Bernooo's E92 M3 Clubsport Build

[jmeenach]

Originally Posted by spazzyfry123

I need to stop coming in here before I do something drastic.

Do the drastic thing.

[reidetailing]

Sharing this incredible video of Alex and his car from the renowned photographer, Larry Chen:

[GeorgeH]

Originally Posted by berns

Well, here we go, another update that will span the course of 2 months, or something... however long it's been since the last one, it feels much, much longer. I. am. spent.

This thread is a good read and the post quoted is likely the the feeling everyone hopes to have from the process of building and driving a custom car. Thanks for bringing us along.


***Edit, can you tell us why the move from the MCS 3 ways to the Nitrons? Did the MCS give up something the Nitrons didnt?

[berns]

Originally Posted by GeorgeH

This thread is a good read and the post quoted is likely the the feeling everyone hopes to have from the process of building and driving a custom car. Thanks for bringing us along.


***Edit, can you tell us why the move from the MCS 3 ways to the Nitrons? Did the MCS give up something the Nitrons didnt?

Thank you! I'm a tinkerer... a builder, a driver. I love this stuff, and with that, I love finding the limits and testing new things for myself and for the greater good of the community. It's what made SUB2 a brand. And we are a brand now... an operating business, helping clients around the country/world with M cars and it's be awesome. We need good partners to make this happen.

Nitron expressed interest in working together a while back. With MCS 3 ways on the car, it was hard to imagine anything ever being better, however, I was willing to try. After years of following Schirmer builds and other brands around the UK / Europe, Nitron was a name I knew but had no experience with. I committed to campaigning the current iteration of the E92 on Nitron's, and as you can see, they are incredible. More than that, Nitron as a brand has been an amazing partner -- they've invested huge in the American market. They come to the track with us, they're out at Laguna for Gridlife with us, at Buttonwillow for Finals... I've been coaching the owner, Guy, in his C8 Corvette. They've been receptive to my feedback. They care about design and aesthetics to match their performance, something I've gone to great lengths to uphold in my build. Everything comes from one place, matching beautifully, machined exquisitely, optimized for weight and finish. The valving is insane... MCS are mega compliant, and we can run a stiff spring package on them, but I've found the Nitron's to be firmer and more lively in terms of feedback and response, letting us run less spring for more mechanical grip in a different window.

With all this being said, we still support and sell MCS, it's just unlisted on the site right now as that's constantly under construction. MCS, Nitron, KW Motorsport-line, Ohlins TTX, etc... these are all top tier brands. You're comparing wagyu to wagyu, Lamborghini to Ferrari. What I've found is it really comes down to support from the brand and support through your dealer. You can buy MCS and screw it all up with the wrong spring package. Find someone to trust and let them guide you on the big decisions, use the best parts, buy once, cry once, and you'll be in good shape. With that, we've been pushing Nitron since we fit them to the car and with over 40 sets sold, we've not had a single complaint. They are amazing for sure. On that note, that brings us to GTA Finals 2025 at Buttonwillow.

It was a weekend I was really looking forward to. We'd made some big changes to the car by diving into rear toe sweep, adjusting static toe front and rear, a new corner balance to make sure all was well, and, we softened the rates about 100lbs front and rear after testing one day at Buttonwillow. The surface is just so much worse than it used to be -- it's hard to find grip in this thing at that track with the rear being so light. It's the reason people come from all over the country with a well-sorted car and an ego, and quickly get humbled by our pile of dirt that is Buttonwillow CW13.

We tested once, and ran a 1:48.88 on used SC3R scrubs. PB.

Weeks later, after the aforementioned changes, we went back out and instantly ran a 1:48.51, on the same scrubs. Progress. This was on Thursday, 2 days before GTA Finals started. Throughout the day, we made adjustments to the dampers and the aero, to try to find a sweet spot. While the track and tires got slower, I was finding pace everywhere, and digging into the data, I knew what I needed the car to do to unlock more lap time. At the end of the day, we'd run another 48.7 lap in heat, and I still had some question marks on the setup and behavior...

So, on Friday, in our garage with the SDC Race Team in full attendance, rather than go out and practice more, I went through the car to check everything. I'd gone over my notes, consulted with a few trusted friends, and decided to break some of my rules by making small adjustments in multiple areas to get the car doing what I wanted once we mounted fresh sticker SC3R's for the competition session on Saturday morning. I'd adjusted rebound and low speed compression front & rear, added splitter angle and played with rake. Eek.

Morning comes, it's cool out, we get some sun, anxiety is pounding in my chest... I'm used to sleeping in a bed with my wife and daughter, in the room with our 3-month old constantly making noises... It's funny, you just get accustomed to sleeping like this. Throw yourself into an Air BNB in a silent, cold room, and sleep is a challenge. I woke up at 4am on Saturday and just started thinking about the lap... drilling my notes into my head, thinking about the shifts and movements. I tried desperately to fall back asleep, but no luck. Suffice to say, I was not well rested for race day.

Unfortunately I'm placed in group 2 for some reason, despite giving my lap time to the org for initial car placement. No big deal, we are gapped pretty well. I head out on track and try to get heat in these tires. Remember, they're made for heavy Camaro's, not a 2700lb E92. I find that carrying big straight line speed and working the brakes without engaging ABS is most helpful. They are scary when cold, for sure, but I'm used to it. Typically we need an out lap and a full medium pace hot lap before we can attack 100%. My out lap feels alright, my first lap was effortless, and I was blown away at corner exit grip and lateral grip in the high speed sections. The reason for this is in a turn like Riverside, the high speed sweeper. We'd typically enter around 115mph and have to scrub to around 104mph midway through. With the new changes we are now at a 110mph min speed there. Club corner to bus stop, nearly flat most of the time, hitting 117mph before braking into Bus Stop. This is super power stuff, not road car. It feels out of this world insane to be doing it. I'd just continued to hold speed and feed throttle this lap, searching for the limit. Halfway through, I realize the tires are on, they are just in their window way sooner than expected. I carry pace but don't over-drive, zero sketchy moments, just an easy lap. Bam, 1:47.88. I set up for lap two, knowing this is the one. We are FLYING. The AIM MXG dash is 100% green delta lights, in the data, we are 1.3 SECOND UP by the time we get to Phil Hill (that's a 1:46.5), and then we run into not one, not two, but three cars at the back of the pack. I have no idea how they got here, if they know they're in a TA competition, if they have any awareness, mirrors, insight, ANYTHING. I am seeing red, I'm seeing the delta, I know this is a 1:45 lap. And just like that, it's taken away. After horrendous passing, we cross the line with what was my PB just days before... a 1:48.5. Un-f*cking-real. Data says we have a 1:45.8 in this car. An unheard of lap time for an E9x, let alone one with an original NA motor and a 6 speed on street tires... I try again on lap three, blow a shift after cotton corners letting my nerves take hold, the tires have fallen off, and that's that.

Here is the 47.8 chill lap.

Here's the shit show on lap 2.

And here's the only chance to improve, Sunday morning. Grip was NOT like the morning before, but I knew I could at least improve on my time enough to secure podium (47.5), I'm over-driving beyond available grip for sure. As you can see, it's hard to get out of Off Ramp (the slowest corner of the track), and MEGA sketchy into Bus Stop (where we need to be almost flat to keep pace) and I end up full counter-steer near the top of 4th gear, but still, with all the drama, I was .5 sec up from the 47.8 the morning prior into Sweeper, and an Evo that had been spinning and having issues all weekend, parked it in the middle of the track on my flyer. A 47.2 would have secured 3rd in class for me, while Saturday's good lap would have secured 2nd. Oh well, that's racin'.

I'll share some photos from the weekend in another post, but that's my update for now.

Time to find more pace in this thing.

[P1zzaboy]

Im curious to hear you more on the toe sweep adjustments. Most people buy all the adjustable arms and don’t do anything with them. I know clocking the rear knuckles differently can change the e9x a lot. What’s the general theory you base your adjustments on, or what are you looking for when adjusting them?

[berns]

Some more E92 content on the interwebs today with one of my oldest friends.

[kolosy]

Originally Posted by berns

Some more E92 content on the interwebs today with one of my oldest friends.

https://youtu.be/IzB3mkKdx54?si=VcH4tqrhQfsxV_NP

Saw that, nice work! Was hoping you’d drive the club sport build though, would be cool to see the true car difference with the driver constant.

[reidetailing]

Originally Posted by berns

Some more E92 content on the interwebs today with one of my oldest friends.

Another great video!

[berns]

Man… I am a sucker for sidewalls. I’ve been pushing this car, and all cars, on street tires for my entire driving journey. Mostly because I’ve always driven to the track, competed in street classes or don’t own a trailer. All of the above?

It’s been a fun challenge to optimize this insane car around poor sizing and tricky compounds, and that story continues this year. With a new round of development and upgrades in store, I wanted to see how much more time we could find at Buttonwillow with a proper slick.

Having zero experience on them and keeping my setup the same from GTA Finals, I picked up a set of Yokohama Advan A005's in the soft A40 compound. They're 280/650/18, which is supposed to be ideal on an 11" wheel. A friend is running the 300's on 10.5's, which fits and works well, but the 11's take up a lot of room and I wanted to start here. If looks were all that mattered (and sometimes they do), these win. The factory race car vibe is finally realized. I honestly can't get over how damn cool this thing looks.

I loaded up and headed up to Buttonwillow. After being down with the flu for a week, I wasn't feeling 100% but everything was already in motion. There was no turning back.

Arrived at Buttonwillow to a 36* track. It. Was. Cold. So cold, I debated not even going out in the quiet morning session, but I had to remind myself that Buttonwillow is only fastest in the morning, no matter what. So, filled it up with some 101 and set a strategy for getting the tires to temp. I took it VERY slow on my first out-lap, terrified I'd just skip off the tarmac into the frozen mud, or a tire barrier. No silly waving of the wheel back and forth, but I used the brakes to generate heat, just as I've learned to do with the SC3R's. After a lap like that, I progressively added higher speeds, harder braking and gently increased cornering speeds. By the start of lap 3, the tires were feeling pretty good at a quick outlap pace, so I hot pitted for pressures. My friend said we got them to 27psi, not the 29 we needed, but I did a way faster out lap and decided to go for it. And this is the result.

Or, if you want a little longer format, here it is on IG with some commentary. https://www.instagram.com/sub2_speed...l/DTWqG9EEX_l/

Honestly, I was speechless. I knew the car had some serious pace after GTA Finals. I didn't think we really saw the best of what it could do there because I was impeded on my real flyer. The data of that impeded lap said we were a full second quicker than the 47.8, but with it never completed, that's the best. To instantly shave 2.1 sec off the time was crazy. But crazier is watching the lap and finding all the areas I need to clean up. Track temp really wasn't ideal, we have a small slide and correction right away at T1 (sunrise). Then I instinctively grab 4th into Off Ramp, but there's no need with these taller tires. I didn't know if the rear grip would be there, so I was late to throttle at the exit there, but no drama, and man this car just fucking goes in 3rd.

Cotton Corners, sacrificed my line due to understeer, saved it but not ideal. Short shift is typical coming out, but perhaps I could stay in 3rd now with the added stability and get a nicer drive out. Not sure it's worth it, but have to test.

Club Corner -- again, a bit pushy, tires didn't feel ideal, but we kept the min speed high and kept it together. Bus Stop was pretty flawless, but I'm not braking as late as I could on slicks. These are street tire braking points.

Riverside - ah, the understeer! My Riverside was actually quicker on the SC3R's. And in the data, I actually made up most of the 2+ sec in the first half of the track, after that, it was just maintaining compared to the 47.8.

Exiting riverside was nice and committed, but I didn't need to grab 5th gear to only hit 128 (we can do 132 in 4th with the taller tires)

Phil Hill - I feel like I never commit quite enough, but it's not a place you want to go off, so I just take it easy. Again, though, I think we should take it in 3rd now.

Sweeper - I'll never be happy here, it's fine, but we can definitely come in hotter and more aggressively. The exit into the esses was lovely though. Such an important drive out.

Esses, effortless, look at those Nitrons work, we have so much room for more pace here if this car gets a boost in power...

Sunset, similar feelings to Phil Hill. Just get through it, but the car was hooked up and I should have gone again, but I was too excited so I parked it.

All in all, it's just completely wild to me to still be finding CHUNKS of time in this car, without adding a drop of HP. We have the same few engine mods since day one and I still really don't know what the limit is. Keep thinking I'm close and then we find some more. Not sure if it's healthy never to be satisfied, but running this lap only has me wanting a 43 next. I'll go back to BW one more time on 1/30 with Socal Drivers Club to see if we can find any more time, and after that, it might finally be time to throw the Syvecs and ESS kit on... for science.

[F4rmost]

Fantastic write up - I was following along on instagram. It's awesome you update the thread here also. I really like reading the summary. The S65 that could!

Originally Posted by berns

it might finally be time to throw the Syvecs and ESS kit on... for science.

Just wondering why the ESS vs a stroker? I am sure cost is a factor, but just curious. I have no data or inclination to say one over the other.

[omgzirra_exe]

Originally Posted by F4rmost

Fantastic write up - I was following along on instagram. It's awesome you update the thread here also. I really like reading the summary. The S65 that could!



Just wondering why the ESS vs a stroker? I am sure cost is a factor, but just curious. I have no data or inclination to say one over the other.

This is just my opinion, not speaking for Berns.

After having a stroker myself, I don’t think it’s worth the money for the gains. If your goal is time attack, the blower gives you way more headroom to compete with the cars that completely outclass the E9X M3 in GTA Unlimited Class. Even if he wasn’t competing, I’m honestly just curious what a G1+ can do in his setup.

Even at 2700 pounds, Berns is probably making around 400 whp with basically abysmal torque . The blower at least helps fill that gap.

Also, for around 10K you get an ESS kit and a Syvecs PnP without pulling the engine, though you still need to rethink the cooling system to keep temps under control. But that route makes more sense when you’re chasing lap time.

Compare that to a stroker. You’re looking at 30K plus (4.6L) before installation. Prices have gone crazy. And a stroker only really shines when you bump compression to around 12.5:1 which means E85 or race gas only. BW having E85 five minutes away does help, but still. And you should run Syvecs on a stroker anyway for protection and optimization because the OEM DME isn’t ideal for that setup. BUT you don't need to.

If budget wasn’t a concern I’d do a 4.2L + ESS G1+ all day.

also at 30K+ on a stroker... you might as well go S85 swap.. as we are soon close to a PNP solution.

[DRLane]

+1 vote for Drenth and related weight savings vs adding 100lbs on the nose.

Killer driving berns

[berns]

Thanks guys. Believe me... I think most you "know" me at this point. You've seen this car go from street driven to here and the decisions made along the way. Somehow, we are still not tapped out for all out performance, even just leaving the motor alone. This shines at Buttonwillow because it's a short track that really benefits from high corner speeds, which we've increased dramatically. The straight line speeds are insane for this power level, too, as you'll see we are carrying more speed almost everywhere vs similar SC cars.

BUT, I do compete in TA, it's where this car has lived and will continue to live. With that, I've also completely committed to always being the underdog. It's not the most fun story to live, but it's a fun story to tell, because I built this car for me and figured I'll stuff it in whatever class it can go in. It's only getting quicker, but at other tracks, the HP deficit really shows... like laguna, COTA (won't be back, but still), the ridge, thunderhill...

I'm ok with that. I'm even tempted to another full season NA and stock motor, but planning and financing this build only gets harder at this level. I'm lucky enough that a friend literally just gave me his ESS G1 kit, only that if I sell it, I'll owe him the money. What a deal. It's quite tempting... I HATE the idea of adding weight to this car. It kills me. Also hate adding complexity.

Sequential... let's look at how much shifting I really do. I'm curious how much quicker the car would be, weight savings, shift time, more accurate and better timed shifts, more optimal gearing, perhaps. But again, cost... complexity...

Stroker: sure, money no object, I'd be building something VERY special. High compression, big cams, 4.25l, 9500rpm. I don't really crave torque. I think this car shows you that torque isn't what you need to go fast. You need linear power, usable power, and a car that pulls up top. Different strokes for different folks, but I love the characteristics of this car. If it wasn't a $30,000+ idea, plus downtime, plus worries of longevity, maybe, but it's all of those things. So unless some company wants to put their motor in this car to see what it can do, it's just never going to happen for me.

The blower will go on and we will test it. If it's instantly quicker by a good margin, I'll learn to optimize the kit for weight, move some parts to the rear of the car, lighten it all up and push through development to have it working well. If I hate it, it's coming right off and we will go back to NA, shaving more weight from the car, and saving for a sequential regardless.

Sound like a plan? Cool. <3

[jmeenach]

It was great seeing this car run on Friday. My wallet hates you now! The wish list for my car has certainly increased a little bit after seeing this car in person haha!

[former 240 s14]

Originally Posted by berns

Stroker: sure, money no object, I'd be building something VERY special. High compression, big cams, 4.25l, 9500rpm. I don't really crave torque. I think this car shows you that torque isn't what you need to go fast. You need linear power, usable power, and a car that pulls up top. Different strokes for different folks, but I love the characteristics of this car. If it wasn't a $30,000+ idea, plus downtime, plus worries of longevity, maybe, but it's all of those things. So unless some company wants to put their motor in this car to see what it can do, it's just never going to happen for me.

Sound like a plan? Cool. <3

I am currently doing a MINI stroker (4.1L) with sleeves and higher compression (12.5:1) pistons. Luckily my heads are built with titanium hardware so all I am doing is a short block. It's still super expensive, even with the support I get.

Trust me that I get your battle with your HP issues when you go on bigger longer tracks. My fix will be going 4.10 gear next offseason to compliment the new engine.

Rubin

[berns]

Started planning today... Currently, the goal is to have the Syvecs in, along with a custom harness from Bend Calibration that'll add some knock sensors and a few other things, all by the end of February. We have GTA Thunderhill in May. That would give me March & April to test and see if we're keeping this boosted or going back to NA for the season. Oh, yeah, we need to get the blower on, too.

I took it all out today and looked at it. I've got to say, if I spent $8k on this kit, I'd probably be bummed to see gross barb fittings and hose clamps and some cheap looking heat exchanger with a measly pump. I know they make power... but having spent so much time and care to do things at a "motorsport" level, you see something like this and you just want none of it. However...

We need to know if this is the way forward for the car. In theory, 500-550whp and as small a weight penalty as possible, would really transform the E92, so we must try. I refuse to put the whole kit on as it sits, so instead, I'm going to try something else.

First, we'll pressure test the stock plenum. It's a stout piece, it's relatively light, we know it's made well for flow. If it can hold 10psi, it should be fine to handle 7psi at redline and whatever small spike may happen pre blow-off valve. Should it hold, I think we'll lay some carbon kevlar over it for added rigidity and bond. If that all works, we're going to swap to an electric PS kit from my buddy Alex Miller, basically GT3 cup stuff. This helps move weight to the rear, removes another pulley from the mix, lets me pull the AC bracket off, ditch the PS cooler, AND, it frees up space behind the pass side headlight, which we need. Getting to that.

I'll mount the blower, the hard part is done with the bracket. Could it be lighter? Maybe, but we don't need to do that right now. It needs to be strong. I may look at clocking the compressor cover, but the plan will be lightweight piping, a light and beefy PWR core to sit up front behind the kidenys with some laser cut end tanks, keep it tidy, mount at blow off valve to atmosphere and get a pipe out from behind the passenger headlight then up to the modified plenum inlet. Easy, right?

If it all goes to plan, we'll be shaving significant weight off the nose, making the kit & car WAY easier to service, and keeping things cool enough for some hot laps.

Along with the Syvecs, which I randomly picked up from an IG follower, Bend will be working on a TC strategy. I do not want a car that relies on TC, but to be competitive at this level, we could use it at a few problem areas at certain tracks.

I'm a little nervous. A little excited. A little like, is this the beginning of the end? But hell, I can always pull the blower off and go back to the glory days. We'll see what happens. Thanks for coming to my TED talk.

[kolosy]

Nice! I’ll be curious to see about the plenum. The issue with air pressure is that it’s a cumulative effect, so while 7psi doesn’t sound like much, 7 psi over (I don’t know the exact dimensions) let’s say’s a 2’x2’ plane is 2400 lbs of total force.

[former 240 s14]

Originally Posted by berns

If that all works, we're going to swap to an electric PS kit from my buddy Alex Miller, basically GT3 cup stuff. This helps move weight to the rear, removes another pulley from the mix, lets me pull the AC bracket off, ditch the PS cooler, AND, it frees up space behind the pass side headlight, which we need. Getting to that.

Can you share more about Alex's PS kit? Curious to understand the setup and how it helps with weight distribution. I want to keep A/C for the time being as my car will still be driven on the street randomly, so understanding if I can retrain the A/C system will be key.

Thanks,

Rubin

[berns]

Originally Posted by former 240 s14

Can you share more about Alex's PS kit? Curious to understand the setup and how it helps with weight distribution. I want to keep A/C for the time being as my car will still be driven on the street randomly, so understanding if I can retrain the A/C system will be key.

Thanks,

Rubin

I'll share more when I have it here. Alex has done a few kits for AC cars, just need a shorter belt.

[DRLane]

It’s electric PS pump with built in res, mount where you want and route lines to the steering rack. Powered via switch w/ 12v. You can then ditch rotating assembly (AC and PS). Pump/fluid weight can move rearward.

Other Alex is Move Over. Maybe there’s opportunity to bring this kit to Sub2SpeedHouse store so will defer to OP Alex as they test.

[Redd]

Before going nuts with PS delete, custom piping, etc, maybe put the blower kit on as is and see if you like the new power curve and throttle response? Might save you some pain down the road and set a baseline on what the kit feels like before you start modifying it.

The other issue is that the stock plenum inlet is on the wrong side for your plan to route the flow to a cooler in the kidney grille. Reference the G Power kit which also has an intercooler at the kidney grille. Also a longer air path also has a negative impact on throttle response, but air-to-air cooling is probably better for more laps.

[berns]

Originally Posted by Redd

Before going nuts with PS delete, custom piping, etc, maybe put the blower kit on as is and see if you like the new power curve and throttle response? Might save you some pain down the road and set a baseline on what the kit feels like before you start modifying it.

The other issue is that the stock plenum inlet is on the wrong side for your plan to route the flow to a cooler in the kidney grille. Reference the G Power kit which also has an intercooler at the kidney grille. Also a longer air path also has a negative impact on throttle response, but air-to-air cooling is probably better for more laps.

I agree, but mounting the condenser, wiring the pump, dealing with all the garbage and extra weight... i'm quite committed to the idea right now and ultimately think this will be the plan for at least this season. I worry if I put the kit on now, I won't pull it apart to develop the necessary parts afterwards. I'm going to try to get it done. Nice thing is, I'm not modifying the kit itself. Just cutting my stock plenum and making an intercooler setup.

The inlet of my plenum will be cut, we'll then make a coupler and reducer elbow for it to point it the right way.

The PS kit is going on regardless. I'm tired of fluid on the windshield, and any weight I can move off the front and put in the rear is welcomed.

Thank you though, all good points! Agree 100%, I'm just an idiot and want it my way from the start.