Best weekend warrior

So i recently sold my E30 in hopes of getting into something different. Made a wish list I hope some of you guys can chime in and give me your experiences with these cars.

What I want- A weekend car that I can take to a track event, throw it around the track, change the tires and drive home with no worries. I have plans on doing Time Trails with said car. Also said car has to be able to be streetable so when I want go out for a road trip or head to the twisties to have fun. I already have a truck to daily so its strictly a fun car. Prefer the consumables to be cheaper, obviously these cars on the list won't compare to the E30, but I don't want to spend coin like I did on my STi trying to track it.

My Number ONE thing: reliability I could give a dam about being the fastest, altho it be nice to place in TT.

My background: Already have done TT events, came from subaru land then sold it off to get into an E30. Said E30 became track prepped, swapped the engine, and said E30 wasn't very fun to ride around in anymore :( .

List so far

-C5 Corvette (FRC, Coupe)

-s2000

-Mustang S197 or Foxbody

- Subaru 2.5 rs (If i can even find one)

-I know everyone says MIATA, but I already drive my friends at track events and it doesn't appeal to me.

-944 kinda of a mehh

- Camaro

Feel free to add ideas.

thanks

budget?  both acquisition, mod/setup, and yearly "consumables"

it looks like you're focused on RWD and/or AWD, only?  Manual required?

G35/37's are dropping into cheap price ranges... might be something to add to the list.

C5 z06 all the way. Although your brake and tire budget is higher than, say, a S2000. Also they're so darn fast I'd only track one with extra safety equipment.

C5. Parts aren't cheap, but are very cheap for what they are. I'd want to look at the rulebook to see if there is a place for a non Z06 car to compete in TT. It's all power/weight + modifiers now, right? 

I'll throw out the Infinity G35 Coupe. Comfortable crusier, quick enough to get the blood flowing, and so far pretty reliable. I have been very impressed with mine so far. Parts have been reasonable, and it's pretty easy to work on. 

C5, 986, or GT86 depending on your tastes and budget. C5 will be the fastest, GT86 the cheapest to keep running, the the 986 the most "special". I've had all 3 and loved all three. You should be able to get a cleanish 986 for less than the other two.

Very trusted and long time GRM'er, Jeremy, Pimpm3, has a couple of ready to go options in Jacksonville that might interest you.  

BMW M3/4/5

2013 GTI 4 dr

The Corvette is appealing to me, but the cost of tires scares me.  If I'm honest, the speeds I could attain scare me as well.    

Miata seems perfect, but I get it.    

I'd then go for an E30, but you've BTDT.    

Next on my list would be a track-prepped Civic or Integra.  A buddy recently sold his for $2k, and that thing had all the go-fast suspension bits you could ever want and a roll bar. That leaves a lot of budget for track days, and its still street-able.  Lot's of track rats out there.  

After that, it would be Mustang.  Again, I'd try for one that was track-prepped already.  I love the sleepers, not much to see from the outside other than a slightly lowered stance, but underneath it's all coil-overs and track bars and braces.  Mmmmmmmmmm

if you are looking for best fast/dollar, c5 is the winner all day long. Low running cost would go to miata. Or mustang/camaro or FWD almost anything. 

Unfortunately, if you are looking for fun, that is much harder for me to define. What cars do you like the looks of? Unfortunately going into classic sports cars means you are pretty slow at TT events, which may be a problem sharing the track with fast cars. 

I've been a long-time fan of the e46 M3. Especially if you get a crazy color combo. 

Which Miata did you drive?  A 1.6 NA is a whole different little creature than an NC.  Having just graduated from my third Miata to an MX-5 I can tell you that it's enormously different.

C5 or S2000.  I drive a C5 I decided Miata or S2000 was a bit slow for my preference although they're both fun to drive.  If you run a 18" square setup you can find scrub tires relatively inexpensively most of the C5/C6 folks I track with run them.  

My vote is gonna be for a C5. They're finally coming down to prices that make sense and there are proven reliable builds all over the place.

When you say Camaro...what generation? 4th to 5th generation is a pretty big leap. If an SS isn't mandatory, I know 5th gen V6s are getting in to the sub-$10k range now. Or if you're looking at 4th gen, I also suggest the 98-02 Trans Am BUT people have been wanting as much or more than a C5 for them.

Wow thanks for the replies guys, a nice list of cars I haven't even thought about. Done the AWD thing while it awesome to be able to fly out of a corner in a high Hp car, i still found a RWD to be more rewarding. Never done the FWD thing. That is correct id be in NASA TT stuff, although I hear SCCA is trying a comeback in their TT events. So its all P/W ratios from here makes the class. Maybe redline for E36 M3s and giggles (no intention of winning lol)

Yes must be manual im not about having electronics do the driving for me.

I was driving a NA miata 1.6 don't get me wrong fun on the track, but loses my appeal outside of track days. I had a ex whom had an NC it was auto magic  fun setup, like the hardtop option, but ehhh I guess Ill try to scout one at a dealer with a 6 speed and give it a go.

 The g35ers how does it round at the track? any reliability mods right off the bat that is needed? I normally run Instructor level groups at track events so I do go pretty hard with my cars. Is the 350z essentially the same thing?

I was looking at 5th gen Camaro, not a fan of the older bodies.

Im leaning into the mustang or vette territory after having driven both recently at an AutoX. Mustang had some suspension done to it already S197 era non-IRA. It was wild heavy but it was fun to throw around. The vette was a stock c5 coupe. and man I was impressed for a stock car, pure brute, but it was much more planted and easier to drive IMO. Im an hour away from summit racing so lots of goodies I can pick up there for both cars thats a plus.

I know they are both more costly on consumables my realistic tentative  schedule is probably 8 track events a year with it (mix of DE and TT) 

I hear the c5 eats rotors like a fatkid on cake and takes big boy tires. Altho back in TTA the C5 guys destroyed records on $25 dollar NAPA blanks. I use ducts or cooling mods on every brake system i take to the track. Been there done that when the pedal hits the floor going into 10a at road atlanta. Does the c5 LS1 have an Achilles heel? I see lots of em out at the track whether its swapped or in a vette. Does the LS1 require any cooling mods out of the box? Oil baffling needed?

But mustang takes some coin to make it turn. (MM and Griggs suspension kits ive looked at) Does that only apply to the foxbodies? I hear the S197 is stiffer and takes less work? True or False?

I would recommend a 996 c2. They are pretty cheap and lots of fun to throw around the track. Pads and rotors are cheap. 

In reply to dhof :

350Zs and G35s are pretty similar. If you're gonna be running them hard I'd highly recommend installing an oil cooler. The vLSDs also tend to stop working as limited-slips once heat-soaked. Either drive it like an open diff or invest in a Tomei 1.5 way clutch-type LSD (and if you're doing that, throw in a set of 4.08 rear gears and make it a monster). Otherwise they do great around tracks. Progressive breakaway, more likely to oversteer than understeer, great steering feel, good brakes if you find one with factory Brembos, plenty of power. They're prone to oil-burning but they're dead reliable as long as you keep oil in them. They aren't nearly as focused as C5s are but they're cheap and they're fantastic all-around cars.

I had a 2003 c5.  It was fast but it broke both times I took it to the track.  I went with it after reading how it was the easy button.  A tree put it out of its broken misery during Irma last year.

I ended up with an e36 m3.  It is fast, easy to drive, and is not awful on consumables.  I have taken it to several track days with out issue.

I am selling it as john mentioned, not for any reason other than I have way to many cars and it is the one I drive the least.

I see the 996 prices dropping is the Porsche tax bad on those things?

G_body: Is the aftermarket the same between the two models? I always thought the G35 was a more luxury version of the 350z.

pimpm3: im sorry to hear that i like the blue. May I ask what mechanical issues you faced with it? Ive been back and forth with the e36m3 havent had the joy to drive one flat out yet, but ive heard great things. Only thing that worries me is a lot of them ive seen for sale have buko miles and the fact a lot of these younger kids get them and think they are the drift king. Atleast here in Atlanta. I may have to check out your m3 though, my parents live not far from Jax.

I have my eye on one FRC torch red low miles (60k) I may highly consider. For the vette guys the FRC is aka: z51 no? So fatter sways, more aggressive shock, power steering cooler as well? Where there any other differences between that and a coupe?

Reason I don't choose the Zo6 is well I plan on doing a suspension upgrade and I really don't care for if I have 405 ponies, 345 is more than enough for me, especially coming from a momentum car.

e36 m3. They are pretty cheap and great all-around cars other than the meh interior. 

I like the 944 (or better, 924S) idea, but I'm a bit biased. On the upside, you can carry your set of track tires in the car and it's about the size of a miata, with more power, and roughly similar track times. 

Right at this moment, as someone who currently owns an e30 rally car and a 924S weekend car...I'm big on the idea of doing a 944S2. Actual race driver Chris Mitchum (who has run everything from spec miata to SCCR to Lamborghinia Trofeo Cup), years ago told me that his "ideal" track car was a 944S2, for whatever that's worth. Eventually I'd love to swap an S2 motor into my 924S. 

In reply to dhof :

Almost everything that fits on a 350Z will fit on a RWD G35. IIRC the only thing that isn't interchangeable is the driveshaft due to the G35's longer wheelbase.

In reply to dhof :

Mine ate two differentials.  Its oil temperature also got pretty high during each 20 minute session.  I am not sure if z06's or frc's have better oil coolers.

For reference we were at roebling road in Savannah in summer.

How much time and $$$ are you willing to put into it to prep it if it will be very inexpensive to purchase and maintain once prepped? Also how pretty does it need to be for those weekends? 

Dang thats unfortunate. My local track is AMP and Road Atlanta so i will be seeing those temp. 

Depends on the platform. If were talking swapping engines, trans, and having to do crazy suspension setups then i dont want nada to do with it. Which is what is turning me off about the mustang. 

Not looking for a hideous beast, but not a show quality car, just something descent. looking track cars don't have to look like crap Imo.  

In reply to dhof :

Honestly I was running similar times in the m3 to the c5 right out of the box because the m3 is so neutral.  It's like a slightly bigger faster miata, with a back seat, room for tires and that runs a high 13 in the quarter 

I am going to strongly suggest a Boxster or Cayman. We had a 2004 Boxster that we did track days, long distance trips and hundreds of autocross runs. They are an absolute dream on the track and will take a pounding without a whimper, and the Porsche Club of America is an awesome group to be a part of. Over the years we replaced brake discs, pads and clutch and everything was cheap and easy for the DIY type. Eventually we bolted R-Comp tires on it and got serious about competing in autocross after many, many 7000 rpm clutch dumps, we broke 1st gear and expected a large repair bill. But no, found a used trans for $800 and it took only 3 hours to take the old one out and bolt the new one in. The car got 36 mpg on the highway (at 75 mph) and held a ton of luggage. 

350z are pretty reliable on the track from what I've heard.  And anything that needs work is fairly simple and parts are readily available.

Also, they have a lot of bang for the buck.