I am considering buying or creating a car for racing. I have autocrossed about ten times but never track raced.

I do not want to race the turbo at his point. I want to start with a lower power car with good capabilities.

I am considering a 944, maybe a 944 S2.

Basically I want a car I can really be hard on and not worry about every little paint issue or extremely expensive maintenance/repair.

Any suggestions? Would this be a good choice for a car?

 

looking for a used CooperS. the Mini parts are cheap. or get a new one with no option. it's a perfect track car

 

how much $ are we talking about here btw?

 

Interesting...I like the Mini but with a new car I would still be paranoid of damaging it.

 

How much money....as little as possible

 

You may want to look into buying and racing a Formula Ford. They are wonderful training and not too expensive.

 

miata

 

20G for mini. what else is cheaper than that?

 

I am selling my current miata. Want a closed car and current miata is too good to race (fully restored). Also, regular Miatas are too slow.

 

a mini is a terrible race car. yes it may be fun on the streets but it is NOT a race car by any means. hell it's FWD for gawd sakes!

You want something small, light, cheap and RWD. Get a mid 90s Miata, put a rollbar on it and go. then as you get better you can upgrade the suspension and such. They are very fun cars, very good to learn in and very cheap. They also can be very quick on the track in the hands of a good driver. There is a great selection of aftermarket parts and everything is cheap. You also get japanese reliability. Every now and then you can find a full race spec one on ebay for around 15k

 

A 944

 

just checked ebay. here are two from the same seller

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=2438514798

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=2438508806

 

A 944 is a cheap way to purchase a car for race/track purposes. However, parts are still expensive compared to the alternatives. I would love a Mazda Miata for the track. Light, agile, and parts are cheap... especialy if you get into the Mazdasport program. Regardless, the best way to get into a track car is to find one that is already built... you will save a lot of money that way.

 

#1 1991-1996 MR-2 Turbo, with some R-compound tires and some small brake and suspension upgrades, will walk all over a mini, and a 944.

Should be able to find one for 5-10K u.s


2700 lbs 200hp, and 200 ft/ torque

54/46 wieght distribution, 7200 RpM red line


#2 1994-1996 Acura Integra Type -R , with simular upgrades, brakes, sus, intake

2500 lbs, 180hp/ 140 torque 9000RPM redline,

note: with the Acura, must keep RPM's high, to utilize HP/T

10K u.s

 

My $0.02.
My experiences.......

944 turbo:
I tracked my old 944 turbo. I bought it with 5K miles, I drove it hard and sold it with 250K miles on it. Maintenance and upkeep were minimal. The cars balance, handling and capabilities are stellar. One of the mags named it the best handling car EVER. I would not get a NA 944. They do not have enough hp or torque. 968 may be a different matter but I do not have any experience with them.

MINI:
Best bang for the buck. I have autocrossed it once and tracked it once so far. I bought it with these yses as the primary objectives. The aftermarket performance parts costs are CHEAP. Yes it is front wheel drive but it handles so incredibly I cannot describe. I took 03C4S for a ride and subsequently Colin@PES and they both left stunned at the perfomance. It is light and cheap and you will have a full factory warranty. With $2K aftermarket you can set it up with suspension and 205hp. The car weighs just over 2500 pounds.

Miata:
I wouldn't touch it. I repeatedly lapped one at the track with the MINI. Granted it boils down to driver skill, but looking at the back of the car (every time I lapped him) it leans way too much in turns and it can't get out of its own way.

So, my conclusion. The MINI for $20K new out of the box, ready to start tracking is a pretty hard package to beat. Build quality is superb by the way. It is a BMW for goodness sake.

If you need more guts, go with a 944 turbo. The cars are bulletproof and they perform in stellar fashion. The only problem I see is that they tend to be owned by those that are just getting into or can't afford a higher line P-car. accordingly, you will need to be a little careful as to what service its had and how it was treated.