What Japanese Car for road racing?

I would like to get into road racing but first I need a car. At first I will basically be leaving the car stock while I work on my driving skills. Eventually, when I become a good driver I plan on turning it into a full on track car.

I was originally thinking of getting a 3rd generation RX7 because I absolutely love the car. I am starting to think that this may not be the best option because it is known to have reliability problems and I will be driving it hard.

I was wondering what some of you would suggest for a Japanese car that would be well suited for circuit racing and can take the abuse.

Thanks

I answered you in the other identical post in "Street Racing"

Please dont post the same thread in a bunch of places...

Sorry that was my first post and I realized I had put it in the wrong section.

Third gen. RX-7 or Lancer Evolution.

well, if your gonna be beating the shit out of the car. your going to be running into problems no matter what. whether its suspension parts breaking, engine parts failing, door panels busting from your body moving from side to side, etc.

whats your budget to start out with? what country do you live in?

in my eyes, i dont think it really matters what car you start out with...all the japanese performance cars can be equally as good as the other. depends if you want brand new or older, 15k or 30k, AWD or RWD, etc.

shop around..what do you like? drive a few? find out if you like AWD in the corners or RWD. just do some testing of your own and some researching. im sure you will be happy with any of the japanese performance cars out there.

Thanks for the advice k3smostwanted

hey, no prob. thats what we are here for.

BTW: kman...notice how i didnt say 300zx. :lol: eventhough i wanted too. :D

I would say for cheap road racing...maybe a RX7 wouldnt be the route to go...I dunno what...but unless you got the budget to back it...dont get it...I would say maybe a C5...cheaper now that we have the ZO6's and C6 out...cheap enough that you can find plenty of engine parts...dunno...it's up to your budget

he said he wanted a japanese car...

How do you think a 350z would hold up on the track. I am guessing pretty well considering that you see a few out there. There are also a lot of them in JGTC which I think is a good sign.

The problem is that I want a good track car but I also want something that I like the looks of.

I love the 3rd gen RX7 and it is not even so much the cost of repairing it but more so the time. I do have other commitment in life so I can't be spending all my time working on my car.

Miata. Parts are cheap, the cars are reliable, and they're competitive in whatever class they run in. It's not as fast, but it's a MUCH better car to learn on.

My vote is with the lancer evo, if you can afford it!

BTW: kman...notice how i didnt say 300zx. :lol: eventhough i wanted too. :D

Haha, it's all good, if you think it's a good car for road racing, then recommend it :)

kfoote, very true about the Miata. If he's on a tight budget, then the Miata is probably the best way to go, or maybe a 240SX.

yeah miatas are a very good track car and pretty simple car to learn on compared to some.

a 350z is a good track car but be careful because that back end will swing out on you.

sounds like you have a fairly tall budget beings your considering a 350z. as far as i know, the brand new miatas cost a little less than the 350z. anything you want dude. really it all depends on what you like the looks of and how you want your performance. the s2000 you really gonna have to rev it to get it to go but that isnt a bad thing, in my opinion. but on the other hand the 350z, is just gonna feel like you can out accelerate anything no matter what RPM you are at.

a 350z is a good track car but be careful because that back end will swing out on you.

I've always heard that the 350Z has very neutral handling, with slight understeer if anything.

It sure is not an easy decision.

What'd you get?

I am really leaning towards the 350z but I am going to have to go out and test drive one.

One of you mentioned the Evo, I really like that car and it may very well be my next daily driver once I save up enough money. I currently have the lower model Subaru Impreza and I really love it. Based on that my next daily driver will most likely be an STI or an Evo but for now I am looking for a 2 seater rear wheel drive for the track.

I've always heard that the 350Z has very neutral handling, with slight understeer if anything.

i should have rephrased that a bit. the 350z handles well. it CAN be a reputable track car, in my opinion. stock it isnt bad but it isnt amazing.

I've always heard that the 350Z has very neutral handling, with slight understeer if anything.

Steering wheel: turned

Gas pedal: down

Ass end: out


Little bit of that booty steering can certainly help to get the back around a corner. :D

personally i find the 350z rather heavy for it's power delivery. I like the evo alot. Well they're rather expensive, but if you can afford one, get the MR. Impressive.

the 350z isn't the best track car stock, but it has lots of tuning capability from the stock v6

i would actually suggest the s2k, its a nice track car, not much potential, but stock it is already a nice car, fun to drive as well

also the evo MR which just came out in the US a lil while ago should be a great car, awd, nice handling, all you need for about the same price as a 350z

I have decided to go with a used 2003 base model 350z. With the money I save going used and by choosing the base I will upgrade the front and rear brakes, get some new wheels and tires, and throw in an aftermarket LSD. Other then that I'll leave the rest stock until I improve my driving skills and feel the need for more upgrades.

I think the base model is the perfect choice for a track car as it is the lightest, and it doesn’t have the VDC system. You also save a good chunk up money which can me spent on better aftermarket parts.

350Z is a good choice, in most mags i've read the 350Z handles very well actually. you have a low 14's high 13 second car and if you know how to drive a rwd car then the 350Z is a outstanding pick

Thanks, now I just have to find one a like.

I would say a Lancer Evo for sure... Again if you have the budget...