What's the Best Car for a First-Time Track Driver?

From Road & Track

First-time track drivers have a ton of cars to choose from when heading to their first event. Obviously, we wouldn't recommend showing up in a Corvette Z06 on your first day out-rather, we'd pick something cheap, reliable, safe enough to pass tech inspection, and most importantly, fun to drive. And slow enough that you'll need to master the basics.

My recommendation? A nicely kept, manual-transmission E36-generation BMW 3-Series coupe or sedan. I've been seeing them more and more at track days, and it makes sense as a good beginner car. Its front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout means it'll teach you limit handling on the circuit, while its relative cheapness means you won't have to worry if you put it into a wall or blow an engine on a missed shift.

Now we want to know: What do you think is the best car for a first-time track driver? It doesn't have to be an abused Craigslist find, nor does it have to be a true sports car. It just has to be something that makes sense for a beginner track day enthusiast. Let us know in the comments below.

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