[sugarwood]

I do know that buying a track prepped car is always the better value, if you want a track car. Cheaper to buy completed vs. build a project. I specifically was trying to compare various track prepped choices.... $30k track prepped classic 911 vs. a similarly track prepped car for half that or less, which does not have any collector classic premium.

I don't race, so I was not accounting for the racing class brackets. I was picturing one guy spending $30k on an old 911, and another guy buying a supercharged 944 or Miata or Boxster S. The latter seem like a better bang for the buck, driver skill held constant. But, since they'd race in different classes, any shortcomings are equalized. The classic car makes more sense when you exclusively duke it out with just other classic cars. In that case, it's not what you're driving, but how you drive it. Even if it's a go-kart race.

I was also assuming track cars are a commodity with just one metric: lap time. Assuming the only point of track racing is to go as absolutely fast as possible. Live and die by 1/10s and all that jazz. With no class subgrouping, you'd ditch the stick shift and heel/toe for a modern PDK that auto-blips. And double your horsepower for straights. There is no question that if you were racing wheel to wheel to negotiate your release from prison. But, what I learned in this thread is that, for some, track racing is about driving enjoyment/engagement, not only going as fast as possible. The same reason we all drive an old 911 in the first place, and not a new one. Deliberately wanting to be challenged with a more interesting to drive car, instead of a modern car that will make it too easy and boring to drive very fast, can apply to both street and track.

About the Harley quip, the moto experts I know say Harleys leave a lot to be desired when it comes to metrics like build quality, engineering, handling, and reliability. If so, you're right, I wouldn't understand !