Track Car Tow Bar

[anonymous-user]

A what car...

I currently have a 435d Xdrive I use to tow my 182 track car, due to lack of space, storage costs etc I would like to combine the two into one car I can use as a daily and do the occasionally track day in, however it needs to be able to be fitted with a tow bar, not to tow but to carry my bike rack (it’s an ebike so don’t want to explore roof bars or other options)

Budget up to around £20k, ideally needs to be fairly new (unless the price is less) be able to have CarPlay, at least 300bhp and pleasant to commute in.

Any ideas?

[Fat hippo]

Cayman with aftermarket towbar?
Maybe someone can confirm whether a ca needs to be type approved for a towbar for towing purposes only or whether type approval also applies to towbars used exclusively for bike racks

Eta apparently its the fitting of the towbar irrespective of use that requires type approval.

Forget the cayman.
M140?

Edited by Fat hippo on Sunday 30th May 18:08

[anonymous-user]

I’m not bothered about type approval If it fits a tow bar on I am happy 😂

Can a cayman have a tow bar that would be a great option

M140i can’t have one I believe

[Fat hippo]

jbailey93 said:

I’m not bothered about type approval If it fits a tow bar on I am happy ??

Can a cayman have a tow bar that would be a great option

M140i can’t have one I believe

Scrub the idea of a Cayman
Alpina? Not sure if they are type approved
Ditto Rs4

[ZX10R NIN]

308 GTI tick all of your boxes apart from the fact it has 270bhp but that's nothing a remap won't fix.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202105122...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202105293...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202105243...

Or the Hyundai i30N & you'll still have a couple of years (& it includes trackday usage) warranty left.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202105263...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202104291...

[A500leroy]

Can you go on track with a fixed tow bar?

[anonymous-user]

Fat hippo said:

Scrub the idea of a Cayman
Alpina? Not sure if they are type approved
Ditto Rs4

What generation Rs4? Not well up on the alpines tbh

[anonymous-user]

ZX10R NIN said:

308 GTI tick all of your boxes apart from the fact it has 270bhp but that's nothing a remap won't fix.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202105122...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202105293...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202105243...

Or the Hyundai i30N & you'll still have a couple of years (& it includes trackday usage) warranty left.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202105263...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202104291...

Don’t think I could drive a Peugeot every day, looked at the i30n but they’re big money for a Hyundai I think they will drop like a stone

[anonymous-user]

A500leroy said:

Can you go on track with a fixed tow bar?

I would get detachable

Not seen any rules on it anyway

[ZX10R NIN]

jbailey93 said:

Don’t think I could drive a Peugeot every day, looked at the i30n but they’re big money for a Hyundai I think they will drop like a stone

You're wrong on the Hyundai they've been steady since launch, GTI's drop more than the i30N.

I think you have to get past the badge they're a good drivers car full stop & for what you want ticks every box, maybe test drive one.

[ZX10R NIN]

jbailey93 said:

Don’t think I could drive a Peugeot every day, looked at the i30n but they’re big money for a Hyundai I think they will drop like a stone

When you say big money, compared to what?

[anonymous-user]

ZX10R NIN said:

When you say big money, compared to what?

I just don’t think I can spend £20k on a Hyundai

[was8v]

You can fit a towbar to anything you want for a bike rack.

E.g. E46 M3 not type approved for towing, but buy a 3 series bar and fit it. Not gonna be a problem unless you have an accident when towing. Which if it's for a bike rack only then you won't.

For cars that don't have bars available, look at the curt manufacturing website in America .

I once fitted one from curt to a 350z, it's s 1 1/4" receiver (No tow ball needed) so you will also need an American bike rack.

Loadsa Americans fitted toe bars to Porsches, have a Google. Obvs illegal to tow with in UK, but bike rack is fine.

[anonymous-user]

was8v said:

You can fit a towbar to anything you want for a bike rack.

E.g. E46 M3 not type approved for towing, but buy a 3 series bar and fit it. Not gonna be a problem unless you have an accident when towing. Which if it's for a bike rack only then you won't.

For cars that don't have bars available, look at the curt manufacturing website in America .

I once fitted one from curt to a 350z, it's s 1 1/4" receiver (No tow ball needed) so you will also need an American bike rack.

Loadsa Americans fitted toe bars to Porsches, have a Google. Obvs illegal to tow with in UK, but bike rack is fine.

Im fine with that however a lot of “performance” cars now have a quad/twin exit exhaust with the back box in the rear bumper making it hard to fit a tow bar

[ZX10R NIN]

jbailey93 said:

I just don’t think I can spend £20k on a Hyundai

Fair enough, the next option is a 370Z Nismo, not as new as the above but very much a drivers car & if you contact Witter Towbars they'll sort you out.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202009093...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202105212...

[Roboticarm]

Whenever I've done a track day the cars which seemed to be providing most bang for buck value were the Renault sport Clio and Mégane and the rs and st focus

I'd go for a 5 door focus based on the above

[Karl_Alp]

Fat hippo said:

jbailey93 said:

I’m not bothered about type approval If it fits a tow bar on I am happy ??

Can a cayman have a tow bar that would be a great option

M140i can’t have one I believe

Scrub the idea of a Cayman
Alpina? Not sure if they are type approved
Ditto Rs4

Most Alpina are typed approved and have them as a factory option.

My 2003 B3S Convertible even is. My 2016 D3 has a bar fitted even with quad exhausts 😊, however even as an Alpina owner and fan, with the exception of some limited edition Alpina eg GT3 they aren’t the first thing that comes to mind as a track car. They are amazing cruisers for the road and I love both of mine.

E46 M3 I think the exhaust may stop a bar being fitted due to the muffler location but could be wrong.

[AlwynMike]

E60 / E61 M5 are homologated for towing....
Commuter car? Maybe not.
Track car? Mmmmmm.

[anonymous-user]

AlwynMike said:

E60 / E61 M5 are homologated for towing....
Commuter car? Maybe not.
Track car? Mmmmmm.

Would love one of those but don’t have the pockets to run it

[nickfrog]

jbailey93 said:

I just don’t think I can spend £20k on a Hyundai

Why not? Surely they're a better choice than say a £20k Golf GTI for occasional track use.