help me pick a new car!

[mrsa123]

this might not be the proper forum for this but i figured you guys would be able to help more than anybody.
so anyway im trying to find my next street car, this will be mostly a weekend car, and it might see some track days or auto cross events. so really just an all fun car, no need for comfort or practicality at all.
i dont want to spend much more than around 15-17000.
my thoughts are..
an NA miata, this would allow me to build up the car to just how i want. i could get plenty of power and have the nicest suspension setup i could get, and still have money left over. and the big plus with a miata is how cheap and reliable it is.

my next thought is an e30, either normal e30 or an e30 m3. ive been looking at some pretty nice m3's going for my price range, some s50 swapped, and some 2.5's with about 220 whp.
though if i went with a normal e30, you can find extremely built up e30's for pretty cheap, there are 300hp e30's with tons of suspension and chassis work going for the low teens. though i know if i went with a normal e30, id always be thinking "why didnt i just go with an m3.
power isnt a big concern, more power is always nice, but handling comes way before it. as long as its not underpowered im fine.

now ive also been looking at some awd cars, mostly swapped 2.5rs's and evo's. a swapped rs is definatly cheaper than an evo, and you get the same performance, but ive always been an evo fan, though if i went with an evo, it would be fairly stock and have to remain that way for awhile, where with a 2.5 it would most likely have plenty of suspension mods and leave me a little money to do some more.
and the awd would make snow and dirt very fun!

so if you guys could give me some recommendations that would be great! and if any of you have experience with any of the cars ive mentioned that would be great if you could tell me a little about them.
im sure theres alot of cars out there that im just not thinking of so if you have any ideas that would be great too!

[PCalhoun]

In the price range the winner hands down is an S2000. Evo would be my 2nd choice, I've owned both, but an Evo or M3 (E36) in that price range will be a high mileage daily driver, where an S2000 was often a 2nd car. And w/ the Evo you have to worry about the boy racers and lack of upkeep, esspecially on clutches. I just sold mine w/ 17k on it for $20k 6 weeks ago.

You will also start finding 00-02 Boxters in that price range, even S's. RX-8 is another possibility, it is a nice driving car if you can stand the looks.

You will get more insight into your question at www.sccaforums.com.

[marshall9]

In the price range the winner hands down is an S2000. Evo would be my 2nd choice, I've owned both, but an Evo or M3 (E36) in that price range will be a high mileage daily driver, where an S2000 was often a 2nd car. And w/ the Evo you have to worry about the boy racers and lack of upkeep, esspecially on clutches. I just sold mine w/ 17k on it for $20k 6 weeks ago.

You will also start finding 00-02 Boxters in that price range, even S's. RX-8 is another possibility, it is a nice driving car if you can stand the looks.

You will get more insight into your question at www.sccaforums.com.

Maybe an trick RX7,and keep the other 10K for something else

[ffrgtm]

I'll second the rx8... The looks are fine with a few tweaks that are usually done by the po. Almost perfect handling, perfect ergonomics, great sound. The only problem I had with mine was the lack of torque.. the engine really is better suited for a formula car. I miss my mazda way too much... I'll probably try to get whatever comes with the new 16x rotary in when the time comes.

[Daryl DeArman]

A racer friend of mine had an Rx8. Pretty nice handling car. When I drove it I realized you can't tell how sinfully ugly it is from the inside

[sk111]

sorry intrude on your thread, but im in the same situation as well, and i think we are looking for the same thing. im not necessarily looking for the fastest car, though it being faster does help. but i want fun more than anything, something with alot of feel, something more raw and basic than nice and comfortable. and something easy to control.
im also considering an entire project, like starting from a bare chassis and building it up from there.

[azjc]

im not necessarily looking for the fastest car, though it being faster does help. but i want fun more than anything, something with alot of feel, something more raw and basic than nice and comfortable. and something easy to control.
im also considering an entire project, like starting from a bare chassis and building it up from there.

Thought about a Toyota MR2 at all? Mid engine should make it feel for like a "real" race car . Other then that a Porsche 911 or Boxter would come to mind. I used to race BMW's... nothing compared to the feel of a good Porsche or a dedicated race car.

[T644HU05]

I was thinking since you live in a snowy area maybe you should consider a WRX. Get a set of snow tires for the not so good days and a set of stickies for the good days. Subi's are fun little cars if you can stand the plastic interior.

M3's, RX7's, and anything mid engine in the snow... probably too much excitement. Besides, BMW and Porsche parts/service are too expensive. That's why they are getting cheap to buy. MR2's are fun, the worst trade I ever made was my MR2 for an Alfa Spyder. Uhg... Just watch out for connecting rod knocks and bad gearboxes.

[SMac35]

Cobalts a good choice too. Quick, good gas mileage, FWD for snow. If the SS version isn't too pricey that'd be better. FWD's good for track days, if you get sideways, just hit the gas! (I just raced an ITA Civic Si at my drivers school, and it was a blast- handled good, gets good mileage) Acura Integras are quck also. I guess enough with the FWD...
Steven

[ffrgtm]

Noticed some subaru comments and figured I should elaborate on my experiences. I went from an rx8 to a gc8 impreza (the relatively lightweight chassis compared to the new and newer imprezas). I put thousands of dollars into the suspension, even adding a half-cage to try and stiffen the chassis (which had the tortional rigidity of a watermelon). I even took out the bumper beams to try and sharpen up the response... no luck. There is just no possible way to get an awd car such as the STi or the Evo to handle as well as a FR or MR car. Having the engine completely in front of the front axle (the acheles heal of affordable awd "sports cars") jacks the polar moment of inertia somewhere around ISS levels.

I just can't see myself buying another awd car as a fun car.. ever. And I live in the upper midwest where we really get some snow. I think that proper tires are far more important than having power delivered through awd. I drove that slammed rx8 through many a blizzard with blizzaks on (not my first choice though.. I lust for nokian hakkapeliittas) and did just fine.. at some ungodly slip angles... but still never had some deadly awd "snap" understeer (new term? haha)

I would steer you away from an awd car... unless it has a transaxle with a jackshaft like the skyline.

[Daryl DeArman]

I have an 08 Forester XT limited with a manual trans.

I find the interior (leather) to be of very good quality. Perhaps the lower priced trims and models may be where the "plasticky" interior comments come from. My friend that had the Rx8, bought a Z4 coupe....I think that BMW interior is definitely more "plasticky" than my Subaru.

Subaru has excellent reliability.

Acceleration from the XT is very good. The XT is a 2.5L turbo, not the 2.0T that came in the earlier WRX.

All that being said---you are looking for a weekend/track day car: You can make some compromises in quality, reliability, comfort in exchange for a better track day car.

Subaru's are heavy. Drivetrain losses from extra bits don't help track day performance. Aftermarket support is excellent, but bits can get pricey.

MR2, Miata, GTI, Civic, RX7's all make great track day cars on a budget.

You can do very well with your budget on any of the above 5.

[todcp]

I agree with the S2000 idea. I will never forget the rush of hitting the variable valves at 5800 rpm. The motor sounded and felt like a Miata till that point then felt and sounded completely different. Like a four wheel motorcycle. I had one that I used for nice days enjoying the back roads plus autocross and track days. Had a hitch installed and made a small trailer that held a tool box and the race wheels and tires. Superb car and used ones are very reasonable. Not a car i would think about having to drive in cold wintery conditions.
Up till 2003 had the 9000 rpm motor and a track ready suspension that was a bit tail happy.
2004 forward they changed the suspension tuning to take away a bit of the tail happiness and also gave it a bit more torque while lowering the max revs to 8400 or so. Of course you could throw in four thousand in shocks and change the sway bars to give it whatever handling you prefer as the base you are starting with is superb.

In my humble opinion you cannot have a better sports car "for the money". Very reliable and Honda parts vs Porsche parts.

Tod

[jwr914]

If you really AX you'll find the S2k is fairly fragile, especially the ap01's. You can rip the front suspension right out of the body. To weld it back up is against the stock rules. The rear suspension is also fragile. The ap02 cars have a valve to keep the clutch from being dropped and destroying the diff assembly. It burns up the clutch instead. The ap01 is the quicker car in AX. You'll need motons or something like them as the stock ones will foam and lockup.
The 2001 boxster S is an AS car and not a SS one, so it has a better chance class wise than the newer BoxS. The BoxS has zero chance in SS, you'd have to opt for the new CaymanS just to see the leaders there. A well cared for BoxS will have better reliability in AX than the ap01 or the ap02 Honda and you can beat most of them, course dependent. If you track the standard boxster you need to be aware of oiling (lack of) issues when you have a track with many long high speed left handers. I don't think the BoxS has the same issue. The S model has a better clutch and flywheel than the standard model.
The STi is a tire eating monster and we all know that the true cost of track days is tires. The EVO will eat tires and motors. If you track an EVO I'd get brakes right away as they feel like nothing is happening at high speed. Early WRX's will dump transmissions like crazy if you do ProSolo type starts.

If you're fairly large the BoxsterS is your better bet. The S2k has a lot more room than a Miata, but it's still less than the P car.

James

[Evl]

I don't know what a Boxter S is going for these days, but an Elise can be had for pretty cheap these days (and I'm trying to sell one, so I know). If you want a great stock-class autox car, the Elise is it.

[Bill Steele]

My second car is an S2000.

Probably the best price performance of any street car on the planet.

Unqualified endorsement, get an AP02.

[10rmotor]

Get a early 2K Corvette. Tons of power, great suspension, and good reliability. Lots of speed parts available. I'd say get a C6 but thats probably out of your price range. A C5 had TTOD today at the Duel at DeAnza for quite a while. Just go drive one at a dealer to get an idea of what they're like. You might find that it grows on ya.

[Mike McHugh]

I just put our '99 Miata for sale. It is the reigning CSP Champ in the San Francisco Region, and has won championships in the Street Tire classes (2 years ago, winning 90% of events).
In 2008, I scored a TTOD over 200 competitors, including Scott Frasier, a Pro Solo Champ.
This car has no need to be trailered, it is perfectly streetable, as I used the softer of the 2 Eibach springs (350 f. 250 r.), which gives it an advantage on bumpy courses. I drive it on weekend excursions, but never in commute traffic.
It was sold new in Colorado, I bought it in San Jose around 2002 with 22,000 miles.
It has 37,800 miles now, no crashes.
Red w/ Tan top and interior, and a Red HardTop.
very nice condition, no decals on paint.
Konis, Groud Control height adjusters, Racing Beat f & r adj. Bars.
Racing Beat stainless, ceramic coated and wrapped Headers, RB midpipe/convertor and Muffler.
Sparco Roadster driver's seat (much better that stock(which is mint and stored), but easy to get in and out of.
Car Cover
A/C and PS worked fine when removed, boxed and stored. Easy to reinstall, as car is not stripped of everything.
Orig Bose system still in dash
Wheels are Enkei 7 x 15, 9.6 lbs.
Tires are the new Toyo R1R in 225-45-15, the best Street Touring tire currently.
Car was professionally aligned and corner weighted last year.

Many on the SCCA forum have picked the 99 Miata as the caar to have for the new STR class next year. This is all set up (20,000 $ invested) for that class.

SUPER Reliable, never a problem!

Asking $12,000.
Mike McHugh
ansonracecars@sbcglobal.net
(650)594-1309
(650)593-5040

[lancer360]

I'm not sure you can find one in your price range, but the Elise is a great weekend fun car. If you hunt around enough you might be able to find a 50K mile '05 in the low to mid 20's. The Toyota engine has great reliability, arguably has the best handling feel of any production street car, looks are killer, it is a top performer in SS, track days are a blast and you really don't need to do anything for mods other than a second set of wheels. Second choice would be a Miata. You should be able to pick up a nicely modded Miata in your price range.