What is your track day car, and why?
Discussion
For those of us that have already posted, I see the mods are asking for people to put in pictures on the PH homepage.
http://www.pistonheads.com/news/general-pistonhead...
Edited by Hol on Thursday 22 October 13:29
Hol said:
For those of us that have already posted, I see the mods are asking for people to put in pictures on the PH homepage.
Here's my Puma, with my brother behind me and one of my best friends a bit further back in his clio. Pitcure was taken at Mallory Park earlier this year, one of the most enjoyable tracks ive driven.
Oh and please excuse the uber scene blue sunglasses, they were a promo item and I'd left my other ones at home, needs must!
IMG_1563 by Jay Hardy, on Flickr
Honda powered Elise S1 here.
Why I chose it:
I wanted something that was an event to drive, RWD, open top and something that could handle all the track days I could throw at it and could still function for weekend blasts on the road and be my only car (I get the bus from my house and then the train to central london during the week, so don't really need a car like most people do).
Pros:
Fast and cheap to run
Glorious noise
Roof off motoring
Amazing handling and braking
Great community and love the looks
Cons:
A passenger and tank of fuel makes the car feel a little slower than I'd like
Quite a lot of rattles
Its not a 996 GT3 RS, but thats about all I'd change it for
I thought buying a pre converted car would stop me modding. It hasn't, work is still ongoing
Why I chose it:
I wanted something that was an event to drive, RWD, open top and something that could handle all the track days I could throw at it and could still function for weekend blasts on the road and be my only car (I get the bus from my house and then the train to central london during the week, so don't really need a car like most people do).
Pros:
Fast and cheap to run
Glorious noise
Roof off motoring
Amazing handling and braking
Great community and love the looks
Cons:
A passenger and tank of fuel makes the car feel a little slower than I'd like
Quite a lot of rattles
Its not a 996 GT3 RS, but thats about all I'd change it for
I thought buying a pre converted car would stop me modding. It hasn't, work is still ongoing
E30 325i Sport
M52 2.8 w/ Dbilas Cams
E30 M3 Suspension + Brakes
Long time E30 fan, decided to build a car my 20 year old self would have loved. Have been round Donington, Silverstone, Brands GP and Bedford - once I got the brake issues sorted (2 day driving home metal on metal) she runs pretty well. Kept up with 997 and tracked prepped WRX at Bedford without pushing crazy hard - not super fast but fun enough and handling is neutral enough at this point to be nicely balanced and easy to drive.
Really want to do the Ring and/or Spa next year.
Pro's
- I like E30's. So much so I've had 10+...
- Easy to work on and fix (replaced gear shifter knuckle at the track on Monday)
- Alloy block M52 is lighter than M20, cheap and powerful enough (est. 240hp ish).
- Comes with LSD
- Car is lightish, around 1100-1200 kg (mine is not stripped at all)
- Enough room for tools/tyres (& 3 adults should you wish)
- RWD
- Still fully road usable (drove 2000mi+ to France and back in June)
- Cheap tyres/brakes (relatively, a bit more now with M3 brakes and R888's on the horizon)
Con's
- Stock E30's need a LOT of work
- Rust - not a new car.
- Need more wheel/tyre than 205/55R15
- Not cheap (I'm £10K in at least), could have got something better/faster for less
- Fairly slow, but I'm OK with it
M52 2.8 w/ Dbilas Cams
E30 M3 Suspension + Brakes
Long time E30 fan, decided to build a car my 20 year old self would have loved. Have been round Donington, Silverstone, Brands GP and Bedford - once I got the brake issues sorted (2 day driving home metal on metal) she runs pretty well. Kept up with 997 and tracked prepped WRX at Bedford without pushing crazy hard - not super fast but fun enough and handling is neutral enough at this point to be nicely balanced and easy to drive.
Really want to do the Ring and/or Spa next year.
Pro's
- I like E30's. So much so I've had 10+...
- Easy to work on and fix (replaced gear shifter knuckle at the track on Monday)
- Alloy block M52 is lighter than M20, cheap and powerful enough (est. 240hp ish).
- Comes with LSD
- Car is lightish, around 1100-1200 kg (mine is not stripped at all)
- Enough room for tools/tyres (& 3 adults should you wish)
- RWD
- Still fully road usable (drove 2000mi+ to France and back in June)
- Cheap tyres/brakes (relatively, a bit more now with M3 brakes and R888's on the horizon)
Con's
- Stock E30's need a LOT of work
- Rust - not a new car.
- Need more wheel/tyre than 205/55R15
- Not cheap (I'm £10K in at least), could have got something better/faster for less
- Fairly slow, but I'm OK with it
Saxo vtr/s track car
But why:
The main point about this car isn't that its fast, looks nice, attracts crowds of onlookers. It is the fact its cheap, handles well and always puts a smile on my face. I would love to be able to afford some of the machinery in this thread but unfortunately my bank balance says otherwise.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GY53j5BN-xI
Pros:
Cheap to fix and run
Easy to fix
relatively quick for its power output
fun to drive
Cons:
Bad image
No one lets you past
slow on the straights
looks a bit crap (maybe a lot)
I still love it though
But why:
The main point about this car isn't that its fast, looks nice, attracts crowds of onlookers. It is the fact its cheap, handles well and always puts a smile on my face. I would love to be able to afford some of the machinery in this thread but unfortunately my bank balance says otherwise.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GY53j5BN-xI
Pros:
Cheap to fix and run
Easy to fix
relatively quick for its power output
fun to drive
Cons:
Bad image
No one lets you past
slow on the straights
looks a bit crap (maybe a lot)
I still love it though
Elise S1:
It wasn't bought with the intention of doing trackdays; I just wanted a fun daily car that could be used in all weathers. I'd already done a few Ring trips in my previous Alfa, so naturally continued to do the same in the Lotus. However, it wasn't long before I started to get the itch to try other tracks. Now, 70,000 miles later, I've driven it around most UK and French tracks, as far south as Ledenon and Pau-Arnos, as well as about twenty Ring trips and a few to the even more terrifying Touristfahrt evenings at Hockenheim.
Pros:
- light weight and low power means it's very easy on consumables, so relatively cheap to run.
- fun handling that can be tuned to taste by simple tweaks to the suspension.
- every day useable.
- 45 mpg on a long run to the circuit.
Cons:
- 118bhp is barely enough on quicker circuits.
- twitchy handling and leaky roof when it rains.
It wasn't bought with the intention of doing trackdays; I just wanted a fun daily car that could be used in all weathers. I'd already done a few Ring trips in my previous Alfa, so naturally continued to do the same in the Lotus. However, it wasn't long before I started to get the itch to try other tracks. Now, 70,000 miles later, I've driven it around most UK and French tracks, as far south as Ledenon and Pau-Arnos, as well as about twenty Ring trips and a few to the even more terrifying Touristfahrt evenings at Hockenheim.
Pros:
- light weight and low power means it's very easy on consumables, so relatively cheap to run.
- fun handling that can be tuned to taste by simple tweaks to the suspension.
- every day useable.
- 45 mpg on a long run to the circuit.
Cons:
- 118bhp is barely enough on quicker circuits.
- twitchy handling and leaky roof when it rains.
TiM3 said:
MR2 Roadster with 2ZZ
Pros
Very nimble, lovely steering
Sounds good
Great on the brakes
Spare especially used are dirt cheap
All panels bolt on
Cons
Bit flat unless it's between 6250 and 8250rpm
Mid engined layout makes me nervous in the wet
Image seems to bother some people
All in all it's actually a pretty good track car, surprised I see so few of them..
Few pics..Pros
Very nimble, lovely steering
Sounds good
Great on the brakes
Spare especially used are dirt cheap
All panels bolt on
Cons
Bit flat unless it's between 6250 and 8250rpm
Mid engined layout makes me nervous in the wet
Image seems to bother some people
All in all it's actually a pretty good track car, surprised I see so few of them..
Mazda RX8 231 PZ
Pros
Allegedly 230bhp
10000rpm YES LIMIT HAS BEEN INCREASED
6 speed gearbox
Rear wheel drive
LSD
Great handling due to Bilstien dampers and Eibach springs (standard prodrive equip)
Parts are very cheap and plentiful
If you drive to/from the track like me then four decent seats and boot with a decent spec
Cheap to buy
Will do brands Indy in 60s on list 1A road tyres
Cons
More like 180Bhp
Heavy on fuel
Low on torque so requires driving hard
Can be a pain on longer straights
Usual comments in the pits about oil consumption and chocolate engines.
Pros
Allegedly 230bhp
10000rpm YES LIMIT HAS BEEN INCREASED
6 speed gearbox
Rear wheel drive
LSD
Great handling due to Bilstien dampers and Eibach springs (standard prodrive equip)
Parts are very cheap and plentiful
If you drive to/from the track like me then four decent seats and boot with a decent spec
Cheap to buy
Will do brands Indy in 60s on list 1A road tyres
Cons
More like 180Bhp
Heavy on fuel
Low on torque so requires driving hard
Can be a pain on longer straights
Usual comments in the pits about oil consumption and chocolate engines.
WRX 'Track Shed'
Why? It was cheap on eBay
Cons:
Heavy
Had tiny brakes (see point above - cracked brand new discs on day 1)
Likely to return to the pits making loud knocking noises
Has a thousand CV joints to go wrong
130,000 miles on it
Some kind of issue in the factory means it ended up not being blue with gold wheels
Pros:
Has roof bars.
Why? It was cheap on eBay
Cons:
Heavy
Had tiny brakes (see point above - cracked brand new discs on day 1)
Likely to return to the pits making loud knocking noises
Has a thousand CV joints to go wrong
130,000 miles on it
Some kind of issue in the factory means it ended up not being blue with gold wheels
Pros:
Has roof bars.
MINI Cooper S, bought this nearly 11 years ago vouching not to modify it. All these years on its turbo'd, on fancy coilovers, big brakes, half cage etc etc.
Pros
Good fun to drive
Surprises plenty of more expensive / quicker cars
Fairly light on brakes and tyres
Good for driving to the track
Cons
People don't always move over
Occasionally throws its toys out (mainly driveshafts)
Likes oil (down to the Pistons in it)
Pros
Good fun to drive
Surprises plenty of more expensive / quicker cars
Fairly light on brakes and tyres
Good for driving to the track
Cons
People don't always move over
Occasionally throws its toys out (mainly driveshafts)
Likes oil (down to the Pistons in it)
Am I the only one reading this and thinking no one has responded to another post with an "oooo that's nice"?
There's not even a "hum, that's an interesting choice"
This is a willy waving contest isn't it?
I'll admit, the F360 challenge car seems to be the nicest so far, but there's no way I'd gratify the poster with such a comment. Until now.
Hand job for whoever you are sir? - (I didn't take note of your user name)
There's not even a "hum, that's an interesting choice"
This is a willy waving contest isn't it?
I'll admit, the F360 challenge car seems to be the nicest so far, but there's no way I'd gratify the poster with such a comment. Until now.
Hand job for whoever you are sir? - (I didn't take note of your user name)
Edited by Zombie on Friday 23 October 01:06
JungleGus said:
E30 325i Sport
M52 2.8 w/ Dbilas Cams
E30 M3 Suspension + Brakes
Long time E30 fan, decided to build a car my 20 year old self would have loved. Have been round Donington, Silverstone, Brands GP and Bedford - once I got the brake issues sorted (2 day driving home metal on metal) she runs pretty well. Kept up with 997 and tracked prepped WRX at Bedford without pushing crazy hard - not super fast but fun enough and handling is neutral enough at this point to be nicely balanced and easy to drive.
Really want to do the Ring and/or Spa next year.
Pro's
- I like E30's. So much so I've had 10+...
- Easy to work on and fix (replaced gear shifter knuckle at the track on Monday)
- Alloy block M52 is lighter than M20, cheap and powerful enough (est. 240hp ish).
- Comes with LSD
- Car is lightish, around 1100-1200 kg (mine is not stripped at all)
- Enough room for tools/tyres (& 3 adults should you wish)
- RWD
- Still fully road usable (drove 2000mi+ to France and back in June)
- Cheap tyres/brakes (relatively, a bit more now with M3 brakes and R888's on the horizon)
Con's
- Stock E30's need a LOT of work
- Rust - not a new car.
- Need more wheel/tyre than 205/55R15
- Not cheap (I'm £10K in at least), could have got something better/faster for less
- Fairly slow, but I'm OK with it
I like that a lot - very clean and cool...M52 2.8 w/ Dbilas Cams
E30 M3 Suspension + Brakes
Long time E30 fan, decided to build a car my 20 year old self would have loved. Have been round Donington, Silverstone, Brands GP and Bedford - once I got the brake issues sorted (2 day driving home metal on metal) she runs pretty well. Kept up with 997 and tracked prepped WRX at Bedford without pushing crazy hard - not super fast but fun enough and handling is neutral enough at this point to be nicely balanced and easy to drive.
Really want to do the Ring and/or Spa next year.
Pro's
- I like E30's. So much so I've had 10+...
- Easy to work on and fix (replaced gear shifter knuckle at the track on Monday)
- Alloy block M52 is lighter than M20, cheap and powerful enough (est. 240hp ish).
- Comes with LSD
- Car is lightish, around 1100-1200 kg (mine is not stripped at all)
- Enough room for tools/tyres (& 3 adults should you wish)
- RWD
- Still fully road usable (drove 2000mi+ to France and back in June)
- Cheap tyres/brakes (relatively, a bit more now with M3 brakes and R888's on the horizon)
Con's
- Stock E30's need a LOT of work
- Rust - not a new car.
- Need more wheel/tyre than 205/55R15
- Not cheap (I'm £10K in at least), could have got something better/faster for less
- Fairly slow, but I'm OK with it
It was this:
I now have an MX-5 which is a work in progress but I hope track it eventually
Sorry, forgot to say why I had the Ignis Sport
Pros
- It could double as a useable every day car and track car.
- It was cheap to run 38 mpg if driven hard on road, 28 mpg if driven hard on track
- It was a laugh
- It was pretty well kitted out as standard, Recaros, close ratio box etc...
Cons
- Suspension was rock hard, made road use a pain (why I sold it in the end), but was great on track.
- Obviously wasn't the fastest, but there will always be something faster than you unless you turn up in a Radical or something similar. Was still awesome fun.
I now have an MX-5 which is a work in progress but I hope track it eventually
Sorry, forgot to say why I had the Ignis Sport
Pros
- It could double as a useable every day car and track car.
- It was cheap to run 38 mpg if driven hard on road, 28 mpg if driven hard on track
- It was a laugh
- It was pretty well kitted out as standard, Recaros, close ratio box etc...
Cons
- Suspension was rock hard, made road use a pain (why I sold it in the end), but was great on track.
- Obviously wasn't the fastest, but there will always be something faster than you unless you turn up in a Radical or something similar. Was still awesome fun.
Edited by patmahe on Friday 23 October 10:25
Zombie said:
Am I the only one reading this and thinking no one has responded to another post with an "oooo that's nice"?
There's not even a "hum, that's an interesting choice"
This is a willy waving contest isn't it?
I'll admit, the F360 challenge car seems to be the nicest so far, but there's no way I'd gratify the poster with such a comment. Until now.
Hand job for whoever you are sir? - (I didn't take note of your user name)
I'm really enjoying this thread actually, seeing what else is out there, what people think of their car and a little history. Just some photos and some succinct info. Perfect. Im sure the posters that just put a photo up could have added a bit more to their post though, it's not really bringing much to the thread otherwise.There's not even a "hum, that's an interesting choice"
This is a willy waving contest isn't it?
I'll admit, the F360 challenge car seems to be the nicest so far, but there's no way I'd gratify the poster with such a comment. Until now.
Hand job for whoever you are sir? - (I didn't take note of your user name)
Edited by Zombie on Friday 23 October 01:06
If it stops some of the 'what track car should I buy' threads that would be a massive bonus.
Zombie said:
Am I the only one reading this and thinking no one has responded to another post with an "oooo that's nice"?
There's not even a "hum, that's an interesting choice"
This is a willy waving contest isn't it?
I'll admit, the F360 challenge car seems to be the nicest so far, but there's no way I'd gratify the poster with such a comment. Until now.
Hand job for whoever you are sir? - (I didn't take note of your user name)
London N1 if you're not busy this weekend....There's not even a "hum, that's an interesting choice"
This is a willy waving contest isn't it?
I'll admit, the F360 challenge car seems to be the nicest so far, but there's no way I'd gratify the poster with such a comment. Until now.
Hand job for whoever you are sir? - (I didn't take note of your user name)
Edited by Zombie on Friday 23 October 01:06
geeks said:
BMW E36 318ti Compact
Pros:
Lightweight
Plenty of bits available and advice
Easy to drive
Cheap, very cheap
Handling puts a smile on my face
Cons:
Power, it will holder more expensive machinery in a corner and on the anchors, but beyond that....
The wife won't let me MOT it so I have to trailer it, although i cant really blame the car for this!
I bought it as like any good chef, I eat what I cook! Glad I did though has taught me alot about driving on track and what RWD is all about!
I saw the call for pitures! Weirdly dont have any of it on track however...Pros:
Lightweight
Plenty of bits available and advice
Easy to drive
Cheap, very cheap
Handling puts a smile on my face
Cons:
Power, it will holder more expensive machinery in a corner and on the anchors, but beyond that....
The wife won't let me MOT it so I have to trailer it, although i cant really blame the car for this!
I bought it as like any good chef, I eat what I cook! Glad I did though has taught me alot about driving on track and what RWD is all about!
How it looked when purchased
How it looked when out (this is at Bedford)
[How it looks at the moment..... ish... shocks have been changed and some other bits, hasn't been out this year
Edited by geeks on Friday 23 October 12:36
Fiat coupe 20vt. Running about 320hp. Stripped out with a roll cage ,harnesses etc.
Pros. Not many coupes on track. Fast in a straight line with a magic 3rd gear.With handling mods it handles quite well. It will out drag a lot of very expensive machines.
Cons. Very heavy front end,Brakes not the best. Drinks petrol alot when beasting it.
Pros. Not many coupes on track. Fast in a straight line with a magic 3rd gear.With handling mods it handles quite well. It will out drag a lot of very expensive machines.
Cons. Very heavy front end,Brakes not the best. Drinks petrol alot when beasting it.
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