Track days

[omega2018]

there's the potential for doing about £10k of wear and tear damage... Notwithstanding any accidental contact or off roading.

Tell me about it - a new plastic front grill costs £580 and that was just cracked by someone carelessly parking in front of me. New rear windscreen (double glazed) £2K.

[Kevin Wood]

there's the potential for doing about £10k of wear and tear damage... Notwithstanding any accidental contact or off roading.

Tell me about it - a new plastic front grill costs £580 and that was just cracked by someone carelessly parking in front of me. New rear windscreen (double glazed) £2K.

Doesn't sound ideal as a track day car. A tatty MS-5 would probably be a better bet, and possibly just as much fun.

[Doctor Gollum]

there's the potential for doing about £10k of wear and tear damage... Notwithstanding any accidental contact or off roading.

Tell me about it - a new plastic front grill costs £580 and that was just cracked by someone carelessly parking in front of me. New rear windscreen (double glazed) £2K.

Doesn't sound ideal as a track day car. A tatty MS-5 would probably be a better bet, and possibly just as much fun.

Plenty of cheap options for a track toy
Mini/Corsa/Fiesta for wwd...
MX5/BMW 1/3 Series/stripped out C Class coupe for rwd

Also absolutely no factory towbar option for the C216. Not even listed in the EPC. So definitely a non starter.

Best bet for the CL would probably an organised road rally/tour.

[ronnyd]

Watched some more, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6nCXLkoZ-8 seemed to be a fair representation of a track day, despite the title.

It's not what I am aiming for, I just want to go round some bends faster than I would/could on the road, without worrying about other traffic or pedestrians and ideally in the wet if only to save my tyres.  So I think it'll be a supermarket carpark on a rainy sunday evening or some rural roundabouts in the early hours.

On the plus side, both the C215 and C216 were offered with a factory towbar, so you can at least turn up with a trailer full of tools/tyres/spares...

No option for a towbar on the C216 I'm told it can't be fitted except as a bike rack, defo not for towing.  Or roofrack except an inflatable.

Hope that bloke who rammed the tyres on 27min wasn't hoping to drive home in it. 

[Raeturbo]

They are certainly not all like that, go spectate first if you're that worried.

[GastronomicKleptomaniac]

MrsGK is a track day fiend. We did an MSV day at Bedford a few months ago and it was brilliant, but you do have to watch out for the muppets in fast cars who think horsepower is more important than sticking to your line, I nearly got wiped out by a young lass in an Audi S1 who decided to go up the inside on a hairpin.

I wouldn't take anything valuable on track, we have an old Saxo for it. Even at 750kg plus fat git driving I cooked a set of tyres.

[Doctor Gollum]

MrsGK is a track day fiend. We did an MSV day at Bedford a few months ago and it was brilliant, but you do have to watch out for the muppets in fast cars who think horsepower is more important than sticking to your line, I nearly got wiped out by a young lass in an Audi S1 who decided to go up the inside on a hairpin.

I wouldn't take anything valuable on track, we have an old Saxo for it. Even at 750kg plus fat git driving I cooked a set of tyres.

I have been pondering using the Bini for such purposes... Obviously the car has to be functional, ie brakes/suspension/tyres... But does it need an MOT

[LC0112G]

MrsGK is a track day fiend. We did an MSV day at Bedford a few months ago and it was brilliant, but you do have to watch out for the muppets in fast cars who think horsepower is more important than sticking to your line, I nearly got wiped out by a young lass in an Audi S1 who decided to go up the inside on a hairpin.

I wouldn't take anything valuable on track, we have an old Saxo for it. Even at 750kg plus fat git driving I cooked a set of tyres.

I have been pondering using the Bini for such purposes... Obviously the car has to be functional, ie brakes/suspension/tyres... But does it need an MOT

Depends on the track. Proper race circuits usually not. Airfield track days usually yes. Plus you'll obviously have to trailer it there and back if no MOT.

[GastronomicKleptomaniac]

No, if its trailered there it just has to be safe, each organiser hs their own rules for if you need whatever stickers, spill kit etc, but generally if there's nothing leaking or falling off then it's fine.

[Doctor Gollum]

Trailering is a given, especially without an MoT... But also, presuming to drive the thing home afterwards is perhaps optimistic 

[Kevin Wood]

I wouldn't take anything valuable on track, we have an old Saxo for it. Even at 750kg plus fat git driving I cooked a set of tyres.

You make another good point. The heavier the car, the more brakes, tyres and fuel you'll get through. Kit cars are thus also a good option.

[GastronomicKleptomaniac]

I wouldn't take anything valuable on track, we have an old Saxo for it. Even at 750kg plus fat git driving I cooked a set of tyres.

You make another good point. The heavier the car, the more brakes, tyres and fuel you'll get through. Kit cars are thus also a good option.

The purple project I'm on with now was previously owned by an esteemed member of this parish. He had used it as a track car... I'm not sure his nostrils have yet recovered!

[Rangie]

Did a track day many years ago my father won it from a company that he did some work for he wasn't interested in going so I went had some instruction & then let loose in a 3.0 S Capri, still have a traffic cone that I damaged severely !