[wjones14]

This past Monday July 11 I brought the M2C to Watkins Glen. The car is a year old with 5000 miles. I had done 13 track days previously, one per year since 2007. Previous cars were a 2005 Mustang GT, 2015 BMW M235i, and a 2018 Camaro 2SS 1LE.

The M2C was great on the track. My biggest complaint was the small gas tank. This thing gets horrible mileage when the turbos are at full boost, and the Fuel Reserve warning came on at the end of session #2. Said I had 23 miles left when the checkered flag came out, but then was up to 35 miles by the time I reached the pit and it recalculated. So I had plenty of gas to leave the track, fill up, and return for the next 2 sessions.

Road & Track did a head-to-head comparison between the M2C and Camaro 2SS 1LE a couple years back. I got almost the identical results they did: The M2C was faster on the straights, but the 1LE had the better lap times.

I saw a max speed of 139.3 with the M2, compared to a 137.4 I did with the Camaro back in 2020. But I ran a 2:19.37 lap in the Camaro, and the best I could get with the M2C was 2:25.14.

Not to make excuses, but it was 90 degrees this time with the M2 and it was below 80 when I took the Camaro to the Glen. And this time there were 34 cars in my run group on track at the same time, so there was a lot of traffic at times.

In fact I was talking with a Corvette owner in my group who said that his previous best time was 2:21. We were both around 2:25 yesterday for our best laps, so maybe the track was a bit slicker than usual.

The M2C has a torque curve flat enough to stay in fourth gear almost all the way around the track, only having to shift to fifth briefly on the front and back straights at about 125 mph, and then back to fourth again for the turns.

I started off by dropping the tire pressures from 35 to 33. After one session the fronts were 43 and the rears were at 41. I lowered them another 2 lbs and they never got over 39/37 after that.

No issues with the brakes - the pedal was firm throughout the day.

As I said before, I only track cars once a year. I am not chasing the best possible lap time. I don't do any mods or adjustments other than tire pressure. I'm just out there for the adrenaline rush and because I love it. I'm in the Intermediate 1 run group and that's fine with me, since I'm signed off to run solo. Yes, I try to improve each time out, but I don't try to push it beyond my own comfort zone.

Oh BTW, the brake squeal I have had since Day 1 with this car is now gone! At least for now. We'll see how long that lasts.

Attached is a picture of the RaceChrono app summary screen for session #1 when I hit 139.3. The other picture was from my friend's iPhone in Panorama mode, where he captured the entire 34 car group. I'm in the pole position in that one, ready to enter pit road!

[///393]

Congrats on another safe, fun outing. I take a similar mindset with me to the track.

Too many variables to compare the 1LE and M2C but interesting data points none the less. Those Camaros, be it SS or ZL1, are quick.

[M1500Z]

Nice writeup. WGI looks fun and I'd love to drive it some day, but for now, GT7 will have to suffice. Glad you're out there having fun no matter what you're driving ��!

A large amount of the difference between the Camaro and M2 Comp (as in that article) is solely down to tires. The Supercar 3 on the Camaro is a much better track-day tire than the PSS/PS4 on the M2, and the Camaro has 80mm more(!) tire on each axle. Give them equal footing (especially on a fast track like that) and I suspect that time gap would largely disappear.

[wjones14]

Originally Posted by M1500Z

Nice writeup. WGI looks fun and I'd love to drive it some day, but for now, GT7 will have to suffice. Glad you're out there having fun no matter what you're driving ��!

A large amount of the difference between the Camaro and M2 Comp (as in that article) is solely down to tires. The Supercar 3 on the Camaro is a much better track-day tire than the PSS/PS4 on the M2, and the Camaro has 80mm more(!) tire on each axle. Give them equal footing (especially on a fast track like that) and I suspect that time gap would largely disappear.

Yeah, agree. The M2C would be closer to the Camaro with the same tires. For me, the Camaro was a little easier to drive fast though. The magnetic suspension kept the Camaro so stable. I had little wiggles during hard braking with the M2C when slowing from 130+ mph, but no wiggles in the Camaro.

Plus the Head-Up Display (HUD) in the 1LE made a HUGE difference on the track. It had F1-style shift lights, green to yellow to red, and a bar graph tach, right in your field of view. The redline on the M2C tach is slightly hard to see in the bright sunlight. I was shifting if I saw the rpms get near 7000.

But bottom line, both cars were a 100% blast to drive on the track. And the M2 is the much better daily driver, so I'm definitely happy to have the M2C. (But wish I had an extra garage to have the 1LE too!)

[pal]

Originally Posted by "wjones14"

As I said before, I only track cars once a year. I am not chasing the best possible lap time. I don't do any mods or adjustments other than tire pressure. I'm just out there for the adrenaline rush and because I love it. I'm in the Intermediate 1 run group and that's fine with me, since I'm signed off to run solo. Yes, I try to improve each time out, but I don't try to push it beyond my own comfort zone.

This is such a mature statement to make - I love it. And I also love this group that is running with it and engaging in a good discussion based on the parameters you've established for us in this post. Refreshing!

I so miss the Glen since having moved out west a few years ago. Such an amazing track. As others have said, there's more time to be had in the M2 and I am sure you with gradually find it as and when you get back to the track.

[wjones14]

Just posted a 1 minute clip to YouTube showing the lap where I reached my personal best top speed. Does it look like 139.3 mph?

https://youtu.be/slOaVDFKgSA

[Maynard]

I was there for this event as well, in INT 2 (white) group. What car were you in? Several nice M2/M2C's there, about the only place I see them (as coincidence, a guy works across the street from me has one; I've only seen one other on the street aside from trackside).

I was the HS M2C without the colored calipers, got to park next to the guy from BMW NA who was doing photo op on the new M3 CF kit (space grey M3 with all kinds of new aero bits, including a gee-whiz exhaust setup that looks more Lotus than BMW).

WGI is a great track; our BMW chapter runs there twice this year, hope to see you there to say Hi!

[GasBurnlife(landapanda)]

I'll be there with GVC next weekend - blue M2 #294; come say hi!

Edit: will be in the garage, so should be pretty easy to find.

[wjones14]

Originally Posted by Maynard

I was there for this event as well, in INT 2 (white) group. What car were you in? Several nice M2/M2C's there, about the only place I see them (as coincidence, a guy works across the street from me has one; I've only seen one other on the street aside from trackside).

I was the HS M2C without the colored calipers, got to park next to the guy from BMW NA who was doing photo op on the new M3 CF kit (space grey M3 with all kinds of new aero bits, including a gee-whiz exhaust setup that looks more Lotus than BMW).

WGI is a great track; our BMW chapter runs there twice this year, hope to see you there to say Hi!

Sorry, missed this reply earlier. Mine was a white M2C parked in the paddock next to a friend who lives near me with a LBB M2C. My friend was also in the INT 2 white group with you, while I was in the blue INT 1 group. See panoramic shot above where I led the blue group onto the track for session #2.

I saw yours. From a distance it looked white, but I saw it up close later when walking around.

I only stayed for one day, on Monday. Love that track and had a blast with the M2C.

[MooMooM2]

Was this with SCDA?

I am definitely going to make it there next year, looks like a blast.