Is there a better cheap track car than an MX5?
Discussion
james_gt3rs said:
doogz said:
True but he says £2k.
And I've never seen a £1k MX-5 that didn't require some serious rust removal/repair. And I looked for one for a while.
Ah yes, of course the older MX5s seem to be rusting as badly as the mk1 MR2.And I've never seen a £1k MX-5 that didn't require some serious rust removal/repair. And I looked for one for a while.
It has some other issues, but rust isn't one of them!
doogz said:
vrooom said:
What about MR2 mk3 ? mid mounted rear engine, rear wheel drive.. ?
Yup, this is a correct answer. Bit trickier to drive at the limit, but more fun, IMO. From the perspective of a cheap track car that just works out of the box and is brilliant fun, the mk3 mr2 takes some beating.
DanielJames said:
...and can I just say - I was on a trackday the other day were there were a few MX5s, and one of them (presumably the only one without a turbo) was ridiculously slow. I really don't see the hype in these cars.
A good driver in a NA mx5 will be way faster than a bad driver in a turbo mx5!DanielJames said:
...and can I just say - I was on a trackday the other day were there were a few MX5s, and one of them (presumably the only one without a turbo) was ridiculously slow. I really don't see the hype in these cars.
In the corners they're fun, help you learn a lot and actually spank a lot of cars.... They are not fast over a lap no, in fact slow.OP asked about cheap car. Stripped out 328 would be great, but not cheap. Cheaper than an M3 yes.
Best cheap track car is MX5. Possible consideration for MR2. Upgrade later according to budget.
Mine would be a Noble, but that ain't cheap.
Robert Elise said:
DanielJames said:
...and can I just say - I was on a trackday the other day were there were a few MX5s, and one of them (presumably the only one without a turbo) was ridiculously slow. I really don't see the hype in these cars.
In the corners they're fun, help you learn a lot and actually spank a lot of cars.... They are not fast over a lap no, in fact slow.OP asked about cheap car. Stripped out 328 would be great, but not cheap. Cheaper than an M3 yes.
Best cheap track car is MX5. Possible consideration for MR2. Upgrade later according to budget.
Mine would be a Noble, but that ain't cheap.
You could get a 328i SE, stip it, fit good suspension, upgrade the brakes, all for 2k.
DanielJames said:
Anything but an MX5 lol.
Have you ever driven one?I've own one, and I've driven a 328 E36. The BM was terrible. Crap steering. Heavy. Big. Sounded nice and was pretty grunty, but that was where it's charm stopped to be honest.
The MX5 is the opposite. Great steering. Light. Small. Nimble. Sounds s
te and is a bit slow. But, get this: You can make a slow car faster.
You can't make a slow steering, big heavy boat into something small, nimble and responsive...
DanielJames said:
You could get a 328i SE, stip it, fit good suspension, upgrade the brakes, all for 2k.
I seriously doubt you would get a 328i track ready and reliable for £2k. Do the track prepped ones ever sell for less than that?£2k spent on a track prepped MX5 would be far better way to spend the budget, as well having better reliability and lower running costs.
Kozy said:
DanielJames said:
Anything but an MX5 lol.
Have you ever driven one?I've own one, and I've driven a 328 E36. The BM was terrible. Crap steering. Heavy. Big. Sounded nice and was pretty grunty, but that was where it's charm stopped to be honest.
The MX5 is the opposite. Great steering. Light. Small. Nimble. Sounds s
te and is a bit slow. But, get this: You can make a slow car faster.
You can't make a slow steering, big heavy boat into something small, nimble and responsive...
The 328i has pretty good steering, perhaps something was wrong with the one you drove. Feedback is positive and well weighted. They are heavy, but they were never designed to be track cars were they? I am biased, but I do genuinely think they are amazing cars, stupidly quiet driving to work but still sound great when you put your foot down.
Every second one on the BMW forums is a track car, so I don't think they are as bad as your making out.
You can make a slow car faster, but £ for £, can an MX5 ever beat a 328i around the track? That's a genuine question, I know not a lot about MX5 tuning, other than they are commonly turbo'd.
braddo said:
DanielJames said:
You could get a 328i SE, stip it, fit good suspension, upgrade the brakes, all for 2k.
I seriously doubt you would get a 328i track ready and reliable for £2k. Do the track prepped ones ever sell for less than that?£2k spent on a track prepped MX5 would be far better way to spend the budget, as well having better reliability and lower running costs.
Like for like, I doubt there would be much in it.
DanielJames said:
Aye, and they're slow. The only thing I liked about it was the Nardi steering wheel, which was pretty cool.
The 328i has pretty good steering, perhaps something was wrong with the one you drove. Feedback is positive and well weighted. They are heavy, but they were never designed to be track cars were they? I am biased, but I do genuinely think they are amazing cars, stupidly quiet driving to work but still sound great when you put your foot down.
Every second one on the BMW forums is a track car, so I don't think they are as bad as your making out.
You can make a slow car faster, but £ for £, can an MX5 ever beat a 328i around the track? That's a genuine question, I know not a lot about MX5 tuning, other than they are commonly turbo'd.
A 328 is 197bhp and probably about 1250kg stripped out so 157bhp/tonne.The 328i has pretty good steering, perhaps something was wrong with the one you drove. Feedback is positive and well weighted. They are heavy, but they were never designed to be track cars were they? I am biased, but I do genuinely think they are amazing cars, stupidly quiet driving to work but still sound great when you put your foot down.
Every second one on the BMW forums is a track car, so I don't think they are as bad as your making out.
You can make a slow car faster, but £ for £, can an MX5 ever beat a 328i around the track? That's a genuine question, I know not a lot about MX5 tuning, other than they are commonly turbo'd.
You can supercharge one for about a grand. That will give it about 170bhp, or 161bhp/tonne.
£1k MX5 + £1k supercharger = Faster than a £2k E36, as well as cheaper on consumables and a better steer. (And they are a better steer, by a long margin)
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff