Intellectual experiment here. Trying to build the ultimate drive-to-track, run 9/10 in DE intermediate or advanced, part-time commute or road trip tool.

This is the plan I've been cooking. What would you do different?

2019 ND Sport, manual transmission. $27k-ish.
OS-Giken LSD. $1600
FM oil, trans, diff cooler kit. $1849
FM 4 wheel brake kit with good pads. $1800
Xidas, 600/300 rate, single adjustable. $2489.
17x9 wheels. $650
200TW tires, probably RS4. $600
Hard dog roll bar. $550
Simpson Hybrid S, 3 point compatible. $1100.

This would all come out together around $38k, or about the price of a stock 2019 RF GT-S. Would be plenty fast, dead reliable, easy on consumables. Thoughts? I know with the NA/NB cars, soft top pays a big penalty with aerodynamics. Same rules apply for ND soft top vs. RF?

 

I’m sure the RF is more aerodynamic, but it’s heavier and you can’t put a roll bar in it. With the three coolers, you might want to think about something that’s not off the shelf, like a combined diff/trans cooler, packaging often gets in the way of efficiently mounting they many lines and coolers.

 

You can, but it essentially makes it a coupe...

ND RF Hard Dog roll bar

 

Are the big brakes really necessary for a 9/10s HPDE car?

Or is the thought process that the big brakes will pay for themselves through the years via cheaper consumables?