997S Vs. Exige S
11-29-2006, 11:02 AM
#16
Three Wheelin'
Thread Starter
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...hotopanel..1.*
I hate reading these reviews, especially with this car taunting me.
http://www.lotusofgreenwich.com/cars...2&subcat=exige
I hate reading these reviews, especially with this car taunting me.
http://www.lotusofgreenwich.com/cars...2&subcat=exige
12-12-2006, 01:42 AM
#20
Dedicated track car
You have said it well. In my opinion, it's preferable to have a dedicated track car, no matter how humble (even a 914 or naturally aspirated 944!) than to compromise your street car for track purposes.
I've been down the road of continually "improving" a street car to the point where it was a better track car but hardly much of a commuter anymore. Your issue of being able to hear the phone is a big one. Having a nice stereo (like the Bose in the 997 now) is nice too.
I now leave my street cars pretty much alone (true for last 4 cars--3 911's and an M3), except for tires. If I want track time, and the ultimate thrill of setting the best laptimes, I'll use my race car which can sustain fender or bumper dings without my shedding mega-tears. And I'll have a street car which, if I track, will run at 8/10 and will not risk going off track.
Not modifying my street car saves a bundle too, which can be used for tires on my track car. Just my opinion, having been in this game since 1992.
I've been down the road of continually "improving" a street car to the point where it was a better track car but hardly much of a commuter anymore. Your issue of being able to hear the phone is a big one. Having a nice stereo (like the Bose in the 997 now) is nice too.
I now leave my street cars pretty much alone (true for last 4 cars--3 911's and an M3), except for tires. If I want track time, and the ultimate thrill of setting the best laptimes, I'll use my race car which can sustain fender or bumper dings without my shedding mega-tears. And I'll have a street car which, if I track, will run at 8/10 and will not risk going off track.
Not modifying my street car saves a bundle too, which can be used for tires on my track car. Just my opinion, having been in this game since 1992.
Originally Posted by BrendanC
I have always had this internal strife of a track car for the street, and I always thought that would be perfect. Who needs all the amenities of a GT for daily use? You know what? I do. I need to hear the phone in the car. I need to not get a headache from the Nvh. I want to hear my wife or my boy speak while in the car with me. I DO want to hear the radio.
So I found that the best plan was a track car (cheap though - no reason to have a 100k track car, unless 100k is 5 dollars to you) and a daily driver high performance car.
So I found that the best plan was a track car (cheap though - no reason to have a 100k track car, unless 100k is 5 dollars to you) and a daily driver high performance car.
12-12-2006, 08:50 AM
#21
Three Wheelin'
Thread Starter
I appreciate your honest reply. I just started doing DEs and I'm realizing that if I want to get more serious about tracking, I really need a dedicated car, not just a street car on expensive tires. It's an irritating conclusion because I really want the 911 to do everything but it isn't realistic. I will eventually budget for something more reasonable like a Miata to take to the track.
Originally Posted by lwilkins
You have said it well. In my opinion, it's preferable to have a dedicated track car, no matter how humble (even a 914 or naturally aspirated 944!) than to compromise your street car for track purposes.
I've been down the road of continually "improving" a street car to the point where it was a better track car but hardly much of a commuter anymore. Your issue of being able to hear the phone is a big one. Having a nice stereo (like the Bose in the 997 now) is nice too.
I now leave my street cars pretty much alone (true for last 4 cars--3 911's and an M3), except for tires. If I want track time, and the ultimate thrill of setting the best laptimes, I'll use my race car which can sustain fender or bumper dings without my shedding mega-tears. And I'll have a street car which, if I track, will run at 8/10 and will not risk going off track.
Not modifying my street car saves a bundle too, which can be used for tires on my track car. Just my opinion, having been in this game since 1992.
I've been down the road of continually "improving" a street car to the point where it was a better track car but hardly much of a commuter anymore. Your issue of being able to hear the phone is a big one. Having a nice stereo (like the Bose in the 997 now) is nice too.
I now leave my street cars pretty much alone (true for last 4 cars--3 911's and an M3), except for tires. If I want track time, and the ultimate thrill of setting the best laptimes, I'll use my race car which can sustain fender or bumper dings without my shedding mega-tears. And I'll have a street car which, if I track, will run at 8/10 and will not risk going off track.
Not modifying my street car saves a bundle too, which can be used for tires on my track car. Just my opinion, having been in this game since 1992.
12-12-2006, 12:41 PM
#22
GT3 player par excellence
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mr bonus.
i have been an avid DE'er since 2004, doing 35 days on avg per year.
building a good DE car is $$$ if you want to do it nice and right. $15k is the ball park (i am talking about very nicely build cars) and $15k is the "improvement" you need on top of a base car.
with that in mind, if you do 10 or less days a year, do few small mods if you must, on your porsche and just drive it. you will see no discernable wear/tear.
if you do 20+ days, get a dedicated car. i have tried to use my porsche (modded well for track) and when you do 20+ days, the car gets chew'd up. chip, glass pitting, int smell like oil and sweat... sure it's not really a BIG deal, but if you can swing it, i would get another car for track.
just my two cents.
i have been an avid DE'er since 2004, doing 35 days on avg per year.
building a good DE car is $$$ if you want to do it nice and right. $15k is the ball park (i am talking about very nicely build cars) and $15k is the "improvement" you need on top of a base car.
with that in mind, if you do 10 or less days a year, do few small mods if you must, on your porsche and just drive it. you will see no discernable wear/tear.
if you do 20+ days, get a dedicated car. i have tried to use my porsche (modded well for track) and when you do 20+ days, the car gets chew'd up. chip, glass pitting, int smell like oil and sweat... sure it's not really a BIG deal, but if you can swing it, i would get another car for track.
just my two cents.
12-12-2006, 12:55 PM
#23
The 911 will do everything well. The risk is an off that damages your street car. If you do this long enough and get closer to the limit, you'll eventually go off track some times. What car do you want to risk?
There are a lot of dedicated track cars for sale at any one time. If you're not a PCA member, you should join. There's a good classified section in the back of Panorama, and an online classified section at www.pca.org. Many are not very expensive, are already partially or fully converted, and then you can run your personal best on the track. Miata's are cheap, but if you start with a Porsche, and get the racing bug, you'll be able to use your track car to do that with PCA Club Racing. Not in a Miata. Some folks run both SCCA and PCA, and say they enjoy the PCA Club Racing better. I've run a lot of vintage and karts, as well as PCA club racing, but not SCCA. PCA has a good DE and racing program.
Good luck!
There are a lot of dedicated track cars for sale at any one time. If you're not a PCA member, you should join. There's a good classified section in the back of Panorama, and an online classified section at www.pca.org. Many are not very expensive, are already partially or fully converted, and then you can run your personal best on the track. Miata's are cheap, but if you start with a Porsche, and get the racing bug, you'll be able to use your track car to do that with PCA Club Racing. Not in a Miata. Some folks run both SCCA and PCA, and say they enjoy the PCA Club Racing better. I've run a lot of vintage and karts, as well as PCA club racing, but not SCCA. PCA has a good DE and racing program.
Good luck!
12-12-2006, 08:55 PM
#24
Three Wheelin'
Thread Starter
Thanks, gentlemen. I'll take both under consideration. Right now, I'm probably only going to do 2-3 weekend events per year and I'm certainly far from testing the car's limits. I'll make a judgment as I progress to see if I want to become more serious than that.
12-13-2006, 09:54 PM
#26
Rennlist Member
Originally Posted by cgomez
RonCT, the Elise / Exige N/A are definetively faster around the track than a stock E46 M3 (I know b/c I had one). It takes quite a bit of aftermarket stuff to make the Bimmers faster. I'm as fast in the Elise or just 0.5s slower in most tracks than my friend's in modified E46 M3s and S54 MCoupe (full coilovers, swaybars, exhaust, race seats, wider wheels etc.) and they are pretty good drivers.
Sebring is a big power track - no doubt - but the same guy who was running 2:34s in his E46 M3 with minor brake work, r-comps, and PSS9s struggles to hit 2:42s in his r-comp Elise. That's EIGHT seconds. HUGE. Same driver, same track conditions.
When I had my track M3, I had no problem reeling in and passing Elises regularly, and I was a solid 2:37 M3 driver (yes, my buddy is faster than I am). In my r-comp 997, I haven't gone any faster than 2:36, but my excuse is that I'm still learning how to drive a rear-engine car.
12-14-2006, 12:30 AM
#27
Racer
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nkhalidi same driver being slower in the elise doesn't mean the car is slower
if the driver is entering corners at similar speeds in both cars then clearly the high HP car
will have better lap times
if the driver is entering corners at similar speeds in both cars then clearly the high HP car
will have better lap times
