un1eash Posted October 29, 2016 Share Posted October 29, 2016 Ive just sold my S2 Elise 111S, sold it for what I paid for it 4 years ago. It was an awesome weekend/track car but just wasn't being used much the last couple years. I dont know what to replace it with as nothing feels like a lotus and it was cheap to run and maintain. I got a GT86 6 months ago and I think I only used the Elise twice since then. The 86 is similar but ultimately not as fast so I've been looking at something more practical then the Elise but as fun to drive, would love an Evora but prices have stalled at £30k. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kraziekatz1 Posted October 30, 2016 Author Share Posted October 30, 2016 Loved my VX220 and agreed as above, puts pretty much any other car on the road to shame in the bends. The low slung racing position behind the wheel is pretty much up there in terms of best driving experience I have had - I sat in and experienced two supercharged VX220s and they would have blown away a zed on the straights, and some. Jetpilot only recently bought one. I have driven a mk1 MX5 which is more comfy (easier to get in and out of!) and offers a similar low down racing position with lightweight feel. You could pick up a supercharged one which is probably good for 180-200bhp for a few grand. Similarly a charged MR2 mk3 might give you the same feel (sure Ekona had one). Cheers Coldel, hadn't even considered a VX220 although just looking at them and their quite pricey, kind of in line with the cheaper Elise.The MX5 falls on & off my list daily. I worry about the performance on track issue & at the back of my mind I just see a weekend countryside B&B car. A stripped out, battered MR2 with plenty of power mods might be a serious contender though A stripped out Honda Intergal Type R makes a perfect cheap track day car. We ran this for a few years as a track day car , it came from the Malaysian Touring Car Championship with full works Mugen lump. Not for me, sorry. A few years ago, maybe but just the word VTEC sends shivers down my spine and the handling of the DC5 is just not what I want right now. Dammit I only came to this thread for some romantic gossip. Sorry but I knew if I gave it a boring car related title I'd get no views lolBut if you're into that sort of thing then check me out on Instagram @Kat'snaughtyninelives Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kraziekatz1 Posted October 30, 2016 Author Share Posted October 30, 2016 Vx220 are the same tub as a v2 Elise, the vx220 has a slightly wider track and runs 17's all around, most people seem to swap the 17" front to the same as Elises 16". Ok so the vx220 i bought was a step further and running 355hp and it is a proper weapon on track, but a good stage 2 charged at circa 250hp would be a very very fast track car and can be bought for £10-£12k, for that kind of money, there really isnt much that will touch it and if you want to have a Lotus badge on the front with the same speed, look at spending twice as much. If you want just a 2.2 na, £8k will get you into one. Whilst the civic are very fine to drive, they are wrong wheel drive. P.s The national b race licence is nothing about speed or pace, the track part is just to demonstrate you are aware of racing lines and your surroundings, i.e other cars on track, you will not be asked to drive at speed, it was the easiest part of the test, we did ours in a Skoda Yeti My thoughts exactly on the Honda, and a few years ago it would have been the car for me (possibly) but I've grown up a lot recently and my driving style has changed which is why I totally fell in love with the Lotus A skoda yeti, nice & safe I had a couple of mock test laps with the driving instructor. He said I've got no worries in terms of passing the practical test. Good attitude on track! As a fellow Lotus fan, I know exactly where you're coming from. And which is why you need to go buy yourself an MR2. Pick an early one up for £1200-£1500, strip everything out of it, put a decent seat in it with a pair of harnesses and you're done. It will give you 80% of the Lotus for 20% of the cost, and be considerably more reliable. For cheap MR fun, there's really no better place to look. You can easily disconnect the ABS and power steering too, if you want it to be even more Lotus-lite. Plus, performance bits are a lot cheaper too... You are convincing me That's the best thing about a track one, the bodywork and interior can be battered to hell, and the roof can be held together with duct tape Agree, totally Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kraziekatz1 Posted October 30, 2016 Author Share Posted October 30, 2016 Sorry not a romantic gossip thread lol I'm going for my National B racing licence in a few weeks and have beern getting lots of seat time in preparation for my test. My zed is not ready for racing yet, no insurance, roll cage, up rated brakes, etc., so I've been hiring track cars & getting lots of instructor tuition (can't recommend the tuition part enough for any budding racing drivers out there!). This week I had a Lotus Exige. Not driven a Lotus before & never had much interest in them. But OMG, did it suit my driving down to the ground and 2 laps in I was completely at home in the car. I have been thinking lately that the zed might not be the best car for me on the circuits & I just appreciated the lightness and pointedness of the Lotus around the chicanes and bends. Knowing my zed inside out I'm pretty sure it wouldn't have performed as well through the corners even though it's much faster down the straights. However, big problem. I can't afford a Lotus. Also, I wouldn't want one for general road driving. I was more than happy to jump back into my zed for the drive home. Anyone who knows me, knows how much my zed means to me so it would take a very special car to make me part with it. So, now I'm not sure what to do about a track car. I don't want to throw money at the zed if it's not the right car for me, but if I'm looking at a 'track only' car then the budget is going to be a big issue. I'm in no rush to make a decision but just wondered what other people have found in terms of best cars to track? I am presuming you want to race as you are taking your National B test. Most 1 make championships have cars available to rent for a race weekends or trackday tests. Mx5s, Mr2s, Compact cup, Lotus cup etc. I have contacts in all of these formulas if you are interested. Like I said in my opening post, I'm in no rush to throw money at a car. I'd rather pick the right car first, so renting is my most likely option.Cheers though & might be in touch My old 350z was track ready (no roll cage) and still street legal, they are quick but they are heavy so the cornering is different to something like the lotus or VX220, still incredible fun and very quick but you do get through tyres. brakes and fuel very quickly! I decided to switch to the 2 car option 1 for road and one for track, Of course you usually have to add in a trailer and towing vehicle to the budget if you don't have something already (luckily I had a pickup and now a van) but if the budget allows it is they way to go. I have been out in Jetpilots SC VX220 on track as well as a few fully sorted lotus's and they are very impressive, I was lucky enough to stumble across a Radical at the right money so I snapped that up but if that had not come up I would be looking at the VX220 just because it is cheaper than the Lotus. If you want to race though you need to pick a class or championship and follow that approach. Gotta get some pics in I wish you all the best with it Thanks Keyser Budget is my real issue With 3 cars already & a motorbike on the way, I can't afford to put too much down on a 'track car' unless I sell the zed....which I'm not sure I'm ready to do just yet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kraziekatz1 Posted October 30, 2016 Author Share Posted October 30, 2016 If you're looking for a lighter rear wheel drive car that's still practical enough to be on the road I'm surprised no ones suggested a gt86. Perhaps still too new to be within budget but with FI surely it's the best of all worlds Funnily enough I did have a GT86 the other week! Felt right at home in it straight away as it's so similar to the zed. But I might as well track my zed if that's the case. The GT86 had less power than my zed and the set up on my zed currently gives better stability through the corners. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted October 30, 2016 Share Posted October 30, 2016 You don't need mass power in an MR2 to be hurrying other things along... Bloody slow, those Ferraris! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kraziekatz1 Posted October 30, 2016 Author Share Posted October 30, 2016 So you can see my dilemma now. Unless I part with my beloved zed then track budget is very tight I've been in a fair few cars of late and to be honest the Exige is the only one that I've enjoyed more than my zed! But a compromise is needed and I like the sound of the MR2 option. The other possibility is my OH's modded Scooby WRX. He's looking to get rid of it early next year and it would make a good track car, just not sure it would make a good track car for me! Need to pass my test first though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted October 30, 2016 Share Posted October 30, 2016 I wouldn't track a WRX tbh, they're perhaps a little fragile and tbh not that involving when on the circuit. I've taken our STi out for a Spa day one year, and whilst competent in road form it would've needed a fair bit spending to get it track happy as they're not the lightest of things. Also, the first cars you always see parked up on a trackday after something's broken are a Noble and an Impreza... MX5 great fun but you'll get left for dead on the straights, that's one of the reasons I ultimately swapped mine for the MR2. Which I then strapped a dirty great turbo too as well (although not turbo'd in the vid above, I hasten to add). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetpilot Posted October 30, 2016 Share Posted October 30, 2016 (edited) So you can see my dilemma now. Unless I part with my beloved zed then track budget is very tight I've been in a fair few cars of late and to be honest the Exige is the only one that I've enjoyed more than my zed! But a compromise is needed and I like the sound of the MR2 option. The other possibility is my OH's modded Scooby WRX. He's looking to get rid of it early next year and it would make a good track car, just not sure it would make a good track car for me! Need to pass my test first though! You want the holy grail, of which there is no such thing i am afraid, a compromise will have to be made I thoroughly enjoyed both my na and charged zed on the track, but, i realised i was enjoying being on the track more than the road and however competent the zed was at both, it had to make way for something more at home on the track, less at home on the roads. Saying that, i do drive my vx on the roads and more importantly to get to the track, whilst its not the comfy ride the zed was, i had no problems doing a 4 - 5 hour round trip along with being on the track all day. As GM mentioned, bang for buck, below is a great car: http://www.350z-uk.c...5-supercharged/ + Another car is just going to mean, another years tax, insurance and other associated running costs + the track days, personally something would have to make way, you can only use one of them at a time. Edited October 30, 2016 by Jetpilot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kraziekatz1 Posted October 30, 2016 Author Share Posted October 30, 2016 You want the holy grail Who doesn't?! Still I guess I've the winter months to come up with the right compromise! Many thanks for all the advice guys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetpilot Posted October 30, 2016 Share Posted October 30, 2016 Try as much as you can in the meantime Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted October 30, 2016 Share Posted October 30, 2016 I think when you try and combine a road and track car, you compromise both too much. Road cars can be fun on track, and track cars fun on the road, but ultimately you have to pick a direction and maximise the car for that. I get that not everyone has the cash to do that, and I feel fortunate that I have been, but if you can (even if the track car is worth 4p and all you've done is strip it) then you really should. All I did to my mx5 was strip it, add bucket seat & steering wheel & harness. No suspension mods, no power mods, just weight loss. Apart from the lack of power on a longer straight, it was a hooligan of a fun car. Sometimes just removing the weight and sitting in a tin can is all you need 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetpilot Posted October 30, 2016 Share Posted October 30, 2016 Lets be honest, there isnt a lot of difference between a stripped mx5 and std, what did you loose, maybe 25kg, even 50kg would be .5% of overall weight. You might as well strip the zed if thats the approach. Fully agree with choosing a direction to get the right car for the job though 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted October 30, 2016 Share Posted October 30, 2016 But it affects the handling of the car in ways you can't describe through sheer numbers, and you get far more feedback to drive the car on the edge. The extra noise alone just focuses you in a way that no intake/exhaust combo ever could. 50kg from a 1500kg car is noticeable, 50kg from a car weight just 960kg is a different world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longsh07 Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 Bloody slow, those Ferraris! Agreed I had a similar problem a Ferrari in my FN2. My FN2 is stock except for a set of AD08R tyres, braided brake lines and a set of YellowStuff pads. Watching this back reminds me you don't really need lots of power or a dedicated track car to have fun. Its probably a better investment to get more track time or professional tuition than spending loads of money to change cars or trying to eek out as many ponies as you can. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetpilot Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 Corners are a mystery to some people or maybe they were just concerned for their £100k car Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longsh07 Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 Given I've seen some destroy their Porsche by lifting off I don't blame them. In my case at least the owner was courteous enough to let me past. I think they were just happy to be out enjoying their car on a leisurely Sunday pootle. Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 Agreed I had a similar problem a Ferrari in my FN2. Bloody hell, I'm not sure I could drive a 458 that slowly if I tried! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeezeebaba Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 A lotus/vx220 et al gives you that go kart feel through your body. They are as intuitive as a go kart and I've certainly never driven anything that comes close to the way they feel so instinctive. Excellent driving machines. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldel Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 You will always have the comforts of being in a road going car even in something like an MX5, get in a lotus/VX and really experience driving, every petrolhead should do it once in their life. That engine roaring just a few inches behind you, a turn in that will tear your face off, a seating position that seems like it slings you into the firing chamber of a gun. Nothing really comes close for under £100k. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docwra Posted November 1, 2016 Share Posted November 1, 2016 Sold my 350Z as it was too heavy to ever be a great track car. Superb to learn the ropes on but once you get a bit tasty the weight just holds you back. Bought 400hp 1 Series and while its bastard fast its also not a track car, despite uprating all suspension, brakes and diff. Arguing with myself whether to fit coilovers and make it more track biased, but even then its probs going to be a bit heavy for proper bants. Have a GTI-6, which is light, great to drive ......... but FWD. Means that more often than not youre as fast as youre going to get by the afternoon session. So what am I taking to Snetterton on Monday? The missuses bone stock Mk3 MR2 Seriously, they are awesome fun, so responsive and communicative and a good driver can giant kill like no-ones business (but you have to be 110% on it). Elises are good, Exiges very good but they are a lot more money, the ZZW30 is so cheap I literally came with a day of buying one to keep as backup the other day 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wendy Posted November 1, 2016 Share Posted November 1, 2016 Surely we must have a Forum Sugar Daddy who can help all us out. WE could set up our own series even !! Nissan 350 Club Racing - Any Car entry !! I took my Nat B Track Licence too - sadly just not the funds to Race Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longsh07 Posted November 1, 2016 Share Posted November 1, 2016 I took my Nat B Track Licence too - sadly just not the funds to Race Cool thing to say you have though right 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcus01 Posted November 1, 2016 Share Posted November 1, 2016 Sold my 350Z as it was too heavy to ever be a great track car. Superb to learn the ropes on but once you get a bit tasty the weight just holds you back. Bought 400hp 1 Series and while its bastard fast its also not a track car, despite uprating all suspension, brakes and diff. Arguing with myself whether to fit coilovers and make it more track biased, but even then its probs going to be a bit heavy for proper bants. Have a GTI-6, which is light, great to drive ......... but FWD. Means that more often than not youre as fast as youre going to get by the afternoon session. So what am I taking to Snetterton on Monday? The missuses bone stock Mk3 MR2 Seriously, they are awesome fun, so responsive and communicative and a good driver can giant kill like no-ones business (but you have to be 110% on it). Elises are good, Exiges very good but they are a lot more money, the ZZW30 is so cheap I literally came with a day of buying one to keep as backup the other day I am doing Snetterton on Monday in my race mx5 with a few other race buddies. Car 54. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docwra Posted November 2, 2016 Share Posted November 2, 2016 Nice mate, Ill come say hello - theres a few of us going up as well. If I can get an oil cooler on the BMW before then Ill probably be in that as it will need a shakedown, if not Ill be looking homosexual Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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