[s-cars] comments appreciated

Wed Aug 29 16:39:55 PDT 2012

Lee

I just sold a 97 GTS Viper which had a few road course track miles.  I can
say that I was never passed by another street legal car while I was on the
track.  Occasionally I would get passed by a dedicated track car with 900
hp, but the Viper ruled king for many years as the fastest street legal car.
With no traction control and no ABS, the car was a handful to drive, but had
great handling and acceleration.  If you can find a fixer-upper for a track
car, you will experience one of the best muscle cars ever built.

Jerry

-----Original Message-----
From: s-car-list-bounces at audifans.com
[mailto:s-car-list-bounces at audifans.com] On Behalf Of Taka Mizutani
Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2012 4:19 PM
To: lee at wheelman.com
Cc: S-car List
Subject: Re: [s-cars] comments appreciated

Lee-
I guess you don't want a BMW, huh? :-)

968s have already hit bottom and are going up- they didn't sell well new and
thus are getting very hard to find, especially in good condition without
150k+ miles. The short belt service interval makes them undesirable IME. I
think you're far better off with a 986 Boxster, especially since you can
find a 50-70k miles Boxster S for the same money as a nice 968 ($15-17k). I
won't belabor the IMS issue since you know about it. Also, the glass hatch
of the 968 is huge $$$ to replace if it is ever broken.

Early 996s are the 3.4L cars, '99-01 for the US market- the '02 is the later
3.6L car with the exterior facelift. The interior facelift was in '01.
Again, you can't buy a nice 3.6L 996 for $20k. What is your ultimate budget,
how much cargo space do you really need in a "fun" car?

For autox, the NC Miata is your best bet- getting a Touring with the LSD is
the way to go and you'll have a competitive C Stock car. The Boxster and
Boxster S (986 chassis) are probably your next best bets, with albeit higher
running costs. A 996 is not going to be a good choice for autox, nor the
968, unless you're talking about Street Prepared (possibly, I'm not sure).
For track use, any of these cars are fine- just need a rollbar extender for
the 986.

Are you open to other alternatives? You didn't mention the big giant killer
of a car- C5 Corvette. Buy one for $15-20k (coupe or FRC, not a Z06), great
A stock autox car, great track car, low running costs, lots of cargo space,
lots of power, will smoke a 986 or 996 without a problem. You can't say that
you're driving a snobby German car, but realistically, no one is going to be
impressed by a $15-25k Boxster or 996, either. The weaknesses of the
C5 are very well known and not substantial (some cars have issues with EBCM,
need upgraded wheel bearings and radiator for heavy track use, need brake
ducts and hoses for heavy track use, remove the electric column lock if it's
still there, replace seats for heavy track use). Until you're running slicks
and aero, you won't need a dry sump unless you're running tracks that have
very long left handers and you're pushing maximum lateral g because you're
just *that good*.

Why not a 2-seater? A 996 isn't going to carry anyone in the back besides
small children.

For all practical purposes, you've outlined an E46 M3, like it or not.

Taka

On Wed, Aug 29, 2012 at 2:39 PM, Lee Levitt <lee at wheelman.com> wrote:

> Folks,
>
> 5 years ago I asked this group for recommendations on a "play" car -- 
> summer driver and autocross/track day car.
>
> Pretty much everyone responded with an "M" car recommendation.
>
> So I picked up an '01 A4 quattro avant, 1.8t. Had a *lot* of fun with 
> it over the past five years.
>
> Looks like my son will be moving out of his '97 A6 and into this '01 
> A4 sometime soon...which leaves me without a summer play car...
>
> I'm back for more recommendations, and given my track record, I'm not 
> going to listen again (particularly if the answer is "M" car). :)
>
> Here's the question...same criteria as before...still not interested 
> in an "M" car. Thinking about a Porsche 968 or perhaps an early 996 C2.
>
> 968s are relatively inexpensive to purchase (~$10K) and reasonably 
> competitive in autocross. I believe they've already hit the bottom of 
> their depreciation curve. Older car, starting to age slightly, not yet 
> difficult to keep on the road...
>
> Early (2002) 996s are inexpensive to purchase ($20K+) and also 
> reasonably competitive, in their classes. Newer car, more to break, 
> potentially more expensive when it breaks. I know about the IMS and 
> RMS problems, would look for a car with upgraded seals...
>
> Again, primary use will be daily driver in the summer. 968 would 
> probably see some increasing (and shared) use as an autocross/track 
> car by several people (me, son, daughter, friend with 997TT, his 
> sons), and eventually replaced as DD by later 996 or 997. If I went 
> the 996 route, we would eventually add a 944 or 968 as shared
autocross/track car.
>
> Virtually no seat time in either yet, working on that now. I've spent 
> a lot of time on Rennlist, know (intellectually) the basics, but have 
> no day to day experience with either of these cars...
>
> Boxster would be an obvious, but non-viable alternative...not really 
> interested in pure two seat convertible...Winter car remains '99 A6 wagon.
>
> I know some of you have P-car afflictions in addition to our shared 
> Audi affliction.
>
> Comments appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Lee
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