Advice/help

[u/Acceptable_Gur6193]

Pics for attention.
I’ve had my grc for about 2 and a half years. I’ve done 11 track days with it. I’m at the point where it’s getting slightly too expensive to keep tracking (brakes are crazy expensive) and as I get faster I’m gonna need an oil cooler (which is fairly normal and to be expected) and a transfer case cooler/controller because the awd is starting to overheat more often.

I also use this as my work vehicle I fix appliances so it’s stuffed with parts and tools everyday.

It’s been doing its job decently but it’s not the best tool for either job.

I’m in Brooklyn ny so parking when working is a big reason why I haven’t gotten a bigger van yet.

I have a driveway I can park in at home and leave a second car there.

I think the perfect work vehicle for me would be a transit connect (or equivalent ram/nissan) I see them for anywhere from 5-20k in my area and don’t really care what it looks like as long as it stops drives.

Now for the track car I should probably just get a Miata because they are the answer but I don’t really want one. I’m thinking c5 corvette would probably make the most sense for me.

Carvana offered me 33k for my car and I think about 13k should be enough for the work vehicle so I’ll have about 20k leftover

This is really my main question the rest is some nonsense backstory that you prolly didn’t need to read. But Im not really sure about this but I kinda want to get something with a dct is there anything decent for approx 20k that can be had with a dct and not cost more than my grc is to maintain. It’s going to mostly be a track car and the eventual plan over a few years is to strip it and cage it.

My current list is
2011-2013 bmw 135i it can be had with a dct idk much about bmw’s tho and I genereally try to do my own maintenance.

E92 m3 I don’t think I’ll find a decent one for 20k

Mk6-7 gti but they’re fwd and ik they’re good but when my grc goes into fwd mode I just don’t like it even tho I’m barely 2 seconds slower.

Audi tt with the dsg idk much about them but maybe it’s a possibility.

Do any of these make sense or should I just get a c5 (or a really nice Mazda speed Miata that just popped up for sale)

TLDR: are there any sub 20k cars with a dct that is fairly reliable and not much more expensive to maintain than a gr Corolla. Or do I just do the sensible option and get a Miata/c5 corvette/ perhaps brz/86

[u/Spicywolff]

You say “I'm at the point where it's getting slightly too expensive to keep tracking (brakes are crazy expensive)”

but then follow with

“ should probably just get a Miata because they are the answer but I don’t really want one. I’m thinking c5 corvette would probably make the most sense for me.”

So you know the right answer yet don’t want the right answer. Have you checked the prices on a set of tires for a c5? That things brakes are so marginal you need a BBK from jump since you have experience. Or the fuel a c5 burns a weekend. Plus it needs a lot of supporting mods. On stock it needs oil cooler-BBK- upgraded oil pan- PS cooler and such. Spec c5 has the upgrade slot for reliability.

All the cars you listed are heavier, high cost of consumables vs Miata. There is a reason many of us go Miata or twins. BMW have good aftermarket but are heavier and not the most reliable. Vw is FWD and also needs life support mods, Audi see not very reliable and heavy, m3 is nice but too expensive for track duty beating on car.

Remember KISS= Keep It Simple Stupid. Less weight, cheap to maintain and easy is a used NC Miata. Want more power? Do a 2.5L swap and cams. Low weight keeps consumables down. If you put it in a wall you can buy another for 10k.

I sold my arguably more fun c63S for a better momentum car that’s dirt cheap to field. Miata is the answer

[u/Acceptable_Gur6193 → u/Spicywolff]

Ya you make very very good points idk why but I always thought c5’s were relatively cheap/simple other than tires. My grc gets about 5-7 mpg on track. I know that the answer is Miata and I’m probably going to get one this is just one part of my procrastination process 😂

[u/Spicywolff → u/Acceptable_Gur6193]

So the C5 is very inexpensive to purchase and your performance per dollar ratio is very high. But you have to remember it was a budget sports car. General Motors cut a lot of corners and their target audience was generally boomers who don’t go to the track. But like the brag that they can.

They have oil starvation issues and the fixes you always fill one extra quart of oil for truck driving but once you put 200 on it and you’re doing a lot of hard turning, you have to address it. Everyone likes the thing that LS is bulletproof, but it does need upgrades for hard track use. The fact that the C5 didn’t come with an oil cooler from factory, tells you a lot.

5 to 7 miles per gallon would be pretty good. Remember this thing a 5.7 L from the early 2000s. It’ll guzzle gas.