QOTD: What's A Great Affordable Track Day Daily Driver?

[EmersonHart13]

Question of the Day: What's A Great Affordable Track Day Daily Driver?

The Corvette Z06 Carbon makes for a great, albeit assumedly pricey (no word yet on official pricing), track-day car. For those of us on a budget: what's a great, affordable track day daily driver?


Clearly "affordable" and "track day" aren't words often said together in the same breath, but little orange cones mark the spread of HPDE and solocross events across the land. It's possible to get a small amount of racing excitement on the weekends without sacrificing your time, budget or romantic relationships.


There are a lot of great choices here but we fancy a used last-generation Mazdaspeed3, which is both an easy car to live with day-to-day, comes in used at a reasonable price, and has almost everything you'd want: peppy 263 HP turbo engine, big brakes, great handling, well-balanced handling, and a six-speed transmission. Swap in some more aggressive rubber, a few suspension upgrades and perhaps a short shift kit and you're there in a car that can comfortably carry four people and their gear.


Close your eyes. Imagine a checkered flag. Now imagine the money in your bank account, your commute, and your garage. Find a way to make all things work.


(QOTD is your chance to answer the day's most pressing automotive questions and experience the opinions of the insightful insiders, practicing pundits and gleeful gearheads that make up the Jalopnik commentariat. If you've got a suggestion for a good "Question Of the Day" send an email to tips at jalopnik dot com.)
Photo Credit: Jaymzx

Send an email to Matt Hardigree, the author of this post, at [email protected].

http://jalopnik.com/5490013/whats-a-great-affordable-track-day-daily-driver

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[OneBadGTR]

BMW 335xi hands down, Run at high 11 1/4 with little mods, drives through any amount of snow and very smooth ride w/ BMW quality...

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

There's a new Mazda speed3 here at work. It's ugly but was seems like a fun car. I only drove it up and down the street.

The clutch sucks though...

 

[Mook]

define track car tho..road race? 1/4 mile? double duty?

 

[Bru]

Big fan of the MX-5. Really a blast to drive and the gear shifter is hardly any distance away from the steering wheel, making for quick shifts and time you don't have to let go of the wheel.

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

BMW 335xi hands down, Run at high 11 1/4 with little mods, drives through any amount of snow and very smooth ride w/ BMW quality...

Can they be found for under $20k? Affordable.....


I say used Sti.

 

[AlmightyBirdman]

Anything with a 3800, duh.

 

[EmersonHart13]

define track car tho..road race? 1/4 mile? double duty?

I say whatever your flavor of track. We all like different types of racing.

 

[greasy]

BMW 335xi hands down, Run at high 11 1/4 with little mods, drives through any amount of snow and very smooth ride w/ BMW quality...

Question of the Day: What's A Great Affordable Track Day Daily Driver?

 

[EmersonHart13]

Some people are ballers, so a Lambo might be affordable.

 

[Mook]

Question of the Day: What's A Great Affordable Track Day Daily Driver?

335's can be had in the 20s i wouldnt say that "expensive"

 

[EmersonHart13]

Mook says GTR. /end thread

 

[Mook]

i did not say a gtr..as its not an affordable solution...i'm still debating

 

[greasy]

335's can be had in the 20s i wouldnt say that "expensive"

Please tell me how a used car priced at 20K is affordable.

 

[EmersonHart13]

I know, just giving you shit.

I am going to vote for the Solstice GXP, if only I could fit in it.

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

The article sounds like track day car would be auto-x or maybe a stint at a road course.

 

[Mook]

Please tell me how a used car priced at 20K is affordable.

not everyone wants a sub 10k track car...they want it to pull daily duty as well, so you got to pony up some extra change. 20k isnt that bad

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

The picture is of 2 srt-4's and a shitty eclipse. Both can be had for less than $12k. The speed3 can be had for around $15k these days

 

[Mook]

the article didnt place a price cap...just said imagine what you could afford

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

I'll take that srt-4 then. $10k

 

[EmersonHart13]

So Bill Gates answer to this is Bugatti Veyron.

I thought about choosing the mighty Cobalt SS.

 

[UWISHU1]

03/04 Cobra

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

So Bill Gates answer to this is Bugatti Veyron.

I thought about choosing the mighty Cobalt SS.

I hear the turbo ones handle pretty good

 

[Mook]

I hear the turbo ones handle pretty good

claimed be the best handling fwd car next to the old type r's

 

[EmersonHart13]

I hear really good things, but I have had no experience with them myself. That is party of why I chose the Solstice GXP... Miata with the sweet turbo motor. Too bad I could never fit in the car.