best value sports car under 100k?

Originally Posted by maomao1980

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I think the point is being able to drive your car in the environment where it excels the most, thus extracting the most from the ownership experience. Not everyone who drives on the track are aiming to achieve the faster than the other guy. Having a race car also means the need for a truck, trailor, parking space, amongst other smaller things.

Though many people who started going to the track with their street cars will shift their attitude from having a good weekend to kicking butt on the race track, and thus eventually will step into the money pit that is race car ownership. I've stopped going to the track having moved to HK, but most of the friends who I started out with have ditched their street/track cars and track events for race cars and club racing.

I would recommend karting over taking your own street car to the track.

I agree that taking your own to the track at least once is a good experience. I don`t think it`s something you should do on a regular basis, because most street cars aren`t designed for the track, and you will probably get a better experience from doing it properly.

Originally Posted by Southern-Nupe

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I apologize, I mean modern day Mercedes, the 300's of the past were simply classics, but look at what the SL has evolved to a 4,000+ lb behemoth.

Well, take into consideration that it needs to meet all modern crash test standards (airbags everywhere, etc...), has an insane amount of electronics and luxuries, including 18 (or more?) way power seats which are heated (and I think they offer air-conditioned seats as an options as well, no?), full retractable metal hardtop, a massive engine (5.4 liter V8 vs. the original 3.0 Liter straight-6), etc...

And you end up with a very heavy car. I mean even the new Jaguar XK is about 1000 lbs lighter thanks to its aluminum body and chassis, plus other weight saving techniques such as a traditional soft-top.

The modern SLR is a true sports car (albeit an insanely expensive one at that), so is the SLK55 AMG, because it is the only MB which can actually take a corner and is small / light enough to slip into the sports car category.

Jon.

Originally Posted by Dragon

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I don`t think sports cars are THAT fun to drive on the track. They are not really made for the track anyway.

Then you are driving the wrong sports car.

Try a Lotus Elise, Dodge Viper, or Corvette Z06. They are made for the track. If you don't think that these cars are "THAT" fun to drive on the track, then you either haven't driven them on a track, or you don't really like to drive sports cars at all.

Originally Posted by Dragon

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I agree that a sports car would be fun to drive on a twisty mountain road, but you can enjoy just as much with a sports GT, or something relatively fast. The mountain road is not enough to enjoy the sports car to the fullest, and the track is too much for the sports car for the non-race car driver.

I guess it depends on your definition of "enjoyment." If comfortable cruising is what you are after, then a GT car is fine, but there really is no substitute for a true sports car when you are focused on driving.

Originally Posted by Dragon

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The line these days [between race cars and sports cars] is very distant.

Not as distant as you might think. Saleen and Mosler make sports cars that are not much different than the cars that race in various racing series. Dodge's Competition Coupe shares its suspension and drivetrain (except for the dif) with the street version. There are tons of amateur racing series (SCCA T1 for example) that race relatively stock versions of street cars

Originally Posted by Dragon

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I agree that you should try to take your car to the track at least once.

Once is not nearly enough. The more you do it, the more you learn, and the more fun it is. It's a challenging sport, and you can spend a lifetime learning and improving and having a really fun time doing it.

Originally Posted by Kai

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Then you are driving the wrong sports car.

I agree

Try a Lotus Elise, Dodge Viper, or Corvette Z06. They are made for the track. If you don't think that these cars are "THAT" fun to drive on the track, then you either haven't driven them on a track, or you don't really like to drive sports cars at all.

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I`ve driven a Viper for a couple of laps. I really don`t have any desire to drive any of those cars on the track though.

I guess it depends on your definition of "enjoyment." If comfortable cruising is what you are after, then a GT car is fine, but there really is no substitute for a true sports car when you are focused on driving.

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I guess it does.

I am not talking about comfortable cruising though. I am saying that on regular streets (mountain or whatever), a sports car or a GT car is not going to make much of a difference. You can`t drive to the full potential of the cars on the streets anyway.

Not as distant as you might think. Saleen and Mosler make sports cars that are not much different than the cars that race in various racing series. Dodge's Competition Coupe shares its suspension and drivetrain (except for the dif) with the street version. There are tons of amateur racing series (SCCA T1 for example) that race relatively stock versions of street cars

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Yes, I agree with you. In some rare models, the gap between street and race cars is minimal. Aside for the 1% of sports cars that you are talking about, the gap is big though.

Once is not nearly enough. The more you do it, the more you learn, and the more fun it is. It's a challenging sport, and you can spend a lifetime learning and improving and having a really fun time doing it.

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I agree. I don`t think taking a street car to the track that often is good though. It`s not so good for the driver or the car.

Originally Posted by imageWIS

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Well, take into consideration that it needs to meet all modern crash test standards (airbags everywhere, etc...), has an insane amount of electronics and luxuries, including 18 (or more?) way power seats which are heated (and I think they offer air-conditioned seats as an options as well, no?), full retractable metal hardtop, a massive engine (5.4 liter V8 vs. the original 3.0 Liter straight-6), etc...

And you end up with a very heavy car. I mean even the new Jaguar XK is about 1000 lbs lighter thanks to its aluminum body and chassis, plus other weight saving techniques such as a traditional soft-top.

The modern SLR is a true sports car (albeit an insanely expensive one at that), so is the SLK55 AMG, because it is the only MB which can actually take a corner and is small / light enough to slip into the sports car category.

Jon.
They actually classify the SLR as a Super GT, but I see where your coming from, I'd probably also consider it a sportscar. The catch with the SLR, is the fact it was co-designed with McClaren, and even then they felt it could've been better. I was thinking about the SLK's classification, it be would considered it a sportscar based on the true definition, I just have to wonder why the more powerful AMG version is only optioned with an automatic, if I was driving a small powerful convertible, my first option would be a 5 or 6 speed, auto just seem so wrong for true sportscars.

Originally Posted by Dragon

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I don`t think taking a street car to the track that often is good though. It`s not so good for the driver or the car.

A track is one of the best environments to learn how to drive better. Given proper instruction and a good attitude, I don't see how a driver can't dramatically improve their awareness and driving skills with a track driving school in a street car.

My car's also spent about 5 percent of its total mileage of 103K miles on racetracks, and the only thing that's done to the car is to accelerate its normal wear items (brakes, tires).

--Andre

Originally Posted by Andre Yew

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A track is one of the best environments to learn how to drive better. Given proper instruction and a good attitude, I don't see how a driver can't dramatically improve their awareness and driving skills with a track driving school in a street car.

My car's also spent about 5 percent of its total mileage of 103K miles on racetracks, and the only thing that's done to the car is to accelerate its normal wear items (brakes, tires).

--Andre

Of course, I agree that a track is the best place to learn how to drive. I just think that a proper race car is better than a street car on the track, that`s all.

For some of us the size of a sportscar can be a restriction. Some of these are beauties though.

Nissan GT-R Brembo track pack. 0-60 in 2.7 seconds.

I know this is a dead thread but something in it must have lodged in my mind as I went out an bought a 1979 928 last year





I like the unadorned look and thankfully someone else has spent a ton of money on it.

That's a sweet looking ride. Wouldn't have guessed 79 although maybe the wheels give it away.

Nice. Looks like Tom Cruise's Porsche in Risky Business: "Porsche, there is no substitute."

culverwood said:

I know this is a dead thread but something in it must have lodged in my mind as I went out an bought a 1979 928 last year





I like the unadorned look and thankfully someone else has spent a ton of money on it.

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it has a really cool stance from the front.

Laughing at much in this old ass thread. The blatant Corvette hate is a shame. The car is very capable and only gets better. And the claim that the S2k not a sports car? It is the epitome of a sports car: light weight, 2 seats, great handling. And the fact that it was designed as a convertible is just icing on the cake.



Rumpelstiltskin said:

Laughing at much in this old ass thread.  The blatant Corvette hate is a shame.  The car is very capable and only gets better.  And the claim that the S2k not a sports car?  It is the epitome of a sports car: light weight, 2 seats, great handling.  And the fact that it was designed as a convertible is just icing on the cake.

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I think it's the epitome of a roadster, which I think of as a subset of sports car.

The new Jag F Type looks like a strong contender.

The new Corvette Stingray looks like it will be pretty good too.