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I do agreed value policies on the Evo at $40k. Not so bad. Also, if you know how many tracks you're planning to do in a year, RLI let's you package deal them and it lowers the rate.
Good to know about the package deal.
So far, I've skipped track insurance. I estimate my equivalent replacement cost to be around $20-25K for Evo + mods, depending on how much I shopped around. My local track is also one of the safest tracks around, with plenty of runoff space in all but a small handful of places. When I run other courses in iRacing or AC, I'm usually shocked at how much more dangerous they feel.
I know I'm gambling, but I can afford the repairs or a writeoff if it came down to it. Insurance on a $50-100K car would start to add up, though.
Yea, it's not so much the track I worry about, it's a car losing a motor in front of me and dumping oil or coolant. Once you hit that, you are just along for the ride.
I spun off track at 100mph from somebodies coolant before. Luckily there was no walls or other things to hit and the car didn't trip. I got lucky that time.
I've witnessed multi-car off track pile ups from oil before. It's not pretty.
Great example here, luckiest guy in the world, same track I went off on somebodies coolant:
Yea, it's not so much the track I worry about, it's a car losing a motor in front of me and dumping oil or coolant. Once you hit that, you are just along for the ride.
I spun off track at 100mph from somebodies coolant before. Luckily there was no walls or other things to hit and the car didn't trip. I got lucky that time.
I've witnessed multi-car off track pile ups from oil before. It's not pretty.
Great example here, luckiest guy in the world, same track I went off on somebodies coolant:
Maybe its me, maybe its everyone.. This type of stuff scares me most on track. Never know, cant do any prep for it, its just a clench your **** and hope for the best situation. Its what makes me want to get something more disposable where the parts are the value and the shell is just work if something happens. So then a crash would suck but crashing a Miata/BRZ/Old Mustang is much easier to swallow than a newer GTR/ZLE/GT350.
Speaking of fox bodies, I’ve had my 95 Camaro for over 20 years. It was my first track car and has a welded back half cage, seats, suspension, etc. It’s fun to drive and very nostalgic for me, even if 360 whp isn’t nearly as much now as it was in 2000 when I did the heads/cam/headers/reflash work on it. It killed almost everything on track in 2000-2002 or so, but I haven’t tracked it since 2007 (the first year I tracked my Evo). I need to go through it for track duty again, but there never seems to be time leftover after maintaining/modding the Evo. I do autocross it in CAM-C.
In the past few years, i’ve had a couple of the newer Camaros that I used to commute to work. I had a 2017 V6 1LE and then a 2018 ZL1, both stick. I ran the V6 at VIR a couple of times but never the ZL1. I didn’t keep either car long. They were comfortable street cars and great handlers (and the ZL1 had immense power), but they really insulated you from the driving experience. They are good if you go to track days to enjoy passing people but not nearly as much fun to drive on track as an older car. I like newer cars for my commute (currently an RS3), but prefer the old stuff for pure pleasure driving and racing.
I got to drive the 2016 or 17 STP national champion Camaro (16' SS with mcs triples and 315 Rivals) at a packwood tour. Ryan was always making it look so easy to manage that car but my first run on the practice course was such a massive cluster f***. First turn try to get to 20% throttle and just barely caught it before it spun. I could not get the 0-5% throttle that it needed, early throttle was waaaay to sensitive. By the end of the weekend, I was 3 seconds of Ryans times both days. Sort of embarrassing for me but I've been racing AWD for 15 years and 0 years racing RWD.
The car was pretty stiff but really felt sorta sluggish in turning still. I want to give it a go in some of the newer mustangs we have in the club now. I've ridden in them and talked with the owners (friends) a lot about them and the throttle is much less sensitive in that 0-10% range than the chevy. I also felt the C7 z06 I drove was the same way, way to sensitive of a throttle.
I would also say the power was fine but I certainly wasn't blown away by it. In the meat of 2nd gear I had no problem using all of it and thinking this could really use a fair bit more up top. But thats a 0.65g acceleration in the camaro vs at the time 1.1g accel in the Evo (back when it was on stock gears, 2.3l, 500hp).
Ive also been driving a bunch of BRZs and they are super rewarding when you're turning the wheel. Especially when theirs like a quick left/right move where the back can just dance thru stuff. Ive been able to hop in them and immediately run with or faster than the owners (2nd run, 1st run is always a slow calibration). But between the elements, that is just like ok I guess I'll just wait till more cones come up.
The S2000 I drove was a bit more lively in the rear but not as bad as I expected from all the talk about the AP1s being snappy. And it had quite a bit more accel out of corners than the BRZ. Not fast, but it was something compared to the BRZs nothing.
I got to drive the 2016 or 17 STP national champion Camaro (16' SS with mcs triples and 315 Rivals) at a packwood tour. Ryan was always making it look so easy to manage that car but my first run on the practice course was such a massive cluster f***. First turn try to get to 20% throttle and just barely caught it before it spun. I could not get the 0-5% throttle that it needed, early throttle was waaaay to sensitive. By the end of the weekend, I was 3 seconds of Ryans times both days. Sort of embarrassing for me but I've been racing AWD for 15 years and 0 years racing RWD.
The grass is always greener until you trade cars with someone. I remember when Fedja J took my 95 Camaro out on course way back when we were going head to head in ESP regularly and he was still in an AWD Talon. It was pretty funny to watch because he had no idea that you couldn't just mat a V8 RWD car on an autocross course.
Search out Brian Goodwin new NC project.
Goodwin Racing has been the leader in NC Miata tuning.
Emilio 949Racing and Brian have developed a recipe to buy and build a competitive NA power 2.5 200whp for $12-14K. Turbo bla bla, now you're charging into $25k or more.
The new recipe is 2.5 liter with EFR turbo kit.
Lots of RX8 components like rear uprights/shafts, diff, and so forth (stronger).
Overall, the most -grown-up Miata, with all alu suspension, and there is an NC running Time Attack looking-stock, with 600whp and being so fast its hard to believe.
What Dallas said, BRZ/FRS/GT86 is so fun to drive through corners.
Local GT86 Cup Guys are proving that a 190-195whp NA is possible with bolt ons, and 210whp or so with E85.
At this level of power, dual purpose GT86 is silly fast and still fun.
Rumor has it that utilizing the Edelbrock type of Supercharger, or better yet Harrop, it kicks out smooth 300whp and is reliable on track.
Still, we're talking $30K investment total even if you buy a $14K 2015 car.
C5 Z06. On surface cheap track car.
Reality quickly changes the moment you realize their T56 needs rebuild, the brakes are inadequate, cooling is substandard by wide margin, and the list goes on.
Only LS6 is OK on track without dry sump, fortunately.
To sum it up, having a friend with 3 track built C5 Z06 and 2 C6 Z06, it takes home builder like Dallas $30K to build a reliable car, with modest power upgrade(400-450whp).
The weight, at first it seems oh yeah, easy to pair down: in reality 2900lb is about rock bottom without major major surgery like Zach did on his AX Evo. Because you do need a cage on track with car making so much power.
And you need aero.
I have a Spec Boxster.
SBR as they are called are only legal if 1997-1999 2.5 models and are raced aplenty across PCA (Porsche Club of America), NASA, and SCCA, with nearly identical rules.
After 6 Miatas (turbos, 3 NA and 3 NB), I was too grown up for early MX-5.
Boxster is phenomenal in terms of chassis stiffness and feeling of safety once caged.
I dare say its one of safest competitive reliable cars you can build to race all over, for $15K (if self build).
Key word here, its reliable, and cheap on consumables. 255/40x17 square ToyoRR/R888R, brake pads, and everything is built mostly for 300+BHP car so no issues.
But, its slow.
I think killer setup is Boxster S 2000-2003, with Spec Boxster Setup.
Its not "legal" to race - well - it can be fitted into classes but than it gets expensive/prepared.
But as track day killer machine...
3.2 is most reliable Flat Six for IMS..hardly any ever let go, and although rated at 250bhp, it can easily make 230-240whp.
So for few extra $$ on top of SBR (Spec Boxster 175-195whp) one can have a real quick car on track that is reliable and cheap on consumables.
FYI: weight 2650lb is reasonable fully ready to race.
Now, 718..I'd take Base model of any of them and ...enjoy the wonderful best all arounder money can buy.
The 2.0 - turbo vs 2.5 S Turbo vs 2.5 GTS turbo, is same relationship as Evo 8, Evo 8.5, and Evo 9 turbos..
Same stock frame with slight changes.
Take Base 718 2.0, bolt up a 2.5 S or GTS turbo, and reflash....
I've toyed with getting a used TTS as a daily driver/spare track toy. I drove one at Sonoma a few years ago and it was a fun car. Only think is I've always been worried about Audi quality and whether the TTS can take a hard beating at the track on a hot day. A used Cayman S or a Comaro are also on my short list. Also, I haven't seen mention of any BMW products.
I'm hoping to be picking up a new weekend toy in the next week or two. Been shopping E46 330i ZHPs lately. $4-7k, reliable 200whp stock, 6 speed, cushy alcantara interior, cheap consumables, M car parts swap over easily.
The goal is to have something cheap and reliable that I can rip laps in without worry yet still be able to drive across country without killing myself. Everything else I've thought of is either more expensive, not as versatile or not RWD.
If I were looking at something expensive ($70k or less) and modern I'd probably go with a GT350, RS3 or M4. But really anything you buy that makes a lot of power or is luxosport focused you'll end up paying out the *** for consumables.
Lap times are great and all, but I've driven on and it wasn't "fun". I like powerful cars. The GT86 isn't good at making power, and there are plenty of great platforms that are. Hard pass.
This... It just has a wrong engine... If it had a boosted 1.6 litre inline 4 it would be even lighter and have better drive from mid rpm. I liked it on the track when driven at 9/10s and it is fun on the road with stock rubber and on slippery tarmac. With a bit more grip it just doesnt have enough oomph to give you options mid corner unless you are commited on corner entry... a bit of a disapointment on the road really... Shame because it is just the right sized package..
Seems the japanese way to is to make the same car till its so long in the tooth that it becomes irrelevant and people stop caring (370z anyone?, BRZ no one cares about, STI still using old motor).
It's expensive to develop new motor architecture today. Even small changes require expensive (I'm talking tens of millions of dollars) certification testing to ensure they meet emission standards and claimed fuel economy. It's not just a Japanese thing, if you look at any OE you can trace modern motor architecture back 15-20 years.
You can thank the lawmakers who don't use input from the industry when they make laws and regs *eyeroll*
