Discussion
im looking to buy aroad car with good track day abilities for sub 10k 7-8k for the car being optimum then have a few k to pay for tyres driving training and track days etc. what i want is as follows
good looking for weekend driving
preferably convertible
lots of power
iv been looking at the following
z3 m roadster
rx8
tvr chimarea or griffith
s2000
im being pulled towards the tvr as they look so nice and the sound is amazing but just after some others opinion. also just before anyone adds in there opinion i am not intrested in scoobys or other rally looking cars. also i dont really like the look of the elise.
looking forward to your opinions
good looking for weekend driving
preferably convertible
lots of power
iv been looking at the following
z3 m roadster
rx8
tvr chimarea or griffith
s2000
im being pulled towards the tvr as they look so nice and the sound is amazing but just after some others opinion. also just before anyone adds in there opinion i am not intrested in scoobys or other rally looking cars. also i dont really like the look of the elise.
looking forward to your opinions
TVRs all wonderful machines, but if you're planning to use them hard on a track regularly, then budget for lots of trips to the garage. They just don't have the mechanical durability of Japanese or German cars.
Z3 M Roadster an absolute bargain, but looks like a hairdryer
.
S2000 a very good car but not much fun at lower revs, and may not give you your weekend thrills.
Have you considered a 968 Sport? Or a S1 Elise? Don't be put off the latter by the small engine - amazing cars, and you won't believe what they can do on a track.
Z3 M Roadster an absolute bargain, but looks like a hairdryer
.S2000 a very good car but not much fun at lower revs, and may not give you your weekend thrills.
Have you considered a 968 Sport? Or a S1 Elise? Don't be put off the latter by the small engine - amazing cars, and you won't believe what they can do on a track.
As a road car I'd go for a Chimera out of that lot without a second thought, but as a track car, personally, I'm not so sure. The idea of expensive TVRs (at least for the 90s models) is a bit of a myth in normal road use, but you put a lot more stress on the car and run the risk of barrier contact on the track. A new wing out of a scrapyard for an MX5 or E36 BMW must be peanuts - I doubt a fiberglass job on a Chim would be so cheap.
Just my personal opinion, but for a pure track car I'd go for the something simple, well-supported and affordable to maintain and repair so you don't have 'what if' going through your head every time the back end twitches.
Just my personal opinion, but for a pure track car I'd go for the something simple, well-supported and affordable to maintain and repair so you don't have 'what if' going through your head every time the back end twitches.
And now for something a little different:
http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/777278.htm
I only suggest it because it's the right price, and light, and prepped.
http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/777278.htm
I only suggest it because it's the right price, and light, and prepped.man that car is horrid ha. i live in Brighton i want this car to drive about on the weekends too, my gf would actually murder if i bought that.
elise is a good car for the track but it looks like a micro machine. if i wanted a strictly track car i wouldnt be having so much of a problem i need a weekend car so its got to look nice and perform on the track too.
350z is nice too.
z3m is it any good as a track car?
elise is a good car for the track but it looks like a micro machine. if i wanted a strictly track car i wouldnt be having so much of a problem i need a weekend car so its got to look nice and perform on the track too.
350z is nice too.
z3m is it any good as a track car?
mractive said:
im looking to buy aroad car with good track day abilities for sub 10k 7-8k for the car being optimum then have a few k to pay for tyres driving training and track days etc. what i want is as follows
good looking for weekend driving
preferably convertible
lots of power
iv been looking at the following
z3 m roadster
rx8
tvr chimarea or griffith
s2000
im being pulled towards the tvr as they look so nice and the sound is amazing but just after some others opinion. also just before anyone adds in there opinion i am not intrested in scoobys or other rally looking cars. also i dont really like the look of the elise.
looking forward to your opinions
comfortable + lots of power + good on circuit doesnt really exist for 8kgood looking for weekend driving
preferably convertible
lots of power
iv been looking at the following
z3 m roadster
rx8
tvr chimarea or griffith
s2000
im being pulled towards the tvr as they look so nice and the sound is amazing but just after some others opinion. also just before anyone adds in there opinion i am not intrested in scoobys or other rally looking cars. also i dont really like the look of the elise.
looking forward to your opinions
personally my money would be on an elise, an MX-5 or a 968/944
if forced to pick one off your list though id have to go S2000
How about this then?
http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/969185.htm
188bhp in an MX5. £5500 so you'd have cash to spare.
http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/969185.htm
188bhp in an MX5. £5500 so you'd have cash to spare.
I'm sure I have read before that the s2000 has a mega reliability record.
I have trained people with s2000 and z3 m coupe.
S2000:
Nicely balanced car, you have to rev the nuts off it which I think wouldn't be so good on the road but on track it was superb.
You will need to spend some money on the brakes for track work. I'd start with a pad / fluid upgrade but you may well need to put bigger disks / calipers on later. Other than that I'd leave it alone to start with. I once did a day where the customr changed the std bridgestone tyres for Yokohama AO48's. If you go for track tyres then you'll need to upgrade suspension as it was to soft for this and suffered massive roll oversteer. On std tyres it handles very nicely.
Z3m coupe:
Had always read (evo magazine?) that the z3 had questionable rear suspension and didn't handle particularly well. I found the coupe actually pretty friendly on track. A bit soft at the back but a friendly car to drive. I'm pretty sure the m coupe has much wider rear tyres than a normal z3 so maybe that's why? Again the brakes will need attention for track work.
out of these two i'd go for the s2000 personally.
As mentioned above a VX220 is not a bad buy but do not go on track with it until you've had the abs modded so you can turn it off (especially the normally aspirated car - very basic system that lengthens your braking distance by an alarming amount when it activates). It's sills are much lower than an elises so much easier to get in and out.
Have you also considered a Boxter? in price range and a good all rounder.
I have trained people with s2000 and z3 m coupe.
S2000:
Nicely balanced car, you have to rev the nuts off it which I think wouldn't be so good on the road but on track it was superb.
You will need to spend some money on the brakes for track work. I'd start with a pad / fluid upgrade but you may well need to put bigger disks / calipers on later. Other than that I'd leave it alone to start with. I once did a day where the customr changed the std bridgestone tyres for Yokohama AO48's. If you go for track tyres then you'll need to upgrade suspension as it was to soft for this and suffered massive roll oversteer. On std tyres it handles very nicely.
Z3m coupe:
Had always read (evo magazine?) that the z3 had questionable rear suspension and didn't handle particularly well. I found the coupe actually pretty friendly on track. A bit soft at the back but a friendly car to drive. I'm pretty sure the m coupe has much wider rear tyres than a normal z3 so maybe that's why? Again the brakes will need attention for track work.
out of these two i'd go for the s2000 personally.
As mentioned above a VX220 is not a bad buy but do not go on track with it until you've had the abs modded so you can turn it off (especially the normally aspirated car - very basic system that lengthens your braking distance by an alarming amount when it activates). It's sills are much lower than an elises so much easier to get in and out.
Have you also considered a Boxter? in price range and a good all rounder.
yer iv looked at boxster but unfortunatly cant afford the insurance. what about the rx8 no convertable but its cheap to insure and buy, its light so should be easy on tyres and brakes and its reasonably quick. so at the minute im thinking either a z3 3.0 or an rx8 6speed. reason being i can get either for 5-6k easily enough and then it leaves me with cash to upgrade things. thinking with my head now its better to have some spare funds available rather than stretch myself to my max.
p.s i dont like the look of the elise fine if this was soley a track car but its not so its out of the picture.
p.s i dont like the look of the elise fine if this was soley a track car but its not so its out of the picture.
Edited by mractive on Thursday 2nd April 00:41
BenElliottRacing said:
As mentioned above a VX220 is not a bad buy but do not go on track with it until you've had the abs modded so you can turn it off (especially the normally aspirated car - very basic system that lengthens your braking distance by an alarming amount when it activates). It's sills are much lower than an elises so much easier to get in and out.
ABS mod is a simple unclip of the sensor from driver's side front brake - agree vital within a lap on a track. Brakes then work normally (with no abs turning them off! Beautifully balanced car on track, quicker & better balanced than S1 elise's when suspension's reset with a little neg camber. 
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