How ruinous R32/R33 GTR track car?
Discussion
I can understand a 1500kg turbo car may not be everyones cup of tea for a track car but I'm seriously considering getting one to be a track toy. Have a near new Litchfield fettled R35 and I love how I can make very effective progress when necessary in any weather but also have plenty of opposite lock moments when in the mood as well.
This would certainly be my oldest car and my first track only car. Reliability would be pretty important so would be looking to keep it around the 400WHP mark and would prefer to buy one with modifications already carried out.
Doing 10-12 trackdays per year what would be the main costs? Considering it's a relatively heavy car I'm assuming consumables will be fairly short lived but anything else need rebuilding regularly?
At 400whp is a forged engine necessary for track work? Upgraded oil pick up/sump/intercoolers?
I really like the look of the R32 but would an R33 be significantly better?
This would certainly be my oldest car and my first track only car. Reliability would be pretty important so would be looking to keep it around the 400WHP mark and would prefer to buy one with modifications already carried out.
Doing 10-12 trackdays per year what would be the main costs? Considering it's a relatively heavy car I'm assuming consumables will be fairly short lived but anything else need rebuilding regularly?
At 400whp is a forged engine necessary for track work? Upgraded oil pick up/sump/intercoolers?
I really like the look of the R32 but would an R33 be significantly better?
Pdelamare said:
£1,000 a day on tyres if you're doing it right.
Errm...unless I'm on a broken glass and hot coals track I can't see it costing that much. A set of Federal/Falken track spec tyres should be around £600 and they should last 3/4 days.I don't think even cup 2's would cost £1000 a set for 17", heck my R35 Cup 2's cost £1250 and I'd expect a couple of track days with those!
Babw, £1000 per day on tyres, I don't think so. If you are concerned about tyres, I run something similar in size and weight an Evo10, I do about 12 track days a year. As I trailer mine, I don't need to worry about legalities of getting home with tread depth, and I use Rally tarmac moulded slicks rather than road tyres. My last set of Dunlop CR311's lasted me 6 track days. And I drive it hard. These are £700 per set. Don't be too put off driving something bigger, if it makes your smile as wide as you hope it will. Enjoy.
I run a full caged CSL and they weigh about 1380kg with a full tank of gas with full cage and lightened where possible. The cost of about £1k per track day is probably about right when you consider constant maintenance, parts upgrading, fuel, hotel stay, insurance +brakes and tyres. Although i have no experience of lightweight cars, I think once you dip below 1 ton, you can get considerable savings in consumables.
there are good reasons to do a relatively heavy tin top but they do cost in terms of consumables if you do it properly and keep up with maintenance.
there are good reasons to do a relatively heavy tin top but they do cost in terms of consumables if you do it properly and keep up with maintenance.
HokumPokum said:
I run a full caged CSL and they weigh about 1380kg with a full tank of gas with full cage and lightened where possible. The cost of about £1k per track day is probably about right when you consider constant maintenance, parts upgrading, fuel, hotel stay, insurance +brakes and tyres. Although i have no experience of lightweight cars, I think once you dip below 1 ton, you can get considerable savings in consumables.
there are good reasons to do a relatively heavy tin top but they do cost in terms of consumables if you do it properly and keep up with maintenance.
What are these good reasons out of interest?there are good reasons to do a relatively heavy tin top but they do cost in terms of consumables if you do it properly and keep up with maintenance.
1.5 tonnes and 400hp usually equates to £1000-1250 per day if you are doing decent circuits and driving it right. That is for normally aspirated with a strong engine though - I don't know the cars well enough to say whether it would be appreciably more in an R32/33 (someone with long term track experience will need to comment on now much extra servicing will be in order and what effect the sustained high load has on things like turbocharger lifespan and the components of the 4WD system and how much additional money that bubbles out as). It will certainly be less than an R35 though.
Your main costs will be track day fees, tyres, brake pads and fuel though, with additional maintenance expenditure significant on the number of days that you are proposing.
Your main costs will be track day fees, tyres, brake pads and fuel though, with additional maintenance expenditure significant on the number of days that you are proposing.
Edited by DiscoColin on Tuesday 1st December 18:27
Evoluzione said:
HokumPokum said:
I run a full caged CSL and they weigh about 1380kg with a full tank of gas with full cage and lightened where possible. The cost of about £1k per track day is probably about right when you consider constant maintenance, parts upgrading, fuel, hotel stay, insurance +brakes and tyres. Although i have no experience of lightweight cars, I think once you dip below 1 ton, you can get considerable savings in consumables.
there are good reasons to do a relatively heavy tin top but they do cost in terms of consumables if you do it properly and keep up with maintenance.
What are these good reasons out of interest?there are good reasons to do a relatively heavy tin top but they do cost in terms of consumables if you do it properly and keep up with maintenance.
The second point in my mind which makes the more powerful cars attractive is the ability to get past traffic, my own race car is on the tipping point where sometimes I have got stuck behind an idiot in a much more powerful car that is slow in the corners. Having that extra punch to get past is very attractive but it doesn't come for free.
I've had an R32GTR and R34GTR track cars. If they are running more than 500bhp you'll want a baffled sump to control oil surge, below which they don't really come alive anyway due to their weight (less so the 32 which is good with 400bhp). You'll want other mods on a track car anyway like oil cooler, uprated brakes etc.
Personally my favourite of all my track cars, is the much purer R33GTS-T which is rear wheel drive and a beautifully balanced chassis. It will improve your driving far quicker than any awd and a lot more entertaining to boot while also being cheaper to run as it is quite a bit lighter.
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/n...
There are far cheaper ones out there but there are essential mods you'll want to do to any serious track day car anyway. A good seat, harnesses, oil cooler, decent brakes/suspension, roll cage, gauges are all wise investments and of course ensuring the car is generally sound.
I wouldn't say GTR's are fragile at all, but watch out for badly modified/repaired ones.
Personally my favourite of all my track cars, is the much purer R33GTS-T which is rear wheel drive and a beautifully balanced chassis. It will improve your driving far quicker than any awd and a lot more entertaining to boot while also being cheaper to run as it is quite a bit lighter.
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/n...
There are far cheaper ones out there but there are essential mods you'll want to do to any serious track day car anyway. A good seat, harnesses, oil cooler, decent brakes/suspension, roll cage, gauges are all wise investments and of course ensuring the car is generally sound.
I wouldn't say GTR's are fragile at all, but watch out for badly modified/repaired ones.
Gassing Station | Track Days | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff