https://www.youtube.com/embed/2r__xTuXvDk
A purpose-built track car that can be maintained with a visit to your local auto parts store? Look no further than the Cardinal Coupe by Fields Auto Works.
[How to get GT4 lap times without the GT4 price | Fields Auto Works Cardinal Coupe]
Just how capable is the Cardinal Coupe? We took it to our official test track, …
Starting at a low price of $49,999 Pricing for assembled rolling chassis w/o powertrain
Wonder what I could get a new c8 for without a powertrain.
Hmm... it's an interesting car, but I'm not so sure about the "without the high price" part.
Minimum $50K for the base rolling car.
$7K for a Eco-Boost crate engine from Ford Performance (sure, could save a few $ for a used engine, but in a $50K chassis - why?).
$2310 for the manual trans control pack from Ford Performance.
$3600-ish for a Tremec from Ford Performance (plus the bell housing; clutch bits, etc.)
So looking at well over $60K for a car that will be extremely track-focused and may be a PITA to get street registered.
I watched JG's video on the car and it definitely looks like fun, but it'll take a very specific type of buyer to choose this over other options for dedicated track cars.
Looks are subjective, so I won't even take that into consideration. I'll just say it looks very... purposeful.
What will happen first?
A) You getting a Cardinal bought and built for $65k
B) You finding a zero option C8 for $65k
Ian F (Forum Supporter) said:Looks are subjective, so I won't even take that into consideration. I'll just say it looks very... purposeful.
That's a very polite way of saying it.
I'm glad they made it. It really is an nice little car. But I don't see how it could sale in any numbers when this, cheaper, faster, better looking, just as easy to service, built by a long standing company, thing exists:
The more Chris and I hung around the thing the more the looks grew on us. Sure there are a few odd details, but ultimately it's a handbuilt car and there's just things that robots can design and do when it comes to forming that people can't.
But proportionally, the thing is just fabulous. It's tiny, but it has presence. And despite its diminutive size, there's crazy space inside,and great sightlines.
I always feel like a wet blanket on these things but a used SCCA P2 car can be had for 25K to 40K.
Now that's not a frontline P2 car, those are 60K, but it will absolutely suck the paint off of the cars mentioned here.
With that said I do thing both cars pictured above are really cool.
In reply to Tom1200 :
You're not wrong, but that P2 car is also going to have limitations. Like, it demands a trailer, and forget running a TNiA, or taking it to a Cars & Coffee.
But, yeah, measured on pure lap times and driving experience, there's a LOT of ways to go fast that aren't necessarily expensive or as complicated as people think they are.
I finished ahead of several C8's at LS Fest in my Mustang for much less than $65k. I sell my Mustang to someone for $65k though if you're interested. 
JG Pasterjak said:In reply to Tom1200 :
You're not wrong, but that P2 car is also going to have limitations. Like, it demands a trailer, and forget running a TNiA, or taking it to a Cars & Coffee.
But, yeah, measured on pure lap times and driving experience, there's a LOT of ways to go fast that aren't necessarily expensive or as complicated as people think they are.
Years back one of the locals out at Spring Mountain had road registered their Radical............."hey man it's a street car"
Realistically that is dilemma with formula cars and sports racers.
JG Pasterjak said:In reply to Tom1200 :
You're not wrong, but that P2 car is also going to have limitations. Like, it demands a trailer, and forget running a TNiA, or taking it to a Cars & Coffee.
But, yeah, measured on pure lap times and driving experience, there's a LOT of ways to go fast that aren't necessarily expensive or as complicated as people think they are.
Well, without wipers that Cardinal isn't legally driving to Cars and Coffee either. And I suspect it has no HVAC to make the trip pleasant - coupes are a little more challenging than convertibles when it comes to managing the temperature and sound levels of the driver environment. So it may not be a very effective street car - once you've got it registered.
In terms of like vs like, how does it compare on-track to a FF Roadster or Coupe? Or a Caterham? Because it's more of a competitor to those than a C8.
A track buddy of mine is getting one of these. He currently has one of their demo cars until his is built. It looks pretty awesome in person IMO, and it moves pretty well. Not sure you'd want to drive one on the street though, not going to be comfortable. Would make a great w2w car though. In my area there's a big group of racers with "normal" cars - BMWs, miatas, but also stock cars, etc. We all run in the same race group. There's also an open wheel group that is primarily FFs. The sports racers might be quicker but fall into no mans land where there's really no one to race with. This thing would fit right in though.
Interesting front suspension.
JG Pasterjak said:The more Chris and I hung around the thing the more the looks grew on us. Sure there are a few odd details, but ultimately it's a handbuilt car and there's just things that robots can design and do when it comes to forming that people can't.
But proportionally, the thing is just fabulous. It's tiny, but it has presence. And despite its diminutive size, there's crazy space inside,and great sightlines.
It's not just a few details. The squinty eye view kinda looks ok but as soon as it comes into focus you realize the design and execution are crude.
As for hand built vs. robots - a simple look through photos of old car bodies created by coachbuilders tells you all you need to know about the possibilities of hand-formed aluminum, or even fiberglass. Also, even modern cars are 100% designed by human minds, even if there are digital tools now used in the process.
I like the basic concept but everything is a bit crude for a starting price of $50K - which is not even a finished car. In the age where anyone can have Fusion 360 on their laptop and all the digital manufacturing tools that that allows, this seems overpriced and underwhelming in terms of aesthetics and quality.
In reply to VolvoHeretic :
Was also checking that out, SLA with a pullrod and inverted bellcrank, packages tightly like a conventional SLA while still packing the bellcrank setup...also it's nice that they got the steering rack in line with a control arm, but I wonder if it's ideal that it lines up with the top control arm which is higher up and has all the caster/camber adjustment...
msterbeau said:It's not just a few details. The squinty eye view kinda looks ok but as soon as it comes into focus you realize the design and execution are crude.
As for hand built vs. robots - a simple look through photos of old car bodies created by coachbuilders tells you all you need to know about the possibilities of hand-formed aluminum, or even fiberglass. Also, even modern cars are 100% designed by human minds, even if there are digital tools now used in the process.
The first time I was under a hand built Dino that was up on the lift, I was absolutely horrified.
Bring on the robots.
The design of this makes more sense to me than something like an Exocet or a Caterham, from both a performance and safety standpoint. It's still effectively a purpose-built track car, but I like that it uses proven parts that you could get at Autozone in a pinch. Modern street cars are so complex and so expensive that I couldn't imagine buying something like a C8 for more than a handful of track days per year. I think the closest competition would be a Radical SR1, which I would probably pick if I were shopping in this category. That said, the Radicals don't strike me as being terribly reliable.
Every time I see those Daytona kit cars I think why does it always have to be that? I want like a Alfa Romeo TZ2 kit car or something lol.
In reply to ShinnyGroove (Forum Supporter) :
or one could be a used older / soon to be obsolete generation SRF.
If you only intended to run it at track days you could modify it, sure that instantly kills it's value but as a track day car you won't care.
Woody (Forum Supportum) said:msterbeau said:It's not just a few details. The squinty eye view kinda looks ok but as soon as it comes into focus you realize the design and execution are crude.
As for hand built vs. robots - a simple look through photos of old car bodies created by coachbuilders tells you all you need to know about the possibilities of hand-formed aluminum, or even fiberglass. Also, even modern cars are 100% designed by human minds, even if there are digital tools now used in the process.
The first time I was under a hand built Dino that was up on the lift, I was absolutely horrified.
Bring on the robots.
I'm not arguing under the skin quality... or even symmetry, just aesthetics. :-)
Miata NA or NB with LS. Depending on your skills $30 - $40K maybe less if only a track car. Eats this thing and maybe even the C8...
calteg said:What will happen first?
A) You getting a Cardinal bought and built for $65k
B) You finding a zero option C8 for $65k
You can also find C7 Z06s at that price point.
Tom1200 said:In reply to ShinnyGroove (Forum Supporter) :
or one could be a used older / soon to be obsolete generation SRF.
If you only intended to run it at track days you could modify it, sure that instantly kills it's value but as a track day car you won't care.
I think Gen2 SRF's are the best bargain going in track day machinery. Cheap, simple, reliable, supported, safe, and plenty fast. You could even get a Gen3 with all the latest bells and whistles for under $50k, and run faster than the Vettes at most tracks on our relatively cheap Hoosiers. Of course I'm a little biased. ;)
In reply to ShinnyGroove (Forum Supporter) :
And if you just put slicks on a spare set of wheels you'd probably drop 2-3 seconds a lap. You could run slicks at a track day and then put the spec tires back on for races.
I am biased as well, before the F500 I was looking at old Renault powered Spec Racers for vintage.
Gen2 cars are indeed a bargain.
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