Planet 9

I wanted to get some feedback from the peanut gallery here about something.

We have a very diverse group of owners here. We have the mod-happy owners, the track rats, the Concours crew, and those that prefer to keep everything stock while under warrenty (me! me!).

If someone were to come along an put together a tweaked Cayman with engine mods, all the safety hardware (1/2 cage, seats, extinguisher, etc), track tires and wheels, bodykits, the WORKS, how many of you would be willing to "rent" such a car for use at a track day?

You won't have to worry about risking your own car, just get to the track and drive with or without and instruction (within the framework of PCA rules of course).

How much would you be willing to pay to use this car for the day?

OK, let the dogs loose on me, tell me what you think.

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Pete
2008 Meteor Grey Cayman S
2007 Blue Slate Infiniti G35s 6-speed

While I have done some arrive and drive racing and even rented for a DE a time or two, I prefer the safety of knowing I prepared the car. I also am doing a lot less track events these days so the Cayman works perfectly for me as mainly a street car. I think spec miatas rent for about $250 per day here not including fuel so I would think you'd be able to get $500+ pretty easily. That won't cover your cost though. You'd probably have to charge north of $1k for it to make sense considering tires, pads, fuel, fluids, wear and tear, depreciation, insurance, etc. I'd rather pay $1k for a track rental than those street based "experiences". Then again they are with 430s, lambos, GT3s, et al. Are you thinking of this as a business plan or as a way to defray some mod costs?

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2008 Cayman S, Black, Floormats

Thanks for the feedback RingSport. It confirmed some of my thoughts. I'm just trying to gauge how much, if any, interest there is with something like this in our area.

My car is staying stock while under warranty. With 2006 Caymans coming off lease and available for a song, a dedicated car for modding and rental is not out of the question. Then again, a spec Miata would make a lot more sense with respect to $$$!

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Pete
2008 Meteor Grey Cayman S
2007 Blue Slate Infiniti G35s 6-speed

Pete, not in your area but I suspect that there are some serious hurdles to overcome. Liability, insurance, who is responsible for broken parts (say an over rev engine), off track excursions, how is responsibility determined in advance and all those other legal gotchas. Have you looked at some of the "pay to race" companies to see how they deal with those?

I actually like the idea. I'd love to track, but don't want to take my car... The big questions are insurance, etc... Also, the danger that some yahoo crashes the car in the first lap on the first day is pretty big.

But I think these questions can be answered: You sign waivers, just like when you take a ride in the bmw-ring-taxi (Green Hell) in Germany, and maybe you have to take a two hour lesson before hand.

You should check out the place in Orlando (next to Disney), they let you drive modified (neutered) indy cars... talk about dangerous.

You would need more than just one car though...

But I really, *really* like the idea.

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2009 Cayman S
2008 Cayman (sold)

I hear you about the insurance/liability/etc. Once all that is factored in, I can see why the Porsche Driving Experience at $1500 per day is a bargain!

Judging from the response so far, it confirms my feeling that all the track rats would rather maintain their own car.

What if I were to add that the car will be built and maintained by a well known local shop that is active in PCA club racing already. No shadetree mechanics here...

Would anyone like to get their DE toes wet this way? A try before you buy/mod type of situation on a platform that you're already familiar with?

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Pete
2008 Meteor Grey Cayman S
2007 Blue Slate Infiniti G35s 6-speed

Pete,

Great idea! I honestly don't want to get my brand new Croc track-ready (fire extinguisher etc.) plus helmet and all the other stuff I would never use on a regular basis. Simply don't have the time, money, equipment, mechanical aptitude. And my car is my primary daily driver. But the idea of DE is intriguing.

In the range of $500 - 750 for a day, for something like a DE level 1? Wouldn't expect to be the driver for most of the time; would like a chance to learn.