Carpokes Porsche Forum

AcuMD701 wrote: Sun Oct 27, 2024 7:20 am I have a 2010 Cayman. Love it on the track. And that is my price point.
My son wants a track car for DE. Can't afford a decent Cayman.
What would be a good "stock" option (we are not modify-it-yourself mechanics)?
Miata? Mustang? 944? What has hit that niche for you?
Thx for your comments.
KJC

When you say your son, what is his age/background/experience?
I'd agree on the Corvette and Miata (and the 944 but I suspect parts are likely costlier, specifically body parts, particularly the hatch), but less so on the Mustang.
I'd lean towards Miata due to size, power, and teaching opportunities/benefits. Larger cars with bigger tires can hide some chassis issues as can big power. A Miata is lighter, and would provide more learning opportunities at lower risk levels as its more important to conserve energy and speed because you don't have the torque/power to make up for a mistake. A Miata should tech/reward smoothness and precision more than a larger, heavier, more powerful car with more rubber. Transport, fuel usage, tire cost, replacement parts would likely all be less for the Miata. They are common pretty much everywhere, and a replacement core vehicle would be easier to find at a reasonable cost should the need arise. You also said you are not modify-it-yourself mechanics...just about anything you need for a hot DE Miata is available via multiple vendors, most issues have been addressed with parts that are available because its such a common platform. Corvette could be similar but just more involved and costlier.
It depends somewhat on your starting point, expectations, and what you want to achieve.

Any thoughts on a Mini JCW?

AcuMD701 wrote: Tue Oct 29, 2024 6:54 pm Any thoughts on a Mini JCW?

I don't know those cars very well, so this may be moot for the JCW, but we test drove a Mini with a CVT transmission, and I'd say it was weird to drive on the street, and would be a non-starter for a track car (for me anyway). I assume you can get those cars with a more traditional transmission, but FYI just in case. In a similar spirit, the 3 liter turbo e90 335i cars offer a ton of bang for the buck, especially with a tune.

So AcuMD701 did you find a machine for your son to run at DEs? Mustangs or Miata would be the most friendly priced and parts are super easy to get, yet the Miata would need a rollbar or top to run in many DE or Time Trial Events. Just wondering if you found something because running road courses is one of the most fun times you will ever have with your son. My son and I raced Spec Miatas together and we still Autocross usually sharing his wicked EVO9 !