Best platform for learning to be fast. Support with evidence.

[likeafox]

Corollary to the “what car” thread:

What is the best platform to learn on, if the goal is: be fast in any car (not just the platform you learned on).

Momentum car?

Something with some horsepower that must be managed?

Sticky track tires or low grip street tires?

Discuss.

[dansabin]

I think the hardest part about going fast is controlling the car rotation and understanding how to do it well under braking is very hard. Being able to learn the important skills like heel toe, left foot braking, and trail braking should also be a priority. With all that in mind I'd argue the best car has the following features:

1. Roughly 150-200 whp - Less power, less cost. Bigger engines just eat consumables like fuel and oil. High strung turbo mods eat up track time with reliability.
2. Under 3000 lbs - It needs to be light enough to transfer weight quickly and not to heavy to need any monster power or tires to compensate. Heavy cars kill tires and brakes which take away from budgets.
3. Some grippy DOT tires - Tires are going to be subjective, but you need enough grip up front to allow the car to rotate. This can prolly be achieved with some sticky 100TW tires or 200TW (if you really know how to use brakes).

All this in mind I would recommend the following cars:
1. Miata
2. BRZ (like the Miata, but worse marginally in every way from an ownership perspective... I have a BRZ)
3. Used BMWs
4. S2000s (if you're lucky enough to own one)

If you want some higher longevity and want to push the budget:
1. Supra
2. 400Z
3. Newer BMWs

The latter list is much faster, which is fun, but as a learning platform you'll have to be going much harder and faster to really learn and master the same things you could be doing in the slightly cheaper and lighter cars from the first list.

[likeafox]

Very insightful, thanks! Can you say more about the ways in which BRZ is marginally worse than Miata?

[dansabin]

Very insightful, thanks! Can you say more about the ways in which BRZ is marginally worse than Miata?

It's heavier and more expensive  

But from an operator perspective:
1. It requires an oil cooler to function reliably on track. The newer engine (2.4) is even worse and requires oil accumulator to avoid oil starvation.  
2. The available camber front and rear is limited and is expensive to gain more camber using new arms and camber plates.
3. Rotors are hard to find and the Brembo brakes (because it's heavier) are just more $$$ to maintain.
4. Due to the Brembo brakes, it also requires bigger wheels which means bigger tires which means more $$$.

If you don't get the brembos then the car is a little easier to own/maintain, but then it's basically got the miata brakes on a car that weighs at least +400lbs more.

The roof line is also very low so even though it has a roof (big safety feature) you won't be able to climb out of the window easily or at all with helmet on. Also overall fitment of more racing things like cages, seats, and other safety equipment makes it even harder.

If you're looking for a good car I'd watch the Gridlife streams and see what the sunday cup guys or some of the other lower power classes run in Time Attack to see what platforms work best.