Fun stock vehicle

Lotus Elise.

Stock Miata's springs are just way too soft.

I auto-x'd one with Koni's, pads, and azenis and it was a lot of fun, but it did lean a lot.

How are stock C4 vettes?

S2000?

BMW Z3/4?

BMW M coupe?

Apexcarver wrote: How are stock C4 vettes? Pretty E36 M3ty S2000? Much better than option 1 BMW Z3/4 M coupe(FTFY) Faster than either of the other two listed here, but the s2k can beat them handling wise

Nope. There is no vehicle I can think of I would leave stock (which is why I would never even if I had the money buy something a Ferrari 250GTO because I wouldn't be able to leave it alone...). I would think a Caterham R500 would be about the closest thing that I could leave stock...

RX-8 R3 Of course I'm biased.

CGLockRacer wrote: RX-8 R3 with LS1/T56 Of course I'm biased.

FTFY... but they didn't come that way.

scardeal wrote: So, the question is (for you), is there a stock vehicle that is "good enough" for fun driving and autocross use that you're not tempted to modify, because it would potentially ruin something already nearly perfect?

Guess it's perspective. For me, almost any car is "good enough" for fun driving. It's just as much fun to hustle a crappy car around and make it dance as it is to take a car designed to go fast. But to answer the question in the context I think you're getting at...I can think of several I'd love to grab and wring the crap out of.

Miata
Elise
Corvette
CTS-V
Exige

::threadjack::

In reply to Bobzilla:

Like this? http://tougefactory.com/shop/2013/03/tf-works-ls2-swapped-2nd-gen-rx8-r3/

::end threadjack::

A bone-stock FR-S/BRZ is a really fun car.

--Dan
Mach V

CGLockRacer wrote: RX-8 R3 Of course I'm biased.

I find my RX-8... underwhelming. It needs another 50 horseys.

In reply to scardeal:

Oops...didn't see you had one.

Actually, when the rear tires are snows and the fronts are all seasons, it's pretty fun. But when it has summer tires all around, the fun feels a bit muted.

But, honestly, it wasn't a recommend me thread, because it'll be a while before my penny bucket fills up.

I imagine they're getting a bit hard to find in stock form today, but I'll cast a vote for the classic 2nd Gen Mazda RX-7 Turbo II.

CGLockRacer wrote: ::threadjack:: In reply to Bobzilla: Like this? http://tougefactory.com/shop/2013/03/tf-works-ls2-swapped-2nd-gen-rx8-r3/ ::end threadjack::

Oh.... my......Ungh... Tissue please!

Im gonna go with the FerrzBerrz option. It's good enough stock that it will take most people a LOT of seat time before their driving is actually better than the car is, and it's pretty fun to drive bone-stock.

Id say other cars are in the same boat but i sort of equate not-modifying with never having to repair anything (thus the new-car warranty) because a LOT of upgrades happen in the midst of doing needed repairs.

DrBoost wrote: There's a small, two-seat, Japanese car that comes to mind. It's RWD, convertible, starts with an M....

The polar opposite is a four-seat, German, front drive hatchback, starts with G.. but works great when stock.

*note: offer not valid after 1988

Apexcarver wrote: Stock Miata's springs are just way too soft. I auto-x'd one with Koni's, pads, and azenis and it was a lot of fun, but it did lean a lot. How are stock C4 vettes?

If you get one with the Z51 suspension package, the handling is good enough you can just throw better tires on it and call it a day unless your driving skills are a lot better than mine.

The drivetrain is another story. You'll probably be tempted to either give the motor a major performance rebuild, or swap it for something in the LSx family. The TPI motor and 700R4 felt like they should have been installed in a Caprice or pickup, instead of the chassis they were in.

And if you care at all about interior looks, you probably won't be able to leave that stock, either.

I could live with a stock E36 M3.

The only fun vehicles I would not be tempted to modify, except for wheels and tires, are relatively rare ones. Mazdaspeed Miata or Protege. Focus SVT. Focus or Fiesta ST (given American car makers' track record with hot hatches, I doubt there'll be a second generation of either). Integra Type R.

Most anything else is fair game.

The only car I've owned that didn't need to be nodded was the Z06.

cayman

Come to think of it, i wouldnt do a damn thing to a Cayman until i felt like i was a pro driver and could fairly point to something specific about the car holding me back. I am a long way from that point.

This may sound nuts, but the only car I've ever had that I have no desire to modify is my Peugeot 405 Mi16. I've got an early 1.9L car and it's pretty much the perfect daily driver. Everytime I get the urge to futz with it, I realize it's good enough in stock form that modding it will only ruin it. Not even shocks/springs.

I've even decided to keep it on 15" all-season tires. The car slides into beautiful and easily controlled 4-wheel drifts. I think stickier rubber would make it less fun to hoon around in.

I'd imagine that I would have no desire to modify an Ariel Atom.

S197 Mustang.