Dual duty sports car or replacement tow rig - help me decide!

So my 2011 BMW X6 with the N55 threw a belt. When that happens with these N55, there is the possibility of it getting sucked through th crank seal and causing rubber debis havoc in the oil pan. Car is currently at the shop waiting for them to take a look, but the belt did pull some wires and is stuck between the crank hub and timing case. So I'm predicting the worst and weighing my options.

My current fleet with no garage (apartment life as I'm in grad school). I keep the trailer at a storage yard, usually with the E36 on top:

2011 BMW X6 (dead @ 110k)

1997 BMW E36 (track/autox car and current daily, 240k miles and the ride freq. is 2.4hz so not really suitable long term but is my forever car)

ATC 18ft open car hauler

2004 BMW E46 ZHP (at my parents house across the country, not dailyable as it needs maintenance and will be my caged track car once I start the build in 1 year)

Options I'm thinking of:

1.  Used first-gen FRS/BRZ. If I could buy one for $20k and if it is SSC prepped, I have my competitive dual duty car and can put the E36 and trailer in permanent storage for the next year. I am worried of reliability even if I find a 60k mile one and I'll eventually need another tow rig.
2. New GR86/BRZ. Still have a duty car, but is less competitive and $30k is more than I want to spend since I will eventually need another tow rig.
3. New Jeep GC WK Limited. I trust the WK since tons of track friends have had luck with them and FCA is doing 0% financing now. It's still a decontented WK at $51k and I would want to upgrade in the future. I was hoping the X6 to last 2-3 more years before I bought a full-size that could pull an enclosed.
4. New Toyota Tundra Limited. Hard to find in non-TRD spec but meets all my tow rig requirements for now and the future. No deals to be had and $54k means I'll be financing.

What say the hive? Is option #5 combining option #1 and a used GMT900 Suburban? I also sold a 2018 Chevy Colorado diesel for the X6, so I could try and find one to get back into.

Don't listen to me, but it looks like your BMW addiction is sending you down the rabbit hole.

You are in grad school.  Stick to the priorities.

Now, back to your regularly scheduled programming.

Get really good at coilover swaps and alignments? Or maybe some sort of helper spring.

Or step down to a gc/loni yellow setup?

In reply to Purple Frog (Forum Supporter) :

I opened, since tow rigs is kinda my forte, but apartment, grad school, and more money in cars than I have in every car I own... AND my house. I don't think advice from my planet can have any relevance on his!

I would look for a tow rig, If racing is in your future, you're going to want something comfortable and reliable to tow with. A 3/4 ton suburban/1 ton van/3/4 ton avalanche can be had for fairly cheap these days and can typically, with some mods, make a decent daily driver also. Its not the prettiest or the most practical, but I think as a grad student on a "budget" something that does double duty is more important. The other side of the street is, get yourself a used burban and a newer 05+ civic, DD the honda, use the burban when you need to, you'll have 10-15k in the pair and insurance will be pennies 

I like the FRS idea. Might be relaxing to simplify your life and ditch the separate track car and tow rig for a few years while you finish school.

Of course, I never took my own advice. Here's a photo from college: 

How often do you race and how much do you pay to store your trailer and e36?

I'd probably just buy an older 1/2ton supercab (not the 4 door) pickup and use that as a dd and tow rig. Thinking like an older Tundra, GMT900, F150. You have a race car (the e36) and trailer already. 

Your tow rig options seem excessively expensive for someone in grad school. And you already have a race car so why buy a dd/race car in one vehicle when you can just replace your x6 with something that can tow and be driven daily that isn't known for catastrophic failures?

After about 6-7 years of driving my car to and from the track, I finally got a tow vehicle last December. I don't have any regrets so far, it's comfy and very practical in a lot of every day situations, and if the car breaks at the track you and all your stuff can still get home. The diesel Colorado is a nice choice since while you're not towing, it'll get mpg like an Accord. The E36/E46 are not too heavy with a small trailer, so you could consider all the midsize trucks and not have something that's cumbersome to drive during the week. A friend of mine is getting about 28 mpg in one of the new turbo Rangers.  As much as I like the FRS/BRZ, I'd probably skip it in your case. That's another potential money sink and sort of a side quest when eventually you're going to get back to focusing on your BMWs. 

If your track events are limited to just a handful of events per year then using your daily driver will certainly be the cheapest option. However, if you plan to be on track more often then a dedicated track car and tow vehicle is nice for a number of reasons. 1) modify the track car however you like without worrying about street comfort. 2) No worrying about breaking something while on track and not having a way home. 3) Easy to carry spares, tires, tent, cooler, etc... with you to the track when using a tow vehicle and trailer.

Lots of tow vehicle options. One I haven't seen mentioned often is the Ram 1500 with pentastar 3.6 V6. That's what I have and it gets surprisingly good fuel mileage so not so bad to use as a daily driver.

I like having a truck as my reliable daily so that's what I'd be looking for. Frankly I think a $50k anything is nuts at your stage in life.  Even with today's prices you can get into a solid used truck that'll work as both a tow rig and a daily for significantly less than that. 

I was lucky to keep a autocross miata/DD going through college with my mustang in storage. I would simplify and plan the bigger effort for when you graduate and get the career going. 

That said, I do kind of wish I had been able to do some more serious track stuff before having kids. 

Thanks for keeping me grounded, everyone!

Storage for my trailer/E36 is $50/mo. I do events from March - October, 1 or 2 weekends a month. I'm still scheduled to do 1 in August and 2 in October.

I don't want to subject my E36 though a Michigan winter, so new coilovers and tires isn't something I will consider. I need another vehicle to DD.

I'm liking the cheaper DD/tow rig idea, as I'm thinking GMT900 (pickup, Avalanche or Suburban, whichever I can find), as it'll leave me a nice emergency fund. I sold my 2018 Colorado diesel for a good price and got a free X6 to build up my emergency fund, but the X6 lasted 1 month and 800 miles. My biggest worry with another used vehicle is that it'll have the same fate as the X6, this time it won't be free.

I'm rescope and say I'm in between two choices after selling the X6:

1. used GMT900 or equivalent. It'll be the same situation I have now, but with a potentially reliable tow rig. I'm still worried about unexpected failures, which is why I was considering only new tow rigs.
2. used FRS. It'll be my DD and track car, the E36/trailer will be stored. Having to buy another tow rig will hurt once I graduate.

A gmt800 will be older but cheaper to fix.  Everyone can fix them and they seem to last and last. Buy a rust free one. Mine has over 200k miles. 

I'm gonna be the "anti" to what a lot of people have said in here. Do the tow rig because letting your E36 and trailer sit and rot for a year is not going to do anyone any favors and only be a pain when you drag them out again later. If you enjoy tracking the BMW and can afford it then great, that's your grad school outlet and you should do it.

I've done the "buy a cheap tow rig" thing - mine was a one-owner, dealer-maintained GMT800 Yukon Denali that was 10 years old - and it honestly sucked. It was constantly breaking, between big and little things, and I was so worn out after a year with it that I dumped it for a newer (used) F-150. Best decision ever. 

Since it appears you have the cash to spend - spend some real money, get a newish 5ish-year-old tow vehicle with low mileage that ticks your boxes and is a nice place to spend time, that you enjoy driving. I'm guessing you are busy between school, social life, and track day stuff. You need an appliance that can go and go - an old GMT800 or GMT900 ain't that. 

I like the Jeep Grand Cherokee idea. Get one with a warranty - new or CPO or whatever - and if something goes wrong, drop it off at the dealership and drink their coffee or drive their loaner car while they figure it out. Focus on school instead of keeping an old GM truck with rotting brake lines and peeling plastichrome on the road.

In reply to Brake_L8 (Forum Supporter) :

So basically, he should get his 2018 Colorado back.

yupididit said:

In reply to Brake_L8 (Forum Supporter) :

So basically, he should get his 2018 Colorado back.

That wouldn't be the worst idea, no. Maybe a Ranger? I like having boost if I'm towing.

So the X6 officially has become the project car I didn't want and I've been shopping for a replacement anyways.

Anything GMT800 or 900 here in Ohio is rusted out. The good ones are asking for near $20k, which is too much in my opinion. I'm still looking local (within 100 miles) for the convenience.

I'll be checking out a JGC Ecodiesel this weekend. Private seller and it sounds promising based on the ad/pictures. I'll probably buy an extended warranty for it, but there's research still to be done there.

Buy a sierra/silverado out of state and keep it rustproofed.  Get the 4.8 engine, no cylinder deactivation to  break and the motor will tow well it just revs more.  The only downside is non towing mpg, around 15 in town maybe 20 on the highway.   It sucks when gas is over 4, I just bought a beater prius so the truck only gets used to tow.  

I bought a Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel. I'm scared for my life and will be buying an extended warranty with the money left over from the Colorado sale.

Woah. That's brave. 

Tom Suddard said:

Woah. That's brave. 

Not the reassurance I need!!! 

In reply to MINIzguy :

Why buy a vehicle you're afraid of? Lol

In reply to MINIzguy :

As long as the warranty covers you for the duration of your ownership you might really enjoy it. My friend had a half ton Ram with the same motor and it failed him while cruising the highway, it was at the dealer for months before they replaced the motor but all was covered under warranty.

yupididit said:

In reply to MINIzguy :

Why buy a vehicle you're afraid of? Lol

I love it outside of the horror stories I hear about it. Same with the Colorado with random fuel injector issues killing the motor. Same with the X6, great until it isn't. It's a gamble I'm willing to take as it truly is a great daily driver, and it tows well for its size.

MINIzguy said:

I bought a Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel. I'm scared for my life and will be buying an extended warranty with the money left over from the Colorado sale.