Low power lightweight track car?

[crofty1984]

Hi all,
Does anyone have a track car that's a cheap as chips light hatch that ISN'T the gti/type-R/ST version and how to you find it?
I'm thinking saxo/106, 1.1, Micra 1.0, Rover 100, polo1.4 etc.
The kind of thing you can pick up on FB marketplace for £700 quid and a staffie.
I've had a lot of fun chucking a Micra round an autotest track but don't know how tht would translate to something like Cadwell.

[robemcdonald]

Mini?

[Throttlebody]

Ran a stock K11 Micra 1.0 on a few trackdays. For a longer term proposition you’d need a 1.4 with some lowering springs and adjustable Panhard Rod.

Something cheap with about 140 bhp stock you could strip out would be a better call. Power would be an issue on the bigger circuits.

[SAS Tom]

I did a track day with a mate in his 1.0 polo at Blyton park. It felt slow even on a small track like that but it was a fun day trying to get the most out of it flat out all the time.

I don’t think it’d be that good as a regular track car though. For me part of track days is finding other cars of similar pace and seeing how you compare etc which I don’t think you’d get much opportunity being the slowest car on track.

[Yazza54]

I'd probably go for a cheap mini cooper s for something cheap and crashable, they have enough power to be fun and handle like a go kart. I don't think anything you've mentioned would be worth a wk on track. Also my Staffie is offended.

[crofty1984]

Yazza54 said:

I'd probably go for a cheap mini cooper s for something cheap and crashable, they have enough power to be fun and handle like a go kart. I don't think anything you've mentioned would be worth a wk on track. Also my Staffie is offended.

My apologies to your staffie!

[Cambs_Stuart]

As a day at Bedford last year I was in the garage with a chap in a bog standard 1.1L 106. the clutch had failed on his usual track car and he didn't want to miss out.
He could drive, but the gap in pace to everything else was huge. Even on the procession lap he was struggling to keep up.
But if you had a few friends with similar cars I think it would be a lot of fun....

[Chunkychucky]

Picked up a 2004 Punto recently with the 1.4 16v/6 speed box from the Panda 100hp, cost less than a grand with a fresh MOT and is great fun to hoon about on the road - a refreshing experience of 'preserve momentum'. The chassis doesn't even feel too bad (aside from the overly-keen ESP - need to find a way to deactivate it tbh), giving a nice amount of rotation with a 'lift and flick'.

Tempted to do a day at Aintree or somewhere similar when the tyres are nearing the end of their life

[crofty1984]

Looks like I'll be in the hunt for a VTR/ST150/Cooper S next year then!

[Krikkit]

Highly recommend the Fiesta ST150 as well - ours was cheap as chips and costs buttons to run. With some track rubber it's more than capable of keeping up a decent enough pace in the hands of noobs

Loads of spares about as they made so many.

Unfortunately the Saxos are a bit old now - the cheap ones have rotted away and the ones that are left are starting to fetch good money. Spares are also drying up

[Caddyshack]

I would spend a little more and get a mk1 mx5, rear wheel drive will be much more fun.

[andye30m3]

We race a 1.0 Citroen C1 and they're a great laugh to race or run on trackdays.

I think you can have fun in pretty much anything on track, just embrace the comical body roll and tyre noise.

[braddo]

I think you’d want 0-60 in 10 secs or less, so the level down from hot hatch but not the basic slow versions (whose brakes and suspension won’t be up to a fun day on track without mods).

A race car like C1 or 2cv are different because no-one has them for just track days (and cost is far higher!).

[braddo]

Something like this Clio - it actually looks like a nice car!

£990, 0-60 in 10.5



https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202210060...


Or a Ford SportKA
£650, 0-60 in 9.7



https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202210090...

[Dynion Araf Uchaf]

why don't you search auto trader <£1000, max engine size 1.6 and min power 100.

That throws up lots of left field stuff, Honda Civic 1.6i ivtec executive, Mazda 3, Suzuki Liana etc.

[Yazza54]

Suzuki Liana!!! The original top gear track slut!

[braddo]

There might have been a thread on here somewhere about the Mazda 2 being a good base car too (for both durability and handling out of the box).

[KarlMac]

Lupo, ideally with the 1.4 16v, and build a Lupo Cup replica.

The GTI has huge scene tax but the pov models are well below £2k and below £1k if you don’t mind working on a basket case.

[_Yeti]

Citroen C2 VTS is also an option. I know somebody who has tracked two (picture below). Can be picked up very cheap and think it's 125bhp stock? There is a picture of him skipping across the grass after Paddock Hill bend but I won't post that

[LowTread]

Got an MX5 Mk2 gathering dust in a shed. No MOT, but rust free body. Not mint, but fine for a track slag. Sparco seat, MOMO wheel, LSD, NS2R tyres, TR Lane roll bar.

About as much fun as you can have for less than £2k.

A PHer was lined up to buy it but has disappeared.