Best lightweight track car to modify?

[James T. Kirk]

I'm posting this on the 1M board to speak to enthusiasts who care about having a powerful, light, nimble, trackable ride who are also willing to spend too much.

If there were no 1M in the world, what would be the ideal lightweight track car to be used as a base for modification?

E46 M3? 135i? Cayman S? R? Evo? GTI?, etc. You tell me!

[dicker]

How much money do you want to spend? If you're on a budget the Miata, S2000 and E36 M3 are all great starting points.

[Mdawood]

e30 m3

[Impervious]

You can get a Lotus for alot cheaper than most of the cars you mention.

[Franklin Joseph]

if there wasnt the 1M, i would have kept my e36 m3 racecar. Now that i have the 1M, if i decide to get a dedicated track car, i'd get a spec miata.
E46 m3's are getting quite cheap now, and a very capable track car.

[ayao]

Originally Posted by James T. Kirk

I'm posting this on the 1M board to speak to enthusiasts who care about having a powerful, light, nimble, trackable ride who are also willing to spend too much.

If there were no 1M in the world, what would be the ideal lightweight track car to be used as a base for modification?

E46 M3? 135i? Cayman S? R? Evo? GTI?, etc. You tell me!

Part of the appeal of the 1M its tractability as a daily driver. So are you thinking dual-purpose track weapon vs. a dedicated track car? A Lotus is compelling but not so practical for daily use. A modded Miata seems like it'd fulfill a dual-purpose role effectively.

[v1k0d3n]

STi all the way IMO (Evo too). Parts galore at a reasonable price. Tires/wheel options are plentiful. It's relatively light with a similar 0-60 time as the 1M. They have loyal fan bases. Tough engine (STi) with front and rear diffs. All wheel drive. Only thing that lacks are suspension and the fanboys are young. Other than that...great car!

[Sy546]

the 1M IMHO doesn't replace a lightweight track car. even 3400-3500 lbs is heavy for me.

My s2000 weighs in at 2750 lbs with a full tank w/ a full interior and no passenger street for track days. will be gutted soon totally. Want to hit 2500 lbs. I was supercharged at 370 whp. Will shoot for closer to 500 whp this time. & it's relatively cheap to track.

Also best shifter still to this day IMHO. I love driving that car in autocross or track.

The only other car i would think about replacing the s2000 for would be:

Elise/Exige
Miata
Atom
Caterham

[flzrider]

Originally Posted by S.hasan546

My s2000 weighs in at 2750 lbs with a full tank w/ a full interior and no passenger street for track days. will be gutted soon totally. Want to hit 2500 lbs. I was supercharged at 370 who. Will shoot for closer to 500 whp this time.

Man, you really do bring up your S2k in every post.

[Sy546]

Originally Posted by flzrider

Man, you really do bring up your S2k in every post.

dicker brought it up and OP asked what we would do for a lightweight track car.

The 1M IMHO isn't a lightweight track car. It's just light compared to the e9x m3. It can be made to track with some weight reduction.

But than again i like cars to be 3000 lbs and under for track cars. Esp. if it's a dedicated track car

[nachob]

I agree with a previous posters about Subaru's. There are ton of parts, expertise out there and the stuff is pretty rugged. Only problem is that all wheel drive is heavy, you replace a lot of CV boots and the driving dynamics are not as fun as a rear drive car. S2000 is nice, though I have heard about some tracks limiting topless cars. Subaru is coming out with a joint Toyota/Subaru sports car called the FT-86 that will have a Subaru motor BUT will be Rear Wheel Drive. That looks very promising if put in a good class.

We own a GTI, love the car but not good for track. It's front wheel drive and can't turn off traction control. If you don't mind front wheel drive or all wheel drive Subaru is your best bet IMO.

Cayman is a masterpiece but I think expensive to track.

I don't consider the 1M a lightweight car myself but I know what you mean, compared to others, it is. I think the E30 and E36 M3s would be fun.

The important question is do you want a good track car that is fun and reliable or by do you mean a car that is competitive in an SCCA class?

[Sy546]

Originally Posted by nachob

Cayman is a masterpiece but I think expensive to track.

Agreed. Cayman R would be a gr8 dedicated track car if $$ wasn't an issue

[DooBs]

- s2000 is a great choice.
- I don't know why evo isn't mentioned more than just once.
- e46 m3 sounds great but as hasan stated its a bit heavy. A hardcore conversion to m3 gtr would be awesome.
- miata is outdone by the s2k imo so cancel that out.
- I have no experience or real knowledge of this next car, but sounded good when i first heard about it.
MR2. Light rear wheel mid engine. strip that out even further and widen it out. Sounded like a good recipe. Anyone have any incite on this car?
- perhaps a supra? heard those 2jz's are bullet proof.
- a well tuned c6 corvette would do well i imagine
- but a car i would love to track if it were my money. the NSX! I think its an awesome choice, lots of mods, good layout and developed by the best in the world! hahaha

keep us informed on how your decision goes!

[ChrisBuer]

Powerful? Light? Nimble?

Easy - A Lotus Elise with a supercharged and chargecooled Honda Type R engine.

They're really big over here in the UK and VERY quick.

0-60mph in 3.5 seconds.
0-100mph in 8 seconds!
300-330bhp
760kg in weight.

Honestly they make a Porsche GT3 look slow!

Have a look on YouTube for Honda Elise and you'll see

[Advevo]

I find the 1M a good base for a track day fun car.

Why because i like how it handles out of the box. With a few tweaks i can make it my own on the track.

Other big plus is. I like the wide fenders and the stance of the car. You can mount wide wheels and tires.

Yes it s still on the heavy side. But i am working on it. I think i can get just under the 1400kg.

First mod is done. 2 Recaro race seats. More to come.

[marcel b]

Originally Posted by Advevo

I find the 1M a good base for a track day fun car.

Why because i like how it handles out of the box. With a few tweaks i can make it my own on the track.

Other big plus is. I like the wide fenders and the stance of the car. You can mount wide wheels and tires.

Yes it s still on the heavy side. But i am working on it. I think i can get just under the 1400kg.

First mod is done. 2 Recaro race seats. More to come.

1400kg should be no issue, I made some calculations:
backseats: -30
Recaro: -30 (without rails like you have even more)
trunk panels: -5
Light weight catback exhaust: -20 and some additional horses
Light battery (Braille): -15
Total: -100kg

than you can take some light 18 inch wheels: -10

I agree. A 1M like this would be seriously fast.

[Dan Parker]

A few big questions. When you say dedicated track car do you mean a DE car, Time Trial, or door to door racing? Also, the s2000 is a great car but I wouldn't have a convertible as a dedicated track car. Subaru's are great but AWD gets pretty boring on track. Modify it and suddenly you are taking cool down laps every 10 minutes. A Lotus Elise/Exige is an awesome car but you better have some large attachments. At the limit the mid engine/snap oversteer of those cars means you better have a very dedicated right foot. Lifting at the wrong time means the pendulum is coming around. Don't ask how I know.
The big question is engine layout. Do you want front engine RWD for your track car? If so, like some said already, E36 or E46 M3 makes one hell of a good baseline. I'd say the E30 M3 but they are too damn expensive to keep going.

[ChrisBuer]

I take your point Dan, but honestly, with uprated Nitron suspension, the Elise / Exige are much more progressive.

Have a look here at this video of a Honda Elise:

Quick, handles well and I'd say faster than all of the cars mentioned above.....and probably cheaper too.

[ChrisBuer]

...and another one

[M3 Adjuster]

Originally Posted by Dan Parker

A few big questions. When you say dedicated track car do you mean a DE car, Time Trial, or door to door racing? Also, the s2000 is a great car but I wouldn't have a convertible as a dedicated track car. Subaru's are great but AWD gets pretty boring on track. Modify it and suddenly you are taking cool down laps every 10 minutes. A Lotus Elise/Exige is an awesome car but you better have some large attachments. At the limit the mid engine/snap oversteer of those cars means you better have a very dedicated right foot. Lifting at the wrong time means the pendulum is coming around. Don't ask how I know.
The big question is engine layout. Do you want front engine RWD for your track car? If so, like some said already, E36 or E46 M3 makes one hell of a good baseline. I'd say the E30 M3 but they are too damn expensive to keep going.

Pretty much couldn't have said it any better. Just came out of my e30 m3 track car so it is my obvious choice.

I have a Subaru and it is a nice street car but I am not impressed with AWD on the track.

E46 M3 is a competent track car and affordable but not light by any means.

S2000 is fun but no roof so it's not a serious track car in my mind, because a serious track car has a rollbar and harnesses.

A spec miata would be fun and cheap but had less power than my e30 m3.

E36 m3 or non, are dirt cheap and body and motor parts are cheap. tires are reasonably affordable and lots of takeoffs are available, so I think this is my final answer.

[Dan Parker]

No doubt the suspension mods help the Elise/Exige out. Mine had the basic Lotus sport suspension. At the same time they are very fragile and a small off can mean big $$$. The other factor is safety. In the case of a roll over a helmet won't even fit through the window opening. The person who bought mine recently sold it because he got trapped in it during an incident at Roebling Road. I know it's a low percentage situation but it does happen.

[TX78666]

Miata.

V8 conversion, if power and being "outdone by the s2000" are concerns. No appreciable weight penalty. Common mod. Tons of power.

http://flyinmiata.com/V8/