Datona Int speedway (sportscar course) Track Duty in a M3.... + pics

[lucid]

Originally Posted by Radiation Joe

This is a Golf chasing the GT3

That doesn't sound like any Golf I've been in! WTF!? What's in that car? Were you driving? Funny how the other 911 thought it could lead the Golf there for a little while...

[lucid]

Sounds like you had fun KINGLEH. I'd be interested to know how those springs work out on your next track day after an alignment. Also, are your front PS2s pretty much destroyed? Mine were after a couple of days. I'm going back with a set of Sport Cups on Friday.

[Radiation Joe]

Originally Posted by lucid

That doesn't sound like any Golf I've been in! WTF!? What's in that car? Were you driving? Funny how the other 911 thought it could lead the Golf there for a little while...

It's a worked over R32. Not me. The driver is a former RS6 owner I ran across at Laguna a couple of years ago and knew from the AW forums. He's a super nice guy who sponsors a few drivers. He calls the R32 his track slut. LOL! In the winter he and a few friends pack up a transporter and ship their cars to various warm weather tracks.

[montreal red]

nice write up ! thanks for sharing the pictures!

[hipvspec]

coolness, thanks for sharing!

[gregarious]

After one week huh. Hope you completed the breakin an first M service. Otherwise, I'm pretty much envious and grateful for your post.

[monsta]

damn thats awesome...I've been to Daytona many times (Fiancée goes to EMBRY RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY) and have yet to have been to the speedway, I would love to have the opportunity to drive it...thanks for such an informative post

Originally Posted by gregarious

After one week huh. Hope you completed the breakin an first M service. Otherwise, I'm pretty much envious and grateful for your post.

see here
http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=176687

he got it done already...make sure to check out page 4

[lucid]

Originally Posted by Radiation Joe

It's a worked over R32. Not me. The driver is a former RS6 owner I ran across at Laguna a couple of years ago and knew from the AW forums. He's a super nice guy who sponsors a few drivers. He calls the R32 his track slut. LOL! In the winter he and a few friends pack up a transporter and ship their cars to various warm weather tracks.

I thought R32s had NA motors. I drove one last year, and liked how it handled stock--much better than I thought.

[doba_s]

nice review ...

[KINGLEH]

Originally Posted by lucid

Sounds like you had fun KINGLEH. I'd be interested to know how those springs work out on your next track day after an alignment. Also, are your front PS2s pretty much destroyed? Mine were after a couple of days. I'm going back with a set of Sport Cups on Friday.

my fronts are still in great shape.. i really wasnt on track that long tho... maby 30min total....

[KINGLEH]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

Awesome!

KINGLEH, do you think steel braided brake lines would cure the lack of braking firmness that you were experiencing?

naw..... braided lines always help a lil tho....

[KINGLEH]

Originally Posted by rldzhao

could the car go any faster than 168mph if you had a longer runway?

absolutely....


with the power and aero of this car.. ide suspect that i could reach close to 190.. for sure.. maby hit it....

[KINGLEH]

Originally Posted by Radiation Joe

Considering your background, this was a very helpful post. Thanks.

Even with the H&Rs, you're basically on a stock suspension with stock tires and less than optimum alignment. How do you think more front wheel/tire would have affected the car?

So what went away with the brakes? Were you pumping them up or just losing braking power or both? How do the rotors look? Enough heat to start them cracking already?

I'd recommend solid caliper bushings, but it looks like they're not available for the e9x M3s, yet. They significantly extend the life and consistency of high friction pads if you decide to go that route with stock calipers.

Finally, did it bottom out on the banking, or was there still some travel left?

The Audi club has a date there in December. I'm thinking about giving it a go if the timing works out. There was some serious equipment there last year.

This is a Golf chasing the GT3

more front tire woulda been fine... it would help with braking... provide more grip.... but that would also use the brakes more.. which would cause more of a meltdown.... it would also help the car turn down into the apex... the low speed exit you would have more OS.. but its already controlled by the throttle anyways.. so it really wouldn't be to much different... as for the highspeed.. carrying corner speed.. you would see a little OS im sure.. as it was pretty dam neutral with the tire combo now.... but then maby you could make some aero tweaks... csl style trunk with a gurny lip... might help a little....


i was mostly pumping the brakes to make sure they were there... but also to build up a little pressure... the pedal was getting soft.. but the braking power was still there for the most part... but also.. very inconsistent.. which is scary kinda... you could say that the stopping force was there.. but the feeling of the system was horrible....

i never got into the bumpstops on the banking.. or anywhere....

[Radiation Joe]

Originally Posted by KINGLEH

more front tire woulda been fine... it would help with braking... provide more grip.... but that would also use the brakes more.. which would cause more of a meltdown.... it would also help the car turn down into the apex... the low speed exit you would have more OS.. but its already controlled by the throttle anyways.. so it really wouldn't be to much different... as for the highspeed.. carrying corner speed.. you would see a little OS im sure.. as it was pretty dam neutral with the tire combo now.... but then maby you could make some aero tweaks... csl style trunk with a gurny lip... might help a little....


i was mostly pumping the brakes to make sure they were there... but also to build up a little pressure... the pedal was getting soft.. but the braking power was still there for the most part... but also.. very inconsistent.. which is scary kinda... you could say that the stopping force was there.. but the feeling of the system was horrible....

i never got into the bumpstops on the banking.. or anywhere....

Thanks. Looks like each generation of the car makes a significant improvement on the weaknesses of the previous generation. The e46 understeers like nobody's business without a large tire size increase in the front. Looks like your car is very happy with the stock tire balance.

I'm picking mine up in a couple of days. I'm still going to run a square set-up (9.5s with 265s all around) until the winters go on. I don't have to worry about high speed oversteer on the street, and I'm much more confident with a more loose handling car for day to day driving.

It looks like no matter what our opinions on the proper remedy are, improvements to the braking system are called for to get the best out of track days.

As time goes by, and more people tweak the cars for track days, we'll all get good ideas on what works for us on the track. Thanks for the input.

[KINGLEH]

a square set up...

wow...


for the street.. i find that my car for the most part has OS... because of the dirty pavement usually.. you can just over power the rear tires...

are you gona run 265s with a 19 or a 18 wheel?

[IND-Distribution]

Here's something I've been curious about:

Did the car get "light" at all at high speed? The new chassis M3s have a very impressive looking "almost flat" floor, and I've wondered how effective it is. Did you notice any appreciable lift during high speed cornering?


I've also been curious to see what an E92/E90 will handle like with a square or near square setup. Our red car will hopefully get a 265/285 combination this time around, but I'd be interested to try a 275/285 as well. Unfortunately the trackday season in the Midwest is next to over, so Mike will have to wait until next year to start playing with it.

[Radiation Joe]

Originally Posted by KINGLEH

a square set up...

wow...


for the street.. i find that my car for the most part has OS... because of the dirty pavement usually.. you can just over power the rear tires...

are you gona run 265s with a 19 or a 18 wheel?

I typically don't overpower the rear tires to get oversteer. I had to do that with the RS6, though, in order to get the most out of the car on the track. On the street I want to know my front end will grip no matter what.

I'm going to run the factory 18 rears all the way around. I'm using the factory 18 fronts all the way around for my winter tires.

I could be wrong on this set-up. I haven't picked the car up, yet and didn't get a lot of seat time before I ordered it. There was, however, a general consensus with the e46 that a square setup worked best.

[booforty]

Great write-up and superb pics!! This car was made for the track!!

[KINGLEH]

Originally Posted by Ilia@IND

Here's something I've been curious about:

Did the car get "light" at all at high speed? The new chassis M3s have a very impressive looking "almost flat" floor, and I've wondered how effective it is. Did you notice any appreciable lift during high speed cornering?


I've also been curious to see what an E92/E90 will handle like with a square or near square setup. Our red car will hopefully get a 265/285 combination this time around, but I'd be interested to try a 275/285 as well. Unfortunately the trackday season in the Midwest is next to over, so Mike will have to wait until next year to start playing with it.

its tuff to say because of the bumps in nascar 3 and 4.... no car is stable there.. but if i remember correctly... in between nascar 4 and the tri-oval part.. on the straight there.. it was totally solid and stable....

through the busstop and the kink.. both pretty high speed corners... it felt great.. i have a front lip.. that 'looks' like it should create a little down force for sure... so that could be why also...


ive ordered 19 inch wheels... (i now know what the ALMS car will run).. and was hoping it was the same wheel.. and it is... so i ordered them... the front is a 9.5.. and im wondering if i could squeez a 265 up there... 255 for sure... with a 285 out back...

so is anyone running a 265-30-19 up front.. with no issues? lowered with H&R, Eibach, or KW v3......

[KINGLEH]

Originally Posted by Radiation Joe

I typically don't overpower the rear tires to get oversteer. I had to do that with the RS6, though, in order to get the most out of the car on the track. On the street I want to know my front end will grip no matter what.

I'm going to run the factory 18 rears all the way around. I'm using the factory 18 fronts all the way around for my winter tires.

I could be wrong on this set-up. I haven't picked the car up, yet and didn't get a lot of seat time before I ordered it. There was, however, a general consensus with the e46 that a square setup worked best.

well its def a whole new chassis.....

but you will defiantly see the front overpowering the rear. (and thats what you want).. i would like to go with a little bit wider track in the front.. and you will create that with your setup....

you might wanna thing about 15mm spacer in the rear... and you will prob end up with a fun little setup....

you can enter drift events and stuff!

[MJC///M3]

awesome write up man!!

[Deda]

awesome man!