I need a bigger car.

[CosmosMpower]

RX-8 R3

Handles like a Miata. More space. Less than $20K. Same SCCA Class. Good Pax index. :)

Great points for autocross but it's slow on a road course (no power), and drinks gas and premium fuel.

[sammm]

RX-8 R3

Wish I could shoe-horn a pair of those seats in my MX-5!

[altiain]

Those seats are damned uncomfortable for daily use.

I also wouldn't recommend an RX-8 for track day use based on my experiences. The transmission in the R3 is supposed to be more robust than the one that was in mine, but the quote I got from Shannon McMasters when I contemplated swapping a newer transmission into mine was "They do last longer. We get 2-3 races out of them instead of just one."

Also, fuel mileage is horrible. I averaged 14-15 mpg out of mine? blugnutjon still has his, and struggles to get 14 mpg. I saw >20 mpg on a tank only once in four years, and that was all steady state highway driving with the cruise set at 70 mph.

[sammm]

^Thanks for the insight on the seats (don't think they'd fit regardless). RX8 is out of my scope for several reasons, MPG being one of them.

[miataspeedracer]

In sorta in the same boat as the OP. Would love to find a car that is comfortable DD, but can still stand up to week-end track use/abuse and still be reliable and not cost and arm and a leg on consumables. Basically, something that falls between a Cayman and an NC. Also, would love a price point under $25K. The only cars that readily come to mind are the S2000 (not sure if it's too high-strung as a DD), an E46 M3 (scared of VANOS issues and high cost of consumables), a Porsche Boxster S (scared of costs if something goes blam!), and maybe a Corvette (not my thing). RWD is a must, but I don't care if it's a 2-seater or 4-seater. Convertible NOT required.

The new BRZ fits most of the parameters except price. 370Z seems too heavy. RX-8 excluded for reasons listed previously.

[altiain]

A used Boxster or Cayman would scare me, not because of the cost of maintenance or parts, but because of the potential for catastrophic engine issues. Search "Porsche" and "IMS" for more information. I have a friend in Austin whose Cayman S suffered an IMS failure (car saw a lot of track use, but the motor grenaded on the way to work one morning). The local Porsche dealer presented him with a $16k estimate to rebuild the motor!!!

BMW M cars seem to be pretty robust (I sure see plenty of them at the track), but not sure about the running costs. Maybe ken o will chime in? I know he had some recent VANOS issues with his E46, but the problem was caught before it became catastrophic, apparently.

If you can daily drive a Miata (any generation), you could daily drive an S2000. Same plusses and minuses for daily use. Great brakes. I love the power top, but I'm lazy. The cockpit is cozy, but everything is laid out pretty well and the car is simple by modern standards - no nav, bluetooth, or any of that crap. The cars are pretty robust overall, but there are some quirks for track use. I learned firsthand that the combination of high RPM vibration + an engine with no balance shafts + aftermarket (Mobil1 in my case) oil filter = not a good combo. Use OEM filters only, tighten them to the factory torque setting, and either check every session or safety wire the filter (there are several kits available for <$50) to make sure it doesn't back off due to vibration.

One plus to the S2000 versus a German car is the relative cost of parts. I rebuilt the bottom end of the engine, replaced every underhood wiring harness (plus several dozen other components), all with factory new components, paid someone else to do the labor, and spent a little less than $4k. A new factory F20C shortblock is ~$2500.

[CosmosMpower]

A used Boxster or Cayman would scare me, not because of the cost of maintenance or parts, but because of the potential for catastrophic engine issues. Search "Porsche" and "IMS" for more information. I have a friend in Austin whose Cayman S suffered an IMS failure (car saw a lot of track use, but the motor grenaded on the way to work one morning). The local Porsche dealer presented him with a $16k estimate to rebuild the motor!!!

BMW M cars seem to be pretty robust (I sure see plenty of them at the track), but not sure about the running costs. Maybe ken o will chime in? I know he had some recent VANOS issues with his E46, but the problem was caught before it became catastrophic, apparently.

If you can daily drive a Miata (any generation), you could daily drive an S2000. Same plusses and minuses for daily use. Great brakes. I love the power top, but I'm lazy. The cockpit is cozy, but everything is laid out pretty well and the car is simple by modern standards - no nav, bluetooth, or any of that crap. The cars are pretty robust overall, but there are some quirks for track use. I learned firsthand that the combination of high RPM vibration + an engine with no balance shafts + aftermarket (Mobil1 in my case) oil filter = not a good combo. Use OEM filters only, tighten them to the factory torque setting, and either check every session or safety wire the filter (there are several kits available for <$50) to make sure it doesn't back off due to vibration.

One plus to the S2000 versus a German car is the relative cost of parts. I rebuilt the bottom end of the engine, replaced every underhood wiring harness (plus several dozen other components), all with factory new components, paid someone else to do the labor, and spent a little less than $4k. A new factory F20C shortblock is ~$2500.

But don't forget, the car has no soul so that's a minus.

Honestly a S2000 isn't really an upgrade to a NC if you want a bigger car. It's in the same category to me. Same with Boxster. Cayman has a bit more utility and the IMS issue is rare on the Cayman S and later Boxster and non existant on the 09+ cars since they don't have an IMS.

[altiain]

As for consumables, that was one of the reasons I chose the S2000 to replace the RX-8. It is light and moderately powered, so tire and brake cost is reasonable, it gets decent fuel mileage (I average 23 mpg on all surface street commuting where the RX-8 averaged 14 mpg), tires are reasonably sized and last a long time due to light overall weight and good suspension geometry.

And again, my own personal engine issues aside, they are pretty well built and historically stand up to track use pretty well.

[SirHustlerEsq]

Civic Si is an awesome car too. Not RWD, but probably the best FWD car available.

[OZMDD]

You can get a really nice aftermarket seat for the NC for much less $$ than replacing the car. The Sparco fighters that RPMChris has are very comfy and mount low for you taller folks. Sliders are available too.

Pricey, but the Racetech seat KenO has in the E46 is nicer than most factory seats.

[Sharpie]

Sammm-0 the new Ken-0.

[maan1986]

I have a G35 coupe...

I autocrossed it... once

Then I got a miata.

[miataspeedracer]

So an '09 Boxster S might work. Don't think I can find one for $25K...

[sammm]

Sammm-0 the new Ken-0.

You can get a really nice aftermarket seat for the NC for much less $$ than replacing the car. The Sparco fighters that RPMChris has are very comfy and mount low for you taller folks. Sliders are available too.

Pricey, but the Racetech seat KenO has in the E46 is nicer than most factory seats.

I've been searching the board for after-market ideas, but haven't found much detail for us 'taller' folks. Most of the write-ups I did find mentioned how snug race seats were even for skinny guys.

EDIT:
After work today I took the seat out again, and added a piece of memory foam to the seat bottom. It now feels like I'm sitting on the seat instead of in it...maybe too much so. Hopefully the foam will break-in and mush down a bit.

[lostlorin]

Are you still growing?

[ken o]

The e46 M3 is a nice option for DD, AX (FS or TFS), and track. You do need to stay on top of maintenance. Several preventative upgrades can eliminate most issues with the car.

The RaceTech seat is very nice. I drove it 18 hours to Mid-Ohio. Cost is bit high at $1K.

[SirHustlerEsq]

Poser crew ITT.

[SirHustlerEsq]

I've been searching the board for after-market ideas, but haven't found much detail for us 'taller' folks. Most of the write-ups I did find mentioned how snug race seats were even for skinny guys.

EDIT:
After work today I took the seat out again, and added a piece of memory foam to the seat bottom. It now feels like I'm sitting on the seat instead of in it...maybe too much so. Hopefully the foam will break-in and mush down a bit.

Lotus seat or Sparco Roadster bolted to the floor and never look back.

[sammm]

^I think I'm a little too to have race seats bolted in my DD. Aren't Lotus seats basically a sheet of aluminum with a burlap cover?

EDIT: It looks like Sparco Roadsters have been discontinued.

[sammm]

Are you still growing?

I'm huge.