# Track day car. What to buy?



## f1fan (Jun 22, 2007)

I've been thinking about a track day car and what to buy. I'm looking for a very specific car that would definately not be a daily driver. Alot of what I would like about the car is the ability to change/tune the car, ease of maintenance/obtaining parts, and relatively low initial cost. My recent searches have included the FM Westfield (think Lotus 7 with Miata parts), an actual Miata, Lotus Elise, and older Boxster. Anyone with experience please respond, tks. BTW, it must be street legal.


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## getz (Sep 21, 2007)

Get a used Lotus exige or elise. They are dirt cheap now with low miles, and you can still use them on the street. The Lotus 7 is awesome, but it is truly a track day car. If you have dough the 911 cup cars are amazing. Forget the Boxter, a Cayman S is way more capable on a track. Also, the Z06 can be had used very cheaply now as well.
-Getz


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## stylinexpat (May 23, 2004)

Beenthere said:


> ...or the new M3 GT 3 would be fun. :angel:
> 
> http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=410102


If it only comes to the US


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## f1fan (Jun 22, 2007)

Getz, thanks for the response. I have looked at the Elise/Exige but I do have a question. Are parts readily available? (not so much drivetrain because Toyota is involved, which is nice) but suspension, body panels, etc.. Also, you are right, the Cayman would be a better car than the Boxster (my friend tracks one and it is a beast, pricey to fix though). I never thought of a Z06, hmmm, C6 right? Porsche Cup car would be out of my wife's price range, lol. I thought of the Miata because of the number of people who race them, and it would be a wealth of info and lower cost overall. How many miles do you think is too much on the Elise/Exige, and what years are better (if you happen to know). Tks.


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## AzNMpower32 (Oct 23, 2005)

If you can stand the insurance cost, my preferred track car would be a Mitsu Evo.


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## 6 Brit (Jan 19, 2009)

miata hands down
until you want something fast then get a Z06

I want a first gen mr2 lol I am not sure why but i have always loved them...thats the next project though


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## getz (Sep 21, 2007)

One of my buddies tracks a Lotus Elise, and he has been able to run it fairly cheaply. There are lotus dealerships all over the country, and parts are readily available, although I doubt anything is cheap. Other than chewing through track day tires he hasn't had many problems. The miatas are really nice cars for the track, however, I have a feeling that if you get really involved with this hobby, you will be wishing you had something with more horsepower. I would say the most bang for the buck would be a c6 z06. I wouldn't let everyday mile scare me on any of the mentioned cars, but high track miles would worry me some. You can also find on occasion race prepped E30 E36 3 series which are also really fast with all the weight reduction, etc. Honestly, whatever you get will be a blast, and probably the most important purchase would be time with a good driving instructor, or hitting up some courses. Have fun!
-Getz

p/s
Almost forgot the E46 M3. If you start pulling out the back seat, and doing all the weight reduction tricks, these things are animals as well. I would stay away from the SMG cars though, if the miles are high, simply because the clutch runs about 5 grand to replace.


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## getz (Sep 21, 2007)

stylinexpat said:


> If it only comes to the US


From what I read this car will miss the US? Is it indeed coming?



> M3 GTS deliveries will commence in Germany this spring, where it will cost €115,000. Other markets will follow soon after, but they won't include the U.S., where it seems BMW couldn't make a solid business case for a $100,000-plus M3. Bummer.


Taken from car and driver.

-Getz


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## Emission (Dec 19, 2001)

I was in your shoes several years back... my research pushed me into:

Porsche Boxster.

I have never looked back. :thumbup:

Turn it into a street-legal Boxster BSX spec race car!

http://www.specboxster.com/

I have to run out, but I will post pics in a few hours.

- Mike


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## Emission (Dec 19, 2001)

getz said:


> Forget the Boxter, a Cayman S is way more capable on a track.
> 
> -Getz


I take pleasure in passing Cayman S models in my 2.5-liter Boxster (non-S) on the track. :thumbup:

- Mike


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## Emission (Dec 19, 2001)

Back to the Boxster.

You can pick up a high mileage 97-99 Boxster for about $10,000 (like the one I did in the left pic). Mine has 115,000 on the clock. They have 2.5-liter flat-6 engines rated at 201 hp. This is the spec series model. They get a bad rap for RMS (rear main seal) failures, but I found one with only 20,000 on the new engine. Mine leaks oil, but they are as dependable as hell on the track. You can track them completely stock.

Add $3,500 in suspension upgrades (PSS9 coilovers, sways, etc...) and you have a killer track car. Upgrade to 235 front/255 rear R-compounds (17-inch stock wheels), and it will pull 1.4 g's on the track and pass just about everyone in the corners (assuming you have the momentum, that is). 

From there, you can add seats, steering wheel, harnesses, roll bar extension, etc... to built it into a full-blown Spec BSX racer. Again, they are always street legal. 

Once built as a race car, they really don't depreciate anymore. Today (right pic) mine is worth about $24,000 as it sits.

Yes, both pics are the same car!

- Mike


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## getz (Sep 21, 2007)

Emission said:


> I take pleasure in passing Cayman S models in my 2.5-liter Boxster (non-S) on the track. :thumbup:
> 
> - Mike


Would you be faster in a Cayman S or a Boxster around that track? Be honest.
-Getz


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## GusIsBoosted (Jul 12, 2009)

Get a 1st gen eclipse GSX (or the eagle equivalent)

they are pretty damn cheap.

and with a few grand can be made into amazingly powerful cars with outstanding handling.

Way faster than any boxter or cayman.

yeah yeah they arent the BEST looking cars.... but damn either are miatas.....

DSM is the way to go.


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## Emission (Dec 19, 2001)

getz said:


> Would you be faster in a Cayman S or a Boxster around that track? Be honest.
> -Getz


Two _identically_ prepared vehicles... the Cayman would be _slightly_ faster. We are talking _tenths _of a second. However, that is mostly due to aerodynamics.

(Their weights are within _a few pounds _of each other.)

True, the Cayman is 100 percent more rigid than the Boxster, but the convertible platform is amazingly stiff just out of the box. Few drivers would ever notice it (none of the racers ever complain about chassis flex in the Boxster). The big deal is aerodynamics. The soft top increases the Cd. by .01, and that is a big deal at 100 mph. I would love a Cayman for its sleek roof, if for no other reason.

However, the used Boxster "donor car" is about $10,000 these days. The average used Cayman "donor car" is going to be at least $20,000! Plus, the 3.2-liter engines in the Cayman have been exploding on the track (no joke).

I really feel that performance for the cost, the Boxster is a winner. It is much more refined than a Miata (which I just about purchased).

Yes, if you have really deep pockets the Cayman is a better track car. Barely.

- Mike


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## Emission (Dec 19, 2001)

getz said:


> Would you be faster in a Cayman S or a Boxster around that track? Be honest.
> -Getz


Oh, a stock Cayman S vs. my Boxster spec racer... my Boxster.

It is all in the suspension and tires. I routinely pass stock Boxster S models on the track. But, that is not a very fair comparison so I don't gloat about it (except to you). 

- Mike


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## 6 Brit (Jan 19, 2009)

Emission said:


> Back to the Boxster.
> 
> You can pick up a high mileage 97-99 Boxster for about $10,000 (like the one I did in the left pic). Mine has 115,000 on the clock. They have 2.5-liter flat-6 engines rated at 201 hp. This is the spec series model. They get a bad rap for RMS (rear main seal) failures, but I found one with only 20,000 on the new engine. Mine leaks oil, but they are as dependable as hell on the track. You can track them completely stock.
> 
> ...


ahhh willow springs big track :thumbup:


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## Ryan M (Dec 20, 2006)

Emission said:


> I take pleasure in passing Cayman S models in my 2.5-liter Boxster (non-S) on the track. :thumbup:
> 
> - Mike


That must have more to do with driver skill. All else being equal, a Cayman S should run circles around a Boxter.


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## Emission (Dec 19, 2001)

Ryan M said:


> That must have more to do with driver skill. All else being equal, a Cayman S should run circles around a Boxter.


You are exactly correct.

However, a stock Cayman S running on Michelin PS2 tires is no match for a lowered, lightened, corner balanced Boxster with PSS9s and sways running on R-compound tires. A stock Cayman S rides pretty high, for a track car.

_Don't tell my 911 or Boxster, but I feel the stock Cayman S is the best-handling street car currently available on the market. _

- Mike


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## Emission (Dec 19, 2001)

Compare ride heights... stock Cayman S (left), my spec racer (right). Mine is dropped about 2 inches, plus my driver's seat is down another 2 inches.

- Mike


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## Ryan M (Dec 20, 2006)

Emission said:


> You are exactly correct.
> 
> However, a stock Cayman S running on Michelin PS2 tires is no match for a lowered, lightened, corner balanced Boxster with PSS9s and sways running on R-compound tires. A stock Cayman S rides pretty high, for a track car.
> 
> ...


Yeah, that makes sense. I wouldn't mind having any Porsche, even a die cast model :rofl:.


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