Ultimate Track Day Weapon?

BTW, this is the 3rd ever post in this forum!

OK, what the Ultimate Track Day car?
I know that if you take a trip to a day at Brands or anywere in fact, there will be loads of Elises and Caterham/Westfields, but what is good in eack of these catagories?

1.SuperMini (:laugh: )
2.Medium hatchback
3.Large(ish) Saloons
4.Dedicated Roadgoing Track cars
5.Race cars (under £40,000 to buy)
6.Something under £1000 or built before 1985



I think these:

1.VW Lupo GTi
2.Ford Focus ST170
3.BMW M5
4.Westfield Megabusa
5.Radical or second hand Super Tourer(It could happen!)
6.Nissan Silvia Turbo or VW Golf Mk1

1. BMW Mini ?? Or are they too big nowadays?? if not a Ka :D
2. SEAT Leon CUPRA (think that's its name..)
3. BMW M5 - what else is there?!
4. VX220 or Elise
5. Super Tourer without a doubt!
6. VW Beetle :D

Personally I'd think a Vauxhall VX220 (or Lotus Elise to some;)) is a perfect car for a track day, power - weight ratio must be excellent in those cars for circuits...oh I can dream! :rotate:

I may take in some track days next year, but from group 6!

Gr3: Maybe the Mazda 6? The reviews I've seen are positive about the handling.

1. renaultsport clio v6.
2. my old 316i (hey, i wanna know whether it's capable of more than i made it do..)
3. bmw alpina b10 biturbo. mmm, rocket...
4. lotus exige
5. super tourer or formula renault
6. mini cooper

1. I would like to have a go at driving a smart car on a track day
2.dunno probably a focus would be good
3. M5
4. Caterham deffinately
5. Mackie Motorsport Mygale SJ2001
6. Vauxhall Disastra with Stunner Tyres

According to evo magazine, the Caterham R300, which is kind of the R500's little brother. Anything quicker and you just spend the day waiting for stuff to let you by.

From my own experience, a Scooby Impreza's good but tyre/brake bills tend to mount up unless you only go out in the wet (which was MUCH more fun :rotate: )

If I was to get a pure trackday car (one day...), I'd go for one of the Caterham/Westfield options.

The trouble with an everyday car that you can do the odd trackday in is the bills - anything as big and heavy as an average roadcar will eat tyres and brakes. Basically, think of every trackday you do as 10 to 15 thousand road miles... :eek:

Now I've read the thread properly, I'll go for the 6 categories ... :o

1. New Mini Cooper
2. Toughy - maybe a Civic Type-R if I could get over the MPV driving position (and THAT gear lever)
3. M5. No question.
4. Caterham R300.
5. Radical.
6a. Before 1985 (but definitely NOT under £1000) - Ferrari 250 GTO!
6b. under a grand/before '85 - um - Capri, preferably at least 2.0

Other options?
7. Medium saloon - Impreza STi.
8. Supercar - 911 Turbo (though any would suit!)
9. DREAMcar - Pagani Zonda C12S.

1. Original Mini Cooper Works
2. Integra/Civic Tyre R
3. My M5 (although I have seen an Audi S8, Bentley Turbo II and AMG E55 on track)
4. Noble M12 or Radical
5. Formula Palmer Audi with overboost or one of those Legends 3/4 size beasts!
6a. under £1000: Skoda Rapide
6b. before 1985: BMW Batmobile CSL

Spent many a day at Combe and Goodwood on track days as a passenger in Caterham Roadsports and Superlight spec cars. When driven well, both will eat Ferrari's, All the TVR's, Porkers etc. In Eurocup trim (Yokohamas 032rs and Catalyst) the superlight is usually out dragged on the sraights but will wiz by under brakes, especially toward the end of the session when everyone else has cooked their brakes!!!
The Westfield XR2, from the articles I've read, is even quicker!
But the ultimate I've been chaufered in, was a Porche 935 racer around Spa. It was hitting the rev limiter through Blancimont in top gear!! Far more scary than Eau Rouge. A few 156's were out at the time, we were passing them on the run into les Combes at least 90mph faster. I couldn't help wondering if they were looking in their mirrors though!

6a. MG Monty Turbo.......

2. Ford Focus RS

I remember a test where they took a M5,E55 & a GTS Commodore around the Nurburgring with Anders Oloffson & Mark Skaife driving. Now I don't like admitting this but the GTS creamed them. Not bad for a car that costs less than half as much as the German offerings.("A real driver's car without all the electronic fun killers" said Anders Oloffson."

It all depends on budget - what doesn't?!!!
My top 5 would be:
BMW E30 M3 - £8k ish + pads, aeroquips, strut brace
BMW E36 M3 - £12k ish + above (286 or 321 bhp!)
Old FF1600 - £3500 - £5000 ish
Any old saloon racecar ( Alfa 75/ Super Coupe etc )
Caterham - up to £25k !!!!!
All the above are monster fun, and no's 1,2,& 5 can be driven to and from ( barring incident)
Enjoy, and above all stay safe, follow the rules and don't expect to break the lap record

It's gotta be:

1) Toyota Starlet - perhaps an ex-hot rod.
2) Escort RS Cosworth
3) HSV Holden Commodore / Monaro 427
4) Caterham R500/JPE; Sylva Phoenix
5) Radical Pro-Sport or Pilbeam MP62/XED
6) Under £1,000: Capri 2.8i
6) pre-1985: Escort RS mk2/Chevrolet Camaro

CAterham - no question. Closest car to a single seater.

Didn't this thread already happen?
Well for sure a CAterham.
I would love a suzuki turbo swift in minihatch
Med hatch-Ae86 Toyota Corrolla
LArge saloon- The New Infinity G35 (have you seen it?)
a road going track car? Ultima GTR
A race car under 40k-HOw about a DIASIO 962 (little porsche replicas (about 5/8 scale) with either a rotory motor or a hayabusa in it brilliant www.diasio.com)
Under 1000? proabably an old MG, or VW BEetle

Mini cooper works
Focus RS
Holden commodore
Dax Rush Hayabusa turbo
old F3

1) Mini Cooper
2) Civic Type R
3) M5
4) Fireblade engined caterham :)
5) Radical
6) Renault 21 turbo (worked for me!)

Hello Si and welcome to 10Tenths!

Perhaps you could tell us about what you did with your 21?

Mini coopers are fast, but nothing beats a Exige with a good driver.