorting and fiddling it's very reliable.
Parts easily available.
Cons
Not at all relaxing in the wet.
Some people say it sounds like a tractor until the boost makes its presence felt.
Lots of videos at my YouTube channel adow77
Here is one
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qbh9RtDiXz0
![](http://thumbsnap.com/sc/NnjxrPz5.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="http://thumbsnap.com/lXuti1KY" Target="_blank">[img]http://thumbsnap.com/sc/lXuti1KY.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="http://thumbsnap.com/mgSL0HKo" Target="_blank">[img]http://thumbsnap.com/sc/mgSL0HKo.jpg)
Pros
Versatile racer - trophy winner in hillclimbs, circuit sprints, tarmac rallies.
Tractable street car - vice free and easy to drive slowly.
Stonking amounts of power when the boost sweeps in.
Good handling - not in the Caterham league but plenty of lateral grip.
Room for two without touching shoulders
Looks tough in the flesh.
After 5 years of sorting and fiddling it's very reliable.
Parts easily available.
Cons
Not at all relaxing in the wet.
Some people say it sounds like a tractor until the boost makes its presence felt.
Lots of videos at my YouTube channel adow77
Here is one
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qbh9RtDiXz0
Edited by adow on Thursday 22 October 12:48
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