Every year, while the folks up north go skiing and ice fishing, racers and their sports cars take to the Daytona International Speedway. This iconic race track is best known for Nascar’s Daytona 500, but it also hosts the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona and lots of other sports car events. This endurance race runs all through the day and night on a road course that uses most the big oval, with a couple of dives into the infield to take some sharp corners.
The type of racing can be called “endurance racing,” or “sports car racing,” but “multi-class racing” illustrates just how chaotic the Rolex 24 is. The prototype cars (GTP Class) look like spaceships for the road, but peppered in between them are the lower-tier Group GT3 class cars, which by the rules have to be directly based on roadgoing production cars. A few weeks after Daytona, the same teams can be found at the 12 Hours of Sebring, just 150 miles away.
Automakers gain a lot of knowledge from racing this way, and eventually, the tech they develop for the Prototype cars filters down to the GT3s, and into mainstream production cars.
For example, Mercedes-AMG’s recent round of hot-rod plug-in hybrids blends lessons learned directly from its Formula 1 program. Cadillac dominated the 24 hours of Daytona prototype class from 2017 to 2020, and now you can buy not one but two hard-core track warriors from Cadillac, the CT-4 and CT-5 V Blackwings. Chevrolet has raced Corvettes almost since the first one rolled off the line, but today’s C8 shares more with its C8.R racer sibling (which debuted at the 2020 Daytona race) than any previous model.
While you may not have the funds to buy a GT3 car or operate a world-class privateer racing team, but you can buy fun-to-drive cars that are very much like the ones the GT3s are based on, and in some cases those exact vehicles. Not only that, there are tracks all over the country where hard-core enthusiasts regularly thrash such cars in formal and informal competitions, not to mention more ad-hoc autocross events.
Though not the only options, here are ten of the best track-day warriors that can also double as fun daily drivers.
The Best Track Cars of 2024
- BMW M4 Competition
- Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing
- Chevrolet Corvette Z06
- Ferrari 296
- Ford Mustang Dark Horse
- Hyundai Elantra N
- Mazda MX-5 Miata
- McLaren 750S
- Porsche 911 GT3 RS
- Subaru BRZ
BMW M4 Competition
The BMW M4 is an ideal daily drivable performance/luxury coupe. On the one hand, it has two rows of seating, a well-appointed cabin, and the latest tech and safety features. On the other hand, its twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-six engine makes 473 horsepower, or 503 horsepower in the M4 Competition. The M4’s cornering and handling ability are fantastic, but it can also become (relatively) comfortable with the push of a button.
The M4 Competition routes power to the rear wheels through either a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmission. And yes, there is an xDrive all-wheel drive (AWD) version of the M4, but that’s not how the race version (BMW M4 GT3, GT4) does it. The RWD version will teach you the finer points of performance driving and car control, though it isn’t a great first car to learn these on because of its extreme performance.
BMW M released a lighter, smaller M2 in 2023 (based on the 2 Series two-door) and that model offers much of what the standard M4 does only with less weight and at a lower price. It isn’t any faster in a straight line, but if the M4 and M4 Competition are too pricey, it’s a good alternative. Despite only having 30 more horses than the regular M4, the M4 Competition is considerably faster in a straight line, shaving almost a full second off of the zero-to-60 mph run. In 2023, BMW also offered a lightweight M4 CSL, but that limited-production model is very hard to find.
Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing
Believe it or not, Cadillac now builds not one but two high-test howitzers for the track, the BMW M3-sized, 472-horsepower CT4-V Blackwing and the larger, M5-sized, 668-horsepower CT5-V Blackwing. While the CT5-V Blackwing is the more powerful of the two and the siren song of its 6.2-liter V8 (a distant relative of the one in Cadillac’s dominating DPi-V.R racer) is hard to beat and propels it faster to 60 mph, the lighter and smaller CT4-V Blackwing is probably the better track car. (Your results may vary.)
In part because it’s a little lighter, the CT4-V Blackwing feels a little more responsive, but both of these sedans have poised suspensions and precise, highly communicative steering. The CT4-V Blackwing is just a little bit more precise and lithe, and it feels perfectly balanced on its adaptive suspension. The twin-turbo 3.6-liter V6 comes mated to a standard six-speed manual transmission, but the optional ten-speed automatic is quicker around a track, with shifts so precise no human can match them. The brakes haul it down with remarkable speed, and there’s a standard electronic limited-slip differential, as you’d want with so much power going to rear wheels.
Inside, these Cadillacs don’t feel particularly “luxurious,” but that isn’t the mission of the Blackwings, anyway. The CT4-V Blackwing is an amazingly sharp sports sedan that blends genuine race car moves with smooth behavior in daily driving in the ways that certain German sedans used to. And it’ll still clean up when racing against the best track day cars at your local autocross.
Chevrolet Corvette Z06
The Chevrolet Corvette has been a supremely capable, but also affordable, track car for decades, but in 2020 it got a major boost in cred and capability when General Motors’ engineers reimagined it as a mid-engined sports car. This, change, which Chevrolet had been debating since the 1960s when mid-engine cars took over the top echelons of global racing, instantly boosted its track credibility. The hardest-core Z06 variant takes this new (for the ‘Vette) format to new heights.
While regular Corvettes, and the new hybrid E-Ray, use Chevy’s 6.2-liter LT2 V8, the Corvette Z06 features GM’s new LT6 5.5-liter V8, a clean-sheet design that only has a faint family resemblance to older GM V8 designs. The 670-horsepower motor is the most powerful naturally aspirated (meaning it has no turbocharger or supercharger) V8 to be offered in a production car. It revs to a throaty 8,600 RPM and emits a howling exhaust note. The Z06 is also the basis of Chevy’s Corvette GT3.R race car, which made it’s debut at the 2024 24 Hours of Daytona.
This is as extreme as a production Corvette has ever gotten. It’s 3.5 inches wider than the stock Corvette, offers optional Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R ZP race tires wrapped around carbon fiber wheels, and has enough aerodynamic aids to make an F35 fighter jet jealous. It’ll sprint from zero to 60 in just 2.6 second and post a quarter-mile time in the low 10-second range, but it’s fast in every situation. The Z06 costs more than $110,000 to start, but that’s a bargain compared to any similar car from Ferrari, McLaren, or Porsche.
Ferrari 296
Speaking of big-buck exotics, it doesn’t get much more exotic than a Ferrari. The 296 is Maranello’s first plug-in hybrid, but the mission here isn’t electric range but gobs of electrified torque. Despite this unfamiliar layout for a Ferrari, there’s no denying how good it looks. Depending on where you sit, the 296 is a return to form for a brand that may have lost its styling mojo in the past decade. The 296 marks the introduction of V6 power to the mid-engine Ferrari layout in addition to the debut of plug-in hybrid technology.
The 296’s twin-turbo V6 makes 654 horsepower, while two electric motors put out an additional 163 horsepower. The result is a combined 819 horsepower and a 0-62 mph time of just 2.9 seconds, which is a rush by any measure. The 296’s curves echo some of the ones on the 1960s' 206 and 246 Dino (to which “296” is another reference) which were also V6-powered before their engine was expanded into an eight-cylinder configuration for the 1970s 308.
Of course, Ferrari debuted a GT3 296 at the 2023 24 Hours of Daytona, and the model took home a win at the 2023 24 Hours of Nürburgring later that year, and it won the 2024 Daytona event. There’s also a special track-focused trim complete with a racing paint job, the Assetto Fiorano, though it will cost you a cool half a million dollars. For this, you get a vehicle that is astonishingly fast by combustion-engine standards, with zero-to-60 times of 2.3 seconds and driving dynamics that are as satisfying to feel as the car is to look at.
Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Here's something a bit more accessible than that Ferrari. Though heavily rooted in the outgoing design, the Ford Mustang has been heavily updated for 2024, and there’s a new top-tier pony, the Dark Horse. The former Shelby GT500 and Mach 1 models are discontinued, but in their place, the Dark Horse brings new features and some of the Shelby’s equipment at a price much closer to the former Mach 1. With the track pack, the old Shelby was priced well into six figures, in fact, more than double the $59,270 MSRP of the Dark Horse.
Mostly, the Dark Horse is a non-retro evolution of the Mach 1, carrying the same 500-horsepower 5.0-liter “Coyote” V8 and the six-speed Tremec TR-3160 gearbox from both it and the Shelby. Though not as hard-core as the Shelby’s former track pack, the Dark Horse also offers a $4,995 Handling Package that includes 19-inch aluminum rims shod in Pirelli Trofeo RS tires, adjustable strut top mounts, altered chassis tuning and front tow hooks, in addition to the standard magnetic suspension dampers, limited-slip differential, and big Brembo brakes.
Speedier editions of the updated Mustang are likely to be forthcoming, but for now, the Dark Horse is the fastest and coolest version, and it’s just as capable on a track as the previous Mach 1.
Hyundai Elantra N
New on the scene in 2022, the Hyundai Elantra N picks up where the old Veloster N left off, only it arguably improves on the formula. From the factory, it offers 276 horsepower (and a 10-horse boost in “N Grin Mode”) and either a six-speed manual or an optional eight-speed automatic transmission. Though Hyundai hadn’t been known for handling prowess before the N models, it certainly is now, and the Elantra N can channel its power to the ground exceptionally well, with lots of grip and a supple, communicative suspension.
There’s enough power here to blow the doors off competitors like the Honda Civic Si and Volkswagen Jetta GLI, and the Elantra N feels like it belongs in a more rarified class, up against the Honda Civic Type R and Toyota GR-Corolla. These, and the Audi RS3, are also cars the Elantra N competes against on a professional level in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge’s TCR class. Fitted out for racing, the Elantra N TCR makes 350 horsepower and weighs a whole bunch less, but it isn’t fundamentally that different from the production version.
Best of all, for amateur racers and track day fans, the Elantra N is cheap and practical. It’s $10,000 cheaper to start than the Honda Civic Type R, and a little more than half the price of an Audi RS3. It can also be used as a family car, with all the attributes of the regular Elantra, including its huge back seat and trunk. Unlike the GR-Corolla, it doesn’t offer all-wheel drive (AWD) and its handling isn’t quite as precise as the Civic Type R’s, but among track-ready machines, the Elantra N is a supreme bargain.
Mazda MX-5 Miata
Sure, all of these high-powered, high-performance cars are impressive, but they’re certainly expensive, too, and routinely tracking them costs even more money. If you’re interested in track days, one of the best places to start is the Mazda Miata, which is raced more than any other car in North America. It’s true, for many people, Miata is always the answer.
From the MX-5 Cup to the Miata Racing League, the MX-5 Miata is the definitive grassroots racing vehicle, and it is one of the best track day cars for beginners and experts alike. And if you are serious about making your driving talents official, the Miata is the best place to start. The Miata has just 181 horsepower, but with less than 2,400 pounds to haul around and a classic front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout, it makes the most of that power. It’s nimble, responsive and fun, and perfect for learning the finer points of car control without getting yourself into too much trouble—with the law or with the trees lining those twisty roads.
One of the most prominent racing series in America is the MX-5 Cup, and you really don’t need much to enter. The cars begin life for this series as production Miatas and then are shipped to Fits Performance at Daytona Beach, Florida. That’s convenient because the MX-5 Cup largely follows the IMSA Calendar, which starts every season at Daytona. Mazda even makes a version specifically for newbie racers, appropriately named the “MX-5 Miata Club.”
McLaren 750S
When you absolutely, positively have to scorch lap times and turn heads at the same time, accept no substitutes. The McLaren 750S is a purebred supercar that can get you to the track in style, and then blow the doors off almost everything else there, although it does look a little familiar. That’s because it’s a direct evolution of the earlier 720S, only lighter and more powerful. When it comes to performance, both of those things are always welcome.
The 750S is new for 2024, and while it uses the familiar twin-turbo, 4.0-liter V8 from the 720s, the engine has been extensively modified, now using pistons from the even hotter 765LT. It makes 750 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque, up from 710 and 568 in the 720S, and to top it off, it weighs about 150 pounds less than its predecessor. That means zero-to-60 sprints in the mid-two-second range and quarter miles of less than 10 seconds, to say nothing of vigorous moves on the track. Of course, all this will cost you more than $300,000.
The 750S isn’t cheap, but it also features a cockpit that could be confused with that of a spaceship. However, despite the 750S’ modern aesthetic, it remains a refreshingly simple vehicle to pilot. The center touchscreen flows up through the center console and the fully digital instrument panel alters its appearance based on your selected drive mode to present critical performance information. The readouts and operation are a little basic, but maybe that’s better in a car that can go more than 200 mph flat out.
Porsche 911 GT3 RS
Few vehicle manufacturers are quite as synonymous with racing as Porsche. For many, the Porsche 911 is the gold-standard sports car, and it’s offered in a number of variants to satisfy a wide range of drivers. Whether you want the top-down experience of the Cabriolet or Targa, the luxury of the Carrera, or the sheer performance of the Turbo, Turbo S, or GT3, there’s a 911 to suit your needs. There’s even a new “off-road” model with a lifted suspension called the 911 Dakar. But this vast array of 911s, which can be ordered in seemingly any color of the rainbow, also contains serious track weapons.
The on-track version of the 911 is the GT3 R, and it’s incredible how similar it is to the street-legal GT3 RS. Its 4.0-liter flat-six engine produces 518 horsepower, and the track-only GT3 R’s 4.2-liter flat-six makes 565 horsepower. The GT3 RS features heavily modified bodywork and weight-reduction measures, allowing for a 0-60 time of just three seconds. It’s essentially a 911 on steroids, with every reaction and every trait amped up as far as the power will go and frosted with lots of aero optimization for maximum downforce.
The price, of course, is also steep. The GT3 RS starts at $182,900 and it’s possible to tack on another $100K on top of that if you opt for the most extreme models. If you don’t need quite this level of track capability or want this level of rarity (even in a sea of Porsches at Cars & Coffee, a 911 GT3 will impress), the regular 911s might be better. The 911 Turbo also offers breakneck speed, but costs nearly as much, and more to start. It does, however, offer a convertible, but serious track stars will probably prefer the rigidity and lower weight of the coupe.
Subaru BRZ / Toyota GR86
In a car industry that’s dominated by overweight and overcomplicated machines, the joint venture that yielded the Subaru BRZ and Toyota GR86 is a breath of fresh air. Both vehicles are powered by a Subaru-sourced, Boxer-style 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 228 horsepower, driving the rear wheels of course. The BRZ is the only Subaru that doesn’t get AWD, but for peak sports car feel or drift-king performance, like the Miata, only rear-wheel-drive (RWD) will do.
Mechanically identical, both cars use a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission, but most buyers choose the manual gearbox. In the past, that meant forgoing many of the Subaru and Toyota’s excellent driver assist systems, but that’s no longer the case. Features like adaptive cruise control are now standard in 2024, though the primary interest in “new gear” this year will be, of course, performance-related. These are both cars that are all about cheap thrills, not frills.
For 2024, the BRZ gets a new top trim, the tS. It offers a few extra features, including 18-inch wheels, Hitachi suspension dampers, and bigger brake rotors and pads to reduce stopping distances. Both of these cars are designed to drive to a track, spend a day carving corners, and comfortably return home to do service as a daily driver with a minimal hit to fuel economy (well, at least when on the highway). Both are excellent choices as entry-level track warriors, and there’s an armada of aftermarket performance parts and mods to make them even faster..