[BrendanZ0402]

Background
Say hi to the GTP 6MT! 2023 base M3 in grigio telesto pearl. Being my first BMW, so far so good! Coming from AMG I appreciate the lack of interior panel rattling, squeaking, and the exhaust valves staying not-seized lol. I intend to document my journey with the M3 in terms of tracking in general.

All data captured using Aim Solo DL2 + Smartycam 3 Sport
Sometimes Gopro will be used hehe

Track Relavent Mod List:
RWE Spec MCS 2WR
Full SPL Catalog
Forgeline GS1R in 19x10.5
Currently running Bridgestone RE71RS
Endless ME20 pads front and back
MSI studs and lug nuts

Picture as the car currently sits:

[BrendanZ0402]

First Track Day Report (05/27/23) BW CW13
The car is basically bone stock currently! Just studs and spacers and alignment. Stock alignment has a bit of toe in, and now it sits at 0 toe. Front camber is at around -1.6 degs and rear are at -1.8. Stock!

The weather was unusually nice for Buttonwillow at the end of May! The highest I saw was 85 during the day. However, the run groups are VERY crowded, and I chose the wrong run group! Haha.....

Tire wear is very typical of PS4S under stock alignment. The front shoulders are basically toast after 3 sessions, maybe it will be good for one or two more track days but no PB for sure. I ran 32PSI hot and that seems to do well.

Stock brakes are AMAZING! Best I've felt in a stock package, comparable to Camaro 6 SS 1LE stock pads. Basically no fade, but I can use a bit more initial bite. I tried sport brakes but that just felt artificially boosted. Brake wear is also superb. My AMG stock pads will be 50% gone at this point. Although my pace for the day is not that high as well.

Stock cooling is on point! Oil temp reached 221 at the very start of a session. Some more cooling kicked in as the session goes on, and I never saw the oil temp climb over 210 once it settled down. Was thinking about running 5W40 but don't see the need because the oil runs so cool!

Stock suspension is amazing as well. Rally over bus stop and not felt a thing! Quite remarkable.

I will be in to install my MCS 1WNR and SPL front tension arms, rear upper arms, and toe arms in mid-Aug. Will be running 19s Forgeline GS1R 285/35/19 square. Next event will be speed district 9/01 Buttonwillow!

After my last session:
Front Brakes




Front Driver Side's Tire



Front Passenger Side's Tire


Rear Driver Side's Tire


Rear Passenger Side's Tire


Xpel Tracwrap
Super easy to install and held up well! The car has full PPF but planning on doing a tear-away on high impact areas. This did the job though. Protection on top of the protection on the protection for the protection! Lol




Day's Best Lap With Traffic (2.10 )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drW7ez7tClo

Aim is wired to OBD2, so lack brake pressure reading. Throttle pos is a bit funky as well. Hope they figure the CANBUS out soon!

Any tips on how to hold the steering wheel? I kept triggering the voice assistant lol

[nizona]

Nice write-up. How low was your cold psi?

[EatThatLunchBaby]

Originally Posted by nizona

Nice write-up. How low was your cold psi?

I mimic the same sentiments, I love reading through your experience and learning about what others are having luck with. This was the same thing that stood out to me as well. I’m somewhat of a novice to track use but I’m trying to learn.

I have a very similar setup as my car is completely stock with 12mm spacers all around. I have not messed with camber at all though. I tried to run 30/33 psi cold for a session and I felt like I was getting very close to rolling over the wheels. After the session I noticed a lot of wear on the sidewalls so I immediately bumped up the PSI to 35/38 cold and it felt much better. I don’t have a thermal gun so I’m just running off what the iDrive system was telling me. 32 psi hot seems like something I couldn’t trust on track.

[BrendanZ0402]

Originally Posted by nizona

Nice write-up. How low was your cold psi?

Originally Posted by EatThatLunchBaby

I mimic the same sentiments, I love reading through your experience and learning about what others are having luck with. This was the same thing that stood out to me as well. I’m somewhat of a novice to track use but I’m trying to learn.

I have a very similar setup as my car is completely stock with 12mm spacers all around. I have not messed with camber at all though. I tried to run 30/33 psi cold for a session and I felt like I was getting very close to rolling over the wheels. After the session I noticed a lot of wear on the sidewalls so I immediately bumped up the PSI to 35/38 cold and it felt much better. I don’t have a thermal gun so I’m just running off what the iDrive system was telling me. 32 psi hot seems like something I couldn’t trust on track.

I’m running around 25 psi cold! And yea sidewall rollover is a big problem with cars on stock camber. Mine were rolled almost halfway through the sidewall lol. I don’t really see tire pressure as a way to control tire rollover, I think tire pressure has more to do with a tire’s profile, if it’s oval or caved in the center of the tire. In my experience PS4S tend to get greasy at around 34/35 psi. If you want to get less tire rollover and side shoulder wear, a tire with harder sidewall and more negative camber would help!!!

[Boomer 2019]

I have two bits of advice for you, the first regarding your tires, and the second your brakes. When driving at a track, pressure or temp measurements are always taken when hot as soon as you get back to the paddock from a session. Your 32 psi hot is too low for PS4s. This is a good starting point when cold at the beginning of the day, but let it rise to 37 or 38psi and keep it there. The under inflation and the lack of camber is what is eating up your sidewalls so quickly. Proper inflation alone will help, but these cars desperately need more camber for track driving (around -3 deg) front, or you will be going through front tires like toilet paper.

As to the brakes, watch your rear pads very closely. The small size of the rears means that they cannot dissipate heat very well under heavy braking, and they will wear down to nothing very soon. The fronts will last much longer. When the time comes to replace them do your homework and buy something that is track oriented. They will out perform and outlast the OEM's.

Oh, and change to high temp brake fluid. Have fun out there.

[BrendanZ0402]

Originally Posted by Boomer 2019

I have two bits of advice for you, the first regarding your tires, and the second your brakes. When driving at a track, pressure or temp measurements are always taken when hot as soon as you get back to the paddock from a session. Your 32 psi hot is too low for PS4s. This is a good starting point when cold at the beginning of the day, but let it rise to 37 or 38psi and keep it there. The under inflation and the lack of camber is what is eating up your sidewalls so quickly. Proper inflation alone will help, but these cars desperately need more camber for track driving (around -3 deg) front, or you will be going through front tires like toilet paper.

As to the brakes, watch your rear pads very closely. The small size of the rears means that they cannot dissipate heat very well under heavy braking, and they will wear down to nothing very soon. The fronts will last much longer. When the time comes to replace them do your homework and buy something that is track oriented. They will out perform and outlast the OEM's.

Oh, and change to high temp brake fluid. Have fun out there.

Thanks man! I’ve gotta do more tweaking regarding tire pressure. When I was running a E63 Wagon, which is 4700 lbs, the 4S on that car ran faster times when 32-34 hot than 35-38 hot. I ran 35 hot for a session, but found 32 faster for some reason. My rear tire sidewall wear is decent, but they’ve got 0.3-0.4 more camber and they are not turning.

More camber is indeed needed! Vorshlag camber plates will go on the same time as my MCS, tire wear should even out a lot more once I dial more camber in.

I did monitor the rear brakes and the wear characteristics are surprisingly good for a stock setup. I do plan on running Endless ME20 front and back when the time comes. I thought I need high temp fluid as well, but decided to go with the stock brake fluid as well after Jackie Ding got a second place at Gridlife Watkins Glen in his M2 with stock brake pads and fluid. Again, surprisingly no fade this time, maybe they will soften a bit with more pace. I do have 2L of AP R3 fluid just sitting around. Will change them on the same time as I do the pads!

[1209582]

i agree, stock brakes and cooling is so good. am also at 0 toe and 1.8 rear. also nice driving!

[BrendanZ0402]

Originally Posted by 1209582

i agree, stock brakes and cooling is so good. am also at 0 toe and 1.8 rear. also nice driving!

Thanks man! Hope to see you in future events

[nizona]

Well I had my first evening out on the Nürburgring. Did 3 laps, first lap I let out too much air out of the front left 29psi so took it easy. 2nd and 3rd laps was pushing more about 35psi hot front, trying to get used to braking hard in the car. Made a couple of mistakes and could feel the car get very loose braking at Flugplatz after the crest of a hill from 125 to 100mph. Hit the speed limiter at Schwedenkreuz... Have definitely some tire wear, was at 140°-150° on Continental sport contact 6. Brake pads are still fine but I'll get the speed engineering cooking kit asap. Was trying to keep up with a Cayman GT4 and Corvette but could not time any corner speeds or breaking points, so they pulled away.

[BrendanZ0402]

Originally Posted by nizona

Well I had my first evening out on the Nürburgring. Did 3 laps, first lap I let out too much air out of the front left 29psi so took it easy. 2nd and 3rd laps was pushing more about 35psi hot front, trying to get used to braking hard in the car. Made a couple of mistakes and could feel the car get very loose braking at Flugplatz after the crest of a hill from 125 to 100mph. Hit the speed limiter at Schwedenkreuz... Have definitely some tire wear, was at 140°-150° on Continental sport contact 6. Brake pads are still fine but I'll get the speed engineering cooking kit asap. Was trying to keep up with a Cayman GT4 and Corvette but could not time any corner speeds or breaking points, so they pulled away.

Sounds like great fun! You need more camber more than me since the ring is so high speed and the load on the tire is high! I’m planning on running RE71RS 285/35/19 square. Nankang have similar sizes as well. Endless ME20 will work well too. That’s the plan for my car! The stock brakes are really impressive though. The speed engineering ducting looks sick but I’m iffy about using it on a duo duty street/track car. Take some onboard vids when you can!

[nizona]

Originally Posted by BrendanZ0402

Sounds like great fun! You need more camber more ...Take some onboard vids when you can!

I thought I'd be able to record directly with the bmw drive record... Seems that was a mistake from my salesman☹️ and drive record is only for crashes, can anyone confirm that. Will certainly check about the camber, and want to move to endless pads with aftermarket brake fluid when stock pads wear out.

[BrendanZ0402]

Originally Posted by nizona

I thought I'd be able to record directly with the bmw drive record... Seems that was a mistake from my salesman☹️ and drive record is only for crashes, can anyone confirm that. Will certainly check about the camber, and want to move to endless pads with aftermarket brake fluid when stock pads wear out.

That’s my plan as well. I think the stock pads are comparable to Ferodo DS2500/Endless MX72. And yea the drive recorder is basically useless. I thought it’d be something like Tesla’s system but it just records less than a minute if I recall correctly LOL

[GP_with_the_M3]

Love this thread, as I will be in the same boat shortly.

[BrendanZ0402]

Originally Posted by GP_with_the_M3

Love this thread, as I will be in the same boat shortly.

Thank you! My next event will be in September. Taking a summer break! Haha

[moproblems]

I found 1.8 too high in the rear, the car becomes more skittish on corner exit and you aren't using the entire contact patch. Look at your wear, you have about a half inch to go to the wear marker on the sidewall. I run ~3 up front and 1.5 in the rear and my wear goes right up to the point of the marker.

Also I don't know if it's a comp thing only but on my 6mt I can get like 3 sets of fronts to one set of rears. That's in MDM as well.

[BrendanZ0402]

Originally Posted by moproblems

I found 1.8 too high in the rear, the car becomes more skittish on corner exit and you aren't using the entire contact patch. Look at your wear, you have about a half inch to go to the wear marker on the sidewall. I run ~3 up front and 1.5 in the rear and my wear goes right up to the point of the marker.

I think you’re right! Another reason is that I’m currently front camber limited. My driver side rear is 1.8deg negative camber just to compensate for the passenger side. It came with 2.2 deg negative camber from the factory! Camber adjustments are quite limited, waiting to get my SPL arms on and I can really get a track alignment done

And that being tire wear? I can see that with a proper track alignment. For my next event I think I’ll try the M-TC program. MDM uses stage 4-7! Just with ESC on haha

[BrendanZ0402]

MCS + SPL are ON!!! Full SPL catalog and MCS 2WR dampers. Stoked!! Stock front fitment looks like crap now lol. This is with 12mm spacers. Need new wheels!!

[BrendanZ0402]

Buttonwillow CW13 Speed District Track Day 09/02/23


The car did well! The square setup worked really well, handling is neutral, you just need to be patient with the throttle when coming out of corners lol.

Vorsteiner grille mesh doing its job I guess?


Tire wear is very good! Should have at least 3-4 days left in these RE71RS, no significant wear difference between driver's side and passenger's side tires.

Passnger side front


Passenger side rear


Driver's side front

The ME20 has some noticeable wear, but should last beyond the tires. Thinking about a compound with more initial bite than these because when I was braking into sunrise the pedal effort needed is more than I'd like. In other words I almost shat my pants on my first hot lap lol. Rotors did way better than I expected! There are some minor cracks in the front if I'm really looking for it but not bad for a full day of lapping.



Rear pads seems to be wearing fine.

Interestingly, I did the first half of the day in MDM mode, which made the car more likely to spin out. It just cuts power too abruptly and maybe grabs some rear brakes. Went off 3 times lol.

I did trigger the collision avoidance system, you just need to be really smooth when coming onto the brakes and you'll be fine.

Some dusty interior pics in the end LOL. Signs of a good day haha



Here is me doing a 2:04 in a sub 1:55 car

[D_SheerDrivingPleasure]

Do you disabled rev matching? Nothing is more satisfying than mastering the blip but it's really hard to get right while braking.

[JFIV]

Nice. I also did a 2:04 at BW.
G80 M3 manual stock

Good news is you’ll only get better.

Looking forward to getting back out there and improving my lines and speed.

Hopefully one of these days we can get some locals with G8x out there

[BrendanZ0402]

Originally Posted by D_SheerDrivingPleasure

Do you disabled rev matching? Nothing is more satisfying than mastering the blip but it's really hard to get right while braking.

Haha nowadays I’m turning off rev matching on the street but keeping it on on the track. Need all the help I can get lol