05-18-2016, 08:26 PM | #89 | |
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I have been tracking my F30 hard for a few years now, and thus far <knocks wood> it has been solid. I have been upgrading various components bit by bit, but even early on the car was very confidence-inspiring on track. It did not take much to get the F30 to run relatively fast, even in the some very capable company in the advanced run groups, so I'm actually not surprised that you were faster in the F30 than the e46 M3 at Road Atlanta. I find the F30 335 to have great balance, and exceptional stability with the long wheel base... yet no deficiencies with regard to good turn-in (with camber plates set to about -2.5deg) or the capability to rotate when desired. To be fair, I have always been a huge fan of the e46 M3 - and in the past couple of years, have often contemplated buying one (as recently as a month ago!) to suit my ambitions to have a dedicated track car. But since that is not in the cards for me this year, I have decided to spend yet more money on the ongoing project to enhance the weekend track beastiness of my F30 without killing it as a DD. If there's anything I have noticed throughout various track weekends, it's that the lap times that a car will turn are vastly dependent on the driver skill level (obviously), as well as how the car is prepped. In any given run group, it's very common to see drivers of similar experience levels running similar times in e9x 335s, 135s, e36 M3s, e46 M3s, e9x M3s, e39 M5s, e60 M5s, 350/370Zs, Audi S4s, Caymans, and even FRS/BRZs. If the car has track-worthy tires, camber plates, good suspension, an LSD, and a power level that keeps it in a comparable power:weight bracket, then they can all be in the same ballpark. You are in the enviable position of having two great cars that are both a blast on track! For those of us with an F30 as an only option... track it! There still aren't many out there, and it really is a very capable car on track.
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Last edited by DVC; 06-01-2016 at 12:25 PM.. |
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05-19-2016, 02:25 PM | #90 | |
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Stay cool and point by, red mist is your worst enemy on the track!
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05-19-2016, 02:34 PM | #91 | |
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On the other hand, every now and then (no more than once every other month), I would be driving quietly on the freeway and get a drivetrain malfunction alert -but no loss of power-. I just stop the car, restart the engine and everything is back to normal I am more inclined to believe that there is a gremlin in the software somewhere...
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05-19-2016, 02:40 PM | #92 |
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F30 and E46 at Road Atlanta
Got pictures from my last track week end and edited them to show the F30 and E46 side by side. The F30 has definitely more body roll, but I find both cars equally nice
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05-19-2016, 03:21 PM | #94 | |
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In fact I am considering taking both the E46 and F30 to the track since they provide a different experience, but the E46 will take precedence in the short term since I am still far from using it to its full potential.
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05-19-2016, 04:48 PM | #95 | |
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I'll try doing the things I posted above and will leave my intake and tune in for now. I did forget to mention that it was up close to 80 degrees that day too so it was a pretty warm day. It will only get warmer as we get into the summer months too. Thanks for your input! |
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05-20-2016, 09:25 AM | #96 |
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Hey ATLBlue, I read about you changing the control arm to the F8X and was able to increase camber. I've been thinking of doing this as well, but I have read mixed reviews saying it moves your caster up a whole lot, making the front wheels closer to the wheel wells. Do you know if this was significant on your ride?
Also, how was the steering from before and after? With increased caster, it will normally make steering noticeably stiffer too. |
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05-20-2016, 10:11 AM | #97 | |
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So from my personal experience, the control arm change was a simple, good bang for the buck mod with no downside.
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05-21-2016, 08:26 AM | #98 | |
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05-21-2016, 02:03 PM | #99 | |
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I did not take before/after pics so I do not have a fair point of comparison for my car...
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05-25-2016, 04:04 PM | #100 | |
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05-25-2016, 04:07 PM | #101 |
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The Xenon leveling kit is a $37 option when you order the control arms from Turner (which I did). The installation is extremely straightforward -did not do it myself but asked the shop at the time they did it-.
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05-31-2016, 01:29 PM | #102 |
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Time to say goodbye... soon
I will be taking a new assignment overseas in August, and while I will still spend quite a bit of time stateside, there is no need for me to own a car here anymore (well, except for the E46 M3 that my son will daily drive and that will still be there for trackdays when I happen to be around ). I plan on returning the F30 back to stock in July. In the meantime if some of you are interested in a nicely (?) modded F30, shoot me a PM. If you are interested in some of the aftermarket stuff you can PM me too. Nothing will be available until the first days of August, but just in case. You can check the "Journal" section (see link in signature) and you would know exactly what you would get! I truly enjoyed the forum and community... and will certainly post a few more things. I may also reappear as a European member but I have to decide what my next ride will be first
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06-01-2016, 11:36 PM | #103 | |
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06-22-2016, 03:52 PM | #104 |
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good vidoe
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05-05-2021, 02:42 PM | #105 |
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Reviving an old thread here..
Just took out the F30 N55 to my second HPDE event ever and had a great time. This was my first time attending a full weekend event (my first HPDE event was cut short, due to the infamous charge pipe fail). This event was hosted by BMW CCA National Capital Chapter out at Summit Point, WV (Jefferson Circuit) this past weekend. I did notice some brake fade (especially after the straights) after a few laps during my sessions. I'm now looking into pad upgrades, and maybe even stainless steel brake lines. Currently, I'm running the M Performance BBK, with Zimmerman 370 front and 340 rear rotors w/ StopTech Street Performance pads. While the pads are great for the street, I question their ability to hold up on the track. I definitely had to ease off on a few laps to cool the brakes, but afterwards, the firmness came back. While this car is still my daily, I can see myself attending a few HPDEs / year - this will not be a dedicated track car. This car is fun to learn with and when I become a better driver and when ready, will plan on upgrading to an M. This was also my first time messing around with the RaceChrono Pro app, GoPro Hero 3+, and VeePeak BLE+ OBD II reader. After a few sessions, I was able to get it working and must I say, it works great and it was pretty easy to get everything set up. Video below of me working on driving on and offline, given scenarios from the instructor. Looking at my data, fastest lap I ran was ~1:32 (which apparently is still ~10 secs slower than what the instructors were running). Last edited by okla_m2c; 05-05-2021 at 03:38 PM.. |
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05-06-2021, 12:29 AM | #106 | |
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Steel lines help with that spongy braking feel, but they don't really help with fade. Definitely upgrade your pads and fluid first, steel lines later if you need to. Honestly, I haven't found the need to. What's going on with your hands in the turns? Did the instructor tell you to release your fingers like that to get you used to a light touch? I've never seen that.
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05-06-2021, 08:13 AM | #107 | |
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Always open for feedback! |
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