Heavy/powerful car - how much will a TD cost?

[Benbay001]

I havnt been on track for about 6 years.

The last time i was in my mk2 MR2 and managed to demolish a full nearly new set of Toyo T1-Rs over the course of the day. Mainly through wear on the shoulder.

Ive since changed my car a few times and currently have a C5 Corvette Z06.

Id like to venture out on track at some point in the near future, but im worried about potential costs.

How much wear can i expect to see on a set of brakes and tyres?

I am not interested in getting dedicated track wheels and tyres as i have no where to store them and wont be doing enough track work.

Current tyres are Bridgestone RE050s.

"How long is a piece of string?" is not a valid answer. Id like you to take a shot at how long you think the string is.

Thanks

[Nickjd]

Well seriously, how long is a piece of string? If you go out and drive 3 laps, come in, tell everyone how great you were for the next 45 minutes before you go out again they will last far longer than if you try to spank a tank of fuel in one go. All tyres have operating window's you need to keep within them to avoid rapid wear. If you are driving sensibly, as in not trying to do a Clarkson and feel for when the tyres are starting to go off, and then cool it off, come in and let it all cool down, then you are likely to be able to drive home on them, especially if they are not full height and so block movement is limited.
https://www.motmotorsport.co.uk/grip-and-compounds...

[brillomaster]

Depends hugely on the conditions on the day, how much driving you do, and how hard you drive.

Wet day, driven gently for 10 minutes every hour, set of tyres and brakes will probably last as long as they would on the road.

Dry day, driven hard (ie tyres squealing/sliding) for 30 minutes every hour, youll probably get through a set of tyres in a day.

But as said, tyres and brakes have optimal operating windows. If you exceed these, you will wear them very quickly. For example, if you're on track, and begin to experience either loss of grip from tyres, or brake fade, come in and let them cool down. If you push past this, wear increases exponentially.

And although you said you dont want track specific tyres and brakes, the reason people run them is because the operating window is larger, so you can stay out on track with consistent performance for longer. They also last a lot longer.

[E-bmw]

In all seriousness as the above is the only real answer.

Although I will add that Re050 are cr@p on a normal road in normal conditions, so if you are cracking on at all expect to go through them.

[brillomaster]

For some context, i normally drive in dry conditions, 30 minutes drive time per hour, and generally push as hard as i can, without sliding/squealing tyres.

Driven like this, a set of (track) tyres will happily last 6-8 full days, or about 1000-1500 miles.

But thats a weeny z4, with only 230bhp to play with. Double that power, with road tyres... ? Maybe 2-3 days? So many variables.... how long is a piece of string? 😄

Only way to know for sure is to try! Get a decent tread gauge, do some laps, take some measurements, see how you get on.

I think youd have to be pretty negligent/ unobservant or a really unsympathetic driver to kill a set of tyres in a day.

[Benbay001]

Thanks guys.

All points noted and valid.

I guess ill find some time and money to do a day at some point in the future.

[mmm-five]

How heavy is the Corvette?

For my e34 M5, which was 1700kg give or take and had no traction/stability aids, it was costing about £1000/day, and I preferred damp/wet/cold days than scorching hot days as they tended to be cheaper, quieter, and less stoppages.

• 4 days out of a set of road tyres (usually Michelin Pilot Sports/Pilot Sport 2/SportContact 2) - before I switched to dedicated wheels & tyres that I carried in the back seats [£600 or £150/day]

• 3 days out of a set of front RS29 pads [£300 or £100/day]

• a year/10 track days out of a set of front discs [£400 or £40/day]

• about 100l of fuel a day for 200-220 miles (at circuits such as Oulton, Cadwell, Donington, Castle Combe, Anglesey) [£120/day]

• increased servicing & maintenance oil/air/brake fluid/valve clearances [£1000 or £100/day]

• track day [£100-£200]

But the M5 was as much fun as the Z4MC - just in a different way. The M5 is playful all the way to 10/10ths, the Z4MC is a bit spiteful after 8/10ths.





My Z4MC costs less than half that.

Edited by mmm-five on Friday 31st July 11:02

[blue al]

The tyres you mention are all utter rubbish (in 17)
but pressure/Temperature and set-up camber etc all ensure best use of what you have
Light cars are cheaper to play with

Id say a Modern mini trackday is around 450 quid ish...

The grin on your face when your pass something better faster more expensive
And string 3+ corners together = priceless

Edited by blue al on Friday 31st July 11:55

[QBee]

My track day costs are far lower than quoted above for the M5, but I drive an 1100 kg TVR, and the weight of the car, or lack of it, is a major factor in the speed at which you go through consumables.

[PTF]

Blimey some big numbers there.

My MX5 is running NS2Rs and after 4x evenings and 1x day they're hardly showing any wear. Brake pads are still fine with loads left (1144s, though they need upgrading as they're rubbish and fade/judder after 5 laps).

Fuel usage is around 1/2 tank for an evening. Full tank plus a top-up on the way home on a full day.

Sounds like the costs really ramp up when weight increases!

[upsidedownmark]

E-bmw said:

In all seriousness as the above is the only real answer.

Although I will add that Re050 are cr@p on a normal road in normal conditions, so if you are cracking on at all expect to go through them.

Only thing I would add is that while Re050's were 'crap' in road use, being rather harder than the pilot sports they replaced, they were 'better' on track as they didn't cook themselves as quickly.. (old 986 boxster). more YMMV..