Track / fast road car suggestions
Discussion
Any help from the PH crew to answer this Sunday afternoon question? I'd like to spend somewhere between 6-10k on a car for track days but also some road use. It won't be my main car but I would rather have something that isn't too raucous or looks like a bag of old spanners such that it could go on a Sunday outing or even head off to Spa or the Ring. I don't really want a Caterham or Westfield type of vehicle (just personal preference). I have had a few thoughts and suggestions made to me so far:
- Porsche 944 S2/turbo
- Porsche 968
- Boxster
- BMW E46 330 or another BMW variant
- Honda S2000
- MX5 (I think too slow unless supercharged etc which then might cause costs to escalate)
Thanks for any suggestions!
Steve
- Porsche 944 S2/turbo
- Porsche 968
- Boxster
- BMW E46 330 or another BMW variant
- Honda S2000
- MX5 (I think too slow unless supercharged etc which then might cause costs to escalate)
Thanks for any suggestions!
Steve
I've owned an S2000, 968 and 330 BMW. Of those lot I would go for the S2000. It has a great engine, is well put together, has the benefit of the soft top for sunny weekends and is a nice steer on the track too. The BMW is too heavy in my mind. The 968 (and the boxster) will be too pricy in consumables in my opinion.
Personally I've opted for the MX5 as my track toy - but my budget was a lot lower than yours!
Agree on the VX220/Elise recommendations though.
Personally I've opted for the MX5 as my track toy - but my budget was a lot lower than yours!
Agree on the VX220/Elise recommendations though.
The good thing is you have loads of choice in this price range
I have a Boxster S and a 944S2 - very different cars & both good on the track. Not sure which I prefer. Both have great balance & I'm surprised how docile the Box is - I had expected a mid-engined car might be more snappy. Boxster has the flat six noise, the 944 (and 968) sound dull. I prefer my S2 to a previous 944 turbo as a track car - 200kg less weight (it's fairly spartan) helps considerably.
Boxster with porsche m030 sports suspension is perfectly capable, the 944 would ideally want aftermarket suspension to firm it up. Brakes are good on both models. Boxster seats are rubbish (I've fitted a bucket seat). There are some problems with oil surge - recommended to fit a better baffle in the sump if using sticky tyres.
Buying a good Boxster is tricky - there are lots of areas that can be expensive, but you can find ones where most if not all the weak points have been addressed. £5k gets you a cheap Boxster S, £7k should get you a really good one. The main thing to watch out for with 944's is rust.
Never driven an S2000 on a track but there are plenty out there & they seem to go pretty well. Great engine & gearbox.
E46 is a fair bit heavier - and will feel very different to the others - will it be as much of an event to drive?
I have a Boxster S and a 944S2 - very different cars & both good on the track. Not sure which I prefer. Both have great balance & I'm surprised how docile the Box is - I had expected a mid-engined car might be more snappy. Boxster has the flat six noise, the 944 (and 968) sound dull. I prefer my S2 to a previous 944 turbo as a track car - 200kg less weight (it's fairly spartan) helps considerably.
Boxster with porsche m030 sports suspension is perfectly capable, the 944 would ideally want aftermarket suspension to firm it up. Brakes are good on both models. Boxster seats are rubbish (I've fitted a bucket seat). There are some problems with oil surge - recommended to fit a better baffle in the sump if using sticky tyres.
Buying a good Boxster is tricky - there are lots of areas that can be expensive, but you can find ones where most if not all the weak points have been addressed. £5k gets you a cheap Boxster S, £7k should get you a really good one. The main thing to watch out for with 944's is rust.
Never driven an S2000 on a track but there are plenty out there & they seem to go pretty well. Great engine & gearbox.
E46 is a fair bit heavier - and will feel very different to the others - will it be as much of an event to drive?
Bargenosenti said:
I'm in a similar position - lower budget (2k + 1k prep/fettling), seriously looking over MR2 mk3 - power is a concern but I'm sure my skills need improving before I get to worried about that. Also looking at sprint/hill climbs which look great fun.
Any have any other considerations?
Well, last year I was in a very similar position to you, I bought a pretty tidy MkII MR2 Turbo, as I too thought the MkIII would be a bit down on power, Paid 2k for a 1994 Rev 3 and I have since paid another 3k on parts and servicing. It is a lot more expensive than you might think.Any have any other considerations?
I honestly think a Clio or MX5 are the only ways to go if you are doing a lot of trackdays and can't afford any sort of Cater-field, Elise.
I'm in the same boat and leaning towards VX220 Turbo or Elise. Mods are cheap and can be easily build to Lotus on Track spec if you decide to do some racing.
BMW E36 M3 is tempting but I'd want a GT which is out of budget and too nice to track sadly.
A left field choice would be a Mini GP1, cracking cars!
BMW E36 M3 is tempting but I'd want a GT which is out of budget and too nice to track sadly.
A left field choice would be a Mini GP1, cracking cars!
I was also going to suggest a mk3 MR2, you'd easily get a decent facelift (pre cat issue sorted) one for your budget and they're mid engined, lightweight and great fun to drive.
From your list I can only compare to Boxster and MX-5. Both of which would be better if you wanted a car for longer journeys, the Boxster is much heavier, and feels it. At your budget I assume you'd be looking at a mk3 MX-5, which is more refined than the MR2 and the roof is easier to use. The main difference is in the handling, the limit on the MR2 is higher than the MX-5, but when the MR2 lets go it is snappier and not as adjustable as the MX-5 - so it depends on your driving style.
From your list I can only compare to Boxster and MX-5. Both of which would be better if you wanted a car for longer journeys, the Boxster is much heavier, and feels it. At your budget I assume you'd be looking at a mk3 MX-5, which is more refined than the MR2 and the roof is easier to use. The main difference is in the handling, the limit on the MR2 is higher than the MX-5, but when the MR2 lets go it is snappier and not as adjustable as the MX-5 - so it depends on your driving style.
Craikeybaby said:
I was also going to suggest a mk3 MR2, you'd easily get a decent facelift (pre cat issue sorted) one for your budget and they're mid engined, lightweight and great fun to drive.
From your list I can only compare to Boxster and MX-5. Both of which would be better if you wanted a car for longer journeys, the Boxster is much heavier, and feels it. At your budget I assume you'd be looking at a mk3 MX-5, which is more refined than the MR2 and the roof is easier to use. The main difference is in the handling, the limit on the MR2 is higher than the MX-5, but when the MR2 lets go it is snappier and not as adjustable as the MX-5 - so it depends on your driving style.
I would agree with a lot of what has been said here. It's also worth considering a Mk2 MR2.From your list I can only compare to Boxster and MX-5. Both of which would be better if you wanted a car for longer journeys, the Boxster is much heavier, and feels it. At your budget I assume you'd be looking at a mk3 MX-5, which is more refined than the MR2 and the roof is easier to use. The main difference is in the handling, the limit on the MR2 is higher than the MX-5, but when the MR2 lets go it is snappier and not as adjustable as the MX-5 - so it depends on your driving style.
Mine is a rev 3, comfortable on long journeys, rear wheel drive and mid engined.
Here is a video of a trackday I attended at the weekend (a little underpowered but they can be great fun on track).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBZBYc8p3Fg
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