Which affordable mid-range track day cars?

[Theodoreallen]

So, I'm looking to get a new track day car to replace the MX5 and R32. I want something rear wheel drive, but due to my age, i can't have anything massively powerful - M3, etc.
So i've been toying with the idea of perhaps getting something like a Z4, 330 CI, or a 1 Series and make them track ready (Strip out, cage, little bit of tuning, etc). What do you think? Are there any other cars that would work well?
Cheers

[HustleRussell]

Caterham. £500 to insure fully comp at 18 years.

[inabox]

130i would be good fun, lovely engine and e9x m3 bits fit straight on

[Theodoreallen]

HustleRussell said:

Caterham. £500 to insure fully comp at 18 years.

Didn't even cross my mind? Awesome idea! Which Caterham is that?

[HustleRussell]

Theodoreallen said:

HustleRussell said:

Caterham. £500 to insure fully comp at 18 years.

Didn't even cross my mind? Awesome idea! Which Caterham is that?

Mine was a 1999 ex-scholarship car. 100bhp Vauxhall engine with Webers poking out the bonnet and live rear axle. After enjoying it on the road for a year or two I took it racing in Caterham Classic Graduates.

That car was £6,750 which was very cheap even then- but you can get Caterhams with the old Vauxhall or Crossflow engines for as little as £8k and 1400 / 1600 k-series cars for a little more.

These are cars which will teach you the basics of track car set-up and driving like no other.

[Theodoreallen]

inabox said:

130i would be good fun, lovely engine and e9x m3 bits fit straight on

True!

[Theodoreallen]

HustleRussell said:

Mine was a 1999 ex-scholarship car. 100bhp Vauxhall engine with Webers poking out the bonnet and live rear axle. After enjoying it on the road for a year or two I took it racing in Caterham Classic Graduates.

That car was £6,750 which was very cheap even then- but you can get Caterhams with the old Vauxhall or Crossflow engines for as little as £8k and 1400 / 1600 k-series cars for a little more.

These are cars which will teach you the basics of track car set-up and driving like no other.

Oooh Ill have a look! Cheers

[braddo]

If insurance is an issue have you checked what the premiums are like for a moderately powerful car but with serious mods like stripped/caged/bucket seats and lowered suspension etc?

[ginger steve]

Caterham would be (and is) my choice as a track car. The 130i is a good road car and although it can be heavily modified it wont get anywhere near a moderately powered Caterham. The big advantage of the Caterham is obviously the weight; its a cheap car to track in respect to consumables and parts dont cost a fortune. Buy a Caterham, have a hoot on track days and you will probably recoup all your money when it comes time to move it on. You will need £10k+ to get into a decent one but with low ownership costs I think its fantastic value.

[E-bmw]

braddo said:

If insurance is an issue have you checked what the premiums are like for a moderately powerful car but with serious mods like stripped/caged/bucket seats and lowered suspension etc?

Generally they are actually cheaper with specialist insurers.

Example.

I have e36 328 which is caged/race seated/harnessed/exhaust & inlet modified/coilovered/up-braked etc. It costs me £235 p/a.

I have a Citroen c1 daily runabout, which costs me £265 p/a.

Both have 9+ years ncd and are on low mileage policies.

[PTF]

Agree regarding the caterham. £10k-£12k gets you into a k-series dedion car, probably an ex race car with cage, brake bias, fire extinguisher, etc. Do nothing to it but maintain it. Sell it after you've done and get 100% of your money back.

Pads (sub £100 for track/race), discs (£40 for front pair), tyres are all cheap and last for ages (£300 for a set of A048s).

Insurance for me tends to be around £250 on a specialist policy including cover for a few trackdays.

Either drive it to/from the circuit or spend a grand on a trailer.

I'm currently running that exact setup and my 1.6 k series engined car is comfortably one of the quickest things on a trackday (over a lap).

[RobM77]

I agree with the above - road performance and enjoyment is one thing, but for track performance and enjoyment you should probably think a little differently. There's nothing quite like a lightweight car like a Caterham or Elise for enjoyment and performance on a race track. Because of this, most lightweight cars have a plethora of upgrades available for track use. Insurance is also usually lower.

[F355spider]

I will be selling my e46 328 track car next month due to an incoming M3 GTR race car.

My e46 has

Full cage
Plumbed in fire ext
Lexan glass sides and rear
Road legal with mot
Carbon bonnet
Stripped interior
Safety cut out switch
Electric fan
Stainless exhaust
8x team dynamics wheels
Re map
Tarox big brake 6 pots on front
Kw coilovers
Adjustable top mounts
Front & rear strut braces
2 x cobra race seats with 6 points
Maintained regardless of expense
Never crashed, built from a one owner mint car

Feel free to email me - [e-mail]

Rob