I have no delusions that I am a racing driver, but I enjoy driving quickly on twisty two-lane roads. Nothing excessively fast or dangerous, just spirited motoring slightly over the posted speed limit. Most of my time behind the wheel is spent dealing with my morning commute to the international headquarters of The Collector Car Network in Phoenix. For those of us stuck in traffic to and from work know that the exercise of driving is utility, necessity and not necessarily fun. Who enjoys driving less than 10 mph on a freeway with equally frustrated motorists?
Recently, I managed to both watch my wife at the Radford Racing School and observe Dodge Hellcats doing autocross and slaloms, which made me realize that driving indeed can be fun. A dormant emotion was brought back that afternoon and was then kicked into gear after some go-karting with my son over the weekend.
I have autocross on the mind now and I am starting to research what would be a good car for local events. I don’t want to put more stress on my daily driver and think an affordable, sporty car would be a solid option for some weekend fun. The Pick of the Day could be a good option for autocross in Phoenix: a 2003 Nissan 350Z listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a dealer in Beverly Hills, Ca. (Click the link to view the listing)
This 350Z is powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine paired with a six-speed manual transmission. The engine produces a factory-rated 287 horsepower at 6,200 rpm, which seems to be more than enough power for parking-lot racing, and the 350Z can go from 0-60 mph in 5.4-seconds. Based on the listing’s pictures, the black exterior appears to be in good condition, as does the matching black interior. The asking price is $15,750, and this 350Z could be the catalyst for spirited racing and having some weekend fun.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
If you have suggestions for affordable and good autocross car choices, please let me know in the comments section. I am new to all this and want to do my due diligence before jumping into a new hobby.
