Street racing is one of the most thrilling adventures in the world. In many places around the world, there are proper street racing events that follow legal guidelines and regulations despite it being believed that street racing is a completely illegal activity.
So, if you’re thinking of taking part in legal street racing activities and getting your thrill on. one, you’re going to need amazing driving skills, and two, you’re going to need an epic street race car.
As a street racing enthusiast myself. I did some research on the best cars available for this sport and decided to share my results with you. I have shortlisted the 11 best street racing cars available on the market with their features and pros and cons so you can choose one depending on your requirements and budget.
In this article, I’m going to talk about street racing the considerations you need to take while getting a street racing car along with a list of the top street racing cars.
Take into account the factors listed down below when you choose a street racing car for yourself Make sure everything is in excellent condition so you don’t have to face any problem on the road. From the brakes and tires to the engine and suspension, all parts and components should be checked thoroughly for performance.
So, without wasting any further time, let’s get started.
What to Consider When Getting a Street Racing Car?
In most cases, street racing requires you to have a sharp grip of your vehicle, epic driving skills, patience, adaptability, and a lot more skills if you want to be the best in the biz.
But these are just elements that you should have in yourself as a driver, if we talk about the components, considerations, and features your street racing car should have, there’s a proper list for that. Let’s take a look at what features and specs your car should have to be a beast in the competition.
Performance Brakes
The thing about street racing is that control matters more in them than actual speed since the tracks aren’t meant specifically for racing. So. you’re going to need impressive brake systems in your racing cars.
Performance brakes help you take sudden stops and have better accuracy as well as durability which allows you to have more control over your vehicle when quick turns and sudden stops arrive. These brakes are usually made of steel instead of the usual rubber brake wire systems which is just one of the reasons why they work much better.
High-Quality Race Tires
Another very important consideration is the car tires. Without enough friction, your car is going to start skidding even if the performance brakes are very high-quality. So. you need to find a way around that.
Getting larger and higher-quality race tires for your street race car that come with better control as well as frictional capabilities is the right thing to do. This will make sure that you’re able to maneuver your vehicle the way you want to without skidding the car or turning it over when you’re at a high speed and you’re thinking of making a sudden turn.
Great Suspension
While we’re on the subject of control, there’s another feature that all high-quality street racing vehicles have, great suspension and shock absorbers. You aren’t going to be able to control your car and drive it if it keeps bouncing in the air.
Well, to hinder that as you’re going to encounter bumps on the tracks at full speed, you’re going to need a decent set of shock absorbers and suspension so that your car ultimately stays on the ground as it takes bumps. This will ensure that you don’t lose control of the car at any point and keep driving your way.
Comfortable Racing Seats
Like in every case, if you’re sitting in a street racing car. you’re going to need a comfortable racing seat to sit in so that you can stay calm, collected, and comfortable while driving. So. this feature has to be checked before you purchase a car for street racing.
Along with that, you also need to have a high-quality harness so that you stay protected and in your place at all times. The best quality harness is a five-point harness at this time. So. you should get a comfortable racing seat and a good harness for safety purposes and you’ll see that your performance will become much better than before due to these inclusions.
The Right Horsepower
Last but not least the thing that most people end up overkilling on is the power of the vehicle they’re using for the street races. You. however, need to make sure your car has just the right horsepower to it
A good racing car for street races has a horsepower of somewhere between 200-300hp. Anything more than this won’t be effectively used on the streets and would be better if you were racing on a professional race track. So. make sure you don’t overdo the power of the race car you have and keep the horsepower balanced as much as you can.
11 Best Street Racing Cars
If you’re thinking that you’ve got what it takes to become a street racer and you’re looking for the perfect street racing car to start off with, here are 11 of the best street racing car options you can find in the market right now.
1. Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
Debuted in the year 2005. this car is considered the holy grail of street racing excellence. It is one of the best and most suitable cars for any kind of modification job. There are three variants of this iconic vehicle; gravel, snow, and tarmac which basically means it is fit for any type of racing track.
The turbocharged system, the brakes, as well as the power of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution is incredible and if you get it. you’re going to surely have a swift change at the top of the leaderboards.
This sports sedan comes with a 2.0L engine and includes 5-speed manual and 6-speed TC-SST dual-clutch tranmission. One of its close competitors is Subaru Impreza WRX STi. The car costs around $40,000 as of now. It offers a combined mileage of 19 MPG.
2. Toyota Supra
Without a doubt, one car that comes to everyone’s mind whenever we talk about classic night-time film street racing sequences is the Toyota Supra, and for great reasons. This car doesn’t only look the part but also has features and specs best suited for street racing.
The speed is what makes Supra such a cult classic. The 2JZ-GTE engine is incredibly powerful and it is capable of pushing the Supra to an unbelievable amount of speed, especially with modifications. So. you’re definitely going to have fun with this racing car.
The 2021 Toyota GR Supra 3.0 offers a speed of up to 155 mph. This performance is owed to its super twin-turbo 3.0L V6 engine, which produces a horsepower of 383. The 1994 model of Supra, however, was banned in the USA because of some reliability issues.
3. Honda Civic
You wouldn’t be expecting such a common vehicle to be on this list, but this car surprises me as much as it does you. simply because of its potential of giving you a wild ride in those epic street races. This car is definitely going to be the underdog.
With a high-quality 6-speed Manual transmission, an engine that can bring the heat to the competition, and a pedal that wants you to put some pressure on it the Honda Civic is surely going to get you places if you use it as your vehicle of choice in street races.
Although not included in the top 8 street racing cars. Civic still offers great performance as it has the ability to pull harder at high rpm. Its direct competitor is Toyota GR SUpra 2.0.
4. Ford Mustang
Ford is known for making some heavy beasts that can fly like the wind. Ford’s Mustang is just simply the best example of this. It has a rough and heavy look with a street design and lots to love about it
The horsepower is amazing, the engine is epic, there’s a lot of room for custom modifications, and the fact that you can easily find parts for this car makes it a very good choice for the street racing sport. It won’t be a surprise to me if one of the current leaderboard toppers has this car already.
Mustang weighs more than Civic and it’s not better than Supra when it comes to speed and performance. However, some of its features make it best-suited for street racing, such as seven-speed dual-clutch tranmission that comes with multiple modes offering ultra-fast shifts whenever you want.
5. Subaru Impreza
The look of a stunning and devilishly-handsome street racing car is what you see on the surface of the Subaru Impreza but deep down, there’s a lot you need to know because this car is another great choice for street racing.
The fact that it has amazing handling, a great engine, along with a lot of tunable options including but not limited to the turbochargers, exhaust systems, suspensions, kits. etc., you’re definitely going to be a happy racer if you’re driving this car to the parties.
It is one of the best-rated road-legal rally car and quite popular among rally enthusiasts of today.
6. Nissan 350Z
If you’ve been familiar with the street racing scene around the world, chances are that you’ve already seen the Nissan 350Z on the streets simply because of the fact that it is the first choice of most beginners.
It is actually a very inexpensive choice and it offers a V6 engine along with the capability to tune and modify a lot of its parts without any problem. So. in long term, you’re going to get a lot of opportunities to upgrade it and find the right fit of equipment for topping the leaderboards in the racing scene.
7. Chevrolet Corvette
The Chevrolet Corvette is a beautiful sports car. It is most often used as a luxury car because of the amazing aesthetic design and an engine that shouts at the cars behind it. The speed is also very great.
But if you’re thinking of using this beauty, you should go with minimal modifications to it. It has a lot to offer default and it might become hard to control if you keep pushing it over the limit. That said, you’re going to have a great street racing experience with this epic car. That’s something I can say with surety.
Corvette Z06 achieves 60 mph speed in just about 2.95 seconds but still it is slower than the Nissan GT-R for about 0.05 seconds. The car has evolved into a supercar over the years and there’s still a promising racing career in front of it.
8. Nissan GT-R
One of the top dogs in the sports car industry, capable of being modified to exhibit insane amounts of horsepower, the beast, the Godzilla of street racing, is the Nissan GT-R.
It is an incredibly pricey vehicle which is why if you end up buying it. you might be the only guy on the scene with such a beastly vehicle. But it lives up to the hype that the price puts over it.
It comes with amazing features including an all-wheel-drive system that lets you take control of the car and drive swiftly in all conditions. This is precisely why it is a car apt for both professional and street racing.
9. BMW M2
BMW cars, especially the M series are just fantastic if you’re thinking of taking them for a spin in the street racing scene. The M2 is a fairly expensive vehicle but it offers so much for its price.
The handling, the capability of modification, the brake systems, the look, and ultimately the speed in the stock form is just so great you might even end up winning the first race without any additions to the body or kits because of how good this car is. But you’re going to have to spend big bucks on it.
It comes with M TwinPower turbo technology and direct injection. The engine produces a horsepower of 405. which makes it possible for it to accelerate to 60 mph in just 4.2 seconds. The top speed it offers is 155 mph or 250 kph.
10. Chevy Camaro
Chevrolet’s Camaro is one of those vehicles that you’re going to take one look at. and want to take another gander right away. It has a very aggressive street-style aesthetic to it. Along with that, this vehicle is known for having incredible acceleration and supreme handling in stock form.
Expert Tip: You can modify it to an extent but make sure you don’t overdo it. It is an expensive vehicle but not the most expensive on this list so you can definitely afford it and make your mark on the street racing scene.
The top-tier models of Chevy Camaro offer a maximum speed of 198 mph. The car can reach 0-60 mph in just about 3.5 seconds, which is quite impressive. It is faster than BMW M2. Its 6.2L supercharged V8 engine is capable of producing 650 horsepower. However. Corvette has been found to be 3 seconds faster than Camaro.
11. Volkswagen Golf GTI
Now I know you weren’t expecting to see this car on this list. Well, guess what; It doesn’t only deserve to be on this list, it also has one of the best spots in the list if we’re talking about features and specs.
It is one of the vehicles you can completely modify to fit your aesthetic and tuning requirements. But the speed along with the handling of this car are what make it a great choice.
The Volkswagen Golf GTI might not be at the level of the Golf R. but with the price that it comes for. you’re going to definitely have the experience to remember in your street races.
RACE CARS THAT ARE STREET LEGAL
We love to ride our cars everyday as we go from one place to another. Owning a car gives you a feeling of freedom. Some love classic car, vintage car, modern car, sports car and even race cars. Though there are some cars that are illegal to ride on streets due to their inability to comply with rules and regulations. So, what race cars are street legal?
Race cars that are street legal includes Bac Mono, KTM X-Bow, Caterham Seven 620 R, Ariel Atom 4, Praga R1R, Elemental RP1, Radical RXC and GT-ROAD, SCG 003CS. These cars are legally fine to be in the street. One that makes race cars illegal in the street is it’s light system. There are several lights that are required in driving and only these are needed. Race cars are definitely made for competition.
Though complying with these several things makes race cars legal like having its seatbelts, a function horns, bumper, muffler, functioning bakes and emergency brakes, licence plates, a hood, ground clearance, regular steering wheel, and all required lights.
IS THERE A CAR THAT CAN GO 400 MPH?
Is there a car that can go 400 MPH? It was in 1960, when Thomas Thompson set this achievement when he took his purpose, to built Challenger 1, the Challenger 1 was born. It is a masterpiece of a car with not one, not two, not even three but four supercharged Pontiac V8 engine.
After countless hours developing the Challenger 1, the car that can go 400 mph, with the help of his team, achieved what was thought of as impossible at that time, hitting a speed of 406.6 mph in a one – way speed record attempt at the Salt Flats. Thompson’s was the first American to hit speeds of over 400 mph on September 08, 1960.
And till now no one is toppling him from the pedestal. It is said that The Challenger 1 was then benched for the multitude of other projects that Thompson was working on. Today, Challenger 1 was displayed at WORLD OF SPEED gallery, on gracious loan from the Thompson family.
Conclusion
Street racing cars need a lot of modification to become perfectly adjusted to your way of driving and the roads you’re going to drive on. However, the aforementioned cars are all quite a beast because of how they require little to no modification right off the bat In this post, we did a review of the top 11 street racing cars, comparing their features, especially their top speed and engine specifications.
You must now be in a better position to decide which of these cars is best suited to your racing needs.
So. you’re going to be pretty happy if you buy any of these racing cars for yourself. I hope learned a lot from this article and that you’re going to have a great time racing on the streets making a name for yourself. If you have any questions, let me know in the comments below.