Don't feel like I drive my car hard enough..

[767IJP]

Ride her hard and put her away wet.

[Elaz]

two yrs not even 9000 miles i don't drive it enough either don't feel like your alone.

[radiantm3]

Originally Posted by tibra1

Geez all these track fanbois ..I open her up on the street ALL the time..just gotta know where you can and cant do it

The problem is, once you've gone to the track, driving hard on public roads just isn't fun anymore. I have no interest in driving the car hard unless I'm at the track. I don't care if people drive their card hard on public roads as long as they don't do it around me or my family.

[Singletrack]

Originally Posted by radiantm3

The problem is, once you've gone to the track, driving hard on public roads just isn't fun anymore. I have no interest in driving the car hard unless I'm at the track. I don't care if people drive their card hard on public roads as long as they don't do it around me or my family.

Not true. I can have fun launching my car on an empty road. I can have fun on a backcountry road with no driveways or very few other cars. I can have fun blasting down the highway at an hour when there are no cars around me.

Of course, a lot has to do with your geography. There are many places where you cannot escape the crowds. I'm 15 mins from the city and 15 mins from the country.

Common sense goes a long way.

[radiantm3]

Originally Posted by Singletrack

Not true. I can have fun launching my car on an empty road. I can have fun on a backcountry road with no driveways or very few other cars. I can have fun blasting down the highway at an hour when there are no cars around me.

Of course, a lot has to do with your geography. There are many places where you cannot escape the crowds. I'm 15 mins from the city and 15 mins from the country.

Common sense goes a long way.

In this area we have roads like...



...and...



...but none of them come even close to the excitement and enjoyment of this:

[Singletrack]

Originally Posted by radiantm3

In this area we have roads like...



...and...



...but none of them come even close to the excitement and enjoyment of this:

I like the track the best also; I just disagree that it makes the road no fun.

[JIO]

Originally Posted by radiantm3

In this area we have roads like...



...and...



...but none of them come even close to the excitement and enjoyment of this:

I agree. In Oregon, we have lots of back roads to have fun, but nothing beats the excitement of Portland International Raceway. So many people who go out and buy a 400+ hp car think they they are the best drivers in the world and can handle the car with DSC totally off. If you haven't done a few track days and learn the limitations of the car and how conditions are continually changing (car gets hot, tires get hot, track gets hot, etc.) which totally affect the handling, you will someday end up in a ditch or curb...or worse. The car is powerful and it takes some experience and respect. Before my first track day 20 years ago, I thought I was the best driver in the world. After my first track day, I realized how much I really sucked as a driver. 20 years later and 8 BMW's later, I'm still learning at the track. It's the best and safest way to have fun with a powerful car. As my first instructor told me: "The car doesn't really care if you live or die". Be safe out there.

[radiantm3]

Originally Posted by JIO

I agree. In Oregon, we have lots of back roads to have fun, but nothing beats the excitement of Portland International Raceway. So many people who go out and buy a 400+ hp car think they they are the best drivers in the world and can handle the car with DSC totally off. If you haven't done a few track days and learn the limitations of the car and how conditions are continually changing (car gets hot, tires get hot, track gets hot, etc.) which totally affect the handling, you will someday end up in a ditch or curb...or worse. The car is powerful and it takes some experience and respect. Before my first track day 20 years ago, I thought I was the best driver in the world. After my first track day, I realized how much I really sucked as a driver. 20 years later and 8 BMW's later, I'm still learning at the track. It's the best and safest way to have fun with a powerful car. As my first instructor told me: "The car doesn't really care if you live or die". Be safe out there.

Exactly. I've been driving for about 19 years now and thought I was a pretty good driver. But my first time taking performance driving schools (through BMWCCA) last summer were a real wake up call and a blow to my ego. Now I just want to spend as much time possible at the track because that's where I truly learn how to drive and it's the most fun that can be had in a car (not counting when you are in the back seat).

[OC3]

Originally Posted by radiantm3

The problem is, once you've gone to the track, driving hard on public roads just isn't fun anymore. I have no interest in driving the car hard unless I'm at the track. I don't care if people drive their card hard on public roads as long as they don't do it around me or my family.

+1

[Terraforce1]

Track it, maybe that will change your mind

[E92_SID]

I love my car and I keep it clean but I drive the shit out of it! I drive it as much as I can and as hard as I can when I get the chance. That being said, I dont race from light to light or red line it every time in every gear. I drive it on road trips and to the track as much as I can. I am not paying all this money for a car just to sit in my garage...

I hate when guys dont drive their cars because they dont want to get them dirty or put miles on it. THEN WHY THE HELL DID YOU BUY IT!!!!

I heard someone say that not driving your nice car is like not F'ing your supermodel girlfriend so that she is fresh and tight for her next boyfriend. Also, Cars that are designed for high performance but are not exercised properly will ultimately fail.

I have a buddy that just bought a Corvette Grand Sport and refuses to drive it. This is driving me crazy! In two months he has put less than 500 miles on it. Why god why! He doesnt even have a good reason. I want to rescue his car from him lol.

[jamze132]

I regularly hit 130-140mph on my way home from work every evening. God bless the autobahn! Depending on traffic, I can get my limiter to engage!

For anyone who gets the chance to drive on the autobahn, Sunday mornings around 7am, the roads are clear and you can really release the beast.

[Singletrack]

Originally Posted by E92_SID

I heard someone say that not driving your nice car is like not F'ing your supermodel girlfriend so that she is fresh and tight for her next boyfriend. Also,

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahahahahahahaha!

Cars that are designed for high performance but are not exercised properly will ultimately fail.

Definitely true with the Ferrari 308, just as an example. You don't want one with stupid-low miles; they tend to have issues compared to ones that have been driven normally.

Every time I drive my wife's 328, I give it the ol' Italian tune up to keep it fresh. ; )

[davesaddiction]

I'm new to the M3 and have barely begun to explore its limits, but took my old car (low power, lightweight Mazda 3 hatch) to a nearby track for one of their High Speed Touring days. http://www.hallettracing.net/ I was probably the slowest car out there, but I had a blast and learned a lot. I've also taken that car and, on other occasions, my friend's supercharged Z4 M on weekend driving trips to the Ozarks with a group of guys (some on bikes). I definitely plan to do more of these trips with my M3 and will eventually take it to the track for HST (warranty expires early next year).

I see benefits and advantages to both, but using your brain should always be part of the equation. We definitely don't take our leisurely time through the Ozarks; there are sections where you don't see another car for miles and feel like you're on your own personal Nurburgring, but if we're going through towns or near homes we definitely back it off. The thing I love about those trips is the scenery, the variation and challenge of not knowing what's next, and the stops at all the cool places along the way.

The track is a place for you to really work on your skills in a controlled environment so that you can take a little more risk and test the limits of yourself and the car. The repetition allows you to focus on and perfect every little thing until you get that corner just right. Maybe you do turn off the DSC, just to how the car handles without it (something I'd never do on public roads). No fear of tickets, but is anyone's insurance okay with them tracking their car...?

I'd never own a car like the M3 without taking it to the track or driving quickly on public roads, when the conditions allow. That's what the thing is made to do. Makes me think of this quote, which I love:

"A ship is safe in the harbor but that is not why ships are built." - William Shedd

That story of the guy with the Grand Sport reminds of a guy I know with this really nice watch. Never wears it; keeps it in a drawer...

[John Tanglewood]

18mpg

[808@702]

I drive my M3 hard. And it makes me hard