Moogle

the 360 is a GT car, the GT3 is more of a track car.

they are both brilliant cars, but for the purpose that the original poster described, the GT3 would be a better choice, PLUS he could get a new one instead of a used one, which would be the case in the modena. (100k~ range).

without getting into reliability, maintinence costs, and "designed with the track in mind", the GT3 trumps the modena in all these aspects.

the stradale is another issue. it is more focused than the GT3, however, doesnt beat the GT3 RS in terms of performance.

when it comes to "emotion and soul" which are also important factors, but less tangible and more variable between people, the ferraris beat the porsches.

Ghost

The ultimate take it to the track, kick some Ferrari and Porsche butt and come back home mobile: Caterham Super 7 R500!!! And kids just love 'em too!

Moogle

the elise is a fine trackday car for the price, and dont let the marketing fool you, its more of a barebones trackday car than a boxster competitor.

bulletproof engine too. redline that baby all day, its made by the japanese.

prg

Speed = $. There is no way around it. I bought a Formula Mazda and have raced it 8 weekends and done about a half dozen track days with it this year. Even though the car is itself much cheaper than the 996tt I tracked previously, my costs this year have be much greater than last years 3 sets of MPSC tires and a set or two of pads. I could finance a pretty good crack habit with my current tire and crew expenses alone. Never the less, I'd call it money well spent. There is just no comparison in the performance of a 1.8 g purpose built race car and a 1.1 to 1.2 g street car on sticky tires.

Radical has clearly done a great job marketing 2 seat sport racers to the track day niche. Unfortunately, they really aren't very competitive cars in SCCA CSR (or DSR with a liter motor). Might be a little disappointing to get crushed by the Stohr's, Maloy's, and Cheetahs if you decide to make the natural progression to racing.

The beauty of the FM (and most sport racers) is fixing it is a drop in the bucket compared to what it would cost in a GT3, CS, or even an Elise. I get to drive the FM at 10/10ths wheel to wheel. I'd never push the street car that hard for safety and financial reasons. Two destroyed front wing/nose assemblies this season set me back about $1000 apiece. I'd shudder to think what tearing the nose off the TT twice would have cost. The FM isn't cheap to run but it is fairly predictable. Plus there is a certain satisfaction in turning faster laps than a cup car

GrantG

Yes, and the 430 won't have belts to adjust at all (like a Porsche - uses chains)...

pole position

I am pretty sure you would not get a Stradale into gear, but I guess they do not teach you that in reading magazines.

Moogle

i drove a stradale recently, its not worth a 100k premium over a GT3RS.

Christer

in your opinion....

CodeRed

You can't compare a street legal stradale with a track only GT3rs which I am pretty sure you have never driven. I have a GT2 that I track about once a month. I was VERY impressed nwith the 360 modena when driven to its potential. It was an easy matech for the GT3's that day. How often do you make it the track anyway? you talk a pretty big game for someone buying a cabrio turbo.

macfly

According to several tests I've read, and that Top Gear clip too, the two cars are of the same performance, it all seems to come down to the 'feeling'. I think $$ spent on a Stradale would be well spent, it will certainly retain it's value better than a regular 360 once the 430 is out and about. I imagine there will be a CS version of the 430 along soon too, as this kind of car is good for the brand, and very popular with the real race enthusiasts and track day junkies like us

I noted earlier in the thread some very quick times posted for the 360, but every time I saw it on track I caught up to it, but it never caught up to me? Yet my times weren't nearly as fast, so I'm a bit puzzelled about that? (however my times were being read on a cell phone by my passanger!)

If you are looking at it from a financial point of view the CS at the Ford GT both are cars that you won't loose too much $$ on, they are both destined to be classics.

tdf360

Hi Mac -

>>I noted earlier in the thread some very quick times posted for the 360, but every time I saw it on track I caught up to it, but it never caught up to me? Yet my times weren't nearly as fast, so I'm a bit puzzelled about that? (however my times were being read on a cell phone by my passanger!)<<

I know you caught me once on a cool-down lap, and I think my son mentioned the same thing. Talk to Carl or Richard for first hand accounts of the car. Although certainly not every lap was timed, those we checked were stop-watch timed consistently in the 2:13 - 2:14 range. I have no idea what our fastest lap would have been since we were not timed every lap. When we were running behind GT3s we could generally keep them in sight, certainly there were some running faster, like Kevin.

Gary

MetalSolid

Richard, get the Elise.

CodeRed

You might be right Noel, but I am all over the map. Half the fun is just discussing the choices. When are you getting yours? Color?

M758

You guys really seem to be stuck in your own little world.

Code Red, if you really want more track feel than a GT2 or GT3 you really need to go with a race car that is street legal. Alot of mention various types of sport racers. These are fine machines, but not street legal in the US.

You can however get quite a number of track thrills in a street legal car if you build one.

Example. Track record for a 944-spec at Buttonwillow course #1 Clockwise. 2:17.093.

That was done with a measly 130 rwhp and in 2600lbs car with driver on R-compund tires. Granted this was done by very good driver getting alot from the car my point is that you can achieve greater speeds and trills from a track prepped car than you can from any street car. All the cars you mentioned are either street cars to sports racers. This 944-spec is street legal and is driven to and from So-cal tracks.

Now I am not saying go out and get a 944-spec and run as fast as in you GT2 or GT3. That is NOT going to happen right away, but my point is that you can buy a 911SC, or 964 or 993 street car and with few grand (5k to 20k) turn them in cars much faster and more focused than a stock GT3. These cars can still be street legal and let me tell you from experience that while it is fun to drive you nice street car on the track it extremely liberating to push a dedicated track car hard on the track and not worry about nicks and scratches that can occur to you "Nice" car.

CodeRed

M758-point well taken. I am actaully starting to think that it will be hard to match the GT2 in terms of street and trackability. Maybe I will just get a 550 for the street and use the GT2 just for the track.