[ATLBlue]

Back after a couple of weeks out of town. Before going back to my F30 routine, I would like to share some views of what my automobile experience has been. If you are getting tired of my rants, skip right-away to the next post

A week with a cheap diesel hatch in Europe

The first week was overseas -in Belgium- for a business trip. I got a cheap diesel hatchback from Hertz (Opel Astra 1.6 6MT, 110hp, 192 lb.ft) and was in fact vey happy with it.



This car is so ordinary that it does not deserve any detailed review, but there is something to say about hatches that move along well in traffic, cost less than $20,000 and have a 50+ mpg rating. 11.6s from 0 to 62 seems to be an eternity but low end torque make the car much more alert than it sounds.

The more surprising side of the trip was the visit to our local offices where it turned out that 80% of the company cars were bimmers. BMW lease rates have become so aggressive that any junior manager fresh out of college can afford one. All things considered, it is nice that a better ride is now accessible to a broader customer base.

A new X6 was on display at the airport terminal with one of the longest badge I had ever seen "X6 ///M 50d". Looked like a pretty amateur job too as letters and numbers were not even aligned



A week is SoCal in a Ford Taurus

Back in the US, I took the family to SoCal for Spring Break and ended up in a Ford Taurus at the LAX Avis agency. Another $40 per day would have gotten me a 3-er but the Taurus was cavernous and I thought that it could not be all that bad with a 288hp V6.



Well, it really was that bad. The car fell completely numb and sluggish in comparison to the hatch I drove the week before. The Ford Sync/Touch system is probably the worst of the industry (between Microsoft and Blackberry, Ford has really lacked judgment in picking a partner...). It also turned out that there was something lose in the front suspension as I was driving South. Avis did not argue and put me in another car in San Diego, but they were sold out and the only model left was... a Ford Taurus
I am not trying to pitch European vs American cars (Opel is after all a GM brand), but the Ford easily wins the prize of the most boring car I have driven in years. If cabin and trunk space is not your #1 criteria, a bare bones 320i is, for the same price, 100 times better than the Taurus Limited I was unfortunate to drive.

I would like to end with a few more comments that are probably going to get me flamed by our SoCal friends: I have seen some of the worst US drivers on the highway (very aggressive and lacking attention and skills at the same time) and Mulholland Dr, described by some as one of the most scenic and entertaining roads in the world, turned out to be way overrated. Other than that, we had a great stay and saw a bunch of nice rides in OC.

*** end of my rant ***

In the next post, I'll go back to my F30 journal and report on PSS10's and a few other things...

[ATLBlue]

Bilstein PSS10 coilovers initial review

I finally had some time behind the wheel of my car since the PSS10 coilovers got installed. I wish I had taken care of this way sooner, and, together with replacing the runflats by Michelin Pilot Sports, it is the best mod to do to truly enjoy your F30. A tune is nice, cosmetic mods are cool, but like for any other car, suspension mods matter the most (after of course working on your own driving skills).

Here's the only pic I took of the install. Not that it was really worth it anyhow.


Somehow the car sits a couple mm higher at the front compared to the stock suspension with the H&R sport springs while the rear axle can be lowered a bit more. These coilovers will not allow you to go for a slammed look, but this has never been my goal. I like the car to be lowered, but I always want to maintain enough clearance to avoid rubbing in more extreme circumstances. I stick to the empirical rule of 'one finger' between the tire and the fender.

On the road, there is no bounciness left in the suspension, the car is squat free under hard braking and the handling feels more agile and precise. There is still a bit of body roll left, but nothing that gets in the way of spirited driving.
I went for the sport version of the PSS10s (there is also a more comfort oriented version available) and the ride is definitely on the firmer side, even with the softest settings, but it will not make your daily commute or long distance trips uncomfortable. Speed bumps is where you really notice a big difference in firmness while appreciating the fact that there is zero rebound though.

As for all Bilstein products, the fit and finish is excellent. Adjusting the firmness (from 1 -softest- to 10 -firmest-) by turning the dials located at the bottom of the shocks is easy and does not require to jack the car. 'Clicks' are easily noticeable so that you do not even have to look at the dials to select the firmness level.

Dial at the front:


Dial at the rear:


After experimenting for some time, I chose to go for a setting of 5 for the front and 7 for the rear for daily driving. I went a bit firmer for the rear to make sure the F30's big butt would definitely stop bouncing and to dial in a tiny bit more oversteer. I will probably go to 8+10 or 10+10 for trackdays... or 1+1 if I take the family on vacation

I have noticed that KW, especially V3s, seemed to be more popular on F30 forums. I have no point of reference to tell if PSS10s are better or not. What I know for sure is that I do not feel that I have enough expertise to properly determine what the best settings are for the compression AND rebound (separately) depending on the circumstances and that V3s would be an overkill for me. V2s could be considered a more comparable option, but then the simplicity and robustness of the dial adjustment system on the Bilsteins are an advantage. Over the past few years, I have been very happy with PSS10s on a Porsche 996 and an E46 M3 but not as satisfied with KW V3s on an Audi B8 S4. Maybe because I was not able to find a setting that I really liked.

In conclusion, I would not go as far as to say that everybody should go for coilovers. If even your daily commute is a moment of driving pleasure and that you are not cruising listening to talk radio, go for it.
If you want to improve the suspension and handling of your M sport without breaking the bank, H&R sport springs + Bilstein b8 shocks at the rear are already a very good solution (and I am not mentionnig this because my springs and shocks will be for sale shortly ).

[tboooe]

DAMMIT! I want these!!!!!!!!!!!!! MUST. LOWER. CAR. ASAP!

[ATLBlue]

Quick exhaust update. So far I have only received positive feedback (aside from the wife when I leave home at 5AM). I am parking underground at the office and colleagues enjoy it very much

Here's a quick video clip that should make you understand why:

[ATLBlue]

Time for new brakes?

I registered for a track day during the first week of May and intend to drive both the E46 M3 and the F30 335i. I feel pretty confident about taking the F30 out and handling well with the coilovers and PSS tires. From experience PSSs tend to get a bit ‘greasy’ 15 to 20 mins into a session but do well overall and work great under the rain. They are one of the great tires for driving to, on and back from the track if you want to stay on street tires.

Power is not a concern at all. The car has plenty enough to go around the track and slingshot out of corners. I have driven momentum or more powerful cars on the track but it will be my first time with a forced induction motor. I love naturally aspirated cars that allow to be more precise in managing the output and build power progressively. Not sure how I’ll feel with the tuned N55 and the tons of low end torque. Just hoping there will be no limp mode or something like this (happened once over the last 3,000 miles and disappeared after restarting the car without leaving any error code to read??):




This leaves the question of the brakes. My first reaction was “I must get the M-performance brakes”. I think I was mostly won by how cool they look and decided to dig a bit deeper. I did some math and reading on the F30 and F22 forums and here are my findings:

-guys who have tracked a 335i with stock brakes do not complain too much. There is some fading, but they never lost significant stopping power.

-There are more M235i drivers who take their car to the track and they provide the same feedback. It is interesting to keep in mind that the F30 is not a whole lot heavier than the F22 (3,535 lbs for the M235i, 3,595lbs for the 335i) and that the front standard Msport brakes on the M235i are identical to the stock front brakes on the 335i (same 340mm rotor, same 4 piston calipers -just not painted blue- and same pads). The rear brakes of the M235i are superior (larger, 2 pistons, same as the 335i Msport rear brakes in fact), but, especially with the nannies off, they do not have too much work to do.

-335i and M235i drivers who have gone for more agressive pads, high temperature braking fluid and braided stainless steel lines are satisfied with the result on F22s and F30s.

So what would the M-performance brakes bring to the party ?:
-killer looks, no question about that. I borrowed the pic from F30_TR



-fairly similar front calipers (4 pistons brembos) using same size pads hence a relatively similar friction area
-dimpled and drilled (partly) rotors. Again, mostly an aesthetic gimmick: modern brake material do not de-gas like they did in the past and drilled holes do not increase the cooling, especially not when they are not real holes like on the BMW rotors . From experience, I did not get improved braking with drilled vs sloted or plain rotors but got a lot of micro-cracks starting around the holes
-larger diameter rotors at he front (370mm vs 340mm). They still are not floating rotors and what they offer is at best a slightly increased thermal capacity (<20%) and slightly bigger cooling area.
-larger 2 piston brakes at the rear, but given how little rear brakes are contributing to slow down the car, I am not sure you could feel a difference.

As excited as I initially was, I could not convince myself to invest in an M-performance brakes set. Cost wise, the M-set + install would not be too far off from a true front Big Brake Kit. Also, it will be the first time I take the F30 to the track and do not know how much I will do it in the future so a big investment would be premature. After all, the E46 is a superior track animal, more planted, has a better steering feel, has a naturally aspirated I6 and does not require track insurance. But there is something exciting about driving your daily 4-door sedan commuter on the track and, while being very different, compare how the two car perform.

I still want to play it safe (or not refrain myself too much) with the F30 and have Pagid RS29 pads and stainless steel lines on order. They should go on the car over the next few days, together with a brake fluid upgrade, and I will test drive them this week end.

Do not take me wrong regarding F30 MSport/MPerformance brakes: they are a bargain if they are part of the original build (they should in fact come standard with the MSport package) and I can understand that enthusiasts are retrofitting them if they are not looking for a very significant step up in performance (i.e. intensive track use). I could still pull the trigger if I found a used kit for less than $1,000

If you have tracked your F30, have experience with brake mods on that car or have simply retrofitted an M-Performance Kit, please share any feedback you may have!

[ATLBlue]

Arrived in the mail today: Pagid RS29 pads and ECS tuning SS line. On the car this Friday! Still looking into more aggressive pads for the rear to maintain braking balance.

[tboooe]

Can you please let us know if the steel lines make a difference? I am very used to using SS lines on my race motorcycles with Brembo calipers but dont have experience with cars. The feel from the brake lever is much improved with more linearity and bite. I just wonder if I can feel these things from my feet?

[ATLBlue]

Originally Posted by tboooe

Can you please let us know if the steel lines make a difference? I am very used to using SS lines on my race motorcycles with Brembo calipers but dont have experience with cars. The feel from the brake lever is much improved with more linearity and bite. I just wonder if I can feel these things from my feet?

From previous experience with cars, you would only feel the benefit on the track, not on the road, even in case of spirited driving. When I did brake upgrades in the past I always changed at least the pads, the lines and the fluid at the same time, so it is difficult to separate one from another. Also, stainless steel lines are inexpensive (~$100) and the install is no big deal, especially if you are changing the fluid anyway.
I may try to do some fading test this weekend already.

The bigger challenge I am facing is to find more aggressive/heat resistant pads for the rear stock mono-piston brakes. I read bad reviews about Carbon Control pads for the track and StopTech 'Street Performance' seems to be the only option. Higher performance manufacturers (Pagid, Carbotech etc.) do not offer something for the stock brakes, only for the M-sport rear brakes.

[Bamsterman68]

Would you be able to upgrade just the rears to the Msport calipers? Paint the fronts to match...

Originally Posted by ATLBlue

From previous experience with cars, you would only feel the benefit on the track, not on the road, even in case of spirited driving. When I did brake upgrades in the past I always changed at least the pads, the lines and the fluid at the same time, so it is difficult to separate one from another. Also, stainless steel lines are inexpensive (~$100) and the install is no big deal, especially if you are changing the fluid anyway.
I may try to do some fading test this weekend already.

The bigger challenge I am facing is to find more aggressive/heat resistant pads for the rear stock mono-piston brakes. I read bad reviews about Carbon Control pads for the track and StopTech 'Street Performance' seems to be the only option. Higher performance manufacturers (Pagid, Carbotech etc.) do not offer something for the stock brakes, only for the M-sport rear brakes.

[ATLBlue]

Originally Posted by Bamsterman68

Would you be able to upgrade just the rears to the Msport calipers? Paint the fronts to match...

This could certainly be an option if need be. After all, the M235i front brakes are basically the same as the stock 335i but painted blue (340mm, 4 pistons Brembo) and the rear brakes are the same as the 335i M-sport package (345mm, 2 pistons Brembo).
Retrofitting the rear calipers only would not work though as the rotors are not the same size (330mm stock) and the swept area would probably not overlap.

I think that rear brakes do typically not do more than 20% of the work and I have run Pagid RS19 at the front + 'only' Brembo HP2000 at the rear on other cars. The Brembos were vastly inferior to the Pagids at the front (I killed a set in just 3 days and there was a bit of fading) but worked fine at the rear and even outlived the front Pagids. I'll roll the dice and just go for StopTech Street Performance for the rear this time (even less expensive than OEM). It is only the first time I take the F30 to the track and do not need to go balls out either

[jinnrice]

Originally Posted by ATLBlue

This could certainly be an option if need be. After all, the M235i front brakes are basically the same as the stock 335i but painted blue (340mm, 4 pistons Brembo) and the rear brakes are the same as the 335i M-sport package (345mm, 2 pistons Brembo).
Retrofitting the rear calipers only would not work though as the rotors are not the same size (330mm stock) and the swept area would probably not overlap.

I think that rear brakes do typically not do more than 20% of the work and I have run Pagid RS19 at the front + 'only' Brembo HP2000 at the rear on other cars. The Brembos were vastly inferior to the Pagids at the front (I killed a set in just 3 days and there was a bit of fading) but worked fine at the rear and even outlived the front Pagids. I'll roll the dice and just go for StopTech Street Performance for the rear this time (even less expensive than OEM). It is only the first time I take the F30 to the track and do not need to go balls out either

I'm tracking my car later on in May at NH speedway. Where did you get your pads from?

[ATLBlue]

Originally Posted by jinnrice

I'm tracking my car later on in May at NH speedway. Where did you get your pads from?

Turner Motorsport. Quick delivery. They have both the RS29s and the StopTechs.

[ATLBlue]

One of my sons who preferred to take the F30 instead of the E46 M3 to show off for prom night

His comment on his Instagram post was "When prom gets in the way of your car photo shoot".



Like father, like son I guess. I got what I deserved.

PS: I do not blur my licence plate on pics but thought I had to blur the kids faces. Go figure.

[Jimminez]

Smart kid

Yah, I don't post pics of my kids online so I understand the face blurring. I also agree with the lack of needing or not needing to blur plates.

[ATLBlue]

My trackday prep is coming along as planned. Stainless steel brake lines have been installed:





and Pagid RS29 pads are in place:



As it can be seen on the picture, Pagids do not come the extra little weights (anti-vibration and squealing?) like the OEM pads but it does not seem to make any difference.




Resistance to fading seems to have improved (in fact, I was not yet able to get the brakes to fade, but I have not reached track speeds on open road either...). Full braking power can be applied quicker, but is still controllable enough to avoid the wheels to lock/ABS to jump in. Pagids are known for squealing a lot, but it only really happens when they start to run hot. I also know that it is not advised to use race pads on the street, but they perform just as well as the stock pads at low temperature.
I am eager to see how this setup will work on the track. The DE takes place at Atlanta Motorsports Park that is a relatively slow track and is not very tough on the brakes. If everything goes well, the next step will be Road Atlanta.

I also got my alignement checked (had not done it since coilovers got installed) and asked to get it dialed as aggressively as possible, but not much can be done without camber plates on the F30, and i do not feel I need to go there.





I set the coilovers on the firmest setting last weekend. The handling was amazing on a smooth pavement, but it was unbearable for a daily commute. So I am back to a 50% firmness setting and will adjust it for the weekend Friday night. It hardly takes more than 5 minutes with the Bilstein PSS10 dials.

The last thing I would like to sort out is to find a way to get me tightly fitted in the driver seat. I know the the seatbelt inertial lock trick, have a CG-lock and a torso harness, but do not like any of these solutions much. There is no Schroth QuickFit Pro removable harness for the F30 yet and seats+ cage + 6 point harness is not an option in a DD. The remaining option is a 4 point Schroth Profi harness attached to the front and rear seatbelts anchors. It seems to be a popular choice among the GTR crowd but I am still concerned about proper fitment (without damaging the car) and spinal compression.
Unless I decide to track the F30 more regularly, I'll stay with the 3 point seatbelt and the CG-lock and will drive a bit more conservatively.

More to follow soon...

[smithf80]

Wow you must be the coolest dad ever

[ATLBlue]

Originally Posted by smithf32

Wow you must be the coolest dad ever

LOL, I wished my kids would be reading this
I do not score well with my daughter though as she has been begging for buying a horse for years. I am not giving in, the only real horsepower comes from internal combustion engines

It is more fun for the boys. Here's a video with my college son in an E36 at Barber. I edited our best lap side by side (mine on the left, his on the right). I saved my honor by being a fraction of a second faster.

[smithf80]

Originally Posted by ATLBlue

LOL, I wished my kids would be reading this
I do not score well with my daughter though as she has been begging for buying a horse for years. I am not giving in, the only real horsepower comes from internal combustion engines

It is more fun for the boys. Here's a video with my college son in an E36 at Barber. I edited our best lap side by side (mine on the left, his on the right). I saved my honor by being a fraction of a second faster.

That's pretty awesome. I need to get something for the track so badly.

Then again I'm only 19 so I suppose a track car can wait a year or two LOL.

I really would love to purchase a clean E46 M3 at some point.

[ATLBlue]

Originally Posted by smithf32

That's pretty awesome. I need to get something for the track so badly.

Then again I'm only 19 so I suppose a track car can wait a year or two LOL.

I really would love to purchase a clean E46 M3 at some point.

An E36 (or dare I say a Miata) is a great starting point for the track and you can get something running well for less than $10k. No negligible amount of course and tires and brakes add up quickly, but they will make you a great driver.
I got spoiled and learned to track in a 911. The first time I took my son's E36 out, I spun it twice and locked the wheels a bunch of times during the first session

[ATLBlue]

Finally at the track - Teaser

The F30 did a great job at the trackday last week end and I have lots of info and comments to share. While I put my thoughts together, I quickly threw bits and pieces of video clips in a standard iMovie Trailer template.

Spoiler alert: the result is pretty cheesy and please keep in mind that trackdays are many things but NOT a race.

More to follow...

[ATLBlue]

A quick video of two of my preferred mods in action at the track: the PSS10 coilovers and Pilot Super Sports tires

Yes, this is for you tboooe

[tboooe]

Dayum! What an awesome video!!! Lets see some drifting! I wish there was GoPro back in my motorcycle racing days. I would have some awesome crashes to show!

These Bilsteins are going to be the death of me. Just when I thought I put away enough money a bunch of kids related expenses popped up. Hmmm...pay for club soccer tournaments or get coils???? Ugh!!!!