Ferrari Mailing List: Re: OK Thinking about a new toy car

[Tom Reynolds (kjtar]

Honda S2000. Fun, cheap, reliable, fast (when you DRIVE it) and dependable.
Tom Reynolds
Tulsa, OK
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike" <themightytoe [at] gmail.com>
To: "Tom Reynolds" <kjtar [at] cox.net>
Cc: "'The FerrariList'" <ferrari [at] ferrarilist.com>
Sent: Monday, April 28, 2008 11:10 PM
Subject: Re: [Ferrari] OK Thinking about a new toy car


> Wow,
>
> I get this:  I want that car thing every 2 years or so...
>
> I want to have a car that is fun to drive on a track that goes pretty fast
> but that I can still mix it up with the other folks I drive with a bit,
but
> it also needs to be really fun to drive to the track.  This weekend I set
> the Nav to avoid highways and had a good time zipping up back country farm
> roads, every time I saw a hill or zigzag I would run down that way and let
> the Nav point me in the general direction.  Good stuff, nothing but
smiles.
>
> Ferrari?  For track use?  not really, the fast ones are too expensive (for
> me), the slower ones are more affordable, repairs can be insane.  Really
> very seldom see these at a track day.  I miss my 348 it was a pure joy to
> run it at the limit, then I think about the times the oil temp was
creeping
> past 300, or the throw out bearing needed to be replaced and the feeling
> passes.  If I wanted to quit track days I'd consider another Ferrari but
> just as something to tinker with a bit and drive infrequently.
>
> Lotus?  Fun, cheap, flimsy, Lots Of Trouble Usually Serious, still it
would
> be a lot like my Spec Miata, with less reliability and more power and much
> more eye catching.  Plus I'd free up half a garage bay since it is so
tiny.
> Everyone who keeps their Elise for more than 6 months puts it on a track
(I
> think).  Its likely a bit brutal on the streets.  My gut tells me no on
this
> one a bit, but I really love the look of it and it can really dance on a
> racetrack.
>
> Porsche?  Solid, dependable, fast.  A bit expensive and not really my
> favorite marquee except the Boxster and GT3.  Lots of them at track days,
> quite a range of capabilities.  I miss my Boxster, what a fun ride...
>
> BMW?  Well I am on my 3rd one now.  They are porky, fat, fat, fatties.  My
> current M3 enters a turn like farm equipment...  But you can do anything
to
> it mid corner, drift it out, no problem, squeeze the line in, easy, trail
> brake to the apex, sure why not...  It's really a phenomenal handler in
> terms of driver feedback and super forgiving.  And it's pretty fast too.
> That said, my previous gen M3 was better built, this will likely be my
last
> new BMW as the company seems to have lost their way.
>
> Corvette?  Well for bang for the buck, nothing beats the plastic
> fantastic...  Even the constant brake cracking is a cheap repair (provided
> you don't wad the car in a corner).  The C6 Z06 is horrifically fast and
is
> really tempting but if I instruct again, I don't want to be the "He gets
the
> Z06 students" guy.  That is not the best seat at the track...  I don't see
a
> lot of these at the track either, folks buy these cars and drag race them
or
> something, it's weird.
>
> And why do people sell their Ferrari and buy a Z06?  To go faster without
> crowding the garage.  That is why I did it.  I couldn't justify having the
> car and not taking it to a track every chance I had.
>
>
> BR,
> Mike
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: LS [mailto:lashdeep [at] yahoo.com]
> Sent: Monday, April 28, 2008 2:52 PM
> To: Mike
> Cc: The FerrariList
> Subject: Re: [Ferrari] OK Thinking about a new toy car
>
> Mike, you've got plenty of track experience, so you know breakages are
> inevitable.
>
> I like the Lotus Elise.Their trim and slim philosophy is great for the
> track, but I don't see how it can withstand repeated abuse. I can see
> stuff falling off of this car.
>
> The Porsches are great ontrack as well, but are porky...
>
> Are you going to drive it on the street? I'd go for lighter weight and no
> forced induction.
>
> On another note...why do people sell their Ferrari for a Vette? They are
> so different...should have both.
>
> LS
>
>
> --- Mike <themightytoe [at] gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > OK,
> >
> > Just finished a weekend at Road America (1st time on that track)...
> > That is
> > a tough track 5 cars ended up bent, at least 1 totaled (C5 Z06), no
> > injuries
> > other than the vehicles so that was good, and 2 of them were street
> > cars,
> > the others were race cars.  Really an 8/10ths only track for anyone
> > without
> > all the safety gear.
> >
> > Drove my 01 M3 on street tires, it is pretty much stock.  It understeers
> > like a pig but is really manageable with throttle inputs so it was fun,
> > hits
> > about 140 on the straights.  My front rotors are very slightly warped
> > but
> > the car held up really well.  It has been about 3 years since I drove on
> > a
> > racetrack and the big thing I noticed is that the newer cars are really
> > a
> > lot faster!  Of note:
> >
> > BMW 135i with $2000 Dinan kit, owner said it made 400+ hp and 450+
> > lb-ft,
> > with Hoosiers it pretty much walked away like a 911 GT3.  Driver was
> > excellent also but still very impressive.
> >
> > 997 GT3:  Wow.  Holy crap, wow.
> >
> > 997 C4S (some work but running street tires) this thing was really fast
> > also, I did need to lift to let him by and it handled really well for a
> > 911.
> >
> > C6 Z06 (race tires) driver did not seem to know what he was doing most
> > of
> > the weekend, his instructor drove it and blew by me on the main straight
> > at
> > >150 mph about 2/3rds the way down (I was at about 120)...  Wow is that
> > a
> > god awful fast car.
> >
> > Not a single Ferrari, one guy with a brand new C6 Z06 sold his Challenge
> > Stradale out of fear of it breaking on the track (nice guy, told him he
> > would miss the Ferrari in about 1 year)...  But hats off to him for
> > taking a
> > brand new car and sticking it on the track at Road America!  His student
> > wadded up a race prepped E46 M3 that weekend too.
> >
> > Also of note, most of the other E46 M3's there ran big brake kits,
> > coilovers
> > and full race kits.  My opinion is the return on investment doing that
> > is
> > not there for an E46 M3...
> >
> > So now I am thinking Lotus Elise, Porsche 987S with HT, Porsche 996
> > Turbo,
> > 997 C2S
> >
> > What do you guys think?  Experience with any of these?
> >
> > BR,
> > Mike
> >
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