328i coupe or MR2 for track slag ?
Discussion
BMW. I have had both cars as track day cars, the mr2 is a good car if you buy it cheap do a couple of track days then sell it as spares, this is what I did, when you look at the cost of a reliable track car the money needed on the mr was not worth it, cam belt, water pump ect.
BMW is so easy to work on, no cam belt to worry about, cheap readily available parts and solid reliability.
BMW is so easy to work on, no cam belt to worry about, cheap readily available parts and solid reliability.
WeirdNeville said:
The BMW 328i coupe is 1350kg
An MR2 non turbo is about 1180kg.
You're not going to be able to pull an extra 170Kg out of the BMW - the rear seat is foam and weighs very little, rear door trims etc the same. Only things of real weight are the spare (taking the spare out of the nose of an MR2 upsets it's balance a bit, or did on my Mk1 at any rate). Passenger seat might be 20Kg I suppose, but they're nice to keep.
That's fundamental additional chassis and engine weight. You're not going to lose it without spending £££'s.
I beg to differ An MR2 non turbo is about 1180kg.
You're not going to be able to pull an extra 170Kg out of the BMW - the rear seat is foam and weighs very little, rear door trims etc the same. Only things of real weight are the spare (taking the spare out of the nose of an MR2 upsets it's balance a bit, or did on my Mk1 at any rate). Passenger seat might be 20Kg I suppose, but they're nice to keep.
That's fundamental additional chassis and engine weight. You're not going to lose it without spending £££'s.
It's relatively easy to take over 200kg out of an e36. Mine is down to 1100 without a cage, and is running an Iron Block as opposed to the 328's alu block.
How much you could take out of an Mr2 is another matter of course.......
WeirdNeville said:
Fair enough! How much does it weigh now? ANd what did you pull out? A/C, heater matrix? Window motors etc? Fully stripped interior?
Mine's still a little practical.....Still Has;
- Leccy windows
- Heater
- Top half of dash
Changed;
- ALL other parts of interior
-1* Bucket seat
- All excess brackets removed from inside
- Bumper backing bars removed\cut out
- Fibreglass boot
- ALL sound deadening removed
- Stainless exhaust system
- Hole saw used on other interior non structural parts.
- Bonnet frame cut out
- Lightweight wilwood front brake calipers
think that's it!!
V8RX7 said:
I love MX5s BUT even stripped out they aren't remotely fast.
Great fun though
(I have a 240bhp turbo MX5 track car)
Not after fast, got that in my daily driver. Want fun and chuckable, also the mk1 seems to be quite easy to tune either FI or ItB's and would probably cost less than an MR2 turbo.Great fun though
(I have a 240bhp turbo MX5 track car)
All the cars mentioned at your price point are going to hold their value in the short term. Why don't you buy one and see what they're like on the road?
If you like it and think it has potential, keep it. If you don't you could sell them on for no loss and if you grab a bargain in the first place you actually make a small profit. 328's have gone up in value in the last year or so.
FWIW my choices would be either the 328i or mk3 MR2.
If you like it and think it has potential, keep it. If you don't you could sell them on for no loss and if you grab a bargain in the first place you actually make a small profit. 328's have gone up in value in the last year or so.
FWIW my choices would be either the 328i or mk3 MR2.
rs4al said:
V8RX7 said:
I love MX5s BUT even stripped out they aren't remotely fast.
Great fun though
(I have a 240bhp turbo MX5 track car)
Not after fast, got that in my daily driver. Want fun and chuckable, also the mk1 seems to be quite easy to tune either FI or ItB's and would probably cost less than an MR2 turbo.Great fun though
(I have a 240bhp turbo MX5 track car)
Have you seen the turbo MX5 in the PH classifieds - looks ideal for you £1200ish
mdm1uk said:
Sorry I forgot to answer your question. What car ?. I have owned a BMW 323 and found it to be great fun side ways and in a straight line. The mr2 will go side ways but your reactions do have to be much quicker and presise to deal with it ( which I prefer) so it boils down to your personnel preference both are reasonably quick the main difference is the way they handle one is a sports saloon one is a little nimble sports car has to be your choice you have to live with it. Il be at castle combe on the 13th red mr2 il be with the stoner motor sport crew feel free to come and have a look at the car.
Interstingly I'll be at Castle Combe on the 13th too in my MX, also got a mate coming down in a track prepped 328c. Seems you could do a comparitive test on the day!!Darren
HaylingJag said:
Interstingly I'll be at Castle Combe on the 13th too in my MX, also got a mate coming down in a track prepped 328c. Seems you could do a comparitive test on the day!!
Darren
We can test the cars but the stodgy lump that sits behind the weel (me) will probably let it down. Come over and say hello.Darren
Mark.
I have just bought a Rev 2 MR2 Turbo for exactly the same reason. Pic below.
Paid £1,100 for it - bit of TLC and it has been great so far. Lowered with rev 3 bilsteins. Aim is to wear existing brakes, tyres out before upgrading.....it has snow and MUDs on the front!!!
On track
- faster than a E46 M3 in a straight line and much faster than ANYTHING for the same price that was out
- cracking dry handling - MUCH better than I expected. It does let go quickly though but fun trying to catch it
- wet handling is LETHAL.....a real master class in how to drive a car at its limit....because its always there....awful ditch finders don't help, neither does lack of ABS (some have)
Buy one that has already been lowered, upped to about 250bhp with some fresh brakes for £2-£2.5k and have a blast. Sure the 328 is great, plenty on track. I have driven one on the road a fair bit also....MR2 Turbo is much quicker in a straight line and I'm sure it would stay with one in the corners. Never driven an NA. Don't buy a Rev 1 - they don't handle well.
Overall I love it - real character and rarer.
Buy either - sure you will have a blast - if you can get to St Albans happily take you out in it.
Paid £1,100 for it - bit of TLC and it has been great so far. Lowered with rev 3 bilsteins. Aim is to wear existing brakes, tyres out before upgrading.....it has snow and MUDs on the front!!!
On track
- faster than a E46 M3 in a straight line and much faster than ANYTHING for the same price that was out
- cracking dry handling - MUCH better than I expected. It does let go quickly though but fun trying to catch it
- wet handling is LETHAL.....a real master class in how to drive a car at its limit....because its always there....awful ditch finders don't help, neither does lack of ABS (some have)
Buy one that has already been lowered, upped to about 250bhp with some fresh brakes for £2-£2.5k and have a blast. Sure the 328 is great, plenty on track. I have driven one on the road a fair bit also....MR2 Turbo is much quicker in a straight line and I'm sure it would stay with one in the corners. Never driven an NA. Don't buy a Rev 1 - they don't handle well.
Overall I love it - real character and rarer.
Buy either - sure you will have a blast - if you can get to St Albans happily take you out in it.
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