[Richbot]

You're right, I borked my ratio

Swept area != heat capacity, and more important heat dissipation rate, as you said. It's a big assumption to assume dissipation rate has increased, and probably not a good one as the E9x doesn't have any kind of ducting to speak of from the factory. And in any case, you're still comparing one inadequate brake system to another, neither the E46 nor the E36 before it was suitable for sustained use on a racetrack close to the car's speed potential. I don't doubt there were plenty of drivers who weren't turning lap times anywhere close to that potential who were just fine, but that's the same as always, there are plenty of drivers on here running laptimes that would be lucky to stand up in a ChumpCar race. So as to the Hack's comment, I think it's true, relative to the car's performance and even using your numbers, the upgrades to the M3's brakes for this generation have not kept up with the demands placed on them.

We're quibbling anyway, if the MOT of HP+ is less than 1,000F, they have no business being sold as track pads for a car like ours. MDM and other stability "aids" (more like bandaids) just make it worse