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01-29-2015, 12:07 PM | #1 |
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Thunderhill's amazing 5-mile track (photos + video)
So I haven't been to the track since last September. My motor failed in the fall and I was without my car for a few months. The new motor was recently broken in...just in time for my first track day of the year. Thunderhill finished building a whole new 2 mile test track on the west side which can be connected to the east side for a total of 5 miles, and the west side is glorious. Just wanted to share a few photos taken by gotbluemilk.com and a video of my best lap of the day. Lots of time left on the table (as you can see by the sloppy lap), but I was just glad to finally get out there again.
And yes, I even got to drive a few laps in a friend's 991 GT3! It is everything I have dreamed of, but I quickly realized that the GT3 (at least the current gen) is way too much car for my skill level. I only drive with DSC off at the track and running with traction/stability control totally ruins the experience for me. With the nannies on the GT3 was very easy to drive, but I felt the system working and I'm afraid the car might be too much with the nannies off. I think if I ever decide to upgrade to a Porsche, I should be on the lookout for a 996 GT3. |
01-29-2015, 01:56 PM | #2 |
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01-29-2015, 02:22 PM | #4 |
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01-29-2015, 03:35 PM | #5 | |
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01-29-2015, 05:16 PM | #6 |
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Awesome coverage! Thanks for sharing
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01-29-2015, 05:48 PM | #7 |
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Thunderhill surely looks beautiful this time of year. Can't wait to come out and drive the full 5-mile track! Great coverage of your weekend, thank you for sharing!
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01-29-2015, 08:38 PM | #8 |
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Haven't driven the new 5 mile track yet. Hopefully get to try it out soon.
Great photos btw!
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01-30-2015, 01:14 AM | #12 |
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Great stuff OP, thanks for sharing. Love this track, and cant wait to hit it again this year with the 5 mile config.
BTW, were you victim to the rod bearing issue? Details...
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01-30-2015, 07:58 AM | #13 |
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that gt3 man I need one of those! Cool pics
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01-30-2015, 11:00 AM | #14 |
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Thanks for sharing. Great driving btw, you wouldn't have any issues adapting to gt3 whether 996 or 991. I did plenty of laps at thunderhill on my racebike so I know all the old corners very well. Very cool perspective from track ready m3. The new section looks very challenging
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01-30-2015, 11:44 AM | #15 | |
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Thanks guys.
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From the marketing side, the M3 is designed for track use, but when it comes to the dealerships and warranty claims, proof of your car being at the track is used against you. The only thing that changed their mind was the fact that I have been such a big BMW customer over the last few years (I bought 7 brand new BMW's in the last 5 or so years) so they considered it a "good will" replacement. So I'm happy and will continue to buy BMW's because they are great cars, but I'll never buy another new BMW with intentions of taking it to the track. |
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01-30-2015, 07:44 PM | #16 |
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Thanks for sharing. Finally a car with rollcage that actually sees track time.
I don't know about your dealer but at our local dealership that sells purely ///M Cars, all the videos being played shows the M3 being driven and reviewed on the racetrack. The likes of Chris Harries, Top Gear, etc. Our dealership also organises track days and encourage owners to bring their own cars to the track and carries out a pre and post track day inspection. For a dealer to go to the extend of looking up youtube videos of you driving on the track and refute warranty on a car that broke down for its intended use is unethical. If however your car isn't stock, that is completely a different story. |
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02-03-2015, 06:56 PM | #17 |
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Another great thread!
PS - Glad they took care of you, but I agree it's disappointing they tried to deny your initial claim. I was considering selling my 335i to get a CPO M3 just because I'm getting more track time and a warranty was appealing since I'm on engine #2 also and mine wasn't under warranty. Your story makes me reconsider though. Maybe a dedicated track car like an S2k is the way I should go.
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Last edited by SneakyDeeky; 02-03-2015 at 07:06 PM.. |
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02-03-2015, 11:58 PM | #18 | |
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02-04-2015, 10:04 AM | #20 |
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Awesome pics radiant! Always loved your GTS inspired beast
From your perspective of having such a track focused m3, and getting to drive the GT3, if you had to pick one... ? I'm at the cross roads of perhaps selling the frozen and building a track car, or saving my pennies for a GT3. Thanks for your input! |
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02-04-2015, 11:26 AM | #21 |
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Surprised by your hesitance with the 991 given your experience level. Think with some more seat time and experience with the rear engine layout you'd be able to run no nannies with confidence? Or it just seemed unpredictable?
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02-04-2015, 01:52 PM | #22 | |||||
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So I decided that it's much smarter for me to get into a 996 GT3 because 1) there's no traction control systems in the first place, 2) I can drive a manual, and 3) It's not such a huge jump in power for me. But with the announcement of the new Cayman GT4, my heart is completely set on that car. So this fall I'll either be ordering a Cayman GT4, finding the right 996/997 GT3, or finding a Lotus Exige. I really want to get a track-ready mid/rear engine car next. What I learned most based on my limited experience at the track (including driving the GT3) and logging lots of hours in simulation is we are all numbed by all the safety systems in modern cars. They make fast cars feel easy to drive. That's why so many people here are supercharging their M3's and still wanting more. I've been driving with DSC off completely on the street and on the track for the longest time and it has really taught me to respect even the "torqueless" E9x M3. When I do an acceleration run in the M3 I spin the tires through first and second gear. I kind of wish we lived in a world where those safety systems didn't exist in sports cars. People would have a lot more respect for fast cars and probably wouldn't be buying cars far beyond their driving abilities. |
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