Reasonably fun Ring car?
Discussion
Last year I shipped my car (997 GT3RS) to Germany and ran at the Ring,and at Spa, which was great. Trouble is it was staggeringly expensive to ship the thing from Canada and back ,plus it took a lot of time.
I was thinking that I could have a lot of fun for less cost by buying something there and keeping it there. Thought of the new Focus RS but it seems to have evoked general scorn as a front driver. Still not giving up on that idea though.
Does not have to be new, but should be standard transmission and a bit of fun. Thought of something like a Subaru WRX or even on older M3. I am frankly too big (6'3" and 16 st.) to fit into anything really tracky like a Lotus, so it should not be something like that.Given the usage, am looking for something non-exotic but easy to maintain and use.
What do people here think?
I was thinking that I could have a lot of fun for less cost by buying something there and keeping it there. Thought of the new Focus RS but it seems to have evoked general scorn as a front driver. Still not giving up on that idea though.
Does not have to be new, but should be standard transmission and a bit of fun. Thought of something like a Subaru WRX or even on older M3. I am frankly too big (6'3" and 16 st.) to fit into anything really tracky like a Lotus, so it should not be something like that.Given the usage, am looking for something non-exotic but easy to maintain and use.
What do people here think?
Not sure how often you plan to go, but maybe it would be more cost effective to hire a toy once you get to the 'ring?
http://www.rent-racecar.de/gb/
http://rsrnurburg.com/index.php?option=com_content...
http://www.rent-racecar.de/gb/
http://rsrnurburg.com/index.php?option=com_content...
Ah your GT3 RS looked great in the photos you saw.
Perhaps if it's only for the tracks, have a track car built up from something second hand like an E30, E36 or E46 M3. You could probably spend 5-10k on suspension, wheels, tyres, cage, seats, brakes and exhaust and then have a very quick and fun 'ring/Spa car.
Perhaps if it's only for the tracks, have a track car built up from something second hand like an E30, E36 or E46 M3. You could probably spend 5-10k on suspension, wheels, tyres, cage, seats, brakes and exhaust and then have a very quick and fun 'ring/Spa car.
I am curious to see some real world experience on the Focus RS despite the FWD...with (say ) 3 people its not killer expensive, assuming a five year life. I like the idea of an older 3 series, or even a used M3 for sure. Porsche are just too damn expensive to repair if they get reasonably spirited use.
After five TF days with the RS, (fabulous fun) I needed:
New tires
New pads
New discs (heat cracks)...they are not ceramics.
Evidently, you can have just as much fun. and learn just as much in a cheaper car, with lower parts costs.
After five TF days with the RS, (fabulous fun) I needed:
New tires
New pads
New discs (heat cracks)...they are not ceramics.
Evidently, you can have just as much fun. and learn just as much in a cheaper car, with lower parts costs.
alcon do a disk set for the Porsche which isn'r cheap but they last really well - couple that with some pagid endurance pads and that will up your brake life a lot.
m3 csl's are great fun but running costs on consumables will be similar to the rs. But a £25k purchase price is tempting.
I would probably go for a megane r26r as a ring toy over the focus - the focus weighs 1.5 tons which is too much imho. I would ove one as a road car and occasional ring car but not as a dedicated ring toy.
Lightweight stuff will obviously keep your costs down massively. I would suggest a caterham sv but to be honest, they are murder round the ring in the wet.
Myself and a pal had a £2k peugeot 306 rallye out there for a year - we spent about £3k on cage, suspension, brakes etc. and it was great fun but by the end of the year we were ready for something with a bit more poke round there.
A fully stripped e46 m3 floats my boat at the minute but that is still pushing the weight issue a bit much. Between 3 of you though, for £15k including suitable modifications, you could have a really nice toy. If the suspension is set up right, they don't eat tyres as much as a standard one would do.
Have fun.
m3 csl's are great fun but running costs on consumables will be similar to the rs. But a £25k purchase price is tempting.
I would probably go for a megane r26r as a ring toy over the focus - the focus weighs 1.5 tons which is too much imho. I would ove one as a road car and occasional ring car but not as a dedicated ring toy.
Lightweight stuff will obviously keep your costs down massively. I would suggest a caterham sv but to be honest, they are murder round the ring in the wet.
Myself and a pal had a £2k peugeot 306 rallye out there for a year - we spent about £3k on cage, suspension, brakes etc. and it was great fun but by the end of the year we were ready for something with a bit more poke round there.
A fully stripped e46 m3 floats my boat at the minute but that is still pushing the weight issue a bit much. Between 3 of you though, for £15k including suitable modifications, you could have a really nice toy. If the suspension is set up right, they don't eat tyres as much as a standard one would do.
Have fun.
RMac said:
alcon do a disk set for the Porsche which isn'r cheap but they last really well - couple that with some pagid endurance pads and that will up your brake life a lot.
m3 csl's are great fun but running costs on consumables will be similar to the rs. But a £25k purchase price is tempting.
I would probably go for a megane r26r as a ring toy over the focus - the focus weighs 1.5 tons which is too much imho. I would ove one as a road car and occasional ring car but not as a dedicated ring toy.
Lightweight stuff will obviously keep your costs down massively. I would suggest a caterham sv but to be honest, they are murder round the ring in the wet.
Myself and a pal had a £2k peugeot 306 rallye out there for a year - we spent about £3k on cage, suspension, brakes etc. and it was great fun but by the end of the year we were ready for something with a bit more poke round there.
A fully stripped e46 m3 floats my boat at the minute but that is still pushing the weight issue a bit much. Between 3 of you though, for £15k including suitable modifications, you could have a really nice toy. If the suspension is set up right, they don't eat tyres as much as a standard one would do.
Have fun.
Love the idea of a Caterham, but tried to fit into one..at six-three and 16st it was like trying to stuff an elephant in a matchbox. My mate who might go into this is six-five but thin, and he could not fit either... The M3 is definitely on the list. I am only an average driver, so no danger of my finding the limits. Its more about fun that and having something simple and reliable.m3 csl's are great fun but running costs on consumables will be similar to the rs. But a £25k purchase price is tempting.
I would probably go for a megane r26r as a ring toy over the focus - the focus weighs 1.5 tons which is too much imho. I would ove one as a road car and occasional ring car but not as a dedicated ring toy.
Lightweight stuff will obviously keep your costs down massively. I would suggest a caterham sv but to be honest, they are murder round the ring in the wet.
Myself and a pal had a £2k peugeot 306 rallye out there for a year - we spent about £3k on cage, suspension, brakes etc. and it was great fun but by the end of the year we were ready for something with a bit more poke round there.
A fully stripped e46 m3 floats my boat at the minute but that is still pushing the weight issue a bit much. Between 3 of you though, for £15k including suitable modifications, you could have a really nice toy. If the suspension is set up right, they don't eat tyres as much as a standard one would do.
Have fun.
RDMcG said:
RMac said:
alcon do a disk set for the Porsche which isn'r cheap but they last really well - couple that with some pagid endurance pads and that will up your brake life a lot.
m3 csl's are great fun but running costs on consumables will be similar to the rs. But a £25k purchase price is tempting.
I would probably go for a megane r26r as a ring toy over the focus - the focus weighs 1.5 tons which is too much imho. I would ove one as a road car and occasional ring car but not as a dedicated ring toy.
Lightweight stuff will obviously keep your costs down massively. I would suggest a caterham sv but to be honest, they are murder round the ring in the wet.
Myself and a pal had a £2k peugeot 306 rallye out there for a year - we spent about £3k on cage, suspension, brakes etc. and it was great fun but by the end of the year we were ready for something with a bit more poke round there.
A fully stripped e46 m3 floats my boat at the minute but that is still pushing the weight issue a bit much. Between 3 of you though, for £15k including suitable modifications, you could have a really nice toy. If the suspension is set up right, they don't eat tyres as much as a standard one would do.
Have fun.
Love the idea of a Caterham, but tried to fit into one..at six-three and 16st it was like trying to stuff an elephant in a matchbox. My mate who might go into this is six-five but thin, and he could not fit either... The M3 is definitely on the list. I am only an average driver, so no danger of my finding the limits. Its more about fun that and having something simple and reliable.m3 csl's are great fun but running costs on consumables will be similar to the rs. But a £25k purchase price is tempting.
I would probably go for a megane r26r as a ring toy over the focus - the focus weighs 1.5 tons which is too much imho. I would ove one as a road car and occasional ring car but not as a dedicated ring toy.
Lightweight stuff will obviously keep your costs down massively. I would suggest a caterham sv but to be honest, they are murder round the ring in the wet.
Myself and a pal had a £2k peugeot 306 rallye out there for a year - we spent about £3k on cage, suspension, brakes etc. and it was great fun but by the end of the year we were ready for something with a bit more poke round there.
A fully stripped e46 m3 floats my boat at the minute but that is still pushing the weight issue a bit much. Between 3 of you though, for £15k including suitable modifications, you could have a really nice toy. If the suspension is set up right, they don't eat tyres as much as a standard one would do.
Have fun.
. I'm 6'5", about 16 stone, with size 13 and fit in mine fine (std narrow bodied car with lowered floors. Don't discount it totally. Very snug when in, but this helps with the fell of what the car is doing.Ronan,
The Scooby would be boring in comparison with a Porsche or M3. Just too damned capable in the dry. Good fun in the wet though.
You can't go wrong with either Porsche or BMW as there are plenty of really good shops in close proximity with both a wealth of 'ring knowledge and parts are available.
The same can't be said for the Japanese alternative.
I'd say a MkI GT3 is the way to go.
The Scooby would be boring in comparison with a Porsche or M3. Just too damned capable in the dry. Good fun in the wet though.
You can't go wrong with either Porsche or BMW as there are plenty of really good shops in close proximity with both a wealth of 'ring knowledge and parts are available.
The same can't be said for the Japanese alternative.
I'd say a MkI GT3 is the way to go.
RDMcG said:
RMac said:
alcon do a disk set for the Porsche which isn'r cheap but they last really well - couple that with some pagid endurance pads and that will up your brake life a lot.
m3 csl's are great fun but running costs on consumables will be similar to the rs. But a £25k purchase price is tempting.
I would probably go for a megane r26r as a ring toy over the focus - the focus weighs 1.5 tons which is too much imho. I would ove one as a road car and occasional ring car but not as a dedicated ring toy.
Lightweight stuff will obviously keep your costs down massively. I would suggest a caterham sv but to be honest, they are murder round the ring in the wet.
Myself and a pal had a £2k peugeot 306 rallye out there for a year - we spent about £3k on cage, suspension, brakes etc. and it was great fun but by the end of the year we were ready for something with a bit more poke round there.
A fully stripped e46 m3 floats my boat at the minute but that is still pushing the weight issue a bit much. Between 3 of you though, for £15k including suitable modifications, you could have a really nice toy. If the suspension is set up right, they don't eat tyres as much as a standard one would do.
Have fun.
Love the idea of a Caterham, but tried to fit into one..at six-three and 16st it was like trying to stuff an elephant in a matchbox. My mate who might go into this is six-five but thin, and he could not fit either... The M3 is definitely on the list. I am only an average driver, so no danger of my finding the limits. Its more about fun that and having something simple and reliable.m3 csl's are great fun but running costs on consumables will be similar to the rs. But a £25k purchase price is tempting.
I would probably go for a megane r26r as a ring toy over the focus - the focus weighs 1.5 tons which is too much imho. I would ove one as a road car and occasional ring car but not as a dedicated ring toy.
Lightweight stuff will obviously keep your costs down massively. I would suggest a caterham sv but to be honest, they are murder round the ring in the wet.
Myself and a pal had a £2k peugeot 306 rallye out there for a year - we spent about £3k on cage, suspension, brakes etc. and it was great fun but by the end of the year we were ready for something with a bit more poke round there.
A fully stripped e46 m3 floats my boat at the minute but that is still pushing the weight issue a bit much. Between 3 of you though, for £15k including suitable modifications, you could have a really nice toy. If the suspension is set up right, they don't eat tyres as much as a standard one would do.
Have fun.
The CSR is also the same size as an sv and one of those will be really capable at the ring - worth a look but like I say, I didn't enjoy mine that much at the ring in the wet - ideally, I would like to have a caterham and a renault r26r living out there depending on what the weather was doing! And, if there are a few of you, get them both out together!
GC8 said:
ph123 said:
Porsche 968 Clubsport M030
Isnt this a bit of a cliche? Even as-new M030 is very far from ideal on the Nordschleife...£15,000.
A useable practical everyday sort of 'budget collectors'.
Can I remember 9 minutes dead and reliable, strong, well balanced, well-braked, bullit-proof; sports car of the year '93.
Past it's prime now, I grant but I remember it as a classic around the 'Ring.
Sweet car. Perfect for the 'Ring imho in it's original state.
Is that your arse you're talking out of?
No. Im in a minority though; having actually owned one in the mid nineteen nineties and driven it around the Nordschleife. M030 dampers were considered to be superb in their day; but their day has passed. Theyre too harsh for the road and far too soft for track driving, even the Nurburgring. Thats if theyre not completely worn out, as the vast majority are now. KW suspension isnt for me, but itd be far better; and GAZ/Leda better still.
Another typical PH response. If you had a little more about you then youd talk to people on a forum as you would if they were stood next to you.
Another typical PH response. If you had a little more about you then youd talk to people on a forum as you would if they were stood next to you.
GC8 said:
No. Im in a minority though; having actually owned one in the mid nineteen nineties and driven it around the Nordschleife. M030 dampers were considered to be superb in their day; but their day has passed. Theyre too harsh for the road and far too soft for track driving, even the Nurburgring. Thats if theyre not completely worn out, as the vast majority are now. KW suspension isnt for me, but itd be far better; and GAZ/Leda better still.
Another typical PH response. If you had a little more about you then youd talk to people on a forum as you would if they were stood next to you.
If one were to consider KW the budget-mid range of the market (depending upon variant), the GAZ/Leda are definitely budget. M030 dampers can be rebuilt/revalved to suit, thus retaining the M030 'bodies' for the afficionados out there.Another typical PH response. If you had a little more about you then youd talk to people on a forum as you would if they were stood next to you.
Another cliche, but there are lots of them around, easy to modify, cheap parts - E36 M3. You could do a LOT with £15k (i.e. build a VLN race car)
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