HPGDM

A little over a month ago, I found myself back in a position to get a sports car. I came across a very clean, and meticulously services 2007 Cayman S with Sport Chrono package, cocoa interior, and 42,000 miles. All of the major items seem to have been serviced ( I will have to check on the AOS and shift cables).

I live close to a race track and the plan was to run this car in several HPDEs and maybe some autocross events. I really wanted a manual and more analog experience which were a few of the reasons for going with an older model.

However, after doing a bunch of reading on bore scoring, hot points, oil issues, I have some concerns about the trackability of this car. There seems to be some fundamental issues to take this car to the track, and even with a deeper pan, upgraded AOS, oil coolers, etc, the reliability on track is still somewhat of a crap shoot?

I am currently signed up for one HPDE with instructor training in Sept and will probably do some go kart racing for the remainder until I figure out what I want to do with this car. Ideally, I would run the car in 5-10 track events per year, maybe more as there is also a second track not too far away.

I'll drive this car for the rest of the year, then it will be stored for the winter. Next year I am considering a few different options.

1. Keep this car and upgrade the necessary parts to make it more track worthy (this seems like the highest risk option).
2. Sell this car and purchase something more reliable on the track, or at least less expensive to fix. If so, what to upgrade to?
3. Sell and purchase two less expensive cars, Ie a fun miata for driving and one specifically for the track.
4. Replace this car with a roller and have a prepped engine swapped in.

It looks like I will only put between 2-3,000 miles on the car per year on top of the track events.

jesseellington

My advice is to not track a nice low miles 07 S. The track is not kind to the car if done aggressively which is kinda the point after you try it awhile. If you 10 events in a year you’ll be considered hooked. Get something more robust. Or, just do it and be ready to spend, spend, spend to maintain, improve. What you’ll do anyway if you drive a car very hard.

2swoosh

a well built track prepped Miata should satisfy your cravings and light on the pocket but at the end of the day still not a P car. i'll say a well cared for manual 996 tt is the one to get and can be modded to the hilt both for road courses or drags. Stout engine/drivetrain.