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Sometimes you just want to click off laps–like, a lot of laps–without worrying that the brakes will fall off, the tires will combust, or the car will simply slow to a halt mid-corner.
Not every track machine is up to the task, though. Some are wicked fast but a bit fragile. Others…
I love lists! For me, the criteria I like to start with is what's the easiest car to get on the track with the least amount of prep. The list is pretty short. You need to add 911, Boxster, Camaro and Corvette. Don't forget the GTI and Civic Si/Type-R. 370Z also. And since you put the unobtanium Cayman GT4 you might as well include the Nissan GT-R.
smokindav said:I love lists! For me, the criteria I like to start with is what's the easiest car to get on the track with the least amount of prep. The list is pretty short. You need to add 911, Boxster, Camaro and Corvette. Don't forget the GTI and Civic Si/Type-R. 370Z also. And since you put the unobtanium Cayman GT4 you might as well include the Nissan GT-R.
^^^YES! They definitely missed those, but that makes the list complete. Any given autox/track day consists of all of the above.
Having driven them on track, the GT-R would not be on my list of favorite track day cars regardless of price. Were price no problem and if the car also needed to be streetable my addition to the high price end of the list would be the Porsche GT3.
I can't argue with any of the selections on that list but what I would like to see is a list of cars that one would consider both a DD and track day capable?
I instruct at track days and while I see many a Corvette, BMW, or Porsche I also see Camerys, Jettas, & Focus being tracked. Some of these can make good dual purpose cars and for quite a bit less than most of the cars listed in the story. Only the Miata would be hard to beat on cost to track.
failure of third gear. “But Porsche, as always, is standing by the failures and replacing them for all cars having issues
I wonder how many 996 2nd gears got fixed for free? I have to spend my own money on mine!
Cool article. And i actually appreciate the broad 2k-100k spectrum.
How great is a Miata? I track a Panoz GTS-WC, a Spec E36, a track-built 944 with a 968 engine swap, a 2016 Cayman S and, occasionally, my brothers 2022 C8 Z51. I have, also, driven a very well prepped 1993 Mustang GT in Lucky Dog, open wheel cars in schools and a top-shelf Pro Late Model at the local asphalt oval. I won;t include the Spitfire with the bridge-ported 13b and fat Hoosiers as fun because it tries to kill me at all times.
Although it is the slowest of the group, by 15-35 sec per lap, the Miata is the most FUN to drive on track and it isn't even close, even if my elbow gets sore pointing by the other cars in my run group (Chin Blue) at Barber and Road Atlanta :-)
The only mods to the Miata are a Hard Dog roll bar, Konig Helium wheels, Hankook RS4s, Koni yellow shocks and a Racing Beat front bar. I have not changed the interior or drivetrain in any way. While ALL of the race cars spend a LOT of time broken, the Miata just never stops.
That said, the only thing needed to reliably track the Cayman and the C8 Z51 was flushing with Motul RBF660 and the Cayman got a set of Ferrodo pads.
In reply to DaleCarter :
I pretty much end up driving some great cars and I'm always telling people Miatas are the most fun car ever.
As an instructor, I've enjoyed every single time in the right seat of a Miata. Way more fun than stuff with twice the HP.
I found my R53-chassis (2003) MINI Cooper S to be a really fun track car. It was quick enough in stock form, and didn't really do anything evil on track. Power and handling upgrades were readily available, too...
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