Alternative to '6 for track days

[Malcolmx92]

Nah, I had a long love affair with Fords. Would happily own a Focus ST and used to dream of a Cossie. First fast car I ever went in was a XR4x4 Twin Turbo (Turbo Technics). That's when I realised that cars could be properly fast.

Still, engine transplants are all sorts of trouble and I was looking for more of a plug and play kinda track toy.

XR4x4 Twin Turbo....Them were the days

Dream car then was a RS500 when I eventually could afford one I ended up buying a B5 S4

[Ryan_Pestell]

had all the cossy inc a 500, there great garage and nostagic peices, but there <beep> cars to be fair, probably would still have another though.

track car wise, you want, NA, light, FWD or RWD doesnt matter, light means, it wears, tyres and brakes less.

M16 pug is a <beep> engine and suffer badly with oil problems even when dry sumped.
4x4 cosworth, if you've owned one you know the reason why im saying no! chocolate box, and very slow in standard form.
rwd cosworth, <beep> handlding unless you spend alot of money on them, quick in a straight line.
e36 m3, pretty good stripped and out of the box, 50/50 weight, bullet proof gearbox.
944/928 porker.

S1/S2 elise would be my choice, but like has been mentioned, there bloody expensive now, so i guess a VX220.

[SteveH]

When you say that you don't fit in a Caterham, have you tried the SV chassis and with lowered floors? much more room, even for me at 6'4".

[chunky79]

When you say that you don't fit in a Caterham, have you tried the SV chassis and with lowered floors? much more room, even for me at 6'4".

We have a winner then shop.

[Shoppinit]

Tried to passenger in a caterham at Donnington the other day, but couldn't even fit in as a passenger. My head was sticking out above the roll cage and I didn't feel remotely safe so I didn't go out. I'll have to check out the SV - I had heard that they do a larger version.

Ryan, the VX220 is an excellent idea. Are they cheaper then?

[chunky79]

Have you tried without your high heels on Ben???
Vx220 is meant to be a flying machine

[bam_bam]

Have you tried without your high heels on Ben???
Vx220 is meant to be a flying machine

Actually quiet rare and super expensive to insure, for some reason. It might different on the continent but UK insurers don't seem to like. It may have changed since I was looking two years ago.

[Shoppinit]

They're not much cheaper than the Elise, but the turbo version does appeal for the extra grunt.

Quite like this one:

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3926009.htm

[bam_bam]

Have been the last owner for the last 5 years (am an Engineer) and wrote the buyers guide on the VX220 Forum, I know whats what on these cars.

Ben, he's your forum double on the VX220 side! He'll be gutted you're going to track it. I dare say you'll get stuck gas-bagging if you go along for a look-see, best double the time you allocate to looking at it.

[SteveH]

You'll definitely fit in an SV chassis then, as I no-way fitted in a normal caterham, but no problems in the SV. There isn't a massive amount of room, but you soon get used to it.... I drove at Donnington also and it was absolutely superb. Although admittedly, the stability control was turned off the 6-series on the way home, with a great asbo donut or two in the car park to see how the 6 compared in throttle control to the caterham, which I have never repeated of course, as an upstanding member of the community.

[adsgreen]

Vx220s are good - however only the turbo vxt.
It's a bit unrefined - turbo lag a plenty and throttle a bit rubber band feel.
Cousin was at the press launch in Valencia where journals wrote off three cars. They have the tricky handling of the elise with more power but less throttle control and lag.

A very good option that is finding favour is the lotus Europa (Elise's based).
More room, better abs and excellent aero (best of all Elise cars).
Very very exclusive as few made. Apparently much better on track than a vxt.

[Ryan_Pestell]

also i would look at the clio's

all the way up to the Clio F1's, as there very very quick out of the box, the stigma is still the with the cheap french built car, but there not as bad as they used to be.

Clio 172 cup
Clio 182 cup
Clio 197
Clio 197 F1.

[Shoppinit]

It's not so much that it's French but rather that they are front wheel drive. Maybe I'm too hung up on having a RWD / AWD, but since that is what I drive all the time, that's what I want to learn in.

[marv8]

http://mobile.pistonheads.com/sales/3880211.htm

Do it Shop then if you bin it and walk away chuckling to yourself people will think your some sort of millionaire playboy

[Shoppinit]

What a strange car. What's it based on i wonder?

I love the: "Last two years it's had a rear bumper repair, please do not report my advert!"