list good track cars

Here's another vote for Miatas.

I have driven an NB on track and currently track an ND2 RF. You will have to do the suspension and brakes. I have to drive the RF with the top open when wearing a helmet. I am 5' 10", so your height might be a consideration. Strongly prefer this to my former S2000.

I have also tracked a 02 Boxster S. Was definitely some mid-engined fun and wasn't terrible on consumables, other than tires.

My EVO-X was a hero on the street, but didn't like it much on track. I didn't like the AWD and it was BUZZZZZZZZZY.

I spent 2 days at Bondurant/Radford with the Hellcats. Lots of fun, but you are always aware of how heavy the car is.

 

Who is a Jeopardy champion who champions the Mazda Miata?

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The hot miata is the ND2 global cup car with sadev sequential box...the Flis motorsports build. What I don't understand is why the NP-01 mazda 2.0 motor prototype car with sadev sequential box never really took off.

 

I hear a well prepared NB is the Miata to track.

 

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My vote. Exige S260. I actually find it pretty comfortable, 2 hours is a breeze.

 

As we had our first practice of the year before racing resumes, I had a chance to drive the new Caterham Seven 340 - whereas the replaced 275 (which I still will be racing) was lacking power (resulting in the need to be counter-intuitively flat-out in many corners), with 170 hp, more low-end torque and a limited slip differential this new car is really enjoyable on track.
In spite of a modest top speed it will give cars with much more power a run for their money.

 

The best iteration of the elise/exige models, IMO. Keep it!

 

lets not forget adding basic brake cooling as well. Does wonders for pad/disc life.

 

A question for the best and brightest here.
I spend 3-4 months of the summer in the Ne going to tracks with truck and trailer and the lotus.

rest of time in fl, and would like to try some tracks here. Fl imo is not lotus territory, it’s straight roads or mostly highway. It suits a bigger car to cover the distance and fend off meth heads in minivans etc. plus it would be a car I would semi daily.

Also the tracks seem to be homestead which is in Miami so a 2-3 hrs drive for me through traffic. Or Sebring which is an easy 1 hr drive through not much but straight 2 lane. There is d Daytona a fast track 2 hrs of highway north. the tracks themselvs seem to be ones that’s work also witha bigger car. Lastly I’d like to go to vir which is a good 8 hr drive.

at some point my z06 order will come in, in an ideal world the z06 would be here and if keep the gulia as a daily runabout, although the z06 2 years out, and life is short.
My track use in fl will be more occasional than monthly comitted(says I now at the start of a slippery slope) and Looking for a drive to the track car, that I can also use for my semi daily routine.

Currently have the 4 Cyl gulia to sport. I tried it on track once and it was Basicaly a bit too soft. Just put Michelin p4s on the car and it makes a big difference but it would need rotors and some suspension to really work.

was thinking to maybe move on from the Alfa and get the new civic type R as a stopgap till z06 comes in, or a Camaro zl1 1le before they’re gone. For some. Reason mustangs are a turn off.
Woukd even consider a Miata Rf.

part of the issue is 7 cars in the wife woukd Frank if I added another not least because storage is an issue. Plus if I add a oter to fl it’s going to be some sort of cruisy convertible.

by all accounts the media loves the civic type R but I’m not a kid and it’s fwd but in oter ways it seems to be all of a piece, allegedly a jui or gt3 with comfy back seat. Corolla hr I couldn’t live with the crap tastic cheapie interior.

not sure there is much out there that really fits. Not sure I could live with a Camaro after the Alfa.

Caymans are out as only a gt4 or RS works (I’ve driven the other on track, too soft)and gt4rs is unobtanium and Not hi kids g used used car. New turn key reliable and works for 3 or so years.

I could prob even go for a challenger before they’re gone, but while great on road much really. E a barge on track.

uktimate laptime is not the issue rather a honed car that can work on road for 99% of mileage, great ac comfy enough works In Traffic to a degree. Yeah I know a gt3 is the answer but can’t get those and I’m happy to be less conspicuous.

40-80k, thers still a z06 coming.

what say ye.

 

Spidey thanks for the feedback.
I've e been somewhat concerned about the z06 as it is really 500lbs+ too heavy, multiply that weight times the hp and speed and yeah consumables. For sure the magazines can run a few quick laps, but a we know thats more of a sell cars bragging stunt than real performance use over sustained laps. on the positive I'm fairly confident that mechnicaly the car can sustain full pace. But so far the only one running a z06 hard and posti g seems to be speed phenom. He reported 4 sets of $2500 tires over 8 days, and by then the ceramic rotors were on their way out. Dont know how he drives, but he said his Mcakren 675 lt cost way less to run die to much lower consumable use.

On the otehr hand Ive seem heavier camros with iron rotors that last a season or two reasonable pad consumption and $1600 goodyear tires. The answer may be in doing proper ap track brakes 18 inch wheels and appropriate tires. I can deal with $15000-18000 tires every few days, but if pads go every two days and rotors shot within 10 its a non starter. Speed phenon may be overdriving the car, or the vette may really just be another in a long line of supercars and fast vettes that can post a few quick laps, but are not really street/track cars. The fact that you cant get non electric track seats for the vette, and the z07 option really is a bling option not a track option indicates so. But maybe as with veetes past, there is not too much to do to have it work on track, like brakes wheels shocks(reprogramming) and springs.

There is a poster here who is getting a z06 by sept and he seems to know his stuff, so perhaps we'll get some real datta points. if I had to make a judgement based on what we know so far, the z06 is first and foremost a comfy road car, and has the potential tow ork on track, the question si what needs to be done, and whether that weight is just fatal. We do wish they offered an option without electric seats, some weight reduction from sound deadening, real downforce and iron rotors, thats serious.

On my track lotus, slicks are $1400 and they last 4-6 hrs of runtime roghly 2-2.5 days. Pads are a 5 day affair, rotors last 3 years and are 2k to replace. However that car can easily run through $2-300 in race gas per day, plus the cost/hassle of the truck getting there, plus you acnt use it on road and need to store the car and trailer.

A z06 will work great on the street and for long runs used just as a car.

i have to say though thta if one could get a 4Rs at list Id more than likely go that way, cause you know its a car all worked out, and at 3100lbs consumables going to be way less. But Poche buying experience these days is worse than ferrari in the bad old days. Ive written to them, and get responses from a pr flunky hacks, Serious turnoff. its clear porche usa does not give a toss and porche germany has no clue. Thyell sell 90% of these cars to poseurs who will have them for a year and flip out. i have zero interest in buying a used car that more than likey. was not run in properly and has 50K worth of uselss options. When I spec a Gt4Rs online as I would have it, the porche comes to 160k, that makes sense for me for track..

Modded cars, been there, but in the end its a process, and maybe Ill go through some of that process witht he zo6, but for now looking for turn key simplicity.
Mustangs, I cant deal with the interior, not the new one or the prior ones. Maybe the new one is so good it dosent matter, but I doubt it. BMWs way too heavy, might as well have a mustang, plus the BMWs today are more of a boy racer wnnabe than something real, maybe the new M2 works, but having goine the m3 route before, to me theyre just too heavy too isolated and overwrought.

Ctr seems light and simple enough. i do believe honda has honed the car for actual track use as opposed to 3 laps.. FWD is a big question mark, and driving around in a civic kinda boiy racer naff, also making you a potential cop target. Florida is very socioeconomic conscious, the alfa when you drive says dont hassle this guy he has resources. The honda I like the idea that they have a made too hard a ride in track setting for road tires and really stiff bushings in anticipation anticipation of peopel running slicks etc. But yes it is fwd and maybe drivign to te limit of understeer on each corner is sorta lame. Love to try one, cause it seems maybe like it has direct steerign and pivot more like a lotus/track car, than a blunt instrument.
My thought was that one could put track wheels and jack in the back.hatch and drive to tracks. But yeah its a civic.

cayman s modded, driven those, its still kinda soft, and neither quick nor slow.
A flying miata with v8 maybe.

but you got me thinking, maybe I should just bring the exige down to Fl for the winter. But then i need a lift and somewhere to put the trailer.

So now I'm thinking, get a CTR, try some assessable tracks here in fl and see if it works out, then maybe sell the exige forget about a z06 and just jump in with a GT4 clubsport. or just keep the alfa bring the exige down, and then maybe get a clubsport.
Really need more storage and more cars lol.

thinking doing maybe 5-8 track days in fl just to keep the oar in, so much else to do on water here.
Its all a slippery slope, once one starts. trying to keep it simple in Fl and then see.
Meanwhile got may-sept at the glenn lrp and thompson, every 2-3 weeks.

 

pbir is sold and becoming a development

 

yeah its 30 mins from where I live,
Meanwhile very very few road legal cars that re trackable out the box.
Gt3 GT4 CTR(maybe) Camaro Mustang. I think thats about it. The rest need varying degrees of work/mods, and things like a 4000zx are a non starter.
yet there are plenty of manufactuers who sell "track capable" cars. Makes sense 99% never track but want the badge.

 

I had no problems with my 2004 e55 AMG on track

 

that's closed right?

 

Saw one of those Integra Type rs on track this summer, it was pretty good.
Amazing how the pace has picked up with new cars. What was fast 5 years ago is not now.

 

The integra’s that i am racing are k24 swapped. Fast as hell in a straight line.

 

Old thread, but I just saw this so joining in. I just finished the '23 time attack season with a 2021 Supra. Coming from a highly modified '06 Evolution, the Supra was beating all of my PBs with only wheels/tires/brake pads/brake fluid. That's nuts. The car was SUPER capable, right out of the box. I never even bothered to get an alignment LOL. I ended up with the championship for my class against a bunch of M3s on coilovers, slicks, etc.
It's an amazing car. It should be sold in the next week (LOL) but still a great car that I wish I could keep. It's 100% the fastest car I own at this time.
It's a Toyota/BMW so feel free to beat on it. Not even a hiccup in 100*+ heat. I drove it to the track and home.

 

That's awesome. Why are you selling? A friend of mine bought a Supra recently and it should be arriving any day now. I've been doing arrive and drive rentals of 981 and 718 Caymans and love the platform. I'm now in the market to buy a Cayman! Would like to try a supra on track at some point and see how it compares.

 

Selling because I, sadly, only have a two-car garage, so the Supra is sitting under my patio cover getting water dripped on it from the rain. It's sad and the car deserves better.
From what I can tell the Porsche is going to feel a bit more connected to the road and probably better balanced. Faster? Not even close, but probably more enjoyable to drive which makes sense as the Supra is still a $50k Toyota/BMW. I have to imagine the Porsche is *enough* better to justify the cost, especially if not looking for all-out speed. I shopped 911s for the LONGEST time, before giving up, because I wanted that type of driving experience. Now that prices on GT3s have gone up 50%, it's not longer worth it for me LOL. I'm having more fun with my 50+yo classic and the 360 than I would just the GT3.
Back to the Supra: GREAT track day car with very, very reasonably-priced consumables.

 

BMW is clear of any other brand in this case… that’s just my opinion though, not an experts’ lol