997 GT3 - Track Day Running Costs

[wilbo]

Hi,

I intend to order a 997 GT3 which I will use for track use.

Can anyone help with regards expected life of brakes & pads.
How often will I expect to replace them just based on track use?

Anyone have any pricing information?

Anyone experience of the ceramic/carbon brake package?


Also any other items to watch/costly replace through track days?
Take it that the car will be used quite hard (but smooth) on a full day.

Thanks.

[Pugsey]

wilbo said:

Hi,

I intend to order a 997 GT3 which I will use for track use.

Can anyone help with regards expected life of brakes & pads.
How often will I expect to replace them just based on track use?

Anyone have any pricing information?

Anyone experience of the ceramic/carbon brake package?


Also any other items to watch/costly replace through track days?
Take it that the car will be used quite hard (but smooth) on a full day.

Thanks.

Can't comment on brakes as yet but can't see the MSCs lasting for more than a couple of track days if you're doing serious speed and mileage - and that's assuming that they're fairly new when you start!

[richad027]

Its too early to say about the brakes, but front pads for steel brakes last between 6-8 track days and cost about £360 a set fitted. The tyres will probably do at best 4 days for the rears and maybe 6-8 for the fronts and they seem to cost about £1,100 a set.

Its going to be expensive I'd certainly allow a budget for £8k to £10k to do 10 track days a year to cover entry fees, petrol, brake pads, tyres, oil changes etc. It will be more if the discs don't survive track use.

Its one reason I'm not moving up from a Mk2 as its only going to be even more expensive.


Richard

[Pugsey]

richad027 said:

Its too early to say about the brakes, but front pads for steel brakes last between 6-8 track days and cost about £360 a set fitted. The tyres will probably do at best 4 days for the rears and maybe 6-8 for the fronts and they seem to cost about £1,100 a set.

Its going to be expensive I'd certainly allow a budget for £8k to £10k to do 10 track days a year to cover entry fees, petrol, brake pads, tyres, oil changes etc. It will be more if the discs don't survive track use.

Its one reason I'm not moving up from a Mk2 as its only going to be even more expensive.


Richard

Have to say four days for the rears would be for very 'gentle' days IMO! Either way we're agreed it'll cost!

[DanH]

When you say gentle, do you mean slowly or just not hanging the rear out? 4 seems low if not abusing them!

[steve rance]

wilbo said:

Hi,

I intend to order a 997 GT3 which I will use for track use.

Can anyone help with regards expected life of brakes & pads.
How often will I expect to replace them just based on track use?

Anyone have any pricing information?

Anyone experience of the ceramic/carbon brake package?


Also any other items to watch/costly replace through track days?
Take it that the car will be used quite hard (but smooth) on a full day.

Thanks.

About £1000 per day.

[peter smallwood]

Only way you will get 4 days out of the rear tyres is if you leave it in the garage all day

[Pugsey]

DanH said:

When you say gentle, do you mean slowly or just not hanging the rear out? 4 seems low if not abusing them!

Yes slowly. They start with only 5mm and the way they're dissappearing after only 2000 miles and one track day I'm confident that, as has been said elsewhere, if used properly on track four days is very optimistic. Setting aside hooning - and you have to have a few laps of that don't you - if you driving to the car's limits you'll certainly be easing that back end across the track (smoothly) on all but the fastest corners - bye bye MSCs! My wallet would love me to be proved wrong of course!

Edited by Pugsey on Thursday 1st February 14:22

[nbetts]

Pugsey said:

DanH said:

When you say gentle, do you mean slowly or just not hanging the rear out? 4 seems low if not abusing them!

Yes slowly. They start with only 5mm and the way they're dissappearing after only 2000 miles and one track day I'm confident that, as has been said elsewhere, if used properly on track four days is very optimistic. Setting aside hooning - and you have to have a few laps of that don't you - if you driving to the car's limits you'll certainly be easing that back end across the track (smoothly) on all but the fastest corners - bye bye MSCs! My wallet would love me to be proved wrong of course!

Edited by Pugsey on Thursday 1st February 14:22

I remember Steve Rance saying that he either gets 3 or 4 track days out of a set of Cups. He runs 18" Cups - but I assume that makes no difference.

[Pugsey]

nbetts said:

Pugsey said:

DanH said:

When you say gentle, do you mean slowly or just not hanging the rear out? 4 seems low if not abusing them!

Yes slowly. They start with only 5mm and the way they're dissappearing after only 2000 miles and one track day I'm confident that, as has been said elsewhere, if used properly on track four days is very optimistic. Setting aside hooning - and you have to have a few laps of that don't you - if you driving to the car's limits you'll certainly be easing that back end across the track (smoothly) on all but the fastest corners - bye bye MSCs! My wallet would love me to be proved wrong of course!

Edited by Pugsey on Thursday 1st February 14:22

I remember Steve Rance saying that he either gets 3 or 4 track days out of a set of Cups. He runs 18" Cups - but I assume that makes no difference.

He probably doesn't have to worry about them being legal on the way home though?

[steve rance]

Pugsey said:

nbetts said:

Pugsey said:

DanH said:

When you say gentle, do you mean slowly or just not hanging the rear out? 4 seems low if not abusing them!

Yes slowly. They start with only 5mm and the way they're dissappearing after only 2000 miles and one track day I'm confident that, as has been said elsewhere, if used properly on track four days is very optimistic. Setting aside hooning - and you have to have a few laps of that don't you - if you driving to the car's limits you'll certainly be easing that back end across the track (smoothly) on all but the fastest corners - bye bye MSCs! My wallet would love me to be proved wrong of course!

Edited by Pugsey on Thursday 1st February 14:22

I remember Steve Rance saying that he either gets 3 or 4 track days out of a set of Cups. He runs 18" Cups - but I assume that makes no difference.

He probably doesn't have to worry about them being legal on the way home though?

Yep, spot on. 3 if you want to guarantee being legal and you car has a good track set up. We got through a set of rears in one day at Bedford on standard geo settings. The 997 will be harder on tyres, it's heavier and has more torque.

Hopefully, i will drive a 997RS at Brands on Monday, will report back...

Steve

[hunter 66]

they are still road legal with just the circumferetial grooves ,just a bit "interesting" in the wet.........

[ChrisW.]

I went through half a set of Continentals on my Boxster S, in 20 laps of Castle Donnington.

At first I thought I had picked up loads of marbles, but they all dropped off on the way home.

[maximu5]

My costs seem to be around GBP 1,000 a day too running MPSCs. But whilst I have gone through a set of MPSCs in a day on occasion, my Toyos last a lot longer, or rather : they wear more evenly. Running Toyos rather than MPSC has been the biggest downward influence on my track day costs

[DanH]

Interesting what you say about Toyos as I've done 3 days on mine now and they are still ok. I accept I can't drive anywhere as close to the limit as some of you guys, but they are really in pretty good shape even now. To be fair though 2 of the days have been wet so that may be a major factor.

[sapltagain]

I've done three days on my toyos - one wet and two dry and they are fine, last time out at silverstone i was really going for it and lost the back end a few times and it doesn't seem to have done too much damage.

[wilbo]

Thanks for your replies.

I have done some calculations.
It is good to hear abount your experiences.

Seems tyres are the biggest cost for you all.

Do you ever change the fluids after just 1 day? particullly the oil?

[DanH]

wilbo said:

Thanks for your replies.

I have done some calculations.
It is good to hear abount your experiences.

Seems tyres are the biggest cost for you all.

Do you ever change the fluids after just 1 day? particullly the oil?

nah I do about 4 or 5 days per oil change. If I start driving harder, may do it more often I guess. Its not black when I change it though.