What are the best track day cars
We test and rate the contenders
Find a track day car for sale
If you've ever been to a track day, you can find all kinds of curious steers careering around around the track. In fact, some of the most enjoyable moments we’ve had at a track day were in some rather shambolic old filth. It just goes to show you don't need to spend a fortune if you're looking for some track day fun.
We’ve decided to kept it new school here, with our list of the 10 best track day cars that you can drive to the circuit and back. Just be careful with those track limits as you could be coming back in the passenger seat of a recovery truck.
Year launched: 2013
There’s no other way of putting it: the Porsche 911 GT3 is an absolute weapon on a track day. In the right hands, there’s very little that can hold a candle to it. It's absolutely stunning.
And while the Porsche 911 GT3 is sharp, responsive and engaging if you’ve got £140k to drop on a RS variant you won’t be disappointed… unless you crash it. Which is highly likely as the limits of most driver’s talents will be reached long before this car breaks a sweat.
Essentially, this is the benchmark by which all high-performance cars are judged. Serious applicants only – no time wasters.
Year launched: 2017
If a Porsche 911 is out of your budget, then the Honda Civic Type R is the next best thing. In fact, the past few generations have been so focussed on its on-track ability that it’s actually made it a bit of a pain to nip to the shops in thanks to an incredibly hard ride.
Well, that and the fact that the everyman and his dog wants to race you. So while you certainly won’t be lacking in track day spoils, you will have to fend off every hopped-up Nova or MG ZR that wants to ‘have a go’. Which will get very tiring very quickly.
Featuring a high-revving 2.0-litre petrol engine that puts out 320PS, the Civic Type R will hit 169mph. Not that keen on the large rear wing? Check out the Honda Civic Type R Sport Line that dilutes some of the looks, but none of the performance.
Year launched: 2016
It was a toss up between a Caterham 7 and the Ariel Atom to include here. Both are blindingly quick and have seemingly limitless levels of grip.
The Caterham 7 is perhaps the most impractical car on the list. If you're looking for a daily driver, this certainly isn't. They’re an unbearable pain to live with on a daily basis and offer almost zero in the way of protection from the elements or anything else - there's a folding hood, but you'll need to be an Olympic gymnast to get in or out of it with it in place and a degree in engineering to erect it. Forgot power steering or servo-assisted brakes. It’s you just you and your machine.
This simplicity perhaps makes the Caterham 7 the most pure driving experience you can have in a car and a true track day car. Just pray it doesn't rain on the way home.
Year launched: 2018
If, like most people, you spend 95% of your in-car life commuting to and from your place of work then you probably don’t want to arrive needing a shower and change of clothes. After all, that’s what cycling’s for.
So the Ford Fiesta ST is ideal because it’s a joy to live with day-to-day and will offer genuine on-track thrills in the way only a hot hatch can. It's a cracking little car with sublime handling and a gutsy engine, complemented by some cheap running costs.
If you’re feeling flush, then seek out its big brother, the Ford Focus RS. That has button marked ‘drift’ so it must be a proper track car.
Year launched: 2015
The Mazda MX-5 won’t win any straight-line drag races but we challenge you to find a more rewarding car to drive around some corners.
The earlier model that you get, the ‘purer’ your driving experience but even the latest generation (and its fire-breathing sister the Abarth 124 Spider) guarantee plenty of smiles. It's a hugely capable sports car that's won over a huge amount of fans over the years.
Plus it’s a soft-top so on the three days we don’t have rain in the UK you can knock yourself out and get sunburn.
Year launched: 2017
When a BMW has the letters ‘M’ and ‘CS’ in the title then you know playtime is over.
Based on the M4 Competition Package, the CS is sharper, more dynamic and more aggressive than any of its rivals, including the Audi RS5 and Mercedes C63 AMG.
So what to all those letters mean? Well ‘M’ stands for M-Division – BMW’s Munich based factory of wizardry and witchcraft – while CS stands for club sport. About 20 years ago, there was a lightweight club sport called CSL, but today’s car seems to get the ‘add lightness’ treatment with lashing of carbon fibre and fabric door pulls adding up to a near £90k price tag. I guess less really is more…
Year launched: 2009
The Nissan GT-R is a legend. Not only is it one of the best cars to steer in online gaming platforms like Gran Turismo, but it’s also an amazing steer IRL.
Just looking at the spec sheet of the balls out NISMO makes us feel a bit sick: 600PS, 0-62mph in 2.5 seconds, Nürburgring lap time of 7:08:679. They still come with a G-force meter, so you know what kind of monster you’re unleashing.
All of which makes it the perfect track day car if you’ve got the money.
Year launched: 2013
Beloved of club sport racers, the Renault Clio even has its own racing championship – such is the appeal and heritage of this hot hatch.
While we’re still waiting for Renault to show us what this generation’s RS will look like, the 2016-era one was a pretty good. Pretty, pretty good.
You could choose the 200 Cup or the 220 Trophy, both of which used a turbocharged 1.6-litre four-pot. Rumour has it the new one will use a 2.0-litre turbo and be good for 250PS plus.
Year launched:
If there’s a more fun new car to take on a track day, we’re yet to find it. Ever since the first Mini joined us 1959, it’s wheel at each corner go-kart-like handling has been a recipe for success.
Like many of us, it’s grown old and got a bit more … umm… well-rounded, but it’s still great fun. Especially in John Cooper Works guise.
The latest generation gets a bigger 2.0-litre engine which gives us 230PS, which is just about enough to cope with the extra weight. As with all MINIs, it’s a tad excitable so it’s best sticking to the smooth bits of tarmac as opposed to country lanes to get the best out of it.
Year launched: 2017
Wait a minute. A Hyundai? In a list of the best track day cars? We know, but hear us out because the Hyundai i30N is definitely worth taking for a spin.
Why? Well because it’s got nearly 300PS and its handling was overseen by a man who used to run BMW’s M Division…
Sure it might not be as powerful as some of its rivals, but it’s certainly more fun. We also like some of the smart tech, like the rev-matching so you be a proper hero on track.
Far from it. What better place could there be to explore the limits of your own abilities and your car’s handling? If you’re nervous, there are instructors on hand and numbers are limited so car to car smashes are few.
Each day is slightly different, but most have a ‘run what ya brung’ vibe. Check the small print though as some have restrictions on noise limits and a dress code (think long-sleeved top rather than three-piece suite). Also make sure your insurer’s okay with it.
As the saying goes, ‘if you bend it, you mend it’. Most tracks ask you to sign a waiver so you’re not liable for damage to other people’s cars. But some tracks will hit you with a hefty bill if you damage a barrier and/or they have to close the track. You’ll also need some kind of ‘get you home’ cover.