The best used track cars to buy in 2026
Will this be the year you finally bust your circuit cherry? We've got something special for every budget...
Up to £5,000 | Renaultsport Clio
When it comes to very cheap track cars, the current consensus (among PH staffers, at any rate) seems to fall in two directions: you buy an old MX-5 or you buy a Clio of the Renaultsport persuasion. Which you prefer is likely a question of driven axles. Both have their advantages as entry-level circuit hacks, though, out of the box, you’ll go quicker in the latter - even if the budget limits you to a 197, as here. This was the most lightly regarded RS iteration, mostly to do with the model’s weight gain. But make no mistake, while the lift-off oversteer is not quite as prevalent as in its predecessors, any derivative breathed on in Dieppe makes today’s superminis look and feel like so many bean bags stuffed with blancmange. This one has had its fair share of owners and MOT failures, but we’re obviously not looking for perfection here. We’re looking for talent.
Up to £10,000 | Toyota GT86
Being able to buy a GT86 cheaply is one of those wonderful quirks of the car industry. Toyota compounded its shortcomings (you’ve heard about those, no doubt) by building it for too long without fixing them. So there are sufficient numbers available on the secondhand market to keep used prices subdued even in a niche segment. Which makes it a great trackday car, assuming you’re more interested in going sideways in slow motion than scorching up straights. Granted, there are limitations on its usability in some conditions and not everyone is a fan of the low-grip concept that its maker persisted with for the better part of a decade - but tap into what’s so very good about it, and you’ll find the zero-to-hero, fun-quota off the scale.
Up to £15,000 | Honda Integra Type R
The DC2 is now sufficiently rare that even if you find one for around the £15k mark, you might want to consider wrapping it in cotton wool rather than potentially wrapping it around a crash barrier - but the Integra Type R is simply too God-like not to mention. Whether or not you think it the best front-wheel-drive car ever made, it is unequivocally high in the running for that title, and this makes it a good and enlivening thing to enjoy on circuit. Especially when you factor in the naturally aspirated VTEC unit doing all the pulling. This one, said to be UK-supplied, appears to have been away from continual use for a few years, but has apparently had a fair amount of love and attention lavished on it in recent times. That is nothing less than it deserves.
Up to £25,000 | Mini JCW GP2
If you’re bringing a £25k budget to bear on a circuit hack with the exclusive intention of tearing up half a dozen track days a year, then rest assured you’ve unlocked some fairly senior options - not least several different flavours of Lotus Elise. But on the basis that many of those household names are still to come, let’s assume you want something more multifaceted - something like the John Cooper Works GP2, for example. Granted, without a mechanical limited-slip diff it does not replicate Renaultsport’s handling nuance, and a Fiesta ST would be cheaper - but the Mini will absorb a tremendous amount of punishment and is arguably the version most adept at making the brand’s ‘go-kart handling’ boast come true. It’s rare, too, and retains a manual ‘box. Making it the last GP worthy of the name.
Up to £35,000 | Caterham Seven
From here on, it’s track car aristocracy. And where better to start than with the car that has hastened people not just onto the track for the sake of it, but toward the higher calling of entry-level motorsport. The Caterham Seven has been around in one form or another for more than half a century, making it, perhaps unsurprisingly, the perfect antidote to a modern era drearily obsessed with personal safety. This makes it the last car you’d want to crash - and yet also the one that everyone ought to drive on circuit at least once in their lives. Practically any version is good for that, but if you want to take it even a little bit seriously, something like this 420R is ideal. The harnesses, 13-inch wheels and aero screen tell you it has been specced with the track in mind; less than 3k on the clock in 10 years suggests it has done little else. Perfection.
Up to £45,000 | Lotus Exige S3
From Elan to Evora and Seven to 3-Eleven, there’s a Lotus track car for almost any budget. All promise a uniquely engaging driving experience, because that’s what Lotus does better than anyone else. And while this sort of budget will buy some of the very best Elises - to say nothing of the classics available - the Series 3 Exige feels very hard to ignore. Heavier and techier (by Lotus standards) than the four-cylinder models before it, the V6 version counted on supercar-grade speed, sound and presence. While still delivering all that Lotus touchy-feely goodness on any road. This orange one is especially rare as a 7,500-mile Roadster with the manual gearbox - all the better for hearing your perfect downshifts with.
Up to £55,000 | Ariel Atom 4
To most folk, the Ariel Atom 4 seemed barely any different to the 3.5 that had come before. It still looked like a four-wheeled superbike, it was still powered by a 2.0-litre engine, and it still had an interior to make GT3 racers look plush. But it was totally, transformatively changed, with only the fuel cap, clutch pedal and brake pedal carried over from one generation to the next. It was a huge leap forward, the 4, calmer and more composed than previous Atoms (despite the introduction of turbo power), which gave the driver more confidence, yet still rabidly thrilling like little else. The fact it looked so similar really undersold what an achievement the Atom 4 was. Even all these years on, you’ll wait a while for a bespoke order (as well as pay very handsomely for the privilege), so the temptation is plain when it comes to used ones. This 2021 Atom hasn’t even done a thousand miles yet. And track day season really kicks off come March…
Up to £75,000 | BMW M4 GTS
But if your idea of a track day season includes trips to Spa, Nurburgring and Anglesey (it feels as far as Europe sometimes), then you’re going to want a permanent roof, proper seats, a stereo and so on. Something like the M4 GTS, still available at basically £50,000 off its new price a decade on. It was derided somewhat at launch because of the strange orange bits, but there was some proper engineering on show here: water injection for 500hp, loads of carbon for 1,500kg, three-way adjustable coilovers, bespoke aluminium arms, carriers, subframes… It all made for a car capable of a 7:28 ‘ring lap, an awesome achievement given the sometimes sketchy nature of the standard car. This one looks to have enjoyed more gentle treatment than that over its five thousand miles, and as one of just 30 UK cars, it will always have rarity on its side.
Up to £100,000 | Porsche 911 GT3 (991.1)
It couldn’t be anything but, could it? At anywhere between £75,000 and £100,000, whatever else is being considered as a track car, a GT3 of some kind has to be in the discussion. It’s simply too complete a sports car, when it comes to delivering on the road racer brief, to be ignored. Particularly once into the 991 generation, here was a 911 that could easily be driven every day, while also boasting the sort of track durability and thrill few can match. So it should be little surprise that a car that cost from £100,540 in 2013, despite the engine fiasco, can still command such a huge chunk of that. This PH Auctions car has had its flat-six replaced by Porsche, where it’s been serviced for its whole life as well. And with more miles than the seven lowest mileage GT3s combined (it’s still not many), there’s nothing to stop the next owner enjoying it absolutely as intended.
Sky’s the limit | Ferrari 458 Speciale
Probably there’s not much left to say about the 458 Speciale. It is, by most accounts, the greatest track-focused berlinetta to have ever left Maranello, so of course it’s here. But Ferrari has seen fit to resurrect the name for the latest stripped-out 296, and that’s only increased attention (if that was even possible) for the V8 Speciale. While 880hp and all sorts of aero will make the 296 phenomenally fast, the naturally aspirated 605hp 458 was beyond intoxicating; it really wanted for no more performance, grip, agility or ability, which is why the Speciale has been so adored for so long. Meaning even a well-used one will still command almost new Speciale money. We’d totally understand preferring to keep it (relatively) old school. In fact, we recommend it.
Had an E46 330i which I ported all the head and exhaust on and that was fun, easier to work on, cheap and lots on the market to improve them for track.
Now own a MX5 na which I'm doing a later vvt swap on, that goes really well even with the 115hp import-spec 1.6L, once you get it further up the rev range, plus you don't have to slow down for corners.
Weirdly when I was younger, I had loads of confidence on the road, but I've never had enough confidence to do a track day though. Plus I've always been scared to death of smashing my own car up on a track as well, because I just know that I'd get wrapped up in the atmosphere of it all, and I'd just get too carried away I think.
Wonderful things and so suited to a track. But I’d also take a lesser powered slightly war scarred ex-academy car for half the money.
I shared a batcat with a mate of mine years back who had a R500 as a plaything and he commented how much more fun the lower power car was as you had to wring everything from it and much more enjoyable than the 500.
Wonderful things and so suited to a track. But I d also take a lesser powered slightly war scarred ex-academy car for half the money.
I shared a batcat with a mate of mine years back who had a R500 as a plaything and he commented how much more fun the lower power car was as you had to wring everything from it and much more enjoyable than the 500.
I used my Westfield and track-modified Z4M Coupe side by side on track days for many years. I loved exploring the contrasting experience between low weight, relatively low powered and flexible chassis with supple suspension vs lots of power and a very stiff body shell with firmly damped suspension and thicker arbs, set up with aggressive geo and semi slick tyres.
These days, my Zed sees fewer track days and an Exige has become my daily driver, but one day I hope to buy a 991.2 GT3 RS Clubsport.
Other than that a pretty decent list.
Funnily enough the mate I referenced with the R500 had a 458 speciale too - for more reserved use.
I'm a big fan of the Clio 197, and think it's the pick of the fast Clio range currently. I've had two 197s and also a 172 Cup. The latter obviously felt lighter and more zingy, but the chassis on the 197 is superb. I loved my 172, and it is one of my favourite cars I've owned, but I always found it a bit skittish on the road, where the 197 inspires confidence like almost nothing else. The fact that the 1*2 generation cars are getting more and more expensive means that, for me, the 197 is the one to buy right now. I know the motoring hacks claim the 200 was much better, but the mechanical differences are minor and all the parts are interchangeable. Given that most used Clios will require a suspension refresh at this point, just buy a 197 and upgrade it was you freshen it up.
As for the GT86, I find it strange that the article suggests they're cheap. I've often thought about buying one to turn into a rally car, but the prices have never really dropped much below £8k for the cheapest ones which, compared to alternatives like the NC MX-5 and MK7 Fiesta ST, makes them feel rather expensive.
Weirdly when I was younger, I had loads of confidence on the road, but I've never had enough confidence to do a track day though. Plus I've always been scared to death of smashing my own car up on a track as well, because I just know that I'd get wrapped up in the atmosphere of it all, and I'd just get too carried away I think.
A friend of mine started with a 206 GTI, another with a 1.7 Puma, and I'd argue that they had every bit as much fun as anyone in something more expensive. The Puma ended up in the barrier at Snetterton once but, with a few cable ties, it was up and running again. A mate of mine spun my old Clio 172 there too and damaged the rear quarter panel against a piece of Armco but, again, we all just laughed about it, as the car was pretty worthless at the time.
Don't get me wrong, if I had loads of money, I'd have fancier track cars, but there's nothing like doing it in something that you don't care about. It takes away the fear of going off and ending up with a massive bill, so you can just focus on enjoying yourself!
Other than that a pretty decent list.
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