Hypothetical Challenge/Question- Best Track car for $50,000/32,000 GBP

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hawkeye122

hawkeye122

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gdwest1
Granted, this would be my car for driving around everyday, so 2 seats would be nice. But I was asking myself this the other day, and should/could/would I buy a new car, or a used one and Spend the remaining balance on racy-ing it. What would you have? Try to give a cost breakdown if possible.
 
In all honesty I would buy a C5 Z06 for $30K, and use the other $20,000 for a couple mods and tires/track prep/track memberships etc.

Two seats, 405hp, and 30mpg highway, plus it'll run around a track all day long.
 
A first-gen Miata with nice paint and $45,000 worth of parts and tuning done to it.

/thread
 
Go with BMW 1-series M Coupe. It's little more then $50,000 but already built for the track. Only reason is because of your sig. "/// M for life"
 
RocZX
Go with BMW 1-series M Coupe. It's little more then $50,000 but already built for the track. Only reason is because of your sig. "/// M for life"
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Thats a good point.

My vote would be a 3 series for $20,000-ish and then mod that to a Touring car-type thing..
 
Driving a slow car fast is almost always more fun and rewarding than driving a fast car slow. And there are plenty of 'slow' cars out there that are a hoot to drive, easy on the wallet to maintain, and are comfortable enough to drive every day.

The only real modifications a street car needs to handle moderate track duty are dedicated brake pads/disks and summer tires you don't care about wearing thru quickly. Past that, almost anything can be taken on a track as long as it's safe.

Cars that can be described as "zippy" and can be flung around like a go-cart are what I'd shoot for. Driving a high HP monster of a car coasting behind someone doing 10 under the limit isn't fun. Nor is it really satisfying when you overtake them without leaving the overdrive gear. But the car that you have to wang on it and bounce off the rev limiter to do the same thing? Great fun.

Driving an AMG Benz at 100mph is boring. Doing the same thing in a rental Hyundai and noticing that the fuse panel under the dash starts whistling at 105mph? Hysterically good fun.
 
Definitely. For a track car, I wouldn't go for an expensive, turbocharged high-end car. Mitsubishi Evo six-speed dual clutch? Transmission prone to overheating after a really hard thrash. Volvo S60 twin-turbo V6? Underhood heat of the lead-melting variety...

You want something nippy, simple and light. A 2.5 liter naturally aspirated Mazda3, a Mini Cooper S (yes, it's turbocharged, but heavily so. A Miata.

Heck, buy a race-prepped Miata or even a Mazda2/Fit (for the new B-Class series). Lots of fun lapping more powerful cars in something lighter, grippier and infinitely better under braking.
 
Cale
In all honesty I would buy a C5 Z06 for $30K, and use the other $20,000 for a couple mods and tires/track prep/track memberships etc.

Two seats, 405hp, and 30mpg highway, plus it'll run around a track all day long.
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That sounds hard to beat, as long as you find one in good condition.

If you're looking for something new, the Mustang and 370Z are pretty good cars, though a couple of the reviews for the Z were surprising, namely extreme brake fade (a while ago, they might have fixed that) and a bit of tail happiness. You could possibly mitigate those issues with some performance parts though.
 
Need to fix the rear end (supposedly) before tracking it.

Was going to suggest the Z. The synchro-rev thing sounds like a good way to preserve synchros down the line, as ham-fisted flat-out shifting can ruins synchros in short order on the racetrack.

And yeah, Nissan brakes suck for fade... but not many street cars can hold up to more than a few laps without fade, anyway...
 
I'd go with an S2000. Lower mileage AP2 for $18,000 tops. Add a rollbar, hardtop, coilovers, wheels, tires, brakes. Should still be under $25,000. Eventually get into that to make it faster as I'd gain experience. I'd probably have enough left to build a second car, even with all that done. MR2 turbo, maybe.


Alternatively, an LSx swapped FD RX7 can be had for around $20k. Sexy looks, sexy sounds.


Edit: The issue with the 370Z were that the Nismo package did not include the Nismo track pads. They overheated and basically lost all braking power. Afterwards I believe all Nismo Zs came with the pads as standard or something like that.

Last year an almost brand new 370Z popped a motor at an autocross in Nashville, TN.
 
Exorcet
That sounds hard to beat, as long as you find one in good condition.

If you're looking for something new, the Mustang and 370Z are pretty good cars, though a couple of the reviews for the Z were surprising, namely extreme brake fade (a while ago, they might have fixed that) and a bit of tail happiness. You could possibly mitigate those issues with some performance parts though.
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If you go Mustang gonna definetly need to get one with the Brembo brake package. My mustang does not have the Brembo brake package and I have braked a high speeds and while it gets the job done I'm not confident it has the stamina. Also, the stock suspension would have to go.
 
Chances are some Hawk pads and DOT4 brake fluid would be a noticeable improvement on yours, Blackbird. I'd feel more confident doing track duty with Brembos and even then, track rated pads.
 
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What do other Mustang owners say about the Brembo package? I have a friend with the Brembo package for the Genesis Coupe, and it doesn't improve things by much. Moves fade back maybe three or four stops, but that's it.

Competition pads and DOT4 fluid are a must for most cars...
 
Keef
A first-gen Miata with nice paint and $45,000 worth of parts and tuning done to it.

/thread
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^ This, in my opinion. Close, at least.

Build a Miata to spec (will probably cost you some 10-12 grand, at worst), get a decent daily driver for 30 grand and start with another 8-10 grand in your pocket to pay for repairs and consumables.

Having a car that doubles as a track car and daily means you're in trouble with your daily driving if something brakes down or you've had an accident on track. I wouldn't feel too comfortable with that in mind. And I like having some cash in reserve, just in case something goes amiss.

Aside from that, a used 'Vette, as has been mentioned before...
 
Eric.
Edit: The issue with the 370Z were that the Nismo package did not include the Nismo track pads. They overheated and basically lost all braking power. Afterwards I believe all Nismo Zs came with the pads as standard or something like that.

Last year an almost brand new 370Z popped a motor at an autocross in Nashville, TN.
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Even after they "fixed" the problem the new brake system and brake fluids still woefully underperformed. I remember the follow up article saying this and also saying they were guessing it was due to Nissan going for better gas mileage numbers and neglecting to provide enough air cooling to the brakes.
 
niky
What do other Mustang owners say about the Brembo package? I have a friend with the Brembo package for the Genesis Coupe, and it doesn't improve things by much. Moves fade back maybe three or four stops, but that's it.

Competition pads and DOT4 fluid are a must for most cars...
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I haven't really read any posts that tell how they perform on the track. At the same time they probably don't come with comp pads or DOT4 fluid stock.

Eric.
Chances are some Hawk pads and DOT4 brake fluid would be a noticeable improvement on yours, Blackbird. I'd feel more confident with Brembos and even then, track rated pads.
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If I decide to track it later on ill have to do that. 👍 Even though the mustang is the lightest of the three (camaro and challenger) its still a bit of a beast at around 3600lbs.
 
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An EF Honda Civic in black, with 10 spoke black rims, a little lowered, a few engine mods.

And you will have cash to spare.
 
£32k buys you an Ariel Atom 300.

Job very much jobbed.
 
niky
You want something nippy, simple and light. A 2.5 liter naturally aspirated Mazda3, a Mini Cooper S (yes, it's turbocharged, but heavily so. A Miata.
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The turbo Cooper S's are very prone to melting, even with street driving for extended time the hood scoop will melt. I can't imagine what would happen with a thrashing, unless you modified something to keep the turbo cooler.
 
Joey D
The turbo Cooper S's are very prone to melting, even with street driving for extended time the hood scoop will melt. I can't imagine what would happen with a thrashing, unless you modified something to keep the turbo cooler.
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Fab up a heat shield.
 
Joey D
The turbo Cooper S's are very prone to melting, even with street driving for extended time the hood scoop will melt. I can't imagine what would happen with a thrashing, unless you modified something to keep the turbo cooler.
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Really? I've had many track weekends on mine. No melting. No Problems.
 
Famine
£32k buys you an Ariel Atom 300.

Job very much jobbed.
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hawkeye122
This would be my car for driving around everyday, so 2 seats would be nice.
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Kinda a catch there I'm afraid.

Anyway...Golf GTI. Any kind - but if you get a MkI, V or VI don't go for mods. Those ones are all best kept natural. Of course, if you need to spend more money, then get the new Golf R (or for a MkIV maybe an R32)...which has 260hp and 4WD.
 
I think you should amend the thread title.

If you're driving it every day, you're not looking for a "track car". A BMW is not a track car, for example. What you are looking for is, apparently, a daily driver that happens to be fun on a track also.

But since your budget is $50,000, you're probably looking at cars that are way to powerful, big, and heavy to be an interesting track car. Plus the requirement that is have two seats...yeah, you're not getting any interesting crazy British boutique racer with two seats. You're going to end up with a luxury car with a lot of power, basically.
 
M3 CSLs are going for around £25-30,000. With the leftover money you could upgrade the brakes.
 
I'd be tempted to say this for something like 6 grand:

_Ford_Racing_Puma4b61ab322c14d.jpg


The rest would inevitably be spent retroactively replacing all the bits that rust away.

EDIT

Crikey that was a big picture. And yes I think I might have to shift over to Essex if I carry on answering threads with things like that.
 
C-ZETA
Kinda a catch there I'm afraid.
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How do you figure? They have 2 seats.

Keef
Plus the requirement that is have two seats...yeah, you're not getting any interesting crazy British boutique racer with two seats.
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Count them:

countem.jpg
 
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Bottoz
Really? I've had many track weekends on mine. No melting. No Problems.
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When I was around North American Motoring it seemed like a lot of people complained out it. I had the non-S so I never had to worry, but the couple of times I got an S for the day while my car was in for service I couldn't help but feel how how the hood scoop got.
 

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