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      11-08-2018, 11:00 PM   #1
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Lightest E9X Race Car?

I am kicking around the idea of going full race on my E90M3. I know a lot of guys run GTS, I am looking more at NASA enduros so if I don't worry about weight minimums, how low do you think I could get?

I would love to hit around 2800#. Do you guys that have gone through the efforts of stripping everything think it is possible? Who is the lightest out there?
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      11-08-2018, 11:59 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MPACT View Post
I am kicking around the idea of going full race on my E90M3. I know a lot of guys run GTS, I am looking more at NASA enduros so if I don't worry about weight minimums, how low do you think I could get?

I would love to hit around 2800#. Do you guys that have gone through the efforts of stripping everything think it is possible? Who is the lightest out there?
The Trinity Autosport car is the lightest E92 M3 that I know of that regularly sees track duty in SoCal. It's a shop/showcase car, so they built it super clean and it is super stripped inside. They say the car weighs 2850lbs.

Sedans weigh around 40-50 lbs more than E92. And DCT weighs more than 6MT although I don't know what that weight difference is. If you have sedan and DCT, it's going to be that much harder to get to 2800.....

The Yost E92 6MT M3 was a pretty extreme build----taken all the way down to the bare frame---and it was still around 2900lbs as far as I recall.

Racewerkz Engineering had an E92 M3 that was getting into that 2800 range, but that car went to CRAZY town. There were titanium bits all over it, so many parts were replaced with super light stuff, dry sump oil system.....when I say crazy town, I mean it.

I also know of a very nice E92 M3 race build in Arizona that has 400+ labor hours in it. I think that car is in the 2900lbs range.

My car has a solid gutting----nothing crazy extreme, but it is gutted quite solidly, but it has a supercharger (~100lbs extra). It's around 3250lbs no fuel no driver. So let's say I ditched the supercharger, I'd still be around 3150......a lonnnnng way from 2800. Those last 350 lbs are very expensive to get rid of.

Getting an E9x M3 down to the 2800lbs range is a LOT of labor hours and requires some pretty fancy (expensive) light parts. It's worth mentioning that when you get super light parts, often times, they are not built to last long term. They are built for lightness, but you need to replace them FAR sooner than the original parts they replaced.

The Trinity car is for sale. Buy it and save yourself a ton of hassles and waiting.
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      11-09-2018, 02:50 AM   #3
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My car is down to 3300 with half a tank, me in it, and full cage. There's still a bunch of wiring that can be removed, carbon doors, lexan rear windows (which I have but haven't installed yet), and some bits in the engine bay like windshield wipers (which I was told is around 10lbs with motors and all.)

I'll be happy if I can get down to 3000, but racecar fund has been depleted for now. Guess I can also go on a diet and lose some weight
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      11-09-2018, 10:40 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dogbone View Post
The Trinity Autosport car is the lightest E92 M3 that I know of that regularly sees track duty in SoCal. It's a shop/showcase car, so they built it super clean and it is super stripped inside. They say the car weighs 2850lbs.

Sedans weigh around 40-50 lbs more than E92. And DCT weighs more than 6MT although I don't know what that weight difference is. If you have sedan and DCT, it's going to be that much harder to get to 2800.....

The Yost E92 6MT M3 was a pretty extreme build----taken all the way down to the bare frame---and it was still around 2900lbs as far as I recall.

Racewerkz Engineering had an E92 M3 that was getting into that 2800 range, but that car went to CRAZY town. There were titanium bits all over it, so many parts were replaced with super light stuff, dry sump oil system.....when I say crazy town, I mean it.

I also know of a very nice E92 M3 race build in Arizona that has 400+ labor hours in it. I think that car is in the 2900lbs range.

My car has a solid gutting----nothing crazy extreme, but it is gutted quite solidly, but it has a supercharger (~100lbs extra). It's around 3250lbs no fuel no driver. So let's say I ditched the supercharger, I'd still be around 3150......a lonnnnng way from 2800. Those last 350 lbs are very expensive to get rid of.

Getting an E9x M3 down to the 2800lbs range is a LOT of labor hours and requires some pretty fancy (expensive) light parts. It's worth mentioning that when you get super light parts, often times, they are not built to last long term. They are built for lightness, but you need to replace them FAR sooner than the original parts they replaced.

The Trinity car is for sale. Buy it and save yourself a ton of hassles and waiting.
Thanks, this is great insight. Is it the unibody that is particularly heavy then? I know James Clay did CF doors, fenders, and trunk lid but not sure how much that got him. Or is it the subframe stuff that is super heavy?
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      11-09-2018, 10:50 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Shmelgy View Post
My car is down to 3300 with half a tank, me in it, and full cage. There's still a bunch of wiring that can be removed, carbon doors, lexan rear windows (which I have but haven't installed yet), and some bits in the engine bay like windshield wipers (which I was told is around 10lbs with motors and all.)

I'll be happy if I can get down to 3000, but racecar fund has been depleted for now. Guess I can also go on a diet and lose some weight
Wipers and motors are about 10 lbs but there's another 10 lbs in the washer reservoir if it has fluid in it.
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      11-09-2018, 10:50 AM   #6
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      11-09-2018, 10:53 AM   #7
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Another member here about that range, nrbrgring
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      11-10-2018, 07:17 PM   #8
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My E46 M3 started at 3400ish and it's now 2700lbs with a full cage and no aero. The car is probably mid-2300ish to 2400 without the cage so I think 2800 is possible in an E9X.

No carbon fiber other than a CF hood which sucks and is as heavy as the OEM hood. Long story, just needed a cheap replacement. The only money I've spent on lightweight stuff is lexan windows and sunroof delete.

I have removed a ton of little brackets, bolts, and stuff which adds up. That also takes a lot of time. Doing stuff like removing the right side wiper and cutting the linkage in half, lightening the steering column will likely be required.
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      11-17-2018, 11:44 PM   #9
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Yes, E36s seem to settle at 2400# with some decent work, E46s at 2600#, I have just been surprised that E90s settle in around 3000# for similar level of race prep.
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      11-18-2018, 06:04 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Shmelgy View Post

I'll be happy if I can get down to 3000, but racecar fund has been depleted for now. Guess I can also go on a diet and lose some weight
.
I lost 20 Lbs so I can fit in my seat, and contribute to the goal of "lightness".

Kind of happy about it.
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      11-18-2018, 06:07 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by slicer View Post
;
Wipers and motors are about 10 lbs but there's another 10 lbs in the washer reservoir if it has fluid in it.
My windshield fluid light went on in the middle of a track day. When I got home, and without thinking, and out of a habit, I filled it up to the rim.

Later I realized the wight gain I just inflicting unnecessarily and was pissed.
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      11-18-2018, 12:34 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MPACT View Post
I am kicking around the idea of going full race on my E90M3. I know a lot of guys run GTS, I am looking more at NASA enduros so if I don't worry about weight minimums, how low do you think I could get?

I would love to hit around 2800#. Do you guys that have gone through the efforts of stripping everything think it is possible? Who is the lightest out there?
Completely forgot to ask- are you going to put the s85 in or another s65?
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      11-18-2018, 12:51 PM   #13
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Here's our race car

Last time I weighed it it was still 2850
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      11-18-2018, 12:57 PM   #14
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      11-19-2018, 07:47 AM   #15
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i like the gurney flaps in front of the hood vents.
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      11-27-2018, 11:21 AM   #16
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Shit is that a RockAuto rotor holding up the lambda probe?! That car's gonna blow up
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      11-28-2018, 12:35 PM   #17
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Certainly motivational! Last time I was at the track my fat pig weighed in at 3810 (3/4 full tank, I weigh 185#, complete stock interior + moonroof)

The only "weight reduction" done so far is aftermarket 18s and full exhaust. For classing purposes (NASA TT3) I will need to shed about 300# which I think should be relatively "easy" haha
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