{"id":1750,"date":"2021-01-29T20:23:16","date_gmt":"2021-01-29T20:23:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/automarketwatch.com\/?p=1750"},"modified":"2022-06-20T16:06:47","modified_gmt":"2022-06-20T16:06:47","slug":"the-best-rides-for-amateur-racers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/automarketwatch.com\/index.php\/2021\/01\/29\/the-best-rides-for-amateur-racers\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best Rides for Amateur Racers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Recreational and semi-professional car racing has long been an American obsession. Ever since someone decided to connect four wheels to a motor, we\u2019ve yearned to find out who is fastest, whether in that most American race of the flat-track, straight quarter mile, or the more European style of road racing, where cornering is king and braking is equally as important as raw power and acceleration.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

And now, with high-performance vehicles available straight from the manufacturer more easily than ever before and how-to instructionals no more than a click away, getting yourself out for a track day has never been easier.<\/p>\n

But, after the unbridled desire to see just what their car is capable of and to beat the driver next to them, the first thing a person needs is a heck of a car.<\/p>\n

BMW M-Series<\/h2>\n

The BMW M-Series was dreamed up on a racetrack and built with road-gripping, corner-grabbing, high-end acceleration in mind.<\/p>\n

With bodies that skew a bit bigger than most of their contemporaries, M-Series cars<\/a> <\/strong>offer a bit more heft in the turns, which can be a good thing when handled properly. They also blend straightforward power with precision steering and an ultra-responsive driving profile better than almost any other car in their category.<\/p>\n

A BMW M-Series is a racecar that you can take on the road. Not the other way around.<\/p>\n

Mazda MX-5 Miata<\/h2>\n

Head to any road course on Earth and you\u2019re bound to see more than a few Mazda MX-5 Miata models.<\/p>\n

Whether in the pits between heats or out on the track leaning into the curves with less body roll than just about any other racecar, the MX-5 Miata is favored by racers thanks to its ultra light weight and the ease with which they can be modified.<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t need a PhD in electrical engineering with a Miata to modify it to your liking as you might with some of its German counterparts, meaning that you can build the MX-5 racecar of your dreams right at home, with a little bit of elbow grease and minimal technical knowhow.<\/p>\n

Honda S2000<\/h2>\n

Much like the MX-5 Miata,<\/a><\/strong> the Honda S2000 is a mainstay at racetracks nationwide.<\/p>\n

The big difference is that the S2000 was dreamed up as a touring car, one in which comfort could be enjoyed with a bit of performance tossed in for good measure.<\/p>\n

Of course, racers saw different, noticing a lightweight body paired to a powerplant that offered a whole lot of get-up-and-go and a stiff driving profile that was responsive in all the right places.<\/p>\n

Few factory cars can be sent into turns deeper and faster than a Honda S2000.<\/p>\n

Dodge Challenger<\/h2>\n

We can\u2019t only talk about road racers here. Because few things matter more in American<\/a><\/strong> racing than raw, straight ahead power and few manufacturers produce raw, straight ahead power than the folks churning out MOPARs, a brand that has defined American muscle for over half-a-century now.<\/p>\n

And there is no car more indebted to the classic era of American muscle than the Dodge Challenger.<\/p>\n

Thanks to the absolutely legendary Hemi powerplant, nothing will toss you straight back into your seat quite like a Challenger that has just been gunned.<\/p>\n