Factory standard road car that's good on track?
Discussion
SloppyClock said:
MR2 MK3.
Cheap to buy. 1000 quid will get you a runner that needs maintenance.
Strip out the interior for free.
Brakes are incredibly cheap.
Fluids are incredibly cheap.
Tyres are incredibly cheap.
Good on fuel. Brilliant handling.
Agreed the mr2's are great. Seeing more of them on track too. I nearly got a turbo Mark 2 years ago but found it too small with a helmet. Cheap to buy. 1000 quid will get you a runner that needs maintenance.
Strip out the interior for free.
Brakes are incredibly cheap.
Fluids are incredibly cheap.
Tyres are incredibly cheap.
Good on fuel. Brilliant handling.
Custom built cage will set you back 600 quid. Weighs a lot, but you can shed most of the interior to recoup that. I'm running mine without door cards, sound insulation, carpets/mats, center console etc etc. Basically just dash, seats and steering wheel. No probs with MOT.
Its noisy but meh.
Also bought a cheap bluetooth speaker for £14 of ECP, stuck on with some velcro to the dash so it comes out when we hit the track.
Its noisy but meh.
Also bought a cheap bluetooth speaker for £14 of ECP, stuck on with some velcro to the dash so it comes out when we hit the track.
Boring_Chris said:
Eye spy only lasts so long.
And paying with myself (oo er) means the outcome is quite predictable...
2zz swap over the stock 1zz gives 190 BHP. Turbo can be done for 1-2K, price dependant on quality of goods and who does it. BHP around 230 or so.
Stock 1zz is 143 BHP. But with no weight it feels quite fast. Very balanced car too.
Ever the one with the opposite opinion.. The later 2ltr cars are too fat/heavy. Import 1.6 with 115bhp (uk dm ones were crippled to make the 1.8 more attractive), light, easy on the brakes, sideways on demand, brilliant. Maybe not the fastest thing down the straight, but far from the slowest thing out there, especially over a lap. No good if you want to point and squirt tho.
upsidedownmark said:
Ever the one with the opposite opinion.. The later 2ltr cars are too fat/heavy. Import 1.6 with 115bhp (uk dm ones were crippled to make the 1.8 more attractive), light, easy on the brakes, sideways on demand, brilliant. Maybe not the fastest thing down the straight, but far from the slowest thing out there, especially over a lap. No good if you want to point and squirt tho.
Having owned both, I disagree, but each to their own!Not all the UK 1.6 mk1s were detuned, the '90-'93 models were the 115bhp, same as the imports, it was only the later ones, after the 1.8 came out which were detuned.
I'd be looking very closely at mx5's and MR2's, having owned and great track cars. I've also had an Elise for over 10 years and like wise, track costs are low like the MR2 roadster.
Other serious options have to be the Clio 172/182. the megane mentioned is quick, surprisingly very quick on track! But maintenance must surely be more expensive that say a lightweight MX5. Horses for courses, I guess the question is whether you want a track dedicated car or not.
I've just bought another cheap track car. Saxo VTR £60 at auction, stripped out and prob won't be that quick but it's a lot of fun for not a lot of money.
Other serious options have to be the Clio 172/182. the megane mentioned is quick, surprisingly very quick on track! But maintenance must surely be more expensive that say a lightweight MX5. Horses for courses, I guess the question is whether you want a track dedicated car or not.
I've just bought another cheap track car. Saxo VTR £60 at auction, stripped out and prob won't be that quick but it's a lot of fun for not a lot of money.
Meganes are 1300 Kg or so cars so the costs for consumables are much the same as any other car of similar mass. On the plus side many parts are dirt cheap (some less so) but on the negative its a car built down to a cost and it shows compared to for example old skool Porsche, the mechanicals can take it but I don't believe there is a lot of margin designed in there. Mass is definitely the enemy when it comes to track car running costs, that and mechanical fragility.
I'd go Japanese import DC2 or EP3 - you may have to do this yourself through an importer. There are various other Honda options. Could go French and get a Clio 172/182/197 cup.
I've just bought a two year old BRZ with 3 years remaining warranty for use on a track. Ok, it cost more - equivalent to £11k but I see it as good value as all maintenance is handled by the dealer under warranty. Just have to it for servicing.
I've just bought a two year old BRZ with 3 years remaining warranty for use on a track. Ok, it cost more - equivalent to £11k but I see it as good value as all maintenance is handled by the dealer under warranty. Just have to it for servicing.
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