Two test drives this morning - 2018 Camaro SS 1LE and 2018 WRX STi

Wanting to track occasionally does make this much trickier. C6 Z06 heads are easily fixed but tracking one... You need good tires and brakes and will rip through them.  They're also 125mph trap speed cars... They make a Camaro SS feel slow and I don't know if that's a good thing for casual trackday use. 

Evo X is pretty chunky and outdated inside.  I think if I were you I'd go used Porsche as well.  997 C2S?  987.2 Cayman S?  You get nice ergos and control feel, etc.  I enjoyed my C6 but it wasn't me. I like small nimble cars and feel much more at home in my F80 than in a Corvette, Mustang, or camaro.  What about m235i and some light mods?  

I like the STI in concept but the reality is frustrating.  My stock Forester XT popped it's ej25 with regular maintenance, reasonable driving etc.  I'm waiting to see the STI with the 2.4 DIT dropped in.  They have to...

I would be in a Porsche 100% if I didn't need to transport kids.  I have similar considerations as you otherwise it would seem.

From what I've read, the STi won't be getting an FA engine until MY 2020 when a new WRX platform is released. And hopefully it will be a 2.5, twin scroll affair. 

I'm with on the Z06, the heads are an "easy" fix but still a few thousand to have it done. Then there is the consumables and fact that it's even faster than the SS. 

I hadn't considered the M240 (235i would be used, used turbo cars scare me), I'll give that a look as well. 

The face that I'm so hesistant means I should probably lengthen the timeline on a decision. I was just hoping the last week of the year, I might be able to get an even better smoking deal as dealerships try to get their best numbers.

You know, with the M2 CS getting the s55, prices may drop a bit on the plain Jane M2. A lightly-used or CPO m2 could be a great option for you.  I was pretty interested in the M2 but the 2-series is just too small to fit rear facing child seats in consistently, and my wife nixed the idea of a two door. Otherwise I would either be in a 997.2 Carrera S or an M2.  The other thing to consider could be the 230 with the track pack or whatever, there's been a lot of magazine talk about the turbo 4-cylinder 2 series being the only current BMW that actually harkens back to the BMW's of old.  

turtl631 said:

You know, with the M2 CS getting the s55, prices may drop a bit on the plain Jane M2. A lightly-used or CPO m2 could be a great option for you.  I was pretty interested in the M2 but the 2-series is just too small to fit rear facing child seats in consistently, and my wife nixed the idea of a two door. Otherwise I would either be in a 997.2 Carrera S or an M2.  The other thing to consider could be the 230 with the track pack or whatever, there's been a lot of magazine talk about the turbo 4-cylinder 2 series being the only current BMW that actually harkens back to the BMW's of old.  

The latest I've seen is the M2 CS won't be released for sale until early 2019.

But the anticipation could drop used values a little bit I think.

Focus RS?

z31maniac said:

STM317 said:

In reply to z31maniac :

I hope that one day, I can be "in the mood" for a $50k toy car. Of course by then, inflation will have ravaged the value of a dollar, robots will rule and $50k will only buy me a BiTurbo from a back-alley dealer. Sad!

I hear ya. It's also taken me a decade in my profession, moving cities, changing jobs, and industries quite a few times as well. 

Also, not having children is a big help on the time/money front. Plus I turn 36 in a few months, it's a little late to be starting that journey (even if I wanted to).

This. If you REALLY put your mind to it, you can make the $. I'm getting there.... after 8 years of driving an NA miata. In '18 I'll buy an 86 and by '19 probably the Porsche.

*high five* I love telling my coworkers I don't want kids, I want a Porsche. It's my life!

D2W said:

Focus RS?

They seem to have their own issues. Headgaskets and RDU shutting down for instance.

Also, none of the dealers here will let you test drive one or budget off MSRP (some are still asking above MSRP). $43k for a car I'm not allowed to test drive is a no go for me.

Blaise said:

z31maniac said:

STM317 said:

In reply to z31maniac :

I hope that one day, I can be "in the mood" for a $50k toy car. Of course by then, inflation will have ravaged the value of a dollar, robots will rule and $50k will only buy me a BiTurbo from a back-alley dealer. Sad!

I hear ya. It's also taken me a decade in my profession, moving cities, changing jobs, and industries quite a few times as well. 

Also, not having children is a big help on the time/money front. Plus I turn 36 in a few months, it's a little late to be starting that journey (even if I wanted to).

This. If you REALLY put your mind to it, you can make the $. I'm getting there.... after 8 years of driving an NA miata. In '18 I'll buy an 86 and by '19 probably the Porsche.

*high five* I love telling my coworkers I don't want kids, I want a Porsche. It's my life!

I'm happy for you guys. It's not an income issue for me as much as a personality issue. I don't mind beating on a $5k vehicle that I don't rely on for anything, but I'm not sure that I have the capacity to do the same thing with a vehicle that costs 10 times that and needs to take me to work. Either way, I'm glad that you guys are having a ball.

Well, for me that still makes it an income issue. It turns into a 'can I afford to throw  this away?' question.

For a long time, the answer is no, which is why I street-drove a miata. Now I'm tracking a miata (and have a 2nd one for track). Soon I'll have a caged race miata, and an 86 for the street.... etc. It's why I go to work every day.

Oh I couldn't afford to "throw away" a $40k+ car at the track.

I can, however, easily pay a small deductible and track insurance if I stuff it at the track. But something that would also take me to work wouldn't get driven as hard as I did my old Miata........where my buddy is asking "how did you keep that on track" as I kept the car basically sideways all the way up The B!tch at Hallett in the rain.

At this point, I don't think either of the cars get my jollies on fire enough to actually go sign the paperwork. 

I suspect, the most intelligent thing to do at the moment, is to just keep saving a bigger downpayment to really go after a 981 S or M2 when I can.

YESSSSS!

I fully support this decision. 981 is so great man.  Honestly, I probably should do the same, as I've driven an 86 5 or 6 times and never pulled the trigger. But when I drove the 981... omg....  but it is kinda silly that I'm still driving a $2k NA miata after nearly 10 years.

Re: Earlier post... OK, maybe not 'throw it away.' I mean, 'not afraid to drive it.'

I think either option would be great.  M2 maybe more fun due to FR layout and torque?  Cayman probably a little more clinical and less playful.  I'd try to drive both, ride along at the track etc.

Blaise said:

YESSSSS!

I fully support this decision. 981 is so great man.  Honestly, I probably should do the same, as I've driven an 86 5 or 6 times and never pulled the trigger. But when I drove the 981... omg....  but it is kinda silly that I'm still driving a $2k NA miata after nearly 10 years.

Re: Earlier post... OK, maybe not 'throw it away.' I mean, 'not afraid to drive it.'

I know, my old track car was a Miata. But I'm sure driving a 981 or M2 at 8/10ths or 9/10ths is still an absolute riot compared to 10/10ths in a Miata with your left arm always out for point-by's on the straights.

turtl631 said:

 

I think either option would be great.  M2 maybe more fun due to FR layout and torque?  Cayman probably a little more clinical and less playful.  I'd try to drive both, ride along at the track etc.

Possibly, and likely a bit more practical (not that it's a huge concern) and I've always been a BMW fanboi. But I'll wait awhile until I drive to drive either. 

I don't like wasting the guys time at the dealerships if I'm not prepared to buy. I was very interested in getting either the 1LE or the STi...........they just both have enough negatives for me to not want to drop $40k on one.

Remember that if you're serious, you're not wasting their time. The turnover at those dealerships is much lower and establishing a good working relationship with somebody who may let you know about a trade, etc... go try em :)

Source: My buddy worked at BMW for 5 years. LOTS of repeat customers.

Blaise said:

Remember that if you're serious, you're not wasting their time. The turnover at those dealerships is much lower and establishing a good working relationship with somebody who may let you know about a trade, etc... go try em :)

Source: My buddy worked at BMW for 5 years. LOTS of repeat customers.

Well I meant, like I'm ready to put down a deposit on a new one, or buy the used one you have on the lot, ready to buy. And really going up that much higher in the budget I need to save some more cash for Down Payment and taxes and registration.

 

Just keeping track.....the ATS-V has been thrown to the curb(looks)??

759NRNG said:

Just keeping track.....the ATS-V has been thrown to the curb(looks)??

Yeah, the exterior and interior just don't really do anything for me. 

The 981 S and M2 on the other hand look fantastic to me. So I'm thinking instead of settling, I should wait longer and save up more and get what I REALLY want.

In reply to D2W :

Yeah!

z31maniac said:I should wait longer and save up more and get what I REALLY want.

You're really not helping my Miata -> 86 -> 981 plan.

Blaise said:

z31maniac said:I should wait longer and save up more and get what I REALLY want.

You're really not helping my Miata -> 86 -> 981 plan.

I've been impatient in the past, for instance, the BRZ was a quick decision.

I had driven one in August of 2014, but it didn't make quite happy enough to go ahead and pull the trigger. In October, suddenly in the span of 2 days, the top on my NC Miata started leaking in more than spot and BOSE stereo failed..............at the time I didn't want to drop thousands into the 2006 Miata (but only had 40k miles), and the Subaru guys happened to call me the nex day so I said the hell with and went.

Now I wish I had sucked it up, used the cash to fix it and kept driving it. 

Yeah, I've been *very* patient.

Bought the sunburst in 2009. Alignment shop broke a bolt into the frame and being without a car, I bought an '02 WRX on a whim.The WRX went through the standard mods, then a bigger turbo, then an engine rebuild.... sold it in 2014. It was a great car but never as much fun as a 2-seater.

At some point I Bought a '92 Turbo LE track car which I couldn't afford to track, much less buy a truck to tow with. Sold it.

Now it's almost 2018. The '92 is now an HPDE car, and I'm daily driving a '97 NA. It's been almost a decade of driving miatas. If I waited until 2019, I could move directly to a Porsche. But the sunk cost of buying an 86 wouldn't be more than maybe 3-4k (tax + depreciation). Sigh...

FWIW you can find the 340 vs the 240 a bit cheaper and the new motor sounds fantastic with an exhaust and tune and is really fun to drive my buddy has a 340i stick and its a blast

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1EmQI3MEHk

Jaynen said:

FWIW you can find the 340 vs the 240 a bit cheaper and the new motor sounds fantastic with an exhaust and tune and is really fun to drive my buddy has a 340i stick and its a blast

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1EmQI3MEHk

I don't really see the point in that. Just went and read a few comparisons. I'll leave the DCT out of it for this comparison since it's not an option on the M240i, just the 8sp ZF.

The M240i has weaker brakes, no LSD, less cooling ability (remember I am going to track this thing). 

If you equip the M240i as similar to the M2 as you can, HK sound system, real leather, premium package.....................there is only a $5k difference between the two (add in an aftermarket diff, that won't be electronic, and you're only $2k away). And you get wider wheels and tires, that sexy widened stance that comes from using the M4 subframes and suspension bits, larger brakes, etc.

The M2 seems like the no brainer if you're looking for the performance car to take to the track.