Help a newb pick a de machine

I'm new to tracking cars and could use some advise.  I bought a new 2011 BMW 128i 6mt sport pkg last year and over the last year,  I've tracked it 4 times.  It was a blast and I want to do more of it.  I was considering putting camber plates on the car to save front tires, but began to second guess how much I really want  to continue to track this car.  I've grown so attached to  it as a  daily driver, and it is one of the last small bimmers  to  come with an inline 6,  that I think I might want to pamper it and keep it long term.   

This means that I may  want a track car I can abuse!

It must be streetable.  I will drive to tracks that might be pretty far away, like Road Atlanta from New Orleans far.

My local track is fast (Nola motorsports) park. A long straight and  a few fast sweepers.  I would like to be able to get come good speed out of it.  I hit  135 on our main straight in my 128 still pulling and I would l like something that can equal or better it.

Good handling, Low weight, low consumables cost and high reliability.  Much prefer rwd. 

Cars I've considered that I think fit my operating budget  are the s2000, miata,  e30 or e36.   I will discuss  my thoughts on each.

I drove and s2000 and loved the handling.  It would be fun to have a convertible for occasional pretty  day street use as my 128 is a hard top.  The power was completely uninspiring.  On paper they are supposed to be fast,  but no way does this thing have near the guts of my 128.    Very peaky which really is not that bad for a track car, but even during the nanosecond when the thing is on the pipe,  it just does not feel fast at all.  I think I would need a supercharger to make me happy.  Will it hold up well?   

I love driving miatas, but I think it might not be fast enough for our track.   Again,  would forced induction be fast enough and reliable enough?  One would think a 2300# car would be quick enough with near 240hp.  The convertible again is a big draw. Which fi for track use? I'm thinking sc for throttle response.

E30/e36 w m3 power. I think a good solution for our track.  Again love the BMW 6,  but  it would require lots of wrk to restore and buying  a track prepped unit would probably not get me something I could or would want to drive much on street.

These are my newbie thoughts  and I'm looking for guidance from those more knowledgeable.

Thanks in advance.

go find an Integra Type R. A real Type R, not some GSR someone put a badge on. Leave it stock, it'll be a blast on the track and still a good street driver. By far the purest "driver's car" FWD car I've ever had the luck to drive.

Otherwise, you can find a Z06 from the early 2000s for $15k or so, and it's mostly out-of-the-box track car.

A cheap way to pick up a moderately powerful car is a Fox body, then put a lot of bolt on parts on it to get it to go round corners.

Lots of info is available on how to make these go fast.

A fast V8 is always fun at the track.

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/help-with-79-83-mustangs/40725/page1/

Turbo miata or rotrex superharged miata. You can start with a normally aspirated one and add power as your skills improve.

You already like the Bimmer.. and you seem to be comfortible in them. You can get a very nice E36 M3 for less than 10grand.

Buy an E36/46 that already has a BMWCCA logbook. A well prepped BMW H, IP or JP car is going to be one of the fastest cars at any DE and because of the BMW CR rules - it has to still be mostly a BMW road car with upgrades. It will cost you more - (~16-20k) but you will be getting a sorted, fast car with all of the safety equipment that you will labor to justify later. You will also have a car that can fetch your money back if you need to get out of it - or if you want to go racing next year.

Add up the cost of suspension, cams, headers, exhaust, tuning, cage, seat, lexan, extra wheels and parts and so on as well as all the time to sort it and prep it and you are saving a lot of money. Especially if you aren't the sort to do it yourself but even then - if you would rather be driving the events you pay for, buy a finished car.

If you shop carefully at the end of summer there are insane deals to be had. Take it to a BMWCCA tech shop with a good rep and have it inspected for "shenanigans" before you buy.

I have a couple of thoughts, First, ow much are you looking to spend? that would be helpful for anyone giving advice.

I think one problem you have is if you really want that big top end, that usually means a bigger, heavier, more HP car, which drives up the consumables.

Lastly, I'm very confused by your thoughts on the s2000, this was my first thought for a car for this. the 128 i = 3200 lbs, and 230 HP, 0-60 in 6 or a little more , weight/hp = 13.9

s2000 is 2875 lbs, 237 hp, o-60 in 5.7 weight/ hp = 12.1

I just don't see how this is slower than what you have. Now, you have to flog the ever loving out of it and sometimes that takes some getting used to.

Let's see here. Light weight convertible with a V8, capable of 150 plus MPH, for under 10 grand. Only cars that come to mind are an LS1 Miata or a slightly modified TR8. At this point almost all of the TR8s are either slightly or heavily modified anyway, and they are extremely comfy on long rides.

dude....cars AND ESPECIALLY BMWS do not like to be pampered. Get an extra wheel-tire package, keep good oil in it, watch your gauges, keep it out of the tire barriers and track/drive the piss out of it. It will likely be less troublesome and run just as many miles as the same car that stays garaged and babied.

irish44j wrote: Otherwise, you can find a Z06 from the early 2000s for $15k or so, and it's mostly out-of-the-box track car.

sheesh...they're down to that? I was gonna ask 20 for mine. shoulda sold it last year

Rv6driver wrote: I drove and s2000 and loved the handling.  It would be fun to have a convertible for occasional pretty  day street use as my 128 is a hard top.  The power was completely uninspiring.  On paper they are supposed to be fast,  but no way does this thing have near the guts of my 128.    Very peaky which really is not that bad for a track car, but even during the nanosecond when the thing is on the pipe,  it just does not feel fast at all.  I think I would need a supercharger to make me happy.  Will it hold up well?   

Sorry to hear you feel the S2K doesn't have enough power. I think it's more than adequate (A lot quicker than a 128i). With bolt-ons it should be 240-250 whp, and in ST trim is in the 26xx lb range, so is plenty quick. The good news here is: it likes boost. It will hold up fine. Plenty of people over 500hp on the stock block. If you do a small/medium sized turbo, or an SC with good tuning, power in the mid 300s is easily achievable with excellent reliability.

ProDarwin wrote:

Rv6driver wrote: I drove and s2000 and loved the handling.  It would be fun to have a convertible for occasional pretty  day street use as my 128 is a hard top.  The power was completely uninspiring.  On paper they are supposed to be fast,  but no way does this thing have near the guts of my 128.    Very peaky which really is not that bad for a track car, but even during the nanosecond when the thing is on the pipe,  it just does not feel fast at all.  I think I would need a supercharger to make me happy.  Will it hold up well?   

Sorry to hear you feel the S2K doesn't have enough power. I think it's more than adequate (A lot quicker than a 128i). With bolt-ons it should be 240-250 whp, and in ST trim is in the 26xx lb range, so is plenty quick. The good news here is: it likes boost. It will hold up fine. Plenty of people over 500hp on the stock block. If you do a small/medium sized turbo, or an SC with good tuning, power in the mid 300s is easily achievable with excellent reliability.

Remember, this guy is a newb by his own admission.

Find a car you like the way it feels. Learn to drive it, then add more power.

You say an S2000 doesn't have enough power. I learned to drive on 400+ HP V8s and I find the S2000 is plenty fast enough. I had a 4 hours in one and learned what the car wanted. I couldn't drive it like big V8 it needed to rev.

By asking for opinions, you are miles ahead of people who won't. Find something YOU like. Do an HPDE or driving school in it or rent one to make up your mind. Then start modding.

Many people on here have a varying range of experiences. Many awesome cars have been suggested. Based on your comment I would say you like torque over top end power. Which is fine.

My suggestion on the car alone is get you a FFR Cobra. You can learn to drive it, mod it to the new rules, have a great track car and a fun street car on the occasional day drive.

I's recommend against convertibles as track cars as many organizations won't allow them without full cages, and even then some require the cage to be under a factory hard top.

I've been doing DE events for about 5 years, instructing for a few, TTs a couple years ago, gave up and got a race car last year to go wheel to wheel. I started with a beautiful '98 e36 M3 which is now the front half of a cage, an electrical shut off, window net and fire suppression system away from being a race car. Everything else is done, and as it sits I'm in the mid $20k range.

You don't have to do everything, but you'll have a more reliable car that requires less upkeep if you upgrade the potential problem areas this otherwise superbly reliable car has.

• Cooling system. You can throw new stock cooling systems at them every few years forever, or do it once with good stuff. I installed the Zionsville full race system: Aluminum radiator/reservoir/fan shroud w/ a 16" SPAL puller fan on a 2-speed relay power system. The temp gauge doesn't move in 100 degree/98% RH weather doing hard sessions and sitting in grid.

• Oiling. I thought the internet chatter about these cars spitting their oil pump sprocket nuts off was just that: Internet chatter. Until the oil light came on exiting T3 at VIR. I lifted, shut off, and coasted off the outside of T4. I was very lucky that there was no damage beyond a couple barely smeared rod bearings. While it was open I installed a VAC oil pumps shaft and oil pan baffle.

• Stuff that breaks. Once your going really fast and are on big, sticky tires you'll find the the front subframe, rear sway bar mounts, and rear trailing arm bearing pockets are not necessarily up to the task. Weld-in reinforcements are available.

• Old stuff. I've replaced every single bushing in the F+R suspension. OEM most places, Powerflex urethane for the subframe and front lower control arms. I used UUC urethane motor mounts and trans mounts as well as their short shift kit. Sloppy shifter and trans mounts makes it easy to do the 5-2 downshift (aka "the moneyshift"). You don't want to do that...Wheel bearings are a pain but need doing as do the driveline compliance bits, the Giubo coupling fron tailshaft to driveshaft, and drive shaft center bearing.

• Making it turn and go. I used AST coilovers from Vorshlag, the 4100 single adjustable series. 550# springs F, 625# R, H+R 32mm F sway bar, UUC rear - adjustable endlinks on both. Brakes are stock - I use cheap iron blank rotors and Performance Friction 06 pads w/ ATE fluid. Stainless lines everywhere.

For go I've done the M50 manifold swap, a light Bimmerworld flywheel + clutchmasters M5 clutch, Conforti intake and software, and underdrive pulleys.

Other - 17x9 wheels w/ shaved Toyo RA1s - fender lips rolled a bit, aluminum front undertray since I ripped all the stock plastic off over and over. HMS bolt in roll bar, Cobra Suzuka Pro seats on VAC mounts, Schroth Profi II HANS 6 point harnesses, Momo wheel on a QR hub to get it positioned right.

The car is a little intense on the street, but it still has AC and stereo and doesn't look race aside from the 'bar and seats.

I've been in all sorts of cars instructing - every iteration of M3, e39 M5, C5 and C6 'Vettes, Audis, Mustangs, VWs. And I've run in the instructor or advanced group with all sorts of cars. Except where big HP simply wins all on the straights, I can have a lot of fun playing with Z06s, e46 M3s and even the odd Nissan GTR if I use all the grip, brakes and motor.

Hell, maybe you should just buy my car...

Thanks for the comments and good advice.

Regarding those who commented regarding my seeking an s2000 was too slow, I should clarify that I did not drive it on track, but did drive it hard. I kept it floored between 6 and 8 k. It did not feel fast to me, and that may not mean much. I drove m y 128 rig afterwards and it felt much faster. I sure "feeling" does not mean much. I think one with a blower might be the trick.

I have no plans on wheel to wheel racing at this point, but I can see how this could change.

Seems like the s2k, miata, or e36/46 are all good options. I will stick with de-ing my stock 128 till I figure which one.