Wednesday 3rd May 2023

Vote for the best track car of the last 25 years!

From Ariel to Zenos, time to get voting on your best circuit superstars since 1998

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And just like that, the finish line is on the horizon for the PH25 videos. Hot hatch, sports car and saloon are now done, with just supercar - and the epic group test finale - to follow. But that’s after one very, very important fourth category: the best track car since 1998. Should be a good one, this.

The entire scene has experienced a total explosion in popularity over the past quarter of a century. Back then track days were cones on airfields (in a lot of cases), which was handy anyway as your average road car couldn’t take more than a couple of miles of circuit driving without wilting. Now look where we are, with hot hatches lapping the Nordschleife in comfortably less than 8 minutes, Porsche selling a 911 as fast as a Cup car and even onboard apps that can make you a quicker track driver. Fast road cars have always existed, but the focus on circuit ability has been a real 21^st century phenomenon, and it’s produced some incredible machinery in the process. If it’s got stripes, plastic windows, carbon seats, super sticky tyres and a virtual tax disc, it’s probably going to be in this list. Probably going to be absolutely brilliant, too.

Back in the late 90s we were still a few months from the first Lotus Exige and the Ariel Atom was launching with modest K-Series power. Both those cars are the perfect example of how the breed has evolved through the 21^st century, with Hethel’s little Group C wannabe morphing into the wild Cup 430 by 2017, just about the fastest thing on track with a manual gearbox and treaded tyres. The Ariel eventually became offered with a V8 (!), and in its most recent iteration the Atom 4 is one of the most exhilarating and rewarding road and track cars yet created. All that’s happened since 1998.

There’s plenty more besides, just in case the vote wasn’t difficult enough. Not so long ago the idea of a hot hatch for track was some kind of stock car racer, but with the introduction of the Megane R26.R a decade and a half ago an entire sub-genre of giant killing grocery getters was created. Proof that a driven front axle can be as epic as the other one (or both), those hatchback heroes not seen in the previous vote are most certainly in contention here. Just like those folk who’ve ignored them in the pitlane only to be passed on the second lap, discount the likes of the Golf GTI Clubsport S at your peril.

We’ve got the favourites here, too, fear not. There really is little beating the circuit optimised supercar, one that brings together all the drama and theatre of the genre with an unforgettable driving experience. The advent of ceramic brakes, dual-clutch gearboxes, adaptive damper technology and amazing track tyres has created a generation of exotica faster than anyone could have possibly imagined not so long ago. In the 1990s a Lamborghini was for posing; nowadays it’s a surprise if the latest Superveloce or Performante doesn’t claim a lap record. Similarly for AMG: the first Black Series sports car was rubbish, and the most recent lapped the Nurburgring faster than a GT2 RS. For those wealthy enough, the past few years has produced a glut of awesome supercars that are fearsomely capable, completely addictive to drive fast and still wear numberplates. Or are meant to, at least Good luck choosing between them…

This isn’t just a supercar playground, however, as we’ve also got the lightweight great Brits deemed a little too hardcore for the sports car vote. There’s been nothing better in the dawn of the track day age than harassing a stripped out supercar in a flyweight rascal that’s costs as much as the bigger car’s circuit pack. Those who’ve had the pleasure will know exactly how great that feeling is, and why those humble sports car that rely on very little weight and a surfeit of power are just as deserving of your vote as any other.

Undoubtedly, this is going to be a difficult vote. From GT3 RS to Speciale and Longtail to Trophy-R, the voting list for road legal track car is an embarrassment of riches, perhaps more than any other. The process will remain the same, however, with a week from today to pick your three best track cars since 1998. Think very carefully! We’ll then tot up the votes cast to discover the winner, get hold of the best one we can, organise a circuit and (hopefully) some sunshine, then produce another PH25 vid for the collection as we hurtle towards August’s birthday bonanza. Expect that in a few weeks’ time. And where our previous winners had felt like reasonably safe bets from the outset, track car feels a much tougher call - it really could be anything. No pressure, then…

See the list and get voting here!

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• GR Yaris wins best hot hatch of the past 25 years
• Lotus Elise wins best sports car of the past 25 years

[jmcc500]

So many flavours of Porsche, but I can't help thinking that part of using a car on track is the consideration that you might make a balls up and break it. Unless you have very deep pockets that brings us down to a choice of one Caterham doesn't it?

[cerb4.5lee]

I went for the Caterham/Exige/Cayman.

[smilo996]

Extensive list but the vast majority seem to be cars more likely to be seen on the Kings Road and Goodwood car parks than as focused track cars like Radical, BAC, etc. Ah well.
Where is the F1? An actual road car that won LeMans? 25 years old and as legend has it could have been driven back to Woking from Le Mans. (2023-1998) unless pendantic maths gets involved.

[Glenn63]

I’d take a Dodge viper ACR over all of that list. But a GT2 RS would be right behind it.

[LP670]

Some bizarre choices on there and why isnt the Clio 172/182 even an option?

[Jon_S_Rally]

A pretty easy choice for me. It couldn't be a top track car list without a Caterham, as it is the daddy of those sorts of car in my eyes. Similarly for a GT Porsche. I went 997, as I think it represents the high point. Final choice was the Megane R26.R, which really created the concept of the track-dedicated hot hatch.

PH said:

Not so long ago the idea of a hot hatch for track was some kind of stock car racer

Perhaps I'm missing something, but is this seriously referring to stock cars as being the only type of hot hatches seen on tracks prior to 1998? By that point, the Clio Cup was well established, and there were numerous other race series for hatchbacks, like the Fiesta Challenge etc.

smilo996 said:

Extensive list but the vast majority seem to be cars more likely to be seen on the Kings Road and Goodwood car parks than as focused track cars like Radical, BAC, etc. Ah well.
Where is the F1? An actual road car that won LeMans? 25 years old and as legend has it could have been driven back to Woking from Le Mans. (2023-1998) unless pendantic maths gets involved.

Does it matter where the owners choose to drive their cars though? If they're a track-oriented car, they're a track-oriented car.

[E90_M3Ross]

smilo996 said:

Extensive list but the vast majority seem to be cars more likely to be seen on the Kings Road and Goodwood car parks than as focused track cars like Radical, BAC, etc. Ah well.
Where is the F1? An actual road car that won LeMans? 25 years old and as legend has it could have been driven back to Woking from Le Mans. (2023-1998) unless pendantic maths gets involved.

The F1 is over 25 years old....... And it wasn't built as a track car, as spectacular as it is.

[martin12345]

Light weight is king for track days

Caterham, Ariel and R26R (for variety)

My real vote would be Caterham, Elise and VX220 if there was no short list

[PorkerHam]

Caterham, 997 GT3 RS 4.0 and Exige for me.....

[georgeyboy12345]

Caterham/Exige/Atom

I didn’t see any Radical on the list? Did I miss it?

[georgeyboy12345]

LP670 said:

Some bizarre choices on there and why isnt the Clio 172/182 even an option?

Because they are hot hatches, not track cars.

[honda_exige]

Caterham, e46 CSL and the 992RS for me.

Caterham as probably the most instinctive car you can drive, CSL as it really defined the whole clubsport version of a 'regular' car and the 992RS as its the epoch of NA track cars.

The S3 Exige V6 is too heavily compromised by its engine position to be a really good track car (fun as it is). S2 Exige should've been on the list instead- though that too is compromised by its engine position but less so.

[honda_exige]

georgeyboy12345 said:

Caterham/Exige/Atom

I didn’t see any Radical on the list? Did I miss it?

Banned from most trackdays so realistically more of a race car tbf.

[anonymous-user]

As much as I love Porsche RS's the simple fact is they and cars like them are compromised on track carting around road car crap. My vote would have to go to any flavour of the mind blowing Radical but as they are now banned from many trackdays they are out which leaves the sublime Caterham R300 and up which imo are the clear winner here.

[Speedgirl]

jmcc500 said:

So many flavours of Porsche, but I can't help thinking that part of using a car on track is the consideration that you might make a balls up and break it. Unless you have very deep pockets that brings us down to a choice of one Caterham doesn't it?

Yes, but. Lots of track day drivers, who might be PH customers one way or another, do have deep pockets dont they? And you see what they’re doing here don’t you? 3 911s and 2 Caymans to break up the pack a bit. Should be best of breed - 1 car per model at most maybe by manufacturer otherwise get silly results.
Like all the other surveys.
But I take your point, there is nothing like a Caterham on track and silly to compare it to a Ferrari.

[CABC]

odd list again!
only one Caterham, the one few would have driven.
other manufacturers votes diluted over several models.
most experienced track dayers won't have driven anywhere near half of the list. (I'll just ask around a few mates for a test of a Senna..).

Anyway, Caterham logical answer bang per buck.
2-11 or 3-11 good calls.

[IbanezDan]

Has to be the 997 GT3 RS 4.0 997 ALL DAY LONG! What a fantastic car.

[TrotCanterGallopCharge]

honda_exige said:

georgeyboy12345 said:

Caterham/Exige/Atom

I didn’t see any Radical on the list? Did I miss it?

Banned from most trackdays so realistically more of a race car tbf.

Radical Rapture (2020) was on the list, how it compares to a BAC Mono I can't say which is 'best'.

[Dave Hedgehog]

i went with what the normal ring guys seam to drive most often, BMWs and Renaults

[MountainsofSussex]

Echoing most of the comments already - it is an odd list. Got to be a Clio in there - guess it'd be a 182 Trophy, though any would do. Something like an R53 Cooper S would be more fun than half this list, too. No Elise? And probably the "wrong" Exige, and wrong Radical too. In my head, a track car (as opposed to a dedicated race car with number plates) can be enjoyed on the road and excel on the track. Some of those on the list are the other way round. Did PH simply pick track (ish) cars that were in the classifieds?