list good track cars

Mmmmmm pasta.


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Regarding Porsches, I'd think Boxsters and earlier Caymans would fall into the mid-range pricewise. For awhile I've considered picking up a Boxster in the $15K range at some point for street/track duty. If I get around to doing some suspension work I may put my 128i on track this season for a few days; I'd consider that a reasonably cheap car to run.

 

1997-2002 BMW M Roadster. 2000 and up have stability control, the earlier ones are a little tail happy. I drove mine at NJ Motorsports Park, after having tracked my 360 and had so much more fun in the BMW. $15K vs $120K at the time, and the BMW was a hell of a lot better for my skill set. 2001 and 2002 have more HP, probably gave them more oomph, but I've never driven a BMW that didn't make the most out of its horsepower. Electronically limited to 155mph, but never saw that on track.

Good as a DD as well.

Unfortunately, the M Roadster has had something of a Renaissance and I see them pushing $25-35K now, which make them less affordable, but that'll change when all these guys buying them discover how expensive it is to fix the rear differential flaw they have if you don't get to it BEFORE the mounts/welds fail.

Loved driving this car on track.

D

 

Imo only the pbug gt3 can be tracked without modification. Everything else needs extra cooling and or brake improvements unless driving under 7/10ths. Sometimes it is as simple as pads. Sometimes just an oil cooler. Often what's needed are bigger coolant radiator, oil cooler, diff cooler, trans cooler, pads, ss brake lines, brake cooling. That can open up c5c6 vettes and lower cost porsches to make cheap trackcars

 

Just as a data point I bought 2019 mustang gt pp1 off the lot. Took it to track for shake down and it sucked!! Stripped car built caged racecar out of it and won with it but I never liked the car. I sold it 2021 bought anthoer c5 vette and am back racing that chassis. The c5 c6 vette is a great platform on the cheap v. Fast scale.

 

E36 and E46 325i. Strip it, bucket seat, harness. Bigger brakes from newer 5 series or M5 if you intend to do a cheap LS swap

 

I wouldn't put BMW M cars on that list, theyre too heavy and bloated. maybe a M2 works.
Porche only the Gt models are really fun, the oters will eat up brakes and rotors, the suspension is too soft. But you can mod caymans.
I was trying to think of others from you post in the other thread. Couldn't think of any.
Maybe the new z car with some suspension and brake mods.

My personal; list of new cars would be
Civic Type r, in fact I think its simply one of the greats, and now a well honed car regardless of price,
Further up the food chain but under 100K. Mustang and the camraro 1 le, the camaro at 70K is the pick but maybe less so on street.
The Audio RS3 seems to be getting really great writeups, comfy on street and supposedly a stormer on track, despite the engine hanging out front, but at +60k i'd still rather have the Honda for 15-20k less. the audi though would be the pick if it has to do daily and a lot of highway.
Between 100 and 200K z06 Gt3 Gt4. Maybe the emira, but imo they don't make a track spec car yet, that would be the future amg powered one with proper Ohlins suspension and AP brakes.

Used.
As you said any lotus elige, and from experience
The Alfa 4c is about as much fun as you can have in a car on track, you can still find lightly used street driven ones .
Many BMWs, e36s and e46s seem popular but these require mods to work. you can find moded cars already done under 50K and the e46's do put up a furious pace, but who know what goes bang when.
Porche boxters and caymans with suitable suspension and brake mods, but doing these cars right can push the cost up fast.
C7 Corvette Gs and the c6 z06, they'll need brake lines plus a few bits here and there. They still have furious pace, but you gotta be into vettes and they can go bang.
The last of the vipers seem great too, more exotic and harder edged than a vette, and the last of them had decent suspension.

If I were driving form NYC or Li to tracks everywhere given the roads and the car needed to double as a daily here and there, seems like maybe the audi, alternatively M2, or Honda.
If I loved my elise but wanted more go and a bit better highway ability in the same sort of package, a low mileage used 4c.
Camro is going to be Gt3 fast, but a more blunt driving experience and the 1le is hard, really hard, but Id take a new one over a used GTR any day.
Im not into mustangs, but they seem to work. the one to have is the Mach 1 it has the suspension from the Gt350 and 500 with the bent cank v8, there are still a few new ones at some dealers. The new 24 mustang is going to have a track style version which well may be excellent, but theyre not out and look like crap in photos.
Whats your timeframe.

 

If youre going exotics, a mac 600lt seems excellent, saw one go on bat for 160K. the guys' running's thinks like 765's tell me its a 15k day.
R8 will break.
Ferraris, you know the deal.
If you want to run an exotic its going to eat $$ unless new and even then its going to eat $.
low mileage 600lt would be my pick. But seriously Gt3 or Gt4 Rs is the way to go if youre not paying a massive dealer premium.

 

Depends on the track. We have multiple race cars and track cars and some are far better suited for some tracks over others. For example we have a BMW M2 Competition for Apex Motor Club here in AZ. It is a short track that benefits from low horsepower, short wheel base, and light weight.

 

Forgot to mention Alfa quadrafoio

Have to say though if you’re not going over 100k we not z06 ht4 territory and Ben for sheer pace it’s the Camaro and if you like finesse and soMething honed from pedal. placement to shift to seats to just a great motor the Honda is the pick.

or put another way if I wanted needed a car for the summer both road and track there are only two choices you can actualy buy new now
The Camaro and the Honda, both are great

 

Ariel Atom all the way!

Matt

 

Yeah i still have my awd Gulia. Tracked it once and it felt too soft, but thats the standard suspension on the awd, perfect compliance for street though. Yes the regular 4cl motor, its like they tried their hardest to emulate a diesel. Clattery at low revs, lots of midrange tq, worst part fot he car by far. I understand the quad is very different.

I drove a 4c on track for a day, I was pretty blown away. The rate at which it chewed through the gears was like a close ratio track box. It is pretty much the only out the box street car i have driven that was stiff enough in suspension etc to really work on track and feel like a track car.

The downsides, it did not pivot quite as well as an elise, but close enough, and it def felt a bit twichy in the rear near the limit including under hard braking from high speed. Nothing alarming, just a little feeling of it hunting about a bit, and actually quite charaterful, like you needed to drive it. the drive off the corners was mazing and it just felt like a baby ferrari track car. The other downside is the steering felt heavy, like a Mk1 Rabbit.

I dont know how reliable they are and most owners treat them as precious collectables like ferraris so we dont see them at the track. But it was what the brits call a real cracker, felt every but as fast as my freinds 300 hp supercharged close ratio 4cyl exige, but was still stock street car, and more comfy than an elige on road for distance. I also has to dial back the sytems to track, otherwise they were way to intrusive. Probably the most fun in had in a car on track in 21.

 

not really a road car for the drive to the track.

 

Really like this thread.
Have to say I'm feeling tempted by the Honda, seems like a car one would want to use and keep. If i could get a yaris Gr here that would also be the pick, the corolla Gr just seems not up to the same extreme as the yaris and not as sorted as the Honda, esp as you'd have to pout up with the corrola interior.

For me most of the year (9 months in Fl), the Honda would be sorta pointless, as in no need for a stick, and Fl is a straight line place, unless I start tracking here. but the Honda seems ideal for the Ne with great backroads and some tracks easy to drive to.

Im in the phase of traveling in and out of CT may-sept and doing The glenn(exige+truck+trailer)) and Lrp (Elise 45 mins drive to track)) so dont really need another car. Was actually thinking of a stick shift convertible zl1 for ****s and giggles in Fl. But maybe I do need something trackable for here, z06 on order and will arrive one day/year. I dunno if I ditched the alfa and got the Honda maybe it works, would have to try one and see if tis really so seductive. One thing for sure, if i added another car wife would flip out. Its the one quandry on the BBI, I barely use it, if I sold that....and maybe the E46 M3 then theres a whole lot f choices to play with inside the 7 car limit.

Thats a question, would you sell a BBI and perfect e46 M3, maybe even the Exige and replace with a GT4Rs(for ct), z06 and zl1 convertible for fl.
Hard to say, most days I hike, swim in big waves if there there, waterski and boat, somehow cars here seem less of thing.

 

Why not?

Matt

 

have you tried driving one down the highway for a few hours
Maybe is a 15 min on road car

 

Viper ACR, Gen 4 or Gen 5, especially for bigger and/or longer tracks. Bulletproof car, tons of fun, always drove to and from the track.

 

I owned the 3rd Brammo built Atom 2. So I’m familiar.

Matt

 

I am a lambo lover. There isn't a lambo that comes from the factory other than the STO that is worth a damn on the track. I have a gallardo Super trof ... garbage on track compared to the scud.

For a brief second let's discuss. All cars should have their brake fluid changed and better track oriented pads before hitting any track. If you don't do that 1 little step you are going to regret it.

Great cheap car is a 350z. Gobs of fun cheap as hell.
Mustangs are fun on track. especially the boss 302's

porsche gt3's
ferrari 360 challenge, ferrari scuderia


I would urge against anything AWD..but if you must EVO is a great car on track.