10 Best Track-Day Cars for Competitive Commuters

2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata ・ Photo by Mazda

In a perfect world, customers would have enough cash to keep both their favorite daily drivers and the best track-day cars in their garage, but that’s likely out of reach for most readers. Luckily, though, more and more automakers are manufacturing vehicles that can pull double duty, selling cars that are comfortable enough for trips to the local grocer's, yet also are ready to deliver the goods at the local race track. The following choices all fit that bill, and with relatively practical pricing, to boot.

2016 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R

First up on the ol’ starting grid is the 2016 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R, which was specifically engineered to be the “most track-capable production Mustang ever.” Now, that’s certainly saying something after more than 50 years of motorsports-based Mustang mania, but the next-gen Shelby showcases everything necessary to live up to that claim, highlighted by a 526-horsepower V8 that’s the most powerful naturally aspirated engine ever fitted to a factory Ford. Of course, the brakes for the car are the most powerful production stoppers ever deployed for a Mustang, and they’re bolstered by Brembo calipers for proven results. Blue Oval engineers also spent just as much time removing extra weight from the vehicle as they did adding performance enhancers. It’s a strategy followed by most of the best track-day cars, yet only the Mustang goes to the extremes of wearing carbon fiber wheels. Developed to withstand extreme conditions, the 19-inchers reduce the car’s unsprung weight by 60 lbs.

Photo by Megan Green

2016 Chevrolet Corvette Z06

The best track-day cars boast real-world motorsport success, too. For instance, the 2016 Chevrolet Corvette was developed right alongside the same Corvette race cars that won their class at the 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans. It was the eighth time in the past 16 years that a Corvette has won the world’s most famous endurance race, and engineers brought all that experience to bear on the current Corvette Z06. Also standing out as the most capable production Corvette yet, the 2016 Z06 can run from zero to 60 in under 3 seconds with the available Z07 performance package, while its supercharged 6.2-liter V8—good for 650 horsepower and 650 lb.-ft of torque—enables a quarter-mile time of fewer than 11 seconds. Thanks to the Z07’s carbon-ceramic Brembo brakes, the car can then decelerate from 60-0 in 99.6 feet. No other production car tested by GM—not even Corvette rivals—has done better.

Photo by General Motors

2016 FIAT 500 Abarth

Tuned up by the Italian brand’s in-house performance engineers, the 2016 FIAT 500 Abarth is one of the best track-day cars for drivers on a budget. Pricing starts at a mere $22,575, and that includes a significant upgrade in handling. Up front, that means an exclusive MacPherson strut setup with Abarth’s own cast-iron lower-control arms and Koni twin-tube struts with dual-valve frequency-selective damping; the rear is distinguished by a torsionally rigid axle and solid 22-mm stabilizer bar. Steering and stopping are improved as well, with a revised steering-gear ratio, retuned electronic power steering system and bigger ventilated brake rotors. The brake calipers, naturally, are lacquered in a “Rosso” red finish so they can be seen behind the Abarth’s 16- and 17-inch wheel designs. Also a sight to be seen is the car’s distinctive front fascia, which had to be modified for the Abarth’s more powerful turbo motor and displays particularly prominent front air intakes.

2016 Mazda Miata MX-5

Mazda calls it “Jinba Ittai.” It’s the feeling of being one with a car that you can only get in the 2016 Mazda Miata MX-5, firmly establishing the redesigned roadster as a top choice among the best track-day cars. But it’s not just metaphysics that make the difference in the Miata. It’s also regular physics. After all, Mazda engineers relied on an incremental strategy that counted every gram of weight in the car, reducing its mass by 150 lbs. as compared to the already nimble 2015 model. The new bottom line has the 2016 Miata under 2,400 lbs., backed by a front-engine/rear-wheel-drive configuration for a 50:50 weight distribution. Finally, for an additional on-track advantage, the Miata can be ordered with a Brembo/BBS brake/wheel package—with eye-catching red calipers and 17-inch forged wheels—that’s complemented by an aero-enhancing rear bumper skirt and side-sill extensions.

2016 Porsche Cayman GT4

Despite its recent focus on crossovers, Porsche still builds some of the best track-day cars in the world, including the 2016 Porsche Cayman GT4. By extending the “GT” trim to the 911’s little sibling, Porsche also extends its performance pedigree with a sleek, lightweight coupe that—per the automaker—can navigate the North Loop of the Nürburgring faster than any other car in its class: 7 minutes and 40 seconds. That said, the Cayman does carry key components of the 911 to ensure that kind of capability, starting with the 3.8-liter six-cylinder engine that also motivates the Carrera S. In the Cayman, that unit kicks out 385 horsepower and 309 lb.-ft. of torque, for a 0-60 time of 4.2 seconds and a top speed of 183 mph. For those who are wondering about the 911 GT3/GT3 RS, they’re about $45K and $90K beyond the $83,400 of the Cayman GT4.

Photo by Porsche

2016 BMW M4

Due to BMW’s latest naming system, the erstwhile M3 coupe and sedan have become the 2016 BMW M4 and M3, but with Autobytel drivers preferring two-door track-day cars over their four-door friends, it’s the former in the spotlight here. Based on the latest-generation chassis and leveraging thousands of laps on the ’Ring, the M4 makes use of an M TwinPower inline-six engine, touting 425 horsepower and 406 lb.-ft. of torque, along with a full gamut of go-fast hardware from BMW’s in-house performance-engineering team. And for 2016, the brand is bringing out a new Competition Package that can unstable another 19 horses and help the car gallop from 0-60 in 3.8 seconds with its seven-speed, M-source dual-clutch transmission. The package also supplies an Adaptive M Suspension, paired with reconfigured versions of the standard M4’s active rear differential and dynamic stability control system, as well as 20-inch, machine-polished wheels.

2016 Dodge Challenger Hellcat

It’s also worth remembering that not all of the best track-day cars necessarily need corner-carving reflexes for success—especially if your “track” of choice is the drag strip. In that case, your car of choice should probably be a 2016 Dodge Challenger Hellcat: It’s been certified by the NHRA as able to run the quarter mile in a mere 11.2 seconds, and that’s while still wearing street shoes. Drivers can lower the bar to 10.8 seconds by swapping in a set of racing slicks. Additionally, Dodge can deliver a “Super Track Pak” for noticeably enhanced handling on both the road and road courses, with the heart of the matter remaining the car’s motor. Yeah, the Hellcat has a HEMI, and it’s a supercharged 6.2-liter unit that can unleash 707 horsepower and 650 lb.-ft. of torque. That, in turn, translates into 0-60 times in the low 3-second range and a top speed of 199 mph.

Photo by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

2016 Cadillac CTS-V

Developed to furnish “true track capability” even when fresh from the factory, the 2016 Cadillac CTS-V can turn hot laps with the driver sitting in the lap of luxury, too. On the one hand, the CTS-V serves up a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 that makes 640 horsepower and 630 lb.-ft. of torque, then matches a 0-60 time of 3.7 seconds and a terminal velocity of 200 mph with third-generation magnetic ride control and big Brembo brakes. Yet customers also enjoy a cavalcade of Cadillac comforts, as exemplified by the car’s cabin. There, owners are coddled by standard 20-way adjustable seats, which also are trimmed in semi-aniline leather and set off by handcrafted interior design elements. Nor does the brand stint when it comes to technologies, providing 4G LTE connectivity, mobile Wi-Fi, smartphone integration, wireless phone charging and a high definition 12.3-inch instrument panel display, as well as many more lux touches missing from even the best track-day cars.

2016 Alfa Romeo 4C

The 2016 Alfa Romeo 4C is proof positive that even the best track-day cars can benefit from a dedicated performance package. Consider: The 4C features a cutting-edge carbon fiber monocoque for a lowered curb weight, allowing it to fly from 0-60 in just 4.1 seconds despite its relatively compact 1.75-liter turbo engine. At the other end of the spectrum, the car’s competition-ready brakes can reverse that run, relying on 1.25 g’s of stopping power to take the 4C from 60-0 in less than 100 feet. Further, its “superimposed” double-wishbone front suspension, and MacPherson strut rear setup, work together for uncanny road-holding ability that’s an ideal complement for the car’s responsive manual steering system. And all that’s standard. Alfa’s available Track Package can up the ante, however, by hosting hi-po shocks, thick anti-sway bars both front and back, a flat-bottomed racing-style steering wheel, carbon fiber exterior mirrors and, for the 4C coupe, a carbon fiber rear spoiler.

Photo by FCA Media

2016 Subaru BRZ

How do you turn one practically priced, rear-wheel-drive sports coupe into two of the country’s best track-day cars? Well, if you’re Subaru and Toyota, you team up for the 2016 Subaru BRZ and Scion FR-S. Both privilege precision handling over pure power, but that doesn’t mean the cars are slow. Indeed, because of its light weight, the BR-Z can rely on its 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine for 0-60 times of about 6.4 seconds, even with that unit turning in 200 horsepower and 151 lb.-ft. of torque. But as mentioned, where the car really shines is in the corners, where the BRZ’s balance, exceedingly low center of gravity, and standard limited-slip differential are all big-time difference-makers. The new selling season also sees the debut of a “Series.HyperBlue” limited edition, detailed by Hyper Blue leather seat bolster and head restraints, a blue-and-black leather-wrapped steering wheel and 17-inch black alloy wheels.

Photo by Subaru