Good Starter Car?

In reply to StreetsideClassics :

Im sorry I failed to answer your question.  
   To answer it properly, do you want to buy it ready to race or do you want to save that money and do it yourself.    
 Somebodies old race car likely will need work and you really won't know  what is called for.   
         Doing it yourself for the first time is a bit scary.  Plus it's way too easy to spend time and money in the wrong areas. 
     There are other options out there.  leMons And Champ Car racing.   They offer a pay to drive a team car.  Those are reported to be great values for the money. More actual track time than other ways. ( if  you select the right team.) 
      

StreetsideClassics said:

looking to get into road racing and track events.

It's hard to answer specific questions about the car without knowing more about a) your goals and b) your budget.

If your goal is "track events" (i.e. HPDE) you already have three cars that would be great for the job.  Yes, they're all way more capable than you are as a driver but every novice group I've ever seen at the track is full of cars like those.  Pick one, drive within your limits and get some time with an instructor in the passenger seat.  1 hour of seat time is worth more than 100 hours of reading forum posts.

If your goal is "road racing" then it's a different answer entirely.  I would start with a good truck.  Seriously. Everything you do in road racing will involve trailers and hauling dirty/smelly stuff, so get a truck that's up to the job.  After that find a pre-built race car with an SCCA or NASA logbook in a thriving race class.  Depending on your budget think B Spec, Spec Miata, ITA/ITB, SRF, IT, etc.  Don't worry about how fast the car is; slow cars make fast drivers.  You'll also need a trailer, and safety gear (helmet, fire suit, etc.).  If it seems extreme to jump right into a race car with no track experience, consider that all the half steps most people take along the way to racing end up costing way more time and money, and often slow their development.  Once you have the equipment, get on the track as often as you can and get as much instruction as you can find.  Set a goal to get to race school.  I'm an SCCA member and like our schools but there are others that are great too.

In any case it's about priorities.  The set of priorities most track newbs have for cars is:

- look cool in it

- tons of power

- love being in it

The set of priorities most track vets/racers have for cars is:

- reliable

- cheap to operate

- predictable/balanced

- won't cry if you break it

In your case I'd run what ya brung for a couple of events and meet some people at the track with goals similar to yours.  The path will become apparent as you invest more time.

In reply to StreetsideClassics :

One last option.  
 Vintage sports car racing.  
  Most of us love it over SCCA and other club racing because there is absolutely no contact allowed. 
  If like me you try to present a nice car you can be proud of but hate the idea that someone bounces off your fenders to get a better track position. Consider Vintage racing. 
   While you don't need a rare  exotic  car, ( simple Ford Falcons run with them ).  You're expected to present a car with a nice appearance.  No Junkers.   
  You'll be out with rare and expensive cars at times and people want you to be as careful about your car as they will be about other cars.  
    The nice thing is  no expensive upgrades to stay competitive.  I raced my Black Jack Special  for over 30 years pretty much exactly as I built it. 
      Your expenses won't be as high as SCCA or other events.  Tires are used until used up rather than a set of tires per event.   Same with other expenses. 
      A chip or stone bruise is a point of pride rather than something to be repaired. 
            Plus the history of the car is already made.  So you can relax and race comfortably until you're ready to maybe push yourself a bit.  
   MG's Triumphs, etc are wonderful entry level cars and will teach you as much as a Miata will just at a slower pace.  
  Then the Jaguars, Corvettes, Mustangs etc  put you in with group Six / 10 & 12. 
So newer cars run too!   

The comments about your plans are accurate. If HPDE is your goal, and you want a learner car, things like a Miata, Mustang, FRS/BRZ, etc are all great options. I'm a BMW fan, so I would be looking for a 3-series from the e46 era. If you want to go racing, buying a built race car is a much simpler, less expensive alternative to building one. 

Here are some interesting candidates near Charlotte:

2004 Mustang - built for HPDE/time trial

1994 Miata - spec Miata/ITA car

2017 Civic - ex-Pirelli world challenge car

1995 Mustang - HPDE build

ShinnyGroove (Forum Supporter) said:

StreetsideClassics said:

looking to get into road racing and track events.

It's hard to answer specific questions about the car without knowing more about a) your goals and b) your budget.

If your goal is "track events" (i.e. HPDE) you already have three cars that would be great for the job.  Yes, they're all way more capable than you are as a driver but every novice group I've ever seen at the track is full of cars like those.  Pick one, drive within your limits and get some time with an instructor in the passenger seat.  1 hour of seat time is worth more than 100 hours of reading forum posts.

If your goal is "road racing" then it's a different answer entirely.  I would start with a good truck.  Seriously. Everything you do in road racing will involve trailers and hauling dirty/smelly stuff, so get a truck that's up to the job.  After that find a pre-built race car with an SCCA or NASA logbook in a thriving race class.  Depending on your budget think B Spec, Spec Miata, ITA/ITB, SRF, IT, etc.  Don't worry about how fast the car is; slow cars make fast drivers.  You'll also need a trailer, and safety gear (helmet, fire suit, etc.).  If it seems extreme to jump right into a race car with no track experience, consider that all the half steps most people take along the way to racing end up costing way more time and money, and often slow their development.  Once you have the equipment, get on the track as often as you can and get as much instruction as you can find.  Set a goal to get to race school.  I'm an SCCA member and like our schools but there are others that are great too.

In any case it's about priorities.  The set of priorities most track newbs have for cars is:

- look cool in it

- tons of power

- love being in it

The set of priorities most track vets/racers have for cars is:

- reliable

- cheap to operate

- predictable/balanced

- won't cry if you break it

In your case I'd run what ya brung for a couple of events and meet some people at the track with goals similar to yours.  The path will become apparent as you invest more time.

I have been thinking about a race school as well. Which ones are best? Skip Barber?  Radford Racing school? Ford Performance? 

dyintorace said:

The comments about your plans are accurate. If HPDE is your goal, and you want a learner car, things like a Miata, Mustang, FRS/BRZ, etc are all great options. I'm a BMW fan, so I would be looking for a 3-series from the e46 era. If you want to go racing, buying a built race car is a much simpler, less expensive alternative to building one. 

Here are some interesting candidates near Charlotte:

2004 Mustang - built for HPDE/time trial

1994 Miata - spec Miata/ITA car

2017 Civic - ex-Pirelli world challenge car

1995 Mustang - HPDE build

Several people keep bringing up Mustang alongside Miata in this thread, curious as to why? And which generation Mustang?  I know a ton about Mustangs and grew up driving them, they are actually the car I'm most familiar with, but I would go with a Miata or similar if "slow cars make faster drivers."

frenchyd said:

In reply to StreetsideClassics :

I'm sorry for going off on learning to shift.   I'm sure based on your statement you're ready for some track time.   
      The question is now Autocross or road race?   
    Autocross while it teaches you some things, the hard parts of road racing aren't there.  
  Situational awareness for example.  That car behind you is he going to over take you, or take away your line for the next corner?   Do you know how to drive to the cars potential, off line?   Racing in the rain?  How are your wet weather skills at the limit?  
  Racing in a crowd?   Can you adapt to others pace?   You can't back off to give him room.  You worked too hard to close up.  If you back off now, will you have another chance to catch him before the finish line?  

    In a great way road racing is more like chess than the checkers of Autocross.  Passing a slower car for example.  Can  you do it in such a way that your competition loses more time than you do?   Or use the slower driver to gain track position?  
  The line and braking points are often variable.  Have you considered your moves when someone ahead of you suddenly dumps oil or water/ both  from his engine failure?  
     Do you know yet who you can trust and which drivers tend to do sudden stupid things?  How quickly can you judge  correctly another drivers skills or experience?  
  That's the attraction of road racing to me.   It's a high speed chess game played on several levels.  You can have a slower car yet achieve better than faster cars.        Or Vice a Versa. 
    It's really boring to just drive around in the front of a pack of cars.  The joy is when you are dicing with a driver of similar potential skills.  
     Remember we all put our pants on one leg at a time and you always will be making mistakes. ( as will he)  That corner could have been taken just that slim fraction of a second faster or braking done a bit better. 
     Friendships will be formed with a diverse group of people and the resulting fun will be all the better for it.  
     My problem is the sore face muscles from grinning after the race.  I don't care where I finish as long as it's a good dice.  
     

Autocross does not look appealing to me. The whole parking lot, cones to run over, slow speeds....no thanks.  I'm looking to travel to tracks in my area and drive on actual road courses. I split time between Charlotte, NC and Tampa, FL.  Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, SC looks to have some good events. 

StreetsideClassics said:

dyintorace said:

The comments about your plans are accurate. If HPDE is your goal, and you want a learner car, things like a Miata, Mustang, FRS/BRZ, etc are all great options. I'm a BMW fan, so I would be looking for a 3-series from the e46 era. If you want to go racing, buying a built race car is a much simpler, less expensive alternative to building one. 

Here are some interesting candidates near Charlotte:

2004 Mustang - built for HPDE/time trial

1994 Miata - spec Miata/ITA car

2017 Civic - ex-Pirelli world challenge car

1995 Mustang - HPDE build

Several people keep bringing up Mustang alongside Miata in this thread, curious as to why? And which generation Mustang?  I know a ton about Mustangs and grew up driving them, they are actually the car I'm most familiar with, but I would go with a Miata or similar if "slow cars make faster drivers."

Mustangs are common, affordable, and have infinite upgrades available.  With stock engine power you can still learn a lot in them, and they are plentiful in already modified form.  A lot of cars shown above are single seat.  I very much recommend a two seat car because you can have others ride with you or ride with other drivers.  I pick up a lot from knowledgeable passengers and from having others with more skill drive my car.  I'm playing on dirt though.  I will probably tackle hillclimbs in the next year or two as well.  I like time trail type events because I do not want vehicle to vehicle contact ever. 

Honestly, if I had the disposable income (or auto related business writeoffs), I'd buy a 2019+ Miata with factory Brembos and Recaro seats.  I'd drive the heck out of it until I was 100% comfortable in it in all orientations, situations and conditions.  Once you have that mastered, you can figure out what you want next.  I'd consider the same for a 2022 Subaru/Toyota twin.  If you aren't opposed to FWD, I'd get a newer 2017+ Civic Si and do the same.  Any of these 3 will give you tons of reliable time and plenty of car control skills.

Once you've destroyed the tires the car came with upgrade the rubber to any of the 200TW offerings and lighter wheels and repeat. 

After you've done that, you'll know which direction to head with your new found skills. 

If you want to try something different, head to your local rallycross.  Most people I know will let you ride with them.  Some lunatics like me even let others drive their cars sometimes, although I will probably let less people drive the new car. 

StreetsideClassics said:

In reply to Tom1200 :

For the NC Miata, would a Grand Touring model with 6-speed manual and hard top work?  I am 6' 1" and need to make sure I'll fit in ok with helmet. 

nope. Roll bar won't work with the hard folding top. Just the regular soft top

StreetsideClassics said:

Several people keep bringing up Mustang alongside Miata in this thread, curious as to why? And which generation Mustang?  I know a ton about Mustangs and grew up driving them, they are actually the car I'm most familiar with, but I would go with a Miata or similar if "slow cars make faster drivers."

Truthfully, unless you're talking about a fairly new Mustang with IRS, they aren't actually the "best" road course cars right out of the box.  The factory set up in the back doesn't make for great handling.  However, the big appeal is value.  You can get them cheap for the performance they offer.  Upgrading the rear suspension is easy.  As long as you keep the engine and brakes cool (they are heavy) they are quite durable.  Any generation from late Fox on is a fine place to start.  The Fox is rising in value, so you may not want to do that.  SN95 and up, let's say.   Point is that the Mustang (not brand new) is never going to be the "best" road course car out there, but it's a phenomenal value and a E36 M3 ton of fun.

I'm not necessarily a subscriber to the school of "slow cars make faster drivers".  I very much understand the concept behind it, and there is truth to the theory of learning to wring out the last 1/10th of a second in a Miata will make you faster in a Mustang.  At the same time, if you're a good student and have a good instructor you can start with a "faster" car.  Seat time is what counts more than what car you're driving.

I know you guys have an Atlanta showroom.  Make an excuse to come to that store in mid-December and come join us for the 24 Hours of Lemons race at Road Atlanta.  You'll learn a ton.  CMP is a fun track too, I've been on it a bunch.  It's murder on tires, even after the recent repave.  

StreetsideClassics said:

ShinnyGroove (Forum Supporter) said:

StreetsideClassics said:

looking to get into road racing and track events.

It's hard to answer specific questions about the car without knowing more about a) your goals and b) your budget.

If your goal is "track events" (i.e. HPDE) you already have three cars that would be great for the job.  Yes, they're all way more capable than you are as a driver but every novice group I've ever seen at the track is full of cars like those.  Pick one, drive within your limits and get some time with an instructor in the passenger seat.  1 hour of seat time is worth more than 100 hours of reading forum posts.

If your goal is "road racing" then it's a different answer entirely.  I would start with a good truck.  Seriously. Everything you do in road racing will involve trailers and hauling dirty/smelly stuff, so get a truck that's up to the job.  After that find a pre-built race car with an SCCA or NASA logbook in a thriving race class.  Depending on your budget think B Spec, Spec Miata, ITA/ITB, SRF, IT, etc.  Don't worry about how fast the car is; slow cars make fast drivers.  You'll also need a trailer, and safety gear (helmet, fire suit, etc.).  If it seems extreme to jump right into a race car with no track experience, consider that all the half steps most people take along the way to racing end up costing way more time and money, and often slow their development.  Once you have the equipment, get on the track as often as you can and get as much instruction as you can find.  Set a goal to get to race school.  I'm an SCCA member and like our schools but there are others that are great too.

In any case it's about priorities.  The set of priorities most track newbs have for cars is:

- look cool in it

- tons of power

- love being in it

The set of priorities most track vets/racers have for cars is:

- reliable

- cheap to operate

- predictable/balanced

- won't cry if you break it

In your case I'd run what ya brung for a couple of events and meet some people at the track with goals similar to yours.  The path will become apparent as you invest more time.

I have been thinking about a race school as well. Which ones are best? Skip Barber?  Radford Racing school? Ford Performance? 

A school will teach you some things well but it's not anything that can't be learned with careful reading.  
     SCCA. Has some very effective schools for  not a lot of money and you'll use your own car so it's very relateable. Just make sure you have a good racing seat with proper belts so instructors can ride along with you.  Trust me the help they give you will be as good or better than  you will get at the driving schools.  
      A bit of advice, make sure your car is reliable first.  It's worth the time and money to take it to a HPDE ( high performance driving event ). Like SCCA'a  track nights.  
       They will break you into typically 3 groups.  Complete novices,  (they focus on helping you drive to your potential) medium skilled, experts. 
      If you want to just get into it? Rent a ride at a local LeMons or Champcar race. Yes they take total newbies. They have a teaching session first so you don't go on the track totally green.   
      You'll have plenty of experience  on track.  Plus learn the discipline of pacing yourself.    The good part is you'll see the good, bad, and ugly.  Only sign with a team with a decent finishing record.  
       One bit of advice?  Getting to the front of any group  once you've developed your skills really entails a lot of  updates and money spent on the trick of the week.  Just assume you'll need at least one new car a year.  While that won't always be the case, there will be years where other cars are faster and you will need to not only have one of those, you'll need one prepared  by a particular crew chief.   It's rough lingering towards the back of a pack of cars because you can't buy the newest.  
    That more than anything is why SCCA and other clubs  have such turnover.   
       The sole exception. If you want to race all the famous tracks  is Vintage.  
  You can have a leading car in any group.  And that group won't get any faster.  
     If you like modernish cars. Group 10 or 12 in SVRA is what you'll want. 2017 is the newest allowed.   Or you can fix up  or buy a Gen 3 cheap big block Corvette to be at the pointy end of group 6.  
    There are many vintage racing groups. But SVRA is kind of the big dog.  

By the way Vintage cars don't need a racing history.   You can race any car as long as the safety gear is up to date.   You don't need ( in fact you don't want a perfect car to start with). 
  The complete interior  is removed, the wiring loam is removed,  bumpers and much of the exterior lights are removed. (only brake lights remain) 

   I prefer to start with a stripped hulk of a car.  Making initial purchase very cheap.

    Most cars the engine needs a lot of reworking to stay together.   The high performance versions really aren't up to racing.  
 Fords/ Chevies / Dodge just about every engine part needs replacement. Including some models the block! 
  Some cars most of the stock parts are OK.  
Jaguar, ( I'm very familiar with those) maybe Porsche, possibly some BMW? Check with other road racers about those.  While they may hold up for the short runs in Autocross,  they can't last  a typical SCCA. vintage weekend. 
     My best advice is attend a few races for the cars you're interested in  racing.  Talk  to the racers and their mechanics.  Try to get an idea of what to budget for and what sort of time commitment involved.  
    Others have said this.  I'll repeat it.  First buy a good tow vehicle.  Pickup trucks, Suburbans, Tahoe sized vehicles work well.  
      Trailers are a whole other matter.  

StreetsideClassics said:

ShinnyGroove (Forum Supporter) 

I have been thinking about a race school as well. Which ones are best? Skip Barber?  Radford Racing school? Ford Performance? 

That is probably the best approach now that you mention it. Lots of good schools out there and the instrction is far more focused and better than what you'll receive from a typical hpde instructor. Do it! Pick whichever school is convenient to your location and has cars that you feel comfortable with 

StreetsideClassics said:

Hey guys!  New to the forum and looking to get into road racing and track events.  I currently own a 991 911 Turbo S, '19 GT350 Mustang, C8 Corvette and some other cars, but don't want to take something too nice to the track since I'm a "newbie."  I favor Ford and Porsche, so was thinking of maybe a Focus RS or a used Porsche Cayman? But I was also thinking of maybe an S550 5.0L Mustang or a C5/C6/C7 Corvette, I don't know.  I would prefer start off with something with lower HP and then work my way up.  Also don't know if I should go manual or automatic, but it would seem going automatic would let me focus on driving lines more vs having to shift (at least to start).  Thanks in advance for the suggestions!

take any one of those cars to the track or all. 

StreetsideClassics said:

Autocross does not look appealing to me. The whole parking lot, cones to run over, slow speeds....no thanks.  I'm looking to travel to tracks in my area and drive on actual road courses. I split time between Charlotte, NC and Tampa, FL.  Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, SC looks to have some good events. 

Have you heard about the new track being built near Tampa? If you have a home in that area, it might be worthwhile to check it out. They are building trackside condos too!

New Tampa track

I'd just pick one of the cars you already have, buy track insurance for a weekend of HPDE 1 and go run the car. I don't see the point of spending 5-10-15 thousand on a car that's arguably less safe than one you already own just to get started.  If you're afraid you won't be able to resist going too fast put a throttle limiter in place. In a group like HPDE 1 there's no passing without a point by and even then only on designated straights so it's not like someone is going to be dive bombing you in corners, trading paint, etc.

A couple of things here:

I race both vintage and SCCA. Given your business is selling classic cars a vintage race car might be the way to go. Vintage races (outside of the big high profile events) are extremely laid back fun affairs. Miatas are now 33 years old so you could actual vintage race one. Note the early Miatas are more expensive these days but I still see track prepared regional level cars for under 10K.....I seem to recall seeing one for $6500 several months ago (I believe it was a SCCA Improved Touring class car). The catch there is will you fit?

All roads lead to Rome. You could do a professional school or simply build up seat time at HPDEs both will net you a good result. My only caveat with the professional schools that I'm cheap and they are not. For the price I could buy a HPDE car do a bunch of HPDEs and recoup a large portion fo the money I spent when I sell the HPDE car. Again all roads lead to Rome so there aren't really any wrong answers. 

Here is why I am an advocate of a low powered cars:

1.  As mentioned in this thread when you make an error you know about it immediately. The reason those Kart kids are so fast is they spent years in 8hp karts that take half a lap to really get up to speed...............they are brutal when you make a bobble.

2. They typically are stone axe reliable; they don't go fast enough to really wear things out or make enough power to break things. This means mroe seat time.

3. They inspire thinking; you are always looking for ways to eeke out another 1/4 mile per hour. This a mental sport (in so many ways) and analyzing what you're doing is a big part of that.  It's much harder to do this in a fast car when you are starting out; the slower car gives you more time to process things.

The most common things you will hear against low powered cars are they are boring; yup in many of them you could check your phone messages down the straights. As I've previously mentioned this gives you time to analyze what you are doing. One of the others is you won't learn fine throttle control; this is absolutely not the case. In my gutless wonder of a Datsun (100hp) if you pick up the throttle to soon or to aggressively it will result in understeer and you'll scrub off a ton of speed. Due to this you learn to tip into the throttle; I've driven numerous 750-800hp cars and the technique carries over.

The two most popular classes in SCCA racing are Spec Miata and Spec Racer Ford. These are both momentum cars and great fun to drive.

The car we are talking about is a simply a tool to get you where you want to be.  I still say get a Miata, do a couple of seasons of HPDE in it and if you want something faster than move on to a 250-300hp car for a season or two. After that you should have the skills to drive anything you please.

I just test drove a '21 Miata RF, 6SPD. I am a little over 6ft tall and fit, but barely. My wife said it looked like I still had 1-1.5 inches with top up for a helmet to fit. Car was fun to drive, id never driven a Miata before, but it did feel a little cramped and I felt I needed to be sitting 1-2 inches lower in the car. I like to sit low in my cars for some reason. But I could see out of windshield fine and think an RF Miata would work. 
 

Have been watching YT videos and the new Toyota GR86 looks to be a great car too, wondering if I should consider one before pulling trigger here?

The GR86 (or older 2.0L models) are good starter cars from a driver perspective, but maybe not so much from a starter modder/builder perspective because they need a fair number of mods to survive track use vs. something like a Miata that can be driven straight onto the track no problem. I have a 2017 model that's been holding up well so far but I threw all the survivability mods at it up front (you can see details in my Garage section if you click on my avatar).

A Toyobaru will need full-synth oil with a viscosity bump and an oil cooler - 2.0 models will need one installed from scratch, 2.4L models will need the oil-to-water cooler replaced with an oil-to-air cooler because it still wasn't sufficient for the amount of heat this engine dumps into the oil. I would highly recommend an aftermarket oil pickup and oil baffle for 2.0 models, 2.4s don't need a pickup but will need the stock pickup checked for RTV accumulation and would still benefit from a baffle.

Here's a good discussion on the other survivability and basic performance mods for a 2.0 model:

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/how-to-get-started-modifying-a/192574/page1/

Don't write off all autocross as "slow."  Some events I can speak of through experience, namely the Atlanta region SCCA and American Autocross (AAS) in CA, regularly have cars hitting 70-80 on course.  In a Corvette, you can still get beat by a guy/girl in a Honda, just like on a road course.  The experience can be both fun and valuable, and I've seen some top autocrossers transition very nicely into road course racing when the opportunity has presented itself.  The Optima Ultimate Street Car events have demonstrated this pretty well--all of the cars in these events are ridiculously fast and capable in all disciplines.

Sorry for all the dumb questions guys, but you all have been super helpful.  Also please understand that I'm not really operating on a "tight budget," I'm simply wanting to start with a low HP car for the reasons Tom 1200 mentioned above.  I think starting with low HP will challenge me more, give me more time to process decisions, and then I will step up to higher HP cars as we go here, some of which I already own.  So, regarding low HP cars, I am still willing to get a newer/nicer model and spend some $$$ here.  I am not looking for a $10-15K NA Miata that is 30 years old.      

1) If I go ND Miata, a roll bar, etc can be installed on the RF, I believe, correct?  I like the look of the RF better and my wife loves retractable hard tops.  I also see where Paco Motorsports makes a seat drop kit and that might make the ND Miata perfect for me, but if I pay $30K for the car and then want to start upgrading the brakes/susepnsion a little I will be nearing the cost of....

2) I'm really a Porsche guy, but I don't want a super old car.  Could I/should I look at maybe 718 Boxster/Cayman's here or is that getting into the "too much car" realm?  Or maybe look at the 981 Boxter/Cayman (2012-2016)  

I think I've really narrowed it down to ND Miata, GR86 Toyota, or a Porsche Boxtster/Cayman and will be purchasing one of those in the next 2 weeks. Test drove Miata today, probably need to test drive the other two next and then make the call...

In reply to StreetsideClassics :

I think a 718 Boxster or Cayman is a pretty good middle ground and you'll be comfortable in it. 

300hp isn't huge in a 2800 - 3000lb car is still pretty much a momentum car. 

I have to say I somewhat disagree with Tom1200 in saying that a 300hp/2800lb car is a momentum car.  Presuming a good suspension set up, brakes, etc...that's a damn fast car even for a beginner.  In my eyes a '12-'16 Boxster is anything but a momentum car.  It's not a total sledge hammer, however it's pretty far up the bell curve.  The NC Miata...momentum car.  160ish hp and 2500lbs.  The ND may even fall into that same category.  I would say the GR86 is borderline.  I run a Cressida in Lemons.  Something like 190hp and 2800lbs...that's a momentum car.  

OP, if you want a low HP car to learn on (which I don't disagree with the concept), newer Cayman/Boxster isn't the answer.  Those cars are so capable that they'll allow you to get away with bad habits.  ND Miata would be better, though I'd recommend sitting in one with a helmet on and making sure you fit.  If you want to spend more than what a well sorted NB/NC Miata or 986 Boxster type car would cost I would recommend something like a Mini Cooper S, 4cyl BMW 3 series, Civic hatch Sport (not Si), Mazda3 (they are great track cars), etc...something under 200-220ish hp and 2800-3000+lbs.  The car I use for HPDE is a 2011 BMW 128i 6spd.  230hp and 3250+lbs.  Frankly I'd even argue that's not a momentum car compared to other sports cars I've tracked.  However it's certainly much more of a momentum car than a newer Boxster.  It's bone stock, right down to the pretty tired shocks.  I last ran it at Road Atlanta about 6 weeks ago.  RA is a fast track, lots of high speed areas.  In that car, I was easily hunting down an M2, M3, 981, 135i, Mustang GT through the technical sections of the track.  I went right past them.  When we got to the back straight, I just pulled right and let those high HP cars back by me because I just don't have the power they do.  We call those "point and shoot" drivers.  They just stomp on the gas down the straights but then stomp on the brakes in the corners and tippy toe through.  Or...there were a few cars that kept somewhat decent speed in the corner, but only because their car (aforementioned BMWs, Porsche) would allow them to get away with taking crappy lines.  However, they were still slower than me in the corner.  If you want a true low hp, beginners car the 981 unquestionably is not the droid you seek. I'd even argue the ND is borderline.  I recognize your budget isn't tight and I think that's phenomenal.  At the same time you don't need to go spend $35k+ just because, get a car that's the proper tool for the job.  It may only cost you $10k, but you'll learn a ton, have a blast and then be able to step up to a damn fast car like the 981.

Part of it is that standards have changed over time, the powerful high-end sports car of the '80s is the low-powered momentum car of today:

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/articles/column-momentum-over-horsepower-debate/
 

The Cayman (AKA "cockster") has been identified as nearly perfect for what you want.  It is indeed a 300hp momentum car, as Tom1200 indicated above.  You will still lose control, like with anything, but generally not at all in a bad way, i.e., you'll be able to recover quickly on the psychological side.  It's got just enough power (along with perfect balance) to be fun, unlike waiting for an elevator to accelerate . . .