How I converted my 2008 M3 to a weekend track car

M3Bear · 11-23-2009, 10:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrtrackday

Wow.. For a 1st time poster who was willing to share lots of hard earned data, I'm not feeling the love here at all. If this forum is stacked with haters who prefer to be judgemental and don't even bother to read the entire post and especially the "this car was not bought for the track" part, I'm pretty underwhelmed with m3post.com so far. I'm sure there are lots of good people here but the haters are on the prowl.

I repeat...

THIS IS NOT A DEDICATED TRACK CAR !

I drive it to work everyday, my wife, dog and I go cruising with the top down when the weather is nice. I track it because aside from a few hundred extra pounds, it kicks ass as a track car, top up or down. Which part of that doesn't make sense?

I'm running close to 2min laps at TWS which is VERY respectable so how about cuttimg me some slack?

Hey don't let a few people spoil the purpose of the forum. Your post has helped me a lot and is inspiring me to learn more about get my M3 to the track. Ive already book marked your blog and look forward to reading more about your adventures

frenchM3dreamer · 11-24-2009, 10:04 AM

Hey,
don't worry about all the haters, it's common practice for "performance cars" fans to bash the verts, at any levels... sure it's heavier, but like you said it's not a 100% track car... sooo for me the big difference is that you can enjoy a drive with the top-down to the track, put it up when you get there, enjoy your day, and go home with the top down again...
+ i'm sure any of you guys here in a vert could smoke my ass on a track even if i was driving a F1 car or any kind of race car... i would say at an "amateur" racing level, 75% of the eqation of being fast is probably the driver, the rest being the car itself... you said even Mini's smoked you...

bottom line is, you (and I) love verts, and you want to have some fun at the track... go ahead, have fun, and screw them all !!!

BTW, i've seen this asked earlier: what about having a roll-bar? tracks here require it, so i'm screwed (soft-top)... is there any exception for hard-tops? technically that's the whole point... vert' with the top down, coupe with the top up??...
please let us know!!

Pat

Nawaaz · 11-24-2009, 11:22 AM

OP: Nice e93!

Look forward to seeing you, especially since you're local.

TheKosherStogie · 11-24-2009, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VictorH

Jeez, guys how 'bout cut him a little slack? He says he's made a weekend track car, not a race car. Maybe he likes having a vert. I didn't see anything about him stripping the car to shed weight.

If this works for you hey that's great. As it relates to speed down the straight, that's only limited by the size of your wallet.

Right! fuckin A. i guess you cant track an m5 either weighs too much, people track all kinds of cars...let them enjoy it.

i say props to you brother! keep it up

SUB-ZERO · 11-24-2009, 12:16 PM

Would be cool to see your vert in action! Any vids?

-SZ

tightie · 11-24-2009, 12:20 PM

Nice!

M3 Montreal · 11-24-2009, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ihyln

I hope you didn't take my post the wrong way. I don't think the BMW brakes are completely subpar as you made them out to be in your initial post that drew some ire. The added weight of the vert doesn't help the situation with stock brakes which is more accurate. I didn't mean to offend you in any way.

Actually they are AWESOME for street use but I agree that they SUCK for any intermediate and higher aggressive driver on the track.

I've already warped my discs on the track and the fade is unbearable even after just 5 minutes of track (depending on the track).

This is why Im awaiting my new arrival for next years track season... Brembo GT BBK's !

KANdaddy · 11-24-2009, 01:09 PM

what suspension are you running?

smmmurf · 11-24-2009, 02:10 PM

I think the issue is that you said you converted your car into a weekend track car. If you had said you improved or optimized your 'vert for the track you would have had less people thinking that someone actually made a 'vert into a track car. It's fine to use one on the track casually, but a dedicated machine it is not for eleventy billion reasons (weight, rigidity, safety, etc.).

Finnegan · 11-24-2009, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SUB-ZERO

Would be cool to see your vert in action! Any vids?

-SZ

On the OP's blog you can find this. Video there (including a spin off the track.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrtrackday

BMW M3 (E92 E93) Racing Slicks and Racing Wheels

ssemerod · 11-24-2009, 03:23 PM

krikers, the rubber is track only, the wheels are swapped at the track, therefore, a converted track car.... why all the semantics

TLud · 11-24-2009, 06:48 PM

John, this is a great first post/thread, and don't worry about some of the flak you're getting for taking an E93 to the track. I found your post interesting because I've spent the last few months prepping my car for the track, so that when my schedule frees up a little in January, I'll be ready to go. So far, I've added a little power with bolt-on mods, installed a StopTech BBK with SRF fluid, stiffer springs, SSK, and I have some light-weight 19" wheels on order. I run StopTech Street Performance pads for daily use, and I have some Performance Friction pads for track use. Pad switching is VERY easy with the StopTechs.

Yes, it's a shame that the M3's braking isn't up to snuff, but the real culprit for brake fade on the M3 isn't so much the brakes themselves as it is the weight of the car and the lack of cooling, like you pointed out. Stopping that much weight repeatedly will inevitably cause rapid heat buildup, and you can't really compare the M3's brakes with those on Porsches and Corvettes. Yes, they are better brakes, but I think the hundreds of pounds of weight difference is the biggest factor.

I see you're from Texas also. I hope to see you out on the track sometime soon.

KANdaddy · 11-24-2009, 10:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TLud

John, this is a great first post/thread, and don't worry about some of the flak you're getting for taking an E93 to the track.

opinions here are like....well u know.... Keep up the great work and keep us updated. We're too lazy to link over to your blog

rzm3 · 11-24-2009, 11:02 PM

Hey John,

Welcome to the forum. We met last time at TWS.

Just FYI, there are some killer deals on StopTechs right now, like 25% off or more, so give Rick from Driver's Edge or any vendors on this forum a call and get your upgrade.

Hope to see you next time.

GTM · 11-25-2009, 07:37 AM

I would go back to street radials.
Most driver makes mistake on just putting slicks on stock car thinking added grip will give much faster lap time.(without thinking how much stress you will be putting on the car)

Although slick tires gives addtional grip/traction, you also need alignment/upgraded bushings/chassis to take full potential of the tires.
Without proper setup, it will only help very marginally on lap time but at sametime it DOES increase much stress on chassis/bushings.(can be worse thing on E93 due to weaker chassis)

Not only that, slick tires give too much confidence to drivers...harder to control at the limit, which is not a good thing for most weekend track drivers.

Any M3 can be very good weekend car even at stock configuration.
Only thing I would change for track are...Brake pads and fluid for fade resistance.
Jusy my $0.02

Jae

lopealle · 11-25-2009, 12:08 PM

i think its awesome you broke the mold. atleast your doing more than just driving

Pazzo009 · 11-25-2009, 12:15 PM

Can someone please explain why you would make a vert a track car. I am not trying to be facetious. I assume because of weight, and chassis rigidity it would not be a wise choice to take a $ 70,$$$ car with the intention to make it a track car, when for 5 grand less, you have much more potential with a coupe. That Carbon fiber roof is there for a very important reason....physics.

Nawaaz · 11-25-2009, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aculeg87

Can someone please explain why you would make a vert a track car. I am not trying to be facetious. I assume because of weight, and chassis rigidity it would not be a wise choice to take a $ 70,$$$ car with the intention to make it a track car, when for 5 grand less, you have much more potential with a coupe. That Carbon fiber roof is there for a very important reason....physics.

For a little extra FUN, of course!

Jason · 11-25-2009, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aculeg87

Can someone please explain why you would make a vert a track car. I am not trying to be facetious. I assume because of weight, and chassis rigidity it would not be a wise choice to take a $ 70,$$$ car with the intention to make it a track car, when for 5 grand less, you have much more potential with a coupe. That Carbon fiber roof is there for a very important reason....physics.

Because you already own one and then decide to make it a trackable car?

frenchM3dreamer · 11-25-2009, 12:58 PM

holy sh** i cant believe all the haters here!!!!

driving a vert is something that some people (like me and likely the OP) really enjoy and are "addicted" to... then the OP decided to take his car to the track, what's wrong with that??? the only reason i havent taken my vert (non-M3) to the track yet is because of the soft-top (need roll cage)...
Excess weight and all that crap probably wont make ANY significant difference until you get to a certain level of drving skills... sure you might lose .5 seconds per lap, maybe more, put a bit more stress on the brakes, but when the goal is to have fun on the track with your DD, i dont see where the big deal is...

AFAIK, the OP didnt get a E93 to run in pro-racing, right?
agreed the vert is not your IDEAL car to track, but neither is an M5 and i remember seeing lots of pics of M5 racing around the 'Ring...
just to piss you guys off i would get an E93 on the track, with the top-down and a passenger and post pics and vids all over this forum

anyhow, i'm a little pissed off seeing all these negative comments to the OP, like he was doing something really stupid or totally wrong by taking a vert to the track...
alright, i'm done now!
Pat

M2381 · 11-25-2009, 01:14 PM

Hey welcome to the forum and thanks for sharing that information with us. I may be doing something similar soon!

mrtrackday · 11-25-2009, 02:05 PM

Bingo!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason

Because you already own one and then decide to make it a trackable car?

11-24-2009, 10:04 AM	#24
frenchM3dreamer Captain 8 Rep 784 Posts Drives: 08 Mitsu Eclipse Spyder GTP Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Edmonton, AB iTrader: (0)	Hey, don't worry about all the haters, it's common practice for "performance cars" fans to bash the verts, at any levels... sure it's heavier, but like you said it's not a 100% track car... sooo for me the big difference is that you can enjoy a drive with the top-down to the track, put it up when you get there, enjoy your day, and go home with the top down again... + i'm sure any of you guys here in a vert could smoke my ass on a track even if i was driving a F1 car or any kind of race car... i would say at an "amateur" racing level, 75% of the eqation of being fast is probably the driver, the rest being the car itself... you said even Mini's smoked you... bottom line is, you (and I) love verts, and you want to have some fun at the track... go ahead, have fun, and screw them all !!! BTW, i've seen this asked earlier: what about having a roll-bar? tracks here require it, so i'm screwed (soft-top)... is there any exception for hard-tops? technically that's the whole point... vert' with the top down, coupe with the top up??... please let us know!! Pat
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11-24-2009, 11:22 AM	#25
Nawaaz Brigadier General 221 Rep 4,643 Posts Drives: . Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: . iTrader: (0)	OP: Nice e93! Look forward to seeing you, especially since you're local.
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11-24-2009, 12:16 PM	#27
SUB-ZERO Lieutenant Colonel 294 Rep 1,709 Posts Drives: 2018 M2 + Spur, DB11, F12, X5 Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: VA iTrader: (0)	Would be cool to see your vert in action! Any vids? -SZ
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11-24-2009, 12:20 PM	#28
tightie JOSH SHOKRI. 524 Rep 5,881 Posts Drives: 991 GT3RS, 964, Raptor Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: los angeles, california. iTrader: (7) Garage List 2008 BMW M3 [7.90]	Nice! __________________ Current: 16 991 GT3RS , 91 964 C2, 17 Raptor \| Past: 2015 991 GT3, 2015 i3,15 YMB F80 M3, 13 E92 M3 DCT, 08 E92 M3 6MT, 07 E60 M5, 02 E46 M3 Instagram: @josh_speeddistrict #SpeedDistrict @SpeedDistrict
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11-24-2009, 01:09 PM	#30
KANdaddy Colonel 2493 Rep 2,812 Posts Drives: 22 M3C XDrive-Ind Grey Blk Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Cali iTrader: (5)	what suspension are you running? __________________
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11-24-2009, 02:10 PM	#31
smmmurf Colonel 309 Rep 2,189 Posts Drives: E92 M3 DCT 353k+ miles Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Half Moon Bay, CA iTrader: (7)	I think the issue is that you said you converted your car into a weekend track car. If you had said you improved or optimized your 'vert for the track you would have had less people thinking that someone actually made a 'vert into a track car. It's fine to use one on the track casually, but a dedicated machine it is not for eleventy billion reasons (weight, rigidity, safety, etc.).
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11-24-2009, 03:23 PM	#33
ssemerod Private 1 Rep 70 Posts Drives: 2008 e92 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: california iTrader: (0)	krikers, the rubber is track only, the wheels are swapped at the track, therefore, a converted track car.... why all the semantics
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11-24-2009, 06:48 PM	#34
TLud Colonel 108 Rep 2,279 Posts Drives: '12 Golf R Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Texas iTrader: (3)	John, this is a great first post/thread, and don't worry about some of the flak you're getting for taking an E93 to the track. I found your post interesting because I've spent the last few months prepping my car for the track, so that when my schedule frees up a little in January, I'll be ready to go. So far, I've added a little power with bolt-on mods, installed a StopTech BBK with SRF fluid, stiffer springs, SSK, and I have some light-weight 19" wheels on order. I run StopTech Street Performance pads for daily use, and I have some Performance Friction pads for track use. Pad switching is VERY easy with the StopTechs. Yes, it's a shame that the M3's braking isn't up to snuff, but the real culprit for brake fade on the M3 isn't so much the brakes themselves as it is the weight of the car and the lack of cooling, like you pointed out. Stopping that much weight repeatedly will inevitably cause rapid heat buildup, and you can't really compare the M3's brakes with those on Porsches and Corvettes. Yes, they are better brakes, but I think the hundreds of pounds of weight difference is the biggest factor. I see you're from Texas also. I hope to see you out on the track sometime soon. __________________ '09 Interlagos Blue E92 M3 (sold to a good home)
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11-24-2009, 11:02 PM	#36
rzm3 Moderator 673 Rep 4,737 Posts Drives: E92 M3 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: USA iTrader: (18)	Hey John, Welcome to the forum. We met last time at TWS. Just FYI, there are some killer deals on StopTechs right now, like 25% off or more, so give Rick from Driver's Edge or any vendors on this forum a call and get your upgrade. Hope to see you next time.
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11-25-2009, 07:37 AM	#37
GTM 68 Rep 1,034 Posts Drives: E92 M3 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Crystal Lake, IL iTrader: (2)	I would go back to street radials. Most driver makes mistake on just putting slicks on stock car thinking added grip will give much faster lap time.(without thinking how much stress you will be putting on the car) Although slick tires gives addtional grip/traction, you also need alignment/upgraded bushings/chassis to take full potential of the tires. Without proper setup, it will only help very marginally on lap time but at sametime it DOES increase much stress on chassis/bushings.(can be worse thing on E93 due to weaker chassis) Not only that, slick tires give too much confidence to drivers...harder to control at the limit, which is not a good thing for most weekend track drivers. Any M3 can be very good weekend car even at stock configuration. Only thing I would change for track are...Brake pads and fluid for fade resistance. Jusy my $0.02 Jae
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11-25-2009, 12:08 PM	#38
lopealle Resident Black Guy 251 Rep 2,302 Posts Drives: Lion Join Date: May 2009 Location: Federal Way, WA iTrader: (2) Garage List 2006 M5 [10.00]	i think its awesome you broke the mold. atleast your doing more than just driving
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11-25-2009, 12:15 PM	#39
Pazzo009 Major 1110 Rep 1,314 Posts Drives: X5M,M3(46&36),812SF Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: NY&GA iTrader: (0)	Can someone please explain why you would make a vert a track car. I am not trying to be facetious. I assume because of weight, and chassis rigidity it would not be a wise choice to take a $ 70,$$$ car with the intention to make it a track car, when for 5 grand less, you have much more potential with a coupe. That Carbon fiber roof is there for a very important reason....physics.
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11-25-2009, 12:58 PM	#42
frenchM3dreamer Captain 8 Rep 784 Posts Drives: 08 Mitsu Eclipse Spyder GTP Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Edmonton, AB iTrader: (0)	holy sh** i cant believe all the haters here!!!! driving a vert is something that some people (like me and likely the OP) really enjoy and are "addicted" to... then the OP decided to take his car to the track, what's wrong with that??? the only reason i havent taken my vert (non-M3) to the track yet is because of the soft-top (need roll cage)... Excess weight and all that crap probably wont make ANY significant difference until you get to a certain level of drving skills... sure you might lose .5 seconds per lap, maybe more, put a bit more stress on the brakes, but when the goal is to have fun on the track with your DD, i dont see where the big deal is... AFAIK, the OP didnt get a E93 to run in pro-racing, right? agreed the vert is not your IDEAL car to track, but neither is an M5 and i remember seeing lots of pics of M5 racing around the 'Ring... just to piss you guys off i would get an E93 on the track, with the top-down and a passenger and post pics and vids all over this forum anyhow, i'm a little pissed off seeing all these negative comments to the OP, like he was doing something really stupid or totally wrong by taking a vert to the track... alright, i'm done now! Pat
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11-25-2009, 01:14 PM	#43
M2381 Major 32 Rep 1,286 Posts Drives: E92 M3, GTI Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: FL iTrader: (0)	Hey welcome to the forum and thanks for sharing that information with us. I may be doing something similar soon! __________________ Last edited by M2381; 11-26-2009 at 02:04 AM..
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