These Are The Unlikely Cars You Want To Race

Anyone can take a Miata to the track. They’re capable cars, they’re cheap to get, and there are thousands upon thousands of resources for people looking to start playing around with G-forces behind the wheel of an MX-5. Same with Focus and Fiesta STs, Boxsters, GTIs and WRXes — there’s nothing unique about taking one to the track. It’s all been done before, and will all be done again. That’s why, earlier this week, I asked you for something different: The unlikely cars you’d like to race. 

You responded with a wealth of options, ranging from unusual to unexpected to things I was fully unprepared for. Some of your ideas far surpass anything I could come up with, and I truly hope someone makes that pitch for a Geo Metro single-make race into a real series. Take it to Lime Rock or Watkins Glen so I can cover it, please. Without further ado, here are the unusual cars you want to take to the track. 

Mazda5 van with a 6spd transmission.

I’ve also got a CT4V Blackwing 6MT and a BMW 325Ci 5MT convertible, but sometimes heel-toe downshifting in a small minivan while driving at the limit is more fun than either of these cars.

Submitted by: VJ

Mazda loves to make cars that drive far better than they should, so I’m not surprised to hear the Mazda 5 is great. 

I went to a Mazda event where we did some track time with prepped Mazda 3’s. That was kinda fun.. they had an autocross set up where we could drive every mazda vehicle on an autocross course. Mazda 6? fun. Mazda miata? Great! RX8? Really fun. Mazda minivan? There was no line for the van and that thing could keep one tire smoking at all times – absolutely the most fun thing to autocross that entire day.

Submitted by: Hank_Kill

You didn’t specify what Mazda van it was, so I’m assuming the MPV because I think that would be fun. 

Firetrucks. Bonus points if you have someone on the firetruck blasting water at opposing racers. 

Submitted by: Alf enthusiast

Please, someone, make this a real race that I can participate in. 

Driving slow cars fast, is an art unto itself.

Is there enough Geo Metros and Suzuki Cultus/Swifts still around to make a series based on them?

Run a bunch of them with their stock 1.0L i3’s in North American trim. (55 horsepower at 5700 rpm and 58 lb·ft at 3300 RPM) Fully “loaded”, they only weighed 1,591 lbs. After ripping out all the interior panels, carpet, passenger and back seats, etc., you’re left with some pretty light-weight cans to throw around a track.

And, the costs to enter would be laughable compared to almost any other stock series. Almost be competing with LeMons, for cheapest auto racing on the planet. 

Submitted by: Dr.Xyster

To all you readers out there with tons of disposable income, please fund this one-make series for a few years. 

Middle of 4th gen Ford E150 vans with the 5.4 Triton V8. I drove these vans for Airborne Express in the early 00s and they were fast (for a van), with good brakes.I bet they would be fun to race around on some regular tracks (no ovals), also lot of space for sponsors.

Submitted by: towman

I like that you’re already thinking about sponsors, as if an E-series is going to go fast enough to earn the eye of brands. 

Two words: Racing Malaise!

Grab your favourite land yacht from the malaise period and race! The car has to be at least 5m long and have no more than 200ish horsepower. Bonus points for racing with white walls.

Submitted by: dolsh

This certainly fits the “unlikely” side of the bill, but fun? 

1971+ Saab 96 V4.

I learned to drive in one, and it was a blast. It took a while to build up speed, but it handled well enough that I could KEEP most of my speed… and it had more than enough brakes to bail me out when I overdid it.

Lift-throttle oversteer!

Submitted by: Tom Seaview

Who doesn’t love a momentum car? Especially one that can drift, if you squint and close one eye and close the other and imagine you’re drifting. 

Smart car. Easy. The 2016 with the turbo has great acceleration. And OMG the tight turning.

Submitted by: Mr Macaroni

Let’s go one step further: Smart ForTwo on a go kart track. 

The early Scions, the xA and xB, when they were the size of tennis shoes and had the 1.5L motor. Never fast, but they took abuse well and handled predictably.

I would love to see a spec series based on NA 1.5L micro/subcompact racing. The xA, xB, som honda Fits, etc.

Submitted by: potbellyjoe

I’ve actually been around Lime Rock Park at full tilt in a Honda Fit, and I can attest that it was an absolute blast. Slow car fast is good, slow car with wheels way out at the corners fast is even better. 

I always thought that a new beetle (with one of the turbo engines) would be a good bit of dumb fun around a track. 

Submitted by: JaredOfLondon

A GTI is a great track car, why not its platform-mate Beetle?