MX5 GT3?

[wildman0609]

PUA said:

looks nice but 125k-someone is dreaming! You can get a highly modified rx7 for less than 5k which is probably just as quick

would have been more sensible to say you could get a brand new ginetta gt4 for half that

[I 8 a 4RE]

FIA / SRO are bonkers.

GT3 was initially designed to be a class for road cars, take em off the road, stick slicks on em and race. The purpose built BMW Z4 GT3 (with a roof and engine it never had!?!) is the epitome of that going wrong.

So they said: let's try that again with GT4 ... which was for the first year at least ... working.
But now £125k for an MX5 is insane ... And the worrying thing is, Jota is right at this price because it actually costs that much to build. It's the SROs fault for allowing this insane developments to happen in a GT4 class...

Car looks amazing though ... For what it is

[JonnyFive]

Love the way it looks!

[hondansx]

I was once naive too, until i started get into racing! You could easily spend £125k on one.

As has been mentioned, the issue here is that the regulations are too open. I thought GT4 had to be road car derived; i'm surprised a turbocharger is allowed on this car. You also have to question the point; its not like there isn't much choice in the category.

[Hammerhead]

The burning question is of course: Would Monkey still want to wear a paper bag whilst driving one?

[BuzzLightyear]

Cool. Even looks like the car is enjoying itself!

[lgomgf]

For the price I would get something more, lets say, nicer!!!!

http://gt4cup.com/cars.php?market=false&key=1

http://gt4cup.com/cars.php?market=false&key=3

http://gt4cup.com/cars.php?market=false&key=9

The MX-5 for me will always look like a "fragile" small car... I am only considering looks ok.

[RX7]

Fonz said:

A lot of that money will be spent on workshop bills, wages, testing the car to develop it into what they are selling. It will take just as much time to fit all the safety gear, radio kit, air jacks and dry break refuelling couplings etc into a GT4 car as it would a GT2 or GT3 and they still cost the same. A lot of the costs are kind of fixed between the different classes, that is until you start running them…*

Sorry, i am not one that subscribes to "development costs", of course items need testing and design but those figures are just fantasy for what your getting!

[garypotter]

They have done a great job on the car, but really £125k, for aftermarket gearbox, bolt on turbo, remap, stripped out roll cage... blimey

You can get these things in a radical for a third of that price and ready to race in several chamionships.

I have been looking at the work Stoner racing offer for the GT200 series at a slightly cheaper options.

www.stonerracing.co.uk/ToyotaCelicaNipponChallenge...

[EDLT]

lgomgf said:

For the price I would get something more, lets say, nicer!!!!

http://gt4cup.com/cars.php?market=false&key=1

http://gt4cup.com/cars.php?market=false&key=3

http://gt4cup.com/cars.php?market=false&key=9

The MX-5 for me will always look like a "fragile" small car... I am only considering looks ok.

Actually the MX-5 looks quite competitive compared to that lot in power:weight terms. I'm not sure how they achieve parity with such a wide range of cars.

garypotter said:

They have done a great job on the car, but really £125k, for aftermarket gearbox, bolt on turbo, remap, stripped out roll cage... blimey

You can get these things in a radical for a third of that price and ready to race in several chamionships.

I have been looking at the work Stoner racing offer for the GT200 series at a slightly cheaper options.

www.stonerracing.co.uk/ToyotaCelicaNipponChallenge...

You are missing one thing: British GT racing is far more 'prestigious'. Wannabe professional drivers use it as a stepping stone and rich amateurs can brag that they race against Aston Martins and Porsches.

[anonymous-user]

a pher's wet dream.

[Ahonen]

RX7 said:

Sorry, i am not one that subscribes to "development costs", of course items need testing and design but those figures are just fantasy for what your getting!

And yet another person who doesn't understand how much motorsport costs.

As you seem to know so much, please enlighten me about the costs of the various parts and the development involved in making them work as a cohesive package.

[Ahonen]

Article said:

Finally by lap four it's all coming together, my concentration is up, tyres and brakes are at full temperature...

The tyres were nowhere near full temperature if you spent the first three laps driving as badly as you say.

[RX7]

Ahonen said:

And yet another person who doesn't understand how much motorsport costs.

As you seem to know so much, please enlighten me about the costs of the various parts and the development involved in making them work as a cohesive package.

I fully understand how much motorsport costs, hence why i don't do it

Development is part and parcel of motorsport costs though and there are many good products off the shelf, so what has this Mx5 got that's special?

I did start to write a detailed list of parts and costs as requested, but probably better if you just let us know what parts on this car are absolutely bespoke and made just for this particular variant and havent been bought off the shelf?

Brakes, suspension, wheels?

Probably the only parts not bought from existing manufacturers is the aero, gearbox and turbo kit!

[JonnyFive]

Mazda MX-5 GT4

Exterior

Carbon fibre doors
Carbon fibre front splitter
Carbon fibre rear diffuser
Carbon fibre rear wing
Polycarbonate screen and side windows

Interior

Pi Omega D2 display and data logger
Carbon-fibre dash board and centre console
FIA-compliant seat with six-point racing harness
320mm racing steering wheel with quick-release coupling

Powertrain

320bhp MZR dry sump turbo charged engine
Purpose built stainless-steel exhaust system with catalytic converter
Six-speed sequential gearbox with paddle shift
Limited Slip Differential
Racing clutch
Cooling system for differential and gearbox
Adjustable Traction Control

Chassis

Airjacks
Optimised suspension with adjustable shock absorbers
100-litre FIA spec fuel cell with endurance collector
Twin piston AP brake callipers front and rear
Brake & driver cooling systems

Safety

Fully prepared shell with FIA spec roll cage
FIA-stipulated cushion material
FIA-homologated fire extinguisher

[Hasbeen]

& they put that horrible gaping slack jaw air inlet on the thing.

Yes the one they are putting on everything, which is why the replacement for my ladies Mazda, won't be a Mazda

[tinkertaylor]

hmm..125k for an MX5..no thanks - I can see it appealing to rich hairdressers like Nicky Clarke though

[Allaloneatron]

These guys are living out a Gran Turismo dream in reality. Good luck to them.

I would love to take one out on the track and beat Vettes and Astons with it. We all love an under-dog.

[VladD]

tinkertaylor said:

hmm..125k for an MX5..no thanks - I can see it appealing to rich hairdressers like Nicky Clarke though

There's nothing like originality, and that really was nothing like it.

[LostCroc]

I have been seriously exploring a V8 Miata conversion here:
http://www.flyinmiata.com/V8/

The workmanship is excellent in the one I crawled all over. A new crate LS engine with 500hp (or more up to 650hp)along with its new appropriate rating transmission and differential/axle adds 200 pounds but adds hundreds of horsepower. The front/rear balance is not altered by more than 1%. Beef it up with some decent wider wheels, suspension kit, and a roll bar and you should be on the road for less than USD$40,000. That is a lot cheaper than what is being shown in this article.

The only downside is that it is a Miata so people would probably assume I am gay but I think I can live with that to have such a cool sleeper/Q car!