Track Car ZO6, M3, E36, E46, what say you?

i am thinking i will get another track car....after many e30's and a ZO6, should it be another Z06 or e36 or e46 M3??? What say you Gaint Purple Snorkel Wacker???

S52

Yes.

C6 Z06

Actually, to be more true to form of the board lately..... you really should get a Raptor for track use. It's so much more usable and doesn't fit any of your requirements and is poorly suited to the task at hand but that is what you need.

Now we just need to have a 3 page discussion of why this isn't as good as buying a humvee.

Bobzilla wrote: C6 Z06 Actually, to be more true to form of the board lately..... you really should get a Raptor for track use. It's so much more usable and doesn't fit any of your requirements and is poorly suited to the task at hand but that is what you need. Now we just need to have a 3 page discussion of why this isn't as good as buying a humvee.

Raptor can't be had with a diesel is why a H1 Alpha is your best choice.

/Thread

I say the E36 M3 is your best cost effective solution.

E36 M3 as follows:
- S52 w/ OBD1 intake manifold
- ground control race suspension
- fat front swaybar
- 2 sets of light 8.5" wide wheels
- long tube headers, 3" single exhaust
- 3.5" throttle body, MAF, and decent tune
- real racing tires
- Gut it and put in decent racing shells + harnesses and hoop or cage

That is serious speed for cheap. Anything else that fast will cost thousands more and eat more consumables per lap.

EDIT: I didn't mean that to exclude the Z-06... they are awesome too but more than double the buy-in cost of the E36 and they gobble up brakes and tires so quite a bit more money up front and on-going. Quite a bit more performance too though. I would exclude the E46 from your list. I love them as street cars but at the buy-in/performance/consumable ratio favors either of the other two on a race track.

Yes.

Z06 or E36 M3, depending on budget.

Or buy my 944Spec. I need to get rid of it.

Z06 if the goal is to go REALLY FAST and also drive on the street.

For me, my next track car will be a used race car. A no compromise car is just more focused and fun (at least it is to me).

Flight Service wrote:

Bobzilla wrote: C6 Z06 Actually, to be more true to form of the board lately..... you really should get a Raptor for track use. It's so much more usable and doesn't fit any of your requirements and is poorly suited to the task at hand but that is what you need. Now we just need to have a 3 page discussion of why this isn't as good as buying a humvee.

Raptor can't be had with a diesel is why a H1 Alpha is your best choice. /Thread

Hell yeah!

Z06. Fast out of the box and most likely cheaper to maintain

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: I say the E36 M3 is your best cost effective solution. E36 M3 as follows: - S52 w/ OBD1 intake manifold - ground control race suspension - fat front swaybar - 2 sets of light 8.5" wide wheels - long tube headers, 3" single exhaust - 3.5" throttle body, MAF, and decent tune - real racing tires - Gut it and put in decent racing shells + harnesses and hoop or cage That is serious speed for cheap. Anything else that fast will cost thousands more and eat more consumables per lap.

Okay, minus the nitty gritty details (about which I had no idea) this is pretty much exactly what I was thinking.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-M3-Base-Coupe-2-Door-BMW-e36-M3-Track-Car-HPDE-ready-/251517532981?forcerrptr=true&hash=item3a8f9cfb35&item=251517532981&pt=US_Cars_Trucks#ht_655wt_1273

I would say E36 M3 as well. Actually I think the Z06 would be the most expensive. Consumables would definitely be higher, plus you have hubs and transmissions to worry about if it will see a lot of track duty. It would surely be faster however. It's also the brutal choice if you like that.

The M3 on the other hand is a joy. Not as fast, but a nice track car and easier on tires and brakes. If you update the cooling system it should be fairly reliable too. As a friend of mine that did a lot of early development work on the racing version of the E46 said, "the E36 is your friend, goes where you want it, stays consistent, and never lets you down, the E46 drives like bus, sets a faster lap time on the 1st lap, then goes into limp mode and breaks."

Anyway, if were my money, I'd go E36 M3.

The wrote: http://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-M3-Base-Coupe-2-Door-BMW-e36-M3-Track-Car-HPDE-ready-/251517532981?forcerrptr=true&hash=item3a8f9cfb35&item=251517532981&pt=US_Cars_Trucks#ht_655wt_1273

Thats actually a great start by the look of it.......and I'm a sucker for Fikse wheels. Buy that car then different wheels, then I'll buy the Fikse's from ya for about treefiddy.

the wheels do make that car

Which one is lighter after gutting the interior and adding a roll bar?

If not gutting it then I say M3

Z3M/// It is an E36 too!

As much as I loved the MCoupe... it is nowhere near as good of a track weapon. More expensive, shorter wheel base, inferior rear suspension, potential for rear subframe issues, engine bay is a bit tighter, much much more difficult to access and upgrade the suspension.

I loved my M Coupe. Wonderful car. But the M3 is the superior performance vehicle in every way possible.

Exocet.

I have tracked both an E36 M3 and an E46 M3, and I would recommend either one. The earlier cars certainly are affordable, and 17 inch performance tires are significantly cheaper than 18 inch performance tires.

Having said that, if you are keeping the car relatively stock, the E46 is much better all around. More refined. Way more power, and a glorious redline. But everything is much more expensive. I run a square set up on mine, and that helps keep tire costs in line.

I love the Z06, too, but consumables are a whole new world of spendy.

loved my M Coupe. Wonderful car. But the M3 is the superior performance vehicle in every way possible.

i am sorry whaat is a M coupe? is that the little hard top roadster job?

In reply to The:

Beer Baron wrote: As much as I loved the MCoupe... it is nowhere near as good of a track weapon. More expensive, shorter wheel base, inferior rear suspension, potential for rear subframe issues, engine bay is a bit tighter, much much more difficult to access and upgrade the suspension. I loved my M Coupe. Wonderful car. But the M3 is the superior performance vehicle in every way possible.

I agree with you 100%, that's why I recently bought a Miata to DD and Track while the Z3M will be a 2x a year road course car.

I'll get an E36 M3 sometime in the future.