Someone hit on it earlier about the cost of consumables. I know you can buy track day insurance, but I'm probably not going to track a new M3.

I always laugh when I try to get one of the Drs in out group to bring his 04 M3 to the track. He tells me that it would be cheaper for him to rent one of the cars they offer. His consumables. Tires $1200, Pads and rotors were $1200+ I'm not saying that he gets the lowest price, but he takes very good care of the car. He says that one track day eats a lot of tire, pad, and rotor because the car is so heavy. Could you imagine if you had to pay this twice a year because of one or two track days. 5K??? GTFO

Miata: $600 for tires, $200 pads, $100 rotors, For the avg person these will last multiple track sessions and many street miles.

Personally I think the high HP of everyday cars is almost useless. I plan on buying a new M3 when the student loans are paid off. A stock 135i would be more than adequate power-wise for the daily back and forth to work. With an M3 or any car in its class you are paying for COCK status, and as ashamed as I am to admit it, I want it.

I guess my point in all of this babbling is that if you really want to track a car, get something that is cheap to race and maintain. There's really no need for a 600HP DD unless you just want to show people you can afford it.

I've had plenty of the Porsche guys, suprised by how quick an FI Miata is, talk seriously with me about our cars. We go off road and have $100-200 wheels to replace, $25 used control arms to buy, etc. Have an off in a Porsche and you've got a $500-$1000 wheel and $1200 in suspension parts to buy. Not all the guys driving spendy cars at the track are rich. A lot of the non wealthy guys appreciate how affordable and smart it would be to have an FI Miata for the track and not take the daily driver Porsche.

maybe you guys are right, this is a new golden age of the fossil burners, ala late '60s. i am digging the competition between the traditional v8 platform vs the turbo 4 vs the turbo diesel which is starting to come into its own, courtesy of audi marketing (lemans). there are some good choices out there. even the itb 6cyl in the e46 m3 is outgunned now, and that was a 100hp/liter motor.

but yet, i still feel pretty fucking smug. and i have this feeling i've had this conversation before....

GT500:
3820/550 = 6.9 lbs/hp

me:
2286/325 = 7.03 lbs/hp

i know the first thing somebody is going to say is the gt500 has lots of potential and can be modified to put down bigger numbers yada yada yada

i have 2 comments:
1) show me the #'s. around a road course. show me this thing is actually fast. don't just hit me the same frozen turkey as in that last thread.

2) you guys are fucking cheap. ppl who modify gt500's drop coin with a capital c. $2k wheels. $1k intake. $4k suspension. ask you guys to drop any money and ya'll be screaming the world is ending. put some coin into the miata and who can touch you?

We would probably have awesome fucking parts too if we werent so cheap.

A 2011 Mustang Gt with the Brembo package and pads would take most of you at most tracks...lol

And a Caterham would rape its face. The point is, there's always something faster and driving a communicative car is much more satisfying (to me anyway) than sailing a yacht around the track. Trust me, I have to captain a Mustang around multiple times a week and can't say that I enjoy it very much except for on the highway.

We obviously have no personal safety standards. People don't point us by because they assume we will crash in front of them, or burst into flame.

I agree, feel/control/directness/communication make for a nice driving car. Folks dismiss that all the time and add mods that harm such characteristics yet help lap times. So are you trying to enjoy and improve the driving aspect or mostly speed up the part where you are just a passenger (straights)?

Some people just love being ahead of others. One guy in a Z06 was taking it easy in a noobie DE session with many Miatas and similar cars in it. He loved being faster than them….even if they were driving better?!? "I beat everybody!" So is the idea the driving or just being ahead of others that some want?

Joseph B
I've drivin a Caterham 200mph, on the Autobahn, in the dark, while it was raining.

sjmarcy
Sometimes its fun to just drive flat out. I just need something that I can drive in the fastest run group were people have a personel regard for saftey.

Mercedes SLS AMG.

My first thought was "this thing has potential"

Looked it up - 563 RWHP, 479Lb-Ft Torque

Tires:
Front - 265/35 R19
Rear - 295/35 R20

Top Speed (Electronically Limited) 197 MPH

5.6L V8



Then I saw it weight nearly 3700 Lbs.... :( I guess it would make a fantastic daily driver.

while this may be true, jasonb is missing the point. hustler is paying out of pocket to develop his car (obviously with support of miata vendor community). when he takes it on-track he is driving with ppl who throw down good times because of development paid for by the make - ford, porsche, gm, etc. the development cost is tiny for a company with a huge install base, but rather painful for a small community of enthusiasts.

:rofl: you just argued with yourself wow.

(i was expecting to get bitch slapped but then nobody did. so i had to concede hustlers point).

Fah. Open the checkbook, cash-out the 401K, sell bodyparts.

Brabus is the answer:



and if that isn't enough:




- L

There was a new S197 on r-comps (and gorgeous BBS) at ECR and it was VERY fast. It was comparable to my car with the 200lb passenger, but he had AC and probably vajayjay at home. I went home to my apartment and cried alone, in the cold.