Newbie, looking for track car advise

[tguaturbo]

Hi! Haven’t done HPDE since 2013. Was last in the Yellow Solo group driving a 996 Turbo and 996 GT3 later. Both track prepped street legal cars that I would drive to Texas tracks.

I’d like to enter back in with my Son who’s now 13 as a bonding hobby. Looking for a much less expensive option to purchase maintain as a track toy. Always loved BMW though never owned one. Almost bought a 1995 M3 coupe new but opted for a RX7 94.

Also considering Miata. Am I in the right place? Still learning how to search here but would appreciate any feedback from those who have done similar.

Thanks,

Tom

[gavronm]

Full disclosure - I endurance race an E36. The E36 and Miata are both great handling platforms and good choices for what you have in mind. Obviously I'm biased, but if it was me and my son I would go with the E36 primarily because it's a bit larger and isn't a convertible. For me that suggests the E36 is inherently safer - though I'm sure that can be debated. What's not up for debate is the fact that a lot of HPDE programs don't allow convertibles unless they have at least a welded in roll bar or in same cases are fully caged, so keep that in mind and check with the organizations that run in your area.

The extra space in the E36 will also make it easier to install and fit dual seats, harnesses, and a roll bar or cage if you go that route, and should also be a bit more comfortable during dual instruction. Last but not least, the E36 has an actual back seat and a pretty sizeable trunk for all the stuff you need during a day of HPDE, including a full set of tires if you have the pass-through rear seats. Good luck fitting all of that into a Miata.

[mslevin]

Check out the Track section of the forum, tons of great info there and a lot of it is E36-focused: https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/f...immerparts-com