Daily-Track Day Car for £2K Lap times, weight, power + more
Discussion
Can a daily car be fun on track? Let's find this out.
We all know that the best cheap (budget - £2K) track cars are the MX-5, Clio 172/182, MR2 MK3 and E36 328. This sounds great if you can afford to own two cars, but the aim of this thread is to find a single car that would be a cheap good all-rounder (have fun on track / drive to the office / buy something from furniture store / make a 4 hour trip / more than 2 seats etc etc).
I did a research and below are my findings. There are quite a few usual daily cars that can be tracked, some of them are a bit too heavy to get decent lap times, but in overall, they meet the criteria of this topic. As consumables is one of the most important aspects of doing trackdays in terms of expenses, there are no very heavy (+1500 kg) cars in the list.
| # | Make | Model | Engine | Weight | Power | 0 - 60 | Lap times | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Audi | S3 8L | 1.8 Turbo | 1420 kg | 225 bhp | 6.6 seconds | +1:21 Hockenheim Short / +8:41 The Ring / 1:14 Wakefield Park | Tunable engine | Expensive to run, heavy for track use, difficult to find one for £2K |
| 2 | Audi | TT | 1.8 Turbo | 1465 kg | 225 bhp | 6.6 seconds | 1:20 Hockenheim Short / 8:42 The Ring / 1:35 Bedford West Circuit | Tunable engine | Heavy for track use |
| 3 | BMW | E46 328 | 2.8 | 1395 kg | 190 bhp | 7 seconds | 1:22 Hockenheim Short / 1:18 Silverstone (National) | Reliable engine | Feels heavy on track |
| 4 | Honda | Civic Type R (EP3) | 2.0 | 1170 kg | 197 bhp | 6.8 seconds | 1:21 Hockenheim Short / 8:47 The Ring / 1:26 Rockingham National | Handling, high rev performance | Difficult to find one for £2K |
| 5 | Mazda | RX-8 | 1.3 | 1425 kg | 228 bhp | 6.6 seconds | 1:20 Hockenheim Short / 1:32 Top Gear Track | Very well balanced 50:50 | High fuel/oil consumption, engine reliability issues |
| 6 | Mini | Cooper S | 1.6 Supercharged | 1140 kg | 168 bhp | 7.2 seconds | 1:23 Hockenheim Short / 1:38 Goodwood | Fun & good handling, Eminently tuneable to 230 - 250 hp, Upgraded parts easily available, 5/06 models with Chilli pack inevitably have LSD from factory & with even length end drive shafts torque steer has been engineered out | Supercharger can fail if not lubricated correctly, Cam chains on earlier ones, PAS pumps/motors can whine |
| 7 | Renault | Clio 182 | 2.0 NA | 1110 kg | 182 bhp | 7.1 seconds | 1:00 Brands Hatch (Indy) / 1:34 Top Gear | Good price / performance ratio, good on consumables | Odd driving position, uncomfortable for tall drivers, expensive cam belt/dephaser service |
| 8 | Seat | Leon | 1.8 Turbo | 1222 kg | 180 bhp | 7.7 seconds | 1:24 Hockenheim Short / 1:33 Top Gear | Tunable engine | Not sporty handling |
| 9 | VW | Golf GTI (MK 4) | 1.8 Turbo | 1213 kg | 180 bhp | 7.9 seconds | 1:23 Hockenheim Short / 8:54 The Ring | Relatively cheap to run, tunable engine | To be updated |
By analysing the data we can understand why there is a number of Civics and RX8s on tracks. So which one you choose depends on your personal preferences:
Performance - Civic Type R, RX8 or Clio 182
Low overall running costs - Golf or Leon;
Good looking cars -
I hope this thread will help to find some useful information. Feel free to let me know if there are any other cars that could appear in this list. Some additional notes handling/performance/runnings costs wise would be much appreciated.
Data sources: fastestlaps.com, ultimatespecs.com, autotrader
Edited by Justinas on Thursday 20th July 20:06
Justinas said:
E-bmw said:
Mini Cooper S - 1.6 Supercharged, 170bhp (later engine), 7.2 sec, 138 MPH - Maybe not up to the Ike@ run, but fun & good handling
Good shout - thanks! Added.Any common issues?
Eminently tuneable to 230 - 250 hp.
Upgraded parts easily available.
05/06 models with Chilli pack inevitably have LSD from factory & with even length end drive shafts torque steer has been engineered out.
Cons
Supercharger can fail if not lubricated correctly, which strangely isn't a service item.
Cam chains on earlier ones (you want the later one anyway with the 170hp engine) and they will either be good or done by now.
PAS pumps/motors can whine.
i'd ignore 0-60 and lap times for track day fun and focus on handling and weight.
on track days you'll often see heavy, modern M3s rolling through the corners before splatting down the straight to set faster lap times. Great road cars often wallow on track even if their power makes them faster overall. An hour in an AMG at Brooklands will show that quite well.
Why not a Clio? Honda hatch? At least the older BMW will be lighter and have a lot of aftermarket support, especially new suspension.
on track days you'll often see heavy, modern M3s rolling through the corners before splatting down the straight to set faster lap times. Great road cars often wallow on track even if their power makes them faster overall. An hour in an AMG at Brooklands will show that quite well.
Why not a Clio? Honda hatch? At least the older BMW will be lighter and have a lot of aftermarket support, especially new suspension.
Ive been living with a Clio 172/182 as daily for 4 Years. I have roof racks and its brought back wardrobes from IKEA, collected concrete paving, trips to tip and ferried a family of 4 to various locations. And if you don't add the track bias parts I added, it was half the budget in the above.
300bhp/ton said:
Interesting thread. 
And I'm also unsure the relevance of 'lap times' on a track day???
Because Racecar.And I'm also unsure the relevance of 'lap times' on a track day???
But seriously, whilst TDer's shouldn't timing, a lot do and - anyone who chooses a track car because its specifically intended for track and known to be capable will most likely be looking to make comparisons, and laptime is the only comparison that really counts.
loggyboy said:
300bhp/ton said:
Interesting thread.
And I'm also unsure the relevance of 'lap times' on a track day???
Because Racecar.And I'm also unsure the relevance of 'lap times' on a track day???
But seriously, whilst TDer's shouldn't timing, a lot do and - anyone who chooses a track car because its specifically intended for track and known to be capable will most likely be looking to make comparisons, and laptime is the only comparison that really counts.
SonicShadow said:
Chasing lap times and being a daily driver don't mix... If you're chasing lap times then chances are you're going to want to improve them. All of a sudden you've got a stripped interior, modded engine, suspension that doesn't work very well on the road and a very empty wallet!
Has never stopped me! lolI'm on the look out for a 172/182 for around £1,500 - £2,000 and intend to use it as a daily driver and for the occasional track run.
I have two children and have owned a 172 Cup previously, I can't see any faults in it as a daily driver. Any car with four seats is fine as a daily, as long as you aren't doing mega miles. Then again I still can't see any issues with the Clio, it offers fair MPG.
I have two children and have owned a 172 Cup previously, I can't see any faults in it as a daily driver. Any car with four seats is fine as a daily, as long as you aren't doing mega miles. Then again I still can't see any issues with the Clio, it offers fair MPG.
Frimley111R said:
E-bmw said:
SirSquidalot said:
Clio 197 is the most likely car i'll go for.
They are fairly quick, but also heavy & SO un-inviting aurally!Gassing Station | Track Days | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff