Another what car

[actuar90]

Hi all,

So I currently have an Elise S2 for mostly track work. I'm looking to downsize to something a bit cheaper and more easily repairable /replaceable should I run out of talent on track and also so that I can generally be a little less worried about minding the car out on track. I'm still looking for rwd and a decent bit of power, not looking to be constantly pulling in to let people by on track. Also looking to keep it road legal.

The obvious choice is the mx5 but I think the lack of power might be an issue. At the moment I'm looking at a turbocharged one with 200bhp. Anyone know what performance I could expect with that kind of bhp? Is 0-60 in 6 seconds too optimistic?

The second option I'm looking at is an S2000, quick straight out of the box and pretty reliable too from what I've heard.

Finally I'm thinking about an mr2 turbo, also quick but I've heard handling can be a bit temperamental.

I've ruled out the m3 as its a bit too heavy on consumables for for regular tracking.

What would you go for and why? Any other classic rwd cars in missing?

[Zoobeef]

VX220

[Torquey]

Westfield/7/Tiger/Robin Hood type cars can be had for reasonable prices if it doesn't have a Caterham badge on the front??

[Dakkon]

S2000, a friend has one which he tales on track, takes serious abuse and has never failed him, but can be a bit tricky on the limit and he is prone to the odd spin, but he loves the car.

MR2 Turbo - had two, they are ok, I suspect your biggest problem is finding a decent one, they are a bit old and rusty and a lot have been abused, but good cars once you fit decent rubber, surprisingly quick even in standard tune and easy to take to 300bhp without major internal work.

MX5 - I bought a Mk3 / NC, I love it, not as fast in outright pace as the S2000, but much more forgiving chassis, cheap parts, £115 for four Brembo HC disks for example.

[loggyboy]

I know you say RWD, but try a clio, i swear you wont regret it. Variety is the spice of life as they say!

[JBUK]

200bhp MX5 will be more than enough power / performance for you I'd think coming from an Elise S2. As long as you have larger radiator / oil cooler, Torsen Diff and decent brakes (either 1.8 spec as a minimum or Wilwoods) then it will be reliable with a decent tune.

My Mk1 has 206whp (probably 220-230 odd at the crank) Had no issue keeping up with Exige / Impreza STIs / M3s on previous trackdays and kept me on my toes. If you bend it, very cheap to replace and new engine is sub £200 usually if it goes pop.

[Steve H]

E36 328 will box well above it's budget if set up properly, still be drivable to track and plenty of parts available.

[TroubledSoul]

MR2 Turbo is a fantastic car, but it won't handle as well as the Elise. Not much will to be honest, but yeah, they are really great cars to drive. Not brilliant to work on, as the bolts on the underside like shearing and some things are hard to get to.

If you get one, make sure the sills have been done at some point. I don't care what they look like from the outside, they rot because of a design fault and it will happen to all of them.

[Dakkon]

If you got for the MR2 Turbo get a Rev 3 onwards ('94 onwards), handling and turbo revisions make it a better car than the rev 1 & 2

[mikey P 500]

Maybe a mk3 mr2 but with a 2zz engine swap quite a few about now normally still sub £3k to buy and about as close to Elise as you can get for limited budget. I think they handle much better than s2000 or mk2 mr2 turbo, owned and tracked all of them. The mx5 in either turbo or supercharged form also a good option though.