I may be in the market for a new car soon. I auto-x about 10-15 times a year and plan on doing 1-2 HPDEs a year as well. I love my S2K but there are a few reasons I will need to move on from it in the next few months.

My 2 top choices at this point are a 05-06 Boxster S and the M3 Comp Package (E46 coupe). Does anyone have experiencing driving these cars at an Auto-X or Track Event?

I was offered a ripping deal on the M3 which is why I am considering it. My only concern is lugging 3400lbs around an auto-X course. I am not really concerned about being competitive, just enjoying myself at the events.

The advantage of the Boxster is PCA events. I would love all the extra track time I could get out of that compared to the limited runs I get at local SCCA events. Does BMW offer anything comparative?

 

BMW also has a car club (BMWCCA) and most regions host track day events. In my area, people of all marques of cars are generally welcome at BMWCCA events, PCA events, and Alfa events.

One factor to consider is that many car clubs and some other types of track day sponsors have fairly severe restrictions on convertibles. That would apply to both the Boxster and the S2K.

The M3 is not much of an auto-x car, at least not in stock trim.

 

What are your reasons?

Before you have a chance to answer, my smart a$$ response it to point out that you are looking at what for an 05 Boxster S-- $45K - $55K? For that money, you could get just get two S2000s-- one for street/autocross, one for the track!

 

Unfortunately here in the Bay Area they will NOT let me run at PCA events. At least not Auto-Xs. I go with a friend sometimes but I can't drive my car, only his. I would need to own a Porsche and join the club, then I could run the S2K. Unfortunately they just have too many participants in that region.

I checked out the BMW club and they don't have much scheduled right now, but then it's off season anyway. As for not being much of an Auto-X car, do you mean competitively, or just in general? As it stands now my S2K is the heaviest car I have owned and the 3400 lb weight worries me. It felt fine during a test drive, but that didn't really give me a feel for how it would feel on the track.

As for my reasons, there are a few, but the main one is that my S2K is my daily driver and there are some options I just feel I need at this point (passengar airbag cut-off being the biggest). While a 2nd commuter is an option, I would prefer to stick to 1 car if at all possible. I am just not a "weekend car" kind of guy. If I were going to have a 2nd car, I might as well get rid of my 04 and get an early model year anyway.

 

I meant "in general". You said you didn't care about whether it was competitive. The S2000 is much more nimble than the M3 -- you'll regret switching if auto-x fun is your only criterion.

The M3 would be a more flexible and luxurious daily driver or highway cruiser. The E46 M3 is also faster on the track, though not as visceral as the S2000.

 

There are shops that can install a passenger airbag shutoff switch. I know that someone had one installed in their Elise, and went through the paperwork to make it legal. It didn't sound too hard. Certainly cheaper than changing cars and gearing the new one up for autocrossing.

A few months ago when I was trying to decide what car to get, I autocrossed both a Boxster and a Boxster S, both with the M030 suspension package. I had been told by two SCCA national champs who had owned and competed in both the Boxster and S2000 that the Boxster S would be a faster autocross car, so I had an incentive to like it. Unfortunately the Boxster just didn't do it for me. I liked the balance and responsiveness of the S2000 better than the torque and stability of the Boxster S.

I was able to get a new S2000 for considerably less money than a used Boxster S (especially if I wanted a glass rear window, Porsche Stability Management, and the M030 suspension).

I've never driven an E46 BMW.

 

Yeah, I already had to accept I would be giving up responsiveness regardless of my choice. The S2K did feel more direct then the Boxster S, although I prefer the Porsche's steering feedback. I do think the added stability of the Boxster would make me feel more comfortable on the track though. The only reason I was considering the M3 competition was because of the M-track mode, since the normal DSC was far too intrusive.

I don't have to worry too much about re-equipping anything, I run bone stock on street tires

 

Most people turn off the M-track mode as well. Kind of nice to have that stuff on there for street driving, though.

 

Yeah, I am sure I would eventually, but at my current experience level it would be a nice security. Would it be detrimental to the learning process to use it?

Another thing I forgot to mention is the tranny. I have been far too spoiled by the S2K!

 

Probably not. In fact, it's usually recommended that novices keep those driver aids on.