If you need to have a car you can drive to and from the track that is actually legal, the elise seems like the clear winner.

It would be nice to have a purpose built track car, but for me at least transportation of it would be impossible.

The elise seems to be the best compromise of the two.

What do you all think

 

Any car is hard to drive to the track and carry all you need. Get what you like and enjoy the most for both enviroments. But no matter what you have you will never carry enough to the track.

 

There are a lot of Z drivers on this forum who do exactly what you are asking. Here in Colorado, I've been on the track with a variety of Elises and never been in awe of one. Yes, the Lotus has clear advantages over the 350Z in terms of weight and balanced handling, but I've found the Z counters that with a broader torque range off the corners and better high speed capabilities. IMHO, the price and utility differences clinch the decision and make it clear: the Z is the better choice for an everyday car with occasional track use capabilities.

Besides, what would you rather be driving to and from the track, the Z or an Elise? Not even close...

 

The Elise is a very fun little car, but I have found that a 350Z with a little track trailer to haul track wheels/tires and the other stuff you need for a track day is the way to go to have the best Jeckle and Hyde set up - Streetable one minute and Trackable the next (actually takes about an hour fro thge switch). It also seems to be the most economical path since your tire wear cycles with both street and track tires is more long term. That is what I have convinced myself anyway. This allows some logic to penetrate what is essentially an emotional feel good decision

I also find that the track events are very social events and you will want to take a companion along in some comfort in the passenger seat instead of loading that space with track gear. Consider the 350Z/mini trailer option. It is very versitile if you only have 1 car for street and track. I have my mini trailer (my wife calls it the ZToo) rigged for bikes ( a bike Z Too Two).

I ran into a guy at Watkins Glen who had driven his new Elise to a HPDE event at the Glen. He said he was exhausted from driving that little car to the track on freeways and highways, and that ant rain blow from trick buried his Elise, thus eliminating any visibility. The Z is a very nice highway cruiser to the track on street tires and adjustable Konis.


Good luck

 

Hmm, yea the Z is a good option.

Although I always here people say it's not that great to turn into an exclusive track car, and that's kind of what I want.

I drive my 3-5k miles a month, and with all that driving I'm always finding something isn't in optimal condition to run at the track with.

So I want something I can just park or drive very occasionaly that will always be "track ready" so to speak.

The elise seems like the best compromise between something like a Daisao (sorry for spelling) and something like a Z kept for track use only.


I thought the general conclusion was the Z isnt a great car to soley run on the track due to all the money that would have to be poured into it.

I guess I'm confused and don't know what to do. I don't really want something old and slower (yes I am aware of the advantages) I would like to have something more challenging like an elise versus say an old RX7

I'm sure every wanna be track warrior runs into this problem, and I'm no different.

I just want to race and get out there, but I drive my Z too damn much

I must admit I have never driven an elise, but have wondered about the high speed stability. It seems the EXIGE would be a better option, but I don't stand a chance with that unless on the used market.

The elise is attractive for a variety of reasons including price.

Something like a purpose built track car like a Daisaio would be great, but I have nothing to actually get it to and from the track.

Thanks for all the advice and insight, I gotta figure something out before long, I want to get into a position where I can race in any event that will let me on the track. Basically I'm track desperate

 

Why not get a base Z (no sunroof) and put an aftermarket suspension and BBK on it? Then maybe lighten it up with some carbon fiber parts, lightweight seats, and lightweight exhaust. I think that would make a great track car and still cheaper or just as expensive as the elise.

I am biased though, I absolutely drool at the Amuse Z (perfect handling, great braking, has power).

What about a S2000 or MX-5?

 

I was thinking for a long time of picking up another Z and doing that, but I kept reading reports form people in this forum about how it was kind of a waste of time and resources. Better just to get something else that is dedicated.

I mainly picked the elise because

A. It is a fierce handler stock. I wouldn't need to do much with it, until I really learned how to master the car.

B. It is relatively cheap (considering I wouldnt do anything to it or it would be limited, and I wouldnt drive it much) I could also sell it if I wanted to, where as if i had some sort of rigged out Z it may be hard to get rid of, if i want to go in another direction.

It seemed like the least compromised car with a plate on the back, basically.

 

While the Elise would be good choice for a dual purpose car, I would consider the two car option if you have the space to keep them. Maybe a Miata, CRX or something similar that you can build up for track use and not worry so much about throwing it away - yet still drive to and from the track. Then you can keep your fun street car very street-worthy.

 

Well, if you really have the money to blow on buying an elise to just exclusively for the track, maybe look at an ariel atom. For $40 grand you'd be getting a better track car, and it's technically street legal so you could drive it to and from the track.

 

I think an Elise is what you're looking for. It sounds like you want a dedicated track car that is legal on the street, and you won't be using this particular car to get around much or at all.

I've read reports from Elise owners, and they seem to really love it. Those who hate it try to use it as a dual purpose car. They hate it's dimunitive size, and lack of street comfort and storage space. Since you're not really looking for a dual purpose car, the Elise seems like a good option. Plus, you'd use up far less consumables with the Elise than most of your other options. Tires, gas, brakes, etc...will last a long time AND will be relatively inexpensive.

Go for it.

I, on the other hand need a daily driver that's trackable. The Z fit that bill.

 

s2000!

its semi-elise with more daily practicality

 

I say go with the Elise. Not comfortable by any means, but you can live with it and its an awesome little track car.

 

do yourself a favor and find someone who has a FM turbocharged miata. for half the price of an elise, you'll have a car that will absolutely whip the crap out of them (given equal drivers of course). a built motor FM car can easily put down 300 whp all the live long day. stock block cars put down ~200 and never die. a decent suspension package (talk to Keith @ FM - he'll steer you in the right direction), good tires (RA-1's or similar), and you'll be laughing as you get the point byes from everything from C5 Z06's, to elise's, to 996TTs. 300whp+2000lbs > 450whp+3200lbs.

i'm biased - i race specmiata and have driven a couple FM cars (and been passed by some of them while in my Z). they are inherently well-balanced cars (although catalog ordered suspension can wreak havoc - use the community to learn what works!), parts are *CHEAP* and plentiful, and the community is HUGE and extremely helpful.

of course, if you want the prestige of running an elise, they are certainly fast out of the box and look great doing it. nothing wrong with that. i believe you'll be able to grow a lot farther (for reasonable $) with a miata than just about anything else, although i will admit to a certain craving for an elise. they're just flat out gorgeous.

ahm

 

+1 on that.

The Miata is the closest thing to an Elise I’ve driven. Parts a cheap and you’ll have plenty of fun with it.

Another option would be a Vette. Z06’s on slicks are pretty damn fast !

 

This thread could go on and on... my recommendation is go to as many events as you can, even if you aren't driving, and look to see what everyone else is driving... whos trailoring, whos driving to and from, etc... talk to as many people as you can

IMO - the Elise and 'practical' can not be used in the same sentence - neither can the S2000, plus many groups and tracks won't allow the S2000 without a roll bar (we don't). Same with the Miata.. but there's no denying its popularity and ease of modding for power.

GET RIDES!!!!! The worst thing you can do is plop down a bunch of (or even a little bit) money before knowing you're gonna like the car on track. Find instructors with cars you're interested in and ask for rides.

If you want TRUE practicality... go with a bimmer... E36 M3 is the track car of choice right now. Most you can pick up between 8k and 15k if you're patient and lucky. I know an E36 1998 Lightweight thats for sale - - BMWCCA club race winner... full cage... but he still has all the stock interior in perfect shape that would go with the car. Put some DOT tires on it, throw the race wheels/tires in the trunk and back ... and there you go... cost you about $32k as it sits. Let me know if you'd be interested - I'll get you in touch with him. But, I digress....

E30 325s and M3s are also very good values for track cars - they handle great out of the box, and you can't kill 'em!

Certainly the older the car, the less you are going to be worrying about messing it up.

my 2.5 cents worth...

 

A recent development regarding tracked Elises (Elisi??) is that there are reports coming back from accidents that the car is a unable to protect the driver from even modest damage. Miata's and M3's are tanks compared to it and would be better from a safety point of view.

I went through all of this two months ago and it is PITA. There are no good compromises when it comes to street cars. Personally, If I HAADD to get a street car, I would get an STI. Put some dents on it and paint it flat black with duct tape stripes and call it my racecar. Don't forget to put a cheater wastegate in so you get huge boost spikes and tear down the straights faster than a GT2.

 

Funny, I came to exactly the opposite conclusion.

After reading the early reports on the Elise, I went to my local dealer, test drove the European spec model, and put $500 down to get on the list to place an order. But earlier this year, when it came time to actually place my order, I realized that the Elise is not a practical drive-to-the-track car.

Here's why. The tracks I go to are between 60 and 500 miles from home. I can do a single-day event at my home track, Summit Point, without an overnight stay, but for most track events I spend two or three nights away. I usually take the following stuff:

Clothes duffel
Track duffel (driving suit, harnesses, etc.)
Helmet bag
Storage box for oil, brake fluid, etc.
Spares bag (brake pads, power drill, etc.)
Tool box
Folding chair
Floor jack

The Z has plenty of room for all that and more. And lately I've been taking two track tires/wheels on the passenger's seat, to reduce the wear on them. (I can't take four because of the roll bar, so I have to drive on the other two.)

The Elise's trunk and passenger seat probably have about half the storage capacity of the Z. I definitely couldn't take all that stuff. Also, its cockpit is quite snug, and being 240 lbs, I wondered how comfortable it'd be on a 7-8 hour drive. And it's noisy. To say nothing of traffic, weather, and safety issues.

So I concluded that the Elise would be a perfect trailer-to-the-track car, and since I have no intention of getting a tow vehicle and trailer, I gave up on it and got my 500 bucks back.

Now, if you live close to the track and don't intend to do many multi-day events, the Elise might be a good choice. But otherwise, not so much, IMHO.

Although I haven't driven one myself, I think an E36 M3 would be a pretty good drive-to-the-track choice. Room for four tires, all the tools and spares you need, and a passenger, too, if you're not a chronically single loser like me.

But the Z has been a great combo car for me. I've done more than 50 track days with it in just over three years. And I've just found a place nearby where I can store a tire trailer (my condo association wouldn't let me keep it in the parking lot), so my winter project is going to be installing a hitch and building a trailer.

 

Want my hitch?

 

get the s2000!

 

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What part of 'Practical' don't you understand?