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I am thinking about sell my 2003 Mustang Cobra and getting something else to play on the track with. My budget is what I can sell my Cobra for. I would like to hear your thoughts on a replacement. I am leaning towards an older Porsche.

What does it need to do? Be a daily driver? How many events per year?

No it is not going to be a daily driver. It will be set up for the track, although I may try and keep it street legal. I do about 10 driving events a year.

E36 M3

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Kim,

Why are you selling the Cobra? It thought it was quite a hoot riding along with you at Roebling Road.

If you answer that question and it will probably help guide you to your next car. What is nagging you about that car's performance on track that prompts these thoughts in your mind?

When shopping, keep in mind the cost of parts (brakes/tires) for the vehicles you are entertaining replacing it with given you do a decent number of events a year.

Best wishes,
--Ashraf

Ashraf the reason that I am thinking about changing cars is 1. It is a very heavy car and to make it lighter means I would have to gut it killing resale of the car. It is a 10th Anniversary Edition which they only made 2003 of them. Also if I kept the car I would be changing to a coil over suspension which once again makes it hard to go back to stock. I now have a Honda Ridgeline has my tow vehicle and the Cobra max out what it can tow. Also I think that a coupe would be safer in the long run.

I guess what it comes down to is I do not want to kill the resale of the car. I need some thing that is lighter to tow. And I know that there are better track cars out there to play with.

Thanks for the input, See you around the track.

Many folks don't like the rear end bias arse swinging of pre-996 911s. Some even complain about the 996 being that way. You really have to drive the 911 differently from what I understand. I've been on track with only a couple. But they were not carrying the speed through the turns that I was in my RX-7. I think much of that could be from driver confidence and the 911's notorious reputation.

I love the way my '93 RX-7 tracks. Its a light weight (2800 lbs curb weight-stock) well balanced chassis with good power (stock 255hp) that responds well to minor to moderate tweaking (290 whp easy). The car is very neutral handling, can carry high cornering speed, and its friendly under power oversteer. For the money, I have found nothing like it. But they have a reputation of being mechanically fragile. Its a trade off I've been willing to live with so far. You could get the right car and upgrades well under your budget and still have money left over for a rebuild, turbos or what else could arise.

I've also been thinking about finding a bargain RX-8 and stripping it.

The e36 M3 suggestion above would be high on my list too.

ditto

_________________
Marek Rozanski

mdroz@me.com
919-648-2433

If you're going to stick w/ the Ridgeline for towing, there aren't a whole lot of options which are light enough to tow regularly and safely. IMO you don't want to regularly tow at 100% of a vehicle's capacity. 3/4 or so is all you should plan for, so about 4000 lb total in your case.

So you're looking for a 2500 lb track car. Assuming you'd like to stick w/ RWD, look no further than a Miata. If you have the budget, a mild supercharger setup would make a nice fun fast car. If I were you I'd start with a 1999-2003 or so car to start with.

I like the idea of an RX-8 track car too but they are still on the pricey side. Personally I wouldn't be towing my 3200 lb M3 with a Ridgeline.

Maybe dump the Ridgeline and pick up an F150 instead?

_________________
Mike Whitney
whit32@gmail.com, 919-454-5445
V10, V8, V8t, I6, I6, V6, F4t, I4, I4, I4, I4, I2, 1, 1

Ashraf's questions were good. It sounds like you just want a dedicated track car. While I have nearly zero experience towing a car, I would trust what Mike is saying. If you plan to keep the Ridgeline (nice truck!), maybe an aluminum trailer and a very light weight car?



That is pretty broad. You talking 356, 911, 914. Or something newer like 944? I am currently working on a multiple purpose 914. It will be street legal (not hard to do here in NC with a car that old), but will have full safety equipment for track and I plan to autocross as well. The plus is the low weight (~2000 lbs). The down side is that it is a 30+ year old Porsche. That is not the cheapest car to maintain. A nice 4 cyl would probably be a fun track car, but it is going to be a change from the Cobra as far as power is concerned. I am doing a 911 engine swap to address the power issue, but that requires $$$. Its probably hard to not jump on the Miata bandwagon. I just can't fit in the car well enough to make it my track car.

_________________
Richard Casto
1972 Porsche 914
2013 Honda Fit Sport
2015 Honda Fit EX
http://motorsport.zyyz.com
Money can't buy happiness, but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than a Kia.

If you're talking a dedicated track car, a 90-94 240sx can get down to 2500lbs. Doesn't have the support of many of the cars already listed though.

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In need of car.

See if Scott is still willing to part with his old Celica. Good torque, RWD and a most excellent cool factor.

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Has no responsibility whatsoever.

For a car that didn't sell terribly well, they sure are keeping their value in the used market. I haven't seen a high mileage one for sale yet, but I imagine it could be had for $15k-ish. I've had mine for nearly a year, and I could probably sell it for about 95% of what I bought if for.

I bought my RX-8 in Sept of '05 for the primary purpose of track and auto-x. I do not have a tow vehicle, but I fit (4) 245/45/17 on 9" wide wheels in the back seats, tools, cooler, clothes, and limited camping gear. It also takes me about an hour to load the car after changing tires at the end of the day. Last weekend at Summit Pt, I was coveting the luxury of tow vehicle and trailer.

In stock form the RX-8 is a very fun car. My only modifications are track brake pads, 17x9 wheels with R-compounds, and a decent alignment. My car is a base model and weighs a little under 2900 lbs with heavy wheels. It does tend to understeer a bit, and it is pretty torque-challenged. It does everything else really well. Great steering, great brakes, great shifter, easy on tires, 9300rpm fuel cut, and generally pretty well put together. There have been numerous recalls, but my car has been solid.

Those that come from a very torquey car like a Mustang generally want nothing to do with a high-rpm momentum car like the RX-8, but the car is deceptively quick, even in bone stock form. I've passed some pretty quick machinery on track.

Good luck on your search.

_________________
Tom Freeman
'98 M3/4/5 | '93 Spec3 325i | '12 TSX sport wagon | '03 Tahoe
Team Silver Bullets '91 240SX

while i am too chicken shite to track mine, a used Z06 can be had for low 30's. weight is really not an issue with that hp. coming from a Cobra, the torque should not be unnerving and i believe the handling should be slightly better.

a call to Coco Strayer could be good research for the P car idea.