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Z06
The best handling, best accelerating Vette ever. Not the best looking though. This car may be the ultimate, off the showroom floor, track car that is trully easy to live with on the street as you drive to and from the track. Smooth quiet ride to the track with tunes and air conditioning. Then you have some very serious handling and HP capabilities to work with while on track. Trully an opentracking machine! Not cheap but still a bargain based on the performance capabilities.
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Cobra R, 2000
385 hp, 385 Torque, 6 speed, IRS, Recaro Seats, rear seat delete, great brakes and the car will move from apex to apex like no previous Mustang. Probably too expensive and then you don't even get a radio or any air conditioning. The tough thing is...... that a well prepared standard Cobra with a few aftermarket mods can run with and out run the Cobra R. But then you would not have that oversized rear wing. Unfortunatley Ford is not supporting the car with a supply of engine spare parts. This fact makes it tough to consider it for anything else but a show car. Don't break the motor if you run the track in this car. |
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911 GT2
Only one thing can be said, AWESOME!
But sell the kids and decide which limb you don't need in order to play with one. If you like the kids and want to keep all limbs for driving something else, you can always watch for one at the track. Just don't drool when next to it in the paddock. It's embarassing. |
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Audi TT
The show car that became reality. What a really nice car. 225 hp and awd make for a nice combination. The car is not the destroyer of tracks, but it offers a lot of hardware technology and a truly unique style for street and track. |
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BMW M3
Long awaited replacement for the aged M3 of yesterday. Many critics feel the car has lost some of its edge in trade for civility. The car rides smooth but pushes a bit in slower corners. The car is fast but not record setting. Nevertheless, with the chassis balance, 333 hp and six speed tranny the car will run a track at a very impressive clip. One can't ignore that it does everything so well and still seats 4 adults and still offers a normal trunk. Very useful combination street and track car. |
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BMW M5
Maybe the ultimate driving machine realized. Smooth, quiet, 4 doors, 400 hp, 6 speed transmission, serious handling capability. Need we go on? Fast at the track even on stock street tires. What a nice car! |
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Honda S2000
The engine is an engineering marvel. 9000 rpm makes for a unique car however there is no low end torque. The driver must work hard to stay in the power band. Handling is inspiring, however like the Viper you better be careful as the limit approaches. You will get little warning! Be careful. |
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Audi S4
The 4 door sleeper from Audi. 250 hp awd make for an impressive 4 door track machine. Drop the family off at the mall and spend the day at the track. Great engineering. |
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TT Supra
A stellar performance car that just was not appreciated in its time. Current owners continue to amaze the on-lookers with the overall capabilities of this car. The in-line 3.0L twin turbo 6 cylinder has a nearly bullet proof bottom-end. The car offers a great combination of sophistication and performance.
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Z28-SS
The Z28 and Z28-SS cars have unfortunately been discontinued. However, this may be just a temporary absence as GM rumors abound with a possible retro Camaro in the near future. In the meantime, the current Z28 owners get to enjoy what is likely the best V8 bang for the buck below $30k. These cars have a tremendously strong motor that is for the most part a de-tuned Corvette engine. The rear suspension offers valuable hardware such as a factory panhard bar. Some have criticized the fit and finish especially regarding the interior. But with excellent horsepower, good looks and responsive handling, the ride on the road and on the track is all smiles. |
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RX7 93-95
The 93-95 RX7 was a performance car hit. Unfortunately it was plagued with quality problems in the first introductory year. More than one industry source concluded that the car was brought to market one year too early. These quality issues gave it a bad wrap in its first year and hurt sales in the following years. Most agree that Mazda got things right in 94-95. But the sports car market was simply struggling for buyers and the awesome RX7 was pulled from production after 95. Nevertheless any pure sports car enthusisast will do himself well to obtain a used copy of one of these handling gems. The cars are well balanced and respond very well to after market mods. Find one at the track and it will be fast. |
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Civic SiR
Don't be deceived by the bland color and appearance of this car. It is heavily compared to BMW's Mini Cooper. The SiR's handling is nimble and 'tossable' with gentle understeer intruding at the limit, and though its performance-oriented front strut/rear double wishbone independent suspension (borrowed from the RSX) is firm, the ride is reportedly surprisingly comfortable with little chop or bump. Among the many performance hatchbacks now on the market, the 2002 Honda Civic SiR is considered tops in refinement, quality, and body rigidity with performance reminiscent of the Acura RSX on which it is based. It could use bigger tires, a more aggressive appearance, and steering that's less sensitive when accelerating and turning sharply at the same time. And though it offers the versatility of a hatchback, it's smaller than many of its rivals. A terrifric package if you are seeking a combination track and 4 cylinder commuter car. |
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SVT Cobra
The 03 Mustang Cobra has obtained some very positive press recently. Underperforming engines in 99 prevented Ford from offering a 2000 model while they fixed all the 99 cars. However, they have made that a distant memory by offering a 390 (under-rated) supercharged DOHC motor. With the new high power rating, 6 speed tranny and IRS suspension it seems like the aftermarket has less to upgrade. Cobra's have proven track reliable and the parts are inexpensive when replacing or upgrading. Hard to beat the value when considering the performance made available at $35k..
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Mustang 5.0
It was correctly pointed out to us that the Mustang 5.0 deserved a place in this gallery. Having owned (3) five liters, I should be ashamed having not included it. There is no doubt that the Mustang 5.0 has very humble beginnnings but with help from the after-market these cars can be transformed into very serious performance machines. These cars took shape in 1979 and were called the Fox Body cars. They saw yearly improvements and in 1993 the final and ultimate Fox body was offered. The 1993 SVT Cobra. It is out of respect of their capability when modified properly that they make it to our opentracking Gallery. |
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2003 350Z
These cars bring Nissan back to the performance car market with strength and determination. The cars are awesome from any viewing angle and have the performance to back up the looks. Nissan offers a track model that brings elevated suspension settings but no additional horsepower is involved. The workmanship on these cars is excellent and the price is right as they range between $29k-$35k. Although Nissan left the GT sports car market for several years after the 300ZX Twin Turbo it looks like their return with this 350Z makes up for lost time. Watch for a cult like following to develop around this car as it is deserving of our recognition as a true perofrmance machine. |
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1999 VR4
These cars are an excellent example of Mitsubishi technology in full bloom. Twin turbo's and all wheel drive make for a very capable street and track machine. These cars only real problem came in the form of too much weight. Nevertheless they have a dedicated following and are an excellent bargain if you are looking for a used sports car with serious capability. The design of this car was so well done that the cars retain a contemporary look even amongst todays new body styles. That alone is worthy of our respect. |
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1967 Tiger V8
How does 8.5 pounds or less per horsepower sound? Very easy to get with a 2,600 pound car and a small block Ford. The '64 thru '67 Sunbeam Tiger is a Ford V8 powered sports car which is a real kick to drive. Even with a stock 260 the car feels fast and the weight distribution is good enough to help hook the power up on the track. Acceleration is a rush but stock brake performance needs improvment. |
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WRX STi
This is an awesome four door sedan. The fit and finish is off the pace a bit but the cars performance will make you quickly forget about the small details. 300 Hp, all wheel drive and four doors make for a great combination. Handling is awesome. Acceleration is 0-60 in 5 secs but a radio is an option. Hood scoop is a bit too big and the rear wing is definitely over the top too big. But one thing is for sure......the performance does live up to the oversized hood scoop and wing! These are awesome cars. Lots of performance for the buck.
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Viper Comp Coupe
Awesome V10 power and torque. Killer looks. A factory prepped track car. These cars are very impressive at the track. This car is pushing the opentracking .com gallery guidelines because it is not street worthy. A gutted interior full roll cage etc......may have an impact for the street. But the track performance from the factory cannot be ignored so it gets two thumps up from us.
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