JLG

Funny, I just went through the exact same process. I looked at trading my 14 GT3 for a Cayman GT4 to get LWB that I don't have but it wasn't a great trade and not much cheaper either to use the GT4 as more or less dedicated track car. I like how fast the GT3 is and the more "special" engine. I've gotten used to the centerlocks and changing pads on the GT3 and have decided to put race seats and a harness bar- half cage- in the car because I am tired of sliding around. I am probably going to buy an enclosed trailer anyways so I can do some road trips to tracks around the country. I considered options for dedicated rack cars- spec boxster etc but they aren't that cheap anyways and I am used to the speed of the GT3. The recent addition of the 10 year, 100k mile coverage for the top end issues made the decision easier.

matttheboatman

I was going to say I think a real-deal track car is in your future!

In my case, I find that I like to pamper my street car when it is at home and I like to run hard at the track (within my personal safe limits).

So, when I run hard at the track I don't think of it as beating up the car. To me, it's more like bringing the horse "Secretariat" to the track to let it run. The thing was born to run. But, I'm satisfied knowing that when I bring it back into the barn, it will get all the extreme care it deserves. Doing both gives me max enjoyment.

Catorce

Street car = no cage, no fuel cell, no fire suppression, no external kill switch, incorrect seats, street tires, and really nice paint that gets destroyed.

ipse dixit

I track enough.

But not enough to justify a dedicated track car.

This is why the GT3 is perfect. For me.

MaxLTV

This statement has some truth to it but it's not as straightforward. For one, many crashes happen at much less than 10/10th - e.g., spilled coolant, mechanical issue, brain fart (not necessarily yours) and you are flying into a wall at a speed that may hurt.

Also, driving 80% is like walking blindfolded along the edge of a cliff 2 feet away from it - you'd be safer walking right along the edge because you can feel it with your feet and less likely to unknowingly step over it. Same with driving - driving far from the edge you are more likely to cross it unexpectedly. That's part of the reason fast drivers in the rain or in rally always aim to slide a little - it's actually safer.

Anyway, my point is, there is no way to truly make track driving safe or even just much safer by driving further from the limit.

JRidge

It sounds like you already have a dedicated track car, one that is perfect for what you intend to do. Now I'm confused by your original question. You don't plan to move up to racing, and you've pretty much limited your GT3 to track use, so what, in your mind, distinguishes a GT3 that you only use on track, from a "dedicated track car"? Now that you've experienced a GT3 I doubt a spec Miata (or spec Cayman for that matter) is gonna do it for ya.

Selo

When I did the majority of my track work I had an E36 M3. I paid about 25 for a pristine, low mileage unit, and put in another 7 to make it track worthy. If I ever decide to do a lot of track work again, it's going to be with a car I don't mind walking away from if I have an unfortunate incident. Not a new GT3. But that's just me.

Lodi

Same here. I would love to know who you are insured with. I have never heard of track events being covered by normal insurance. I would double-check this and make sure you have it in writing. You don't want to wrap up a $150K car and find out the hard way that you are without coverage. If your policy does indeed cover it then that's awesome.

brownan

This.

I found myself doing a 2:07.12 at Watkins Glen in my 997.2 RS and knowing that there was a better time in the car. Pushing WAY too hard in a street car on R compound tires, even one with a cage/harnesses/HANS. Decided that was just dumb. Built a car with all the safety stuff that I could go race down the line. Ran it in open track DE events for a year then took it racing which is now how I spend most of my track time. Much more fun being in a fully equipped car because you feel a lot more comfortable pushing to 8, 9, 10/10ths. As an aside, the 265hp base Cayman race car did a 2:06.8 at the Glen this year. No wing, less tire, 190 fewer HP. Worth 50% as much, is faster, and is at least double the fun.

FastLaneTurbo

That pretty well sums it up for me also. After racing for 20 years and climbing through the steps between racing modified street cars and eventually competing against the Big Dogs for 10 years in a 993 GT2 and 600 HP DeKon Monza Race cars in IMSA, PCA, SCCA and HSR, Racing had totally taken over both my life and my wallet. The cost of remaining
competitive was rising into obscene levels of time and money.
Eventually I finally sold the race cars, trailer and went back to my original sports car roots of driving my car to the track and
just having fun instructing and running at DE's without the huge competitive pressures. Couldn't be happier! Yes, the GT3 shows some Track "patina" but so what? With 25K on the clock, I have gotten far more enjoyment from my investment than I ever could wish for.The eventual owner will still get one of the best Porsches ever made. He will save a few bucks when he buys, and I will have gotten more sheer pleasure out of my ownership than anyone could ever ask for.

awew911

+1

raclaims

My first time on track was with my 2007TT back in 2010
I couldn't believe how well it performed.
But it was raining and I ended up spinning and quickly realizing that this was not a good idea.

Long LONG story short, get a dedicated track car.
It's much safer, cheaper to fix and better to learn on.

Manifold

Fast enough to run with the fast cars, without the hassle of trailering. Upon arriving at the track, I can be ready to go on track in 10 minutes if needed, and it doesn't take much longer than that to get the car ready to go home. The car is fun too, what a joy to hear it scream.

usctrojanGT3

+1 Great point...I find that when I'm "going for it" driving 9/10th+ I become super focused and hypersensitive to what's going on around me and how the car is behaving. I tend to make less mistakes and brain farts in then versus going 6-7/10th and I'm all relaxed (that's when I make stupid mistakes because of a lack of concentration and focus).

Waxer

What does 80% mean? You're 80% and my percent maybe vastly different . Regardless what most people don't realize or in fact actually lose sight of is that even at 80% you are traveling two times highway speeds .


Do you know what a car looks like after having crashed, rolled over or hit another car at two times highway speeds? Have you seen what happens to occupants inside a vehicle crashing at those speeds?

First while street cars are built to DOT crash standards I don't believe the crash standards are meant to keep you safe at two times highway speed's.

It doesn't have to be your mistake. Someone else pointed out correctly it can be a mistake made by someone else, it can be fluid on the track, it can be a mechanical failure... there's a universe of possibilities that can lead to a major problem and a major problem fast.

You go to DE's to learn how to drive a car fast on the track. If You're not actually going to try to go faster and always push yourself to improve even if you're not racing why bother going?

Crash a GT3 or any other nice street car at the track not only do you have an expensive repair but the value of the car has just taken a major tank right into the dumper . We haven't even gotten to you yet as to what you may need medically since the car wasnt it set up with proper crash protection and didn't have a proper five or six point harness not to mention if there's a fire and you're not wearing a suit and didn't have a fire suppression system .

Yes it's really nice to just arrive and drive but the reason why accidents are called accidents is that they are not planned.

Make no mistake that whether it's a DE or club racing this is a dangerous sport and needs to be treated with respect. The car in the end can be repaired or replaced but you cannot be replaced .

And if you think car repairs/ replacement is expensive let's talk about medical bills .

It doesn't have to be a Porsche GT3 to have fun at the track. You can buy a fully caged spec Miata well built for under $20-$25,000. It doesn't have to be a fast car either. If you can learn how to drive a slow car fast you can drive a fast car fast. Learn in the slow car first.

Drove race prepped Miata in the AER series. Is it as fast as my Boss 302 Trans Am TA3 race car?...not by a long shot. Was it fun?.. hell yeah.

Also, understand some tracks are less forgiving than others. Example..two notorious tracks that are not beginner friendly.. Watkins Glen and Lime Rock.

Bottom line...you come first which means safety comes first . If you're going to be doing this with any regularity get a proper race car with a proper cage and safety equipment . Also go to a race school if you can. You'd be surprised at how much you don't know . I was .