Quote:
Originally Posted by Purple Derple
It was meant for anyone giving advice to you too. BFG r1s? Yokohama a048s? I don't think you ought to be on those after three track days. I also don't think they should ever go on an e93.
This is a general response to the forum:
Everyone on this forum gets excited about gear and stuff to buy for the track, but they also forget that none of that stuff is going to make you a fast driver, it is only going to make your car faster. What? Are they going to win HPDE? The more go fast stuff you put on your car, the more you disguise the learning. The faster your car goes without the driver getting faster, the more in over your head you get.
That's why I initially said it should all be done in a slow car. No one is ever out driving their car at HPDE and saying 'well I need new shocks so I can get more rear rebound because I don't like the way the back moves under braking.' before upgrading their suspension. Everyone wants to make their car fast and change the car instead of changing the driver. Look, we all are driving m3s in here, we all like to spend money on things, I get it, we're all material girls. We all like to get our new piece of gear and talk about it and show it off. We also like that little ego boost when we've passed more cars than passed us in a session. But that isn't driving fast. That's just putting your foot down harder than the other guy. It's just having more go fast parts than the other guy. They don't even teach speed in HPDE, they just teach safety.
"What's the point of this rant dude?" My point is, don't be so eager to make your car fast. Don't be so eager to spend money on speed gear. Do the smart things, not the popular things. You won't become a better driver by making your car faster, you will just be out the money you spent. I think it is smart to get an extra set of cheap wheels and tires for the track to save your street tires. I think it is not smart to make those extra tires r-compound even DOT rated, but it certainly is popular. If the point of going to the track is to be a better driver, then make the car as difficult as possible to go fast in and then you'll have to work to find the speed and then you'll become a better driver. What if we do the opposite. What if we make the car so good that it is effortless to go fast in? I think the M3 is already easy to go fast in from the factory. It doesn't lend itself to making us better drivers though unfortunately. So with that in mind, I think the entire thread is misguided starting with the title. But this is all just imo, naturally.
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Well...okay, it's an opinion. I have to say, though, that the not "ever go on an E93" is off the mark. It's like the person that keeps writing that E93's are an "afterthought" which is totally bull. If I want my E93 to perform better, who cares what model it is? (At the last track day, with a totally stock E93, I was getting better times than several E90's and E92's, and other makes of cars...not withstanding the variances in driver capabilities.) I have a semi-racing background with motorcycles, and some of that is transferable to cars.
But one of the main reasons I'm looking at those tires I mentioned earlier is that at under 19,000 miles, I have destroyed four Michelin PS2's that came with my car, and that's just three track days. I need to replace them. TireRack.com has the fronts for $295 ea, and rears for $371. Whereas a set of track-specific BFGoodrich q-Force R1's are $177 each. I'll save at least $624 going to the BFGoodrich's...that will only be used at the track. I have a 4-set of 19"s that I've put on my car for daily use.
I'll certainly post a follow-up next season on what kind of difference there is on the track. Even if it makes zero lap-time difference, it will make a difference in my wallet.
Disclaimer: to any new drivers or rookies considering what tires to place on your car, please note that I am not a professional, highly-experienced M3 driver as many on this forum are. It's only my lowly opinion. Please don't crash your car with R-compound tires and then file a lawsuit against me, or the forum.
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