TR6

LMAO!!!!

mglobe

It was too good of a setup to pass on!

Seriously though for the OP, your situation is a dilemma imho. Living in Boston makes a strong argument for AWD for your daily driver. Unfortunately, I don't think AWD is the best choice for the track. A lot might depend upon how much you intend to track in the future, but a Spec Miata might be the best choice for you even if it means renting storage somewhere in the suburbs. I would guess that the cost of tracking a Miata, including the cost of storage and insurance, would be cheaper than upgrading to a Turbo and tracking that. If you can get past the idea of going fast, and decide that your objective is BEING fast, a SM is a very logical choice.

Carlo_Carrera

I am working through the same the same decision as you. I current have an 85 Carrera that I have been DE-ing for a few years now but because of space/snow issues, (between my wife and I we currently own 4 cars and our driveway resembles a double black diamond ski run), we have decided to combine two cars into one.

We are selling the Carrera and our Jeep and replacing them with an 01 or 02 TT and it is going to be an automatic. Yes everyone here is going to think I am crazy but I drove a friend of mine's TT automatic on the track a while back and it was great. I let the transmission do the up shifts when it wanted and I did the down shifts manually. It was really fun and very different than any track driving I had done before, I felt like a F1 driver. Not really but I think you all get the point.

Okay tell me I am nuts.

himself

I think it depends if you drive a Miata or a Me-hotta. I'm pretty sure TR is the former, with only tendencies towards the latter

-td

TR6

I think the problem with AWD on the racetrack is that is covers up a lot for the driver that a RWD car would not let you get away with. I think you learn a lot of bad habits on the track with AWD. Just my humble opinion. Your mileage may vary, etc.

TR6

Admit it. You guys are miata-curious....

himself

Not me. But I do have a "friend" that wants to explore the miata side of life.

-td

Ed Hughes

Snow aside, if any of us couldn't live with a GT3 as a DD, we're getting way too soft.

It is a better ride than a 65 Chevy pickup or most American cars built before the late 90's.

333pg333

I think you have to re examine the possibility of two cars somehow. There is nothing surer than someone starting on the top of the slope with a DE car and just modifying it a bit here and there as you improve and reach a road car's limits. So you'll go for bigger brakes, better suspension, wider tyres yada yada...soon enough you'll be looking at something else like a GT3 or a car that someone else has 'built' up.

Ubermensch

Thanks for all of the great discussion! Believe me, a second car does seem to make a lot of sense, but I'm looking at a $3000/year parking bill if I want another space. Not the end of the world, but I'd rather spend that money on track time. I will give it a little more thought though. I definitely don't like the idea of having an incident at the track costing me my primary mode of transportation.

I didn't realize the TT would be that much more expensive to track than the NA. Are the pads/tires that much more? I wouldn't imagine its that much of a problem, but maybe I'm underestimating things.

Perhaps I should reconsider the GT3. A year ago I changed jobs so I went from a 30 mile commute to a 6 mile commute. I suppose a stiff suspension wouldn't be that big of a deal...In terms of winter driving I'm a big believe in winter tires. I definitely don't mind the reassurance of all wheel drive but I don't rely on it either.

Another point to consider. I'm an engineer by trade and have previously owned turbo cars (MKIV Supra). As much as I like the idea of a linear power band from NA it's hard for me to ignore the elegance of turbocharging. On a gut level I like the concept of turbocharging.

Thanks for all the opinions and keep them coming!

What would I need to do to my NA 996 to approach the reliability of the GT3/Turbo engines?

mglobe

It goes something like this: https://rennlist.com/forums/5719906-post7.html

If you don't believe me, just ask Coochas...

jdistefa

Spec Miata or Spec Boxster as second car.

or

Gt3

va122

Turbo, you like the idea of a turbo, you need the AWD for Boston. You can get silly amounts of hp out of the turbo if you want to exercise your engineering skills. And throw a good suspension and sticky tires and you'll have a blast.

tjbreen

I am an engineer, I live north of Boston, and I have a dedicated turbo track car - a 944 turbo. You are right about the turbo, it allows me to play with much more expensive cars and you can get decent RWP with a turbo upgrade. I used to drive the car on the street and it is still registered but is trailered to events.

Driving and parking any car is Boston is problematic and track driving your daily driver will work for only as long as you are in a slower run group. Race seats, race tires, and track brake pads don't do well on a daily driver. Track insurance for my car is about $100 per event through PCA and I can still get to work if I ball it up at the track.

One solution might be to buy a 944 turbo and store it somewhere outside of Boston. A friend is selling a good track car candidate now on the 944 turbo list. You can drive to the storage place, swap your car for the race car and head to the events. A place near me has 10x20 for $135 a month. 944s can fit a set of tires inside them so you drive to the event on your rains and carry your race tires with you in the car. A bunch of us in the area trailer and can carry stuff you.

Land Jet

I track my turbo and can say it's a blast. I get a charge out of passing 99% of the cars out there. However, the turbo is not ideal in that it is 500lbs heavier than a GT3, the suspension needs to be upgraded to really make it shine, and a brake upgrade to GT3 brakes really helps tame the weight. Slotted front rotors are a must because you will crack the drilled rotors in short order. Personally I love the AWD, it is confidence inspiring and very forgiving when it is near the edge. Pads and tires are more costly but even with the extra weight I have gotten 40 heat cycles from R compound tires and the pads last me all year doing about 15 track days per year. There is a learning curve to deal with the extra speed and weight, but I wouldn't want a slower car after fully enjoying this one. Look for a car with an upgraded suspension, brakes, and at least an ECU flash and you will have a ball.