they are fun but what i was told more than once - people get rid of them as they are essentially full plastic on top and you do not want to roll it with you inside. plus, they have their own issues with drivetrain which require some work. E36 is much simpler car to build and will do very well. but slower than 997 or 996 based car. it is where it gets addictive - after you get used to what m96 motor can do you really do not want to part with it.

 

The thing with all these suggestions is that we are talking about someone just starting out in high performance driving.

For those, like me a couple of years ago, a low optioned base carrera is more than enough to learn from for a long time. You have power, safety, good brakes, handling and a car that you can use to truly learn driving dynamics.

Get 2-3 years and 15-20 days out of it a year and then move up if you really get the addiction.

 

I completley agree with this. OP is really jumping the gun IMO.

 

That's why I want to keep the cost down. I also doubt that I'll have much time or interest to get into mods and repairs - just want to drive! - so maybe best to stay away from something like a Lotus.

Leading options so far, in no particular order, are the M3, 350Z, Corvette, 996, and Cayman. All of these can be had for under $30K, and some for under $20K.

The Evo and WRX are also options, but if I go with a sedanish car, I lean towards the M3 - have wanted one since I was a teenager, so would be nice to get that out of my system. Plus, I drove my wife's 2001 325xi wagon today, and it was a lot of fun; heavy and lacks power, but the handling is intuitive and that engine sure loves to rev. There's something special about those old BMWs.

 

GREAT advice! I now feel better about my 06 C2 purchase. Trying to get into DE for the next few years. I am waiting for 991 to come up on lease returns! Maybe by then, I will upgrade!

 

To me M3 or 996...then a cayman third. Don't get me wrong; I love the cayman but its great balance makes it a touch easier to drive as a beginner.

 

You should feel great about a C2....its a great car and terrific DE ride.

 

I bought an '06 C2 as well and wouldn't have it any other way. Great car! I plan to do more DE events as well... need to make time.

 

What do you guys think of the 996? A lot of people seem to think it's inferior to the 993 and 997, and the prices for a used 993 do tend to be much higher than the 996.

 

Yep, second that. I've tracked just about everything including 911's. It's a great street car but there is no way I would track a NA 996 (other than the GT3), that's just asking for pain and agony imo.

I have a Lotus Exige that I track and it's great. To Kona's point the parts are cheap and it does not break. My last Exige was track only (a motorsport car that was not street legal) and it never broke... On smaller tracks the Exige is king, on a bigger track you give up some on the straights and catch up in the corners. For example my last Exige did 1.40 at Road Atlanta, my stock Turbo would run a 1.39.

Good luck.
Roy

 

996 gt3 is a great car. 996 c2 has older m96 engine and it is not very optimal for track use, but there is a whole 'spec 996' race class with such cars and they have a whole knowledge base of what to do with m96 engines. but if you do not want to mess alot with a car or do not want to run in spec 996 - 996 gt3 is a much better car and way better motor to start with.

 

FYI, all Elise and Exige models have a roll bar in the "hoop" behind the seats. Second it's a Toyota drivetrain and I have found mine 2, including a dedicated track car, to be more reliable and cheaper to run than either of my 911's (Turbo and 996).

The only thing that needs to be done to the car is a oil pan for track use. In addition the parts are dirt cheap. You can get a great exhaust for $700, I just spent $5K an exhaust for the Turbo. You can get a set of dedicated, very light, track wheels for $3K, I'm looking for light wheels for the Turbo, they are almost 2x that.

If running costs are a consideration there is no comparison. I don't know a guy, or heard from a guy, I've run Lotus's and 911's on the track for years. If I could only own one car I'd keep the Turbo and sell the Lotus but for track use I'll take the Lotus all day long.

 

Could you elaborate on your concern? I just test drove a 2001 911 (996 C2) and was impressed - not that bad compared to my new C2S cab. It's in mint condition, has 94K miles, and asking price is $24K, so I'm tempted to pull the trigger if I can get them down to $20K.

BTW, I did a quick online search for a 996 GT3 and nothing seemed to come up, so it could be hard to find one.

 

As background I've owned most 911 variants since the late 80's. I owned two NA 996's both of which required significant work including transmissions in both. I also owned, and still own, a Turbo and I have a very good relationship with my local dealer service guy who spent some time with me discussing concerns about oil starvation with the NA motor. The point is two things, first the NA 996's I owned were the worst P cars I have owned in terms of needing service and I did not track them much (I moved to a dedicated track car after eating brakes, tires, and other consumables). Second, Porsche used to just send crate motors and trans as replacements and I'm not interested in doing that. I'm sure now there are more parts and service options for the motors than when they were new but my view is that they are very expensive when they break and they will brake under track conditions. The reason I track Lotus now is simple, they are the best driving experience outside a GT3, they are cheap to buy (so I don't care if I wreck it), and they are cheap to run (consumables on a 2K lb car are much less than a 3K+ lb car)...

Good luck.

 

This is not conventional but simply a thought. I read something about subaru doing something similar. A new race spec car in your price range.

2012 honda civic si race car - Honda Performance Development (HPD)

"HPD has put together the whole package necessary to get on the track in these two superb series. A Civic body-in-white is now available for $3,500 through HPD to save the racer the expense and trouble of buying a new car and stripping it for competition. Seven units have already been sold even before the body-in-white receives its introduction at the upcoming SEMA show in Las Vegas."