So it’s been a few years now since I’ve been to the Nurburgring and recently I’ve got the urge to again. I no longer have an out and out track car and my current car, although suitable, I cannot afford to crash. So I’ve narrowed my options down to an Impreza. Which Impreza, I do not know. This is where I’d like some help please! I had a type r in mind, but upon looking at adverts they’re WELL above my budget! I have a grand/1.5k max that I can afford to chuck at something and then sell upon my return. Any recommendations please fellas???

 

Sounds like a Turbo 2000 is roughly what you want. Don't think you'd find much else in budget unless it was a non-turbo.

Otherwise an MR2 or MX5 would be perfect.

 

I can't see a £1500 (max) Impreza getting you there, doing laps, then getting you home

 

What makes you say that? You have little faith lol. A £400 Peugeot 306 gti6 took me there and back with 8 laps in between!

 

Thanks, I've just been looking at turbo 2000's actually. I think one of these would be my best bet.

I'd looked at MR2's also, but never been a huge fan after driving one around Elvington. Oh and screw an MX5!!! haha.

 

Why screw an MX5? Have you ever driven one? Fantastic fun.

 

Oh I totally agree. One of THE most fun budget cars to drive. Just no where near powerful enough.

 

Well, fair enough then! I think that'd be my choice personally but each their own .

Only other things I can think of is an older bimmer.

 

Clio 172 cup, not an impreza but, more than capable of the job!

 

£1k - £1.5k is bargain basement price for an Impreza. And one that WILL need work.

The brakes will die very quickly as the standard 4 pots are not fit for racing. Plus, what condition is the suspension and brakes going to be in when you buy an impreza as heap as that?

Plus, please tell me that you will buy track day insurance. The ring is a public road and as such, any damage caused will mean that the bill ends up at your door. A BMW M3 was involved in a crash last year and it was deemed that he did not slow down when approaching the scene of accident. He crashed into the scene, hit the barrier and damaged several other cars. Put it this way, he wasn't insured and the costs made him seriously consider selling his house!

Think carefully.

 

As he said. An Impreza at that price will be a serious mistake.

 

Might get a turbo 2000 with bad arches but you won't find it easy to sell on, unless someone else wants it for the same purpose. Would also suggest you look at brakes and tyres as most cheap cars with need these replacing

 

Did spot this http://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-m...aps/1053693400, but no idea if it's sound

 

These are great cars, plenty of Impreza owners have one, even Harry Metcalfe has one in his garage next to his Zonda!!

 

I was looking for "cheap" Impreza track day car and bought a type ra with a blown motor. A year and £6k later I have an Impreza that's not quite ready for the track.
An abused £1500 Impreza on the ring...... I'd give it 6 corners before the rods pop out and say hello.

 

Also, when a standard impreza lets go, they are not the easiest of cars to control.

 

We took a couple over the last three years and great fun, yes underpowered but times weren't to shoddy.

a

Tony

 

Hi Jamie when are you loking at going we are over there at Easter and some time August September Phil from Malton North yorks

 

Civic vti is a possible option.

 

If it's grunt you want, I'd look at a rep wagon with a large displacement engine or even a German saloon if you can find one half decent.

I suspect it could be stripped out to better the power to weight ratio and be a reasonably effective reliable thing run on a budget.

An Impreza for a grand would, as many have pointed out, need some serious work doing to withstand a few laps of the 'ring.

 

Echo the the above, it's a brave man that buys a £1500 Impreza and takes it to the Ring.

There's a few other points to consider, decent brake pads and discs that will cope with a few laps are going to cost around £250/300 and that's on standard 4 pots. 1500 quid imprezas tend not to come with a set of good rubber so potentially another 3/400 quid. Then there's the real killer for me FUEL there and back along with what you use there you'll be lucky to see change from £500 assuming all goes well, (which I very much doubt) factor in other travel costs and accommodation, food, booze and the all important Ring pass.

I'd want to be doing it with as cheap and reliable car as possible that's still going to be fun and the only answers are MX5, Honda Civic, Clio 172/182. All of which stand a much better chance of getting there and back and will do it at half the price of the fuel and maybe just a set of blue stuff/performance friction Z rated pads.

Your never going to break the Impreza record time around the ring in a bog standard 14yr old 210bhp Turbo 2000 that you'll be lucky if it's pushing 180bhp after all these years of being thrashed never mind all the potential for major issues whilst out there, Personally I think you'd have to be stark raving mental to try and if you do make sure you have a few grand on a credit card before you go along with 5 star European breakdown policy.

 

Imo a £1500 impreza will be a massive gamble. i would opt cor a clio 172 of some description, i've owned four and they have been great. And driving an impreza to the ring will cost a fair whack too.

 

+ 1 for servicing and wear I used to equate 1 mile on track to 50 normal road miles.

Also two major euro breakdown have an exclusion around the nurburgring in their small print. Cancelling your policy once you give them the postcode.

Try ADAC you didn't have to pay for recovery off the ring €150 ish.

IIRC

Tony

 

European recovery policies often have a clause where depending on the value the car, they will not recover it, just pay for a hire car to get you home

I.e don't expect them to recover 4 people and a 1k car halfway across Europe - they may simply give you the money to get home and scrap the car

 

its a subaru forum and everyone tells you to buy a mazda, obviously they have no i dear or are stragglers from iboughtaboringmazda.com
buy a cheap impreza (try get a 22b if you can, they are a bit more but well worth it, my uncle got one for £2k and it will do 180mph no problem)
upgrade the rear view mirror so you can see those you have overtaken and a baileys dump valve
smash the ring and any porsche on there and ton up all the way home
blaady happy days mate
cheers

 

Clio 172 is your best bet.
I bought this one for £1400.

Stripped it, quick service and took it over to the ring. Did 36 laps in my hands, 10laps with my mate. Got us there and back without a seconds trouble. When I came back it stood for near enough 2 years. Only 1 week ago I charged the battery and it fired up straight away, 2 days later it failed mot on a split drive shaft boot. £15 and 24hours later it has a 12 month ticket on it!

It's been a great car and helped me gain a lot of experience on the nordschliefe.
Would do it over again in a heart beat

 

You still got that joe? I looked at buying that from you if you remember? Jim put me in touch

 

Thanks for your input...

 

From personal experience take my word and a few others from the Legacy forum that when your car breaks down abroad with terminal engine failure neither Adac or any of our home grown policies will entertain bringing the car back to the UK. It simply costs too much.

Hey OP

Take a Legacy GTB instead Then you can be cool... like me

 

It depends on the value of the car, they will value a £1500 car at about £500, give you a hire car to the ferry and one on the other side, so don't take lots of tools and luggage or you'll be trying to hump it from the car rental drop off point onto the ferry, been there done that. Also out of season the drop off point at the ferry is usually closed so that means centre of calais drop off and taxi to the ferry which You have to pay for and claim back.so make sure you have plenty of cash.