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      06-30-2018, 06:27 PM   #23
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ipeefreely View Post
6/29/18: Laguna Seca track day



So. Much. Fun.

I picked up my car back from Trackspec on 6/28 but due to scheduling conflicts, we weren't able to install any of the mods I have since accumulated. No problem, as the decision was made to run the car stock first. We did get to install pagid RS29 pads and do a brake flush though.

Got to the track and ran purple group with Speed Ventures. This was a low intermediate group and perfect because it allowed me to get a feel for the car. Please note prior to this, I've only driven the car for about 4 hours total. Had to spend some time having to figure out all the modes this car has (btw trying to have the DSC off and sport mode + on is a bit confusing).

My initial impression of the car on the track were not flattering. Coming from a fully track prepped S2k to this car, there was a stark contrast in terms of feel. They were listed as follows:
- Car feels like a boat compared to the S2k.
- Weight is obvious in every corner and going up the straights.
- Higher center of gravity and a lack of a proper suspension system made it feel "floaty"
- The power delivery is different from the S2k. Much better low end than the s2k but at the time, the car didn't feel right due cause I was still adjusting.
- Seats on this car were terrible. By the end of the first session, I had significant bruising on both my knees as I was using them to contain myself in the seat.
- The car could use a brake upgrade. Even with better pads, I was experiencing brake fade coming into the corners.
no such thing as combing modes on the n55 m2. 5 modes. Comfort, sport, sport+, MDM/traction, and DSC off. You can't combine them with the exception of in sport you can change the throttle and wheel to comfort in iDrive, which isn't relevant to track.

Last edited by akkando; 06-30-2018 at 08:58 PM..
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      06-30-2018, 07:18 PM   #24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by akkando View Post
no such thing as combing modes on the n55 m2. 5 modes. Comfort, sport, sport+, MDM/traction, and DSC off. You can't combine them with the exception of in sport you can change the throttle and wheel to comfort in iDrive, which isn't relevant to track.
Yeah it was really confusing. Either you drive with DSC off or Sport + engaged and DSC still in tact.

btw, is it me or is the DSC in Sport + still very very intrusive?
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      06-30-2018, 09:00 PM   #25
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ipeefreely View Post
Yeah it was really confusing. Either you drive with DSC off or Sport + engaged and DSC still in tact.

btw, is it me or is the DSC in Sport + still very very intrusive?
Yeah people complain about it. Apparently the Euro settings are less intrusive so people will code the Euro version of MDM on sport+ and traction mode and it's less intrusive. Also the M4 GTS settings are less intrusive so you could get that instead.
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      07-06-2018, 11:26 AM   #26
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Mods. Any way we can get this thread moved to the photos section instead? Seems like more builds are located there. :P
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      07-06-2018, 11:39 AM   #27
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7/5/18:

My competition works roll cage + rear seat delete came in the mail. I had the wife pick the color and she ended up selecting carmine red. Not bad I guess (i'm usually a more neutral color type of guy but hey whatever).



I haven't gotten to install it yet as my car is still in the shop and I wanted to wait for some proper racing seats. Which reminds me... my car was actually supposed to be done this week but we ran into a snag in the form of camber plates. Apparently, when you order coilovers, it doesn't come with camber plates so I had to order Vorshlag ones. We were also going to install the Remus exhaust I had picked up but they sent the wrong harnesses. Luckily, my private track day event on the 9th was cancelled so we've got some time.

Meanwhile, been shopping for some seats. I'm pretty locked in on the Recaro Pole positions as I ran this in my last track car and they fit me like a glove. The only problem I have with them is finding the Recaro PP's in leather with the smaller "recaro" letterings (these seats are damn hard to find). So any help in that direction would be awesome.

That's about all the updates I have so far. So until next time...
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      07-06-2018, 05:54 PM   #28
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I have begun tracking my M2 and have kept is simple on mods as I drive the car 20,000 miles a year and finding a balance between a daily and track car isn't easy. Did brake pads and fluid as you did and the last 4 days I have done on Cup 2 tires which has been a very nice upgrade. I didn't come from an track prepped S2000 so I haven't been disappointed with performance really. My experience has been 2 day M school, Advanced M school and 90 mins behind the wheel of a GT3 with an instructor and now 6 days of HPDE.

Clearly you have experience but for those who don't have track experience I believe the best money spent is on proper training. Personally I will continue to give up track performance for daily comfort but if I can figure out a way to swap a proper race seat in and out for the track weekends that will be something I will do for sure.
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      07-11-2018, 06:38 PM   #29
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Would love to see that cage installed!
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      07-12-2018, 01:06 AM   #30
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pruettfan View Post
I have begun tracking my M2 and have kept is simple on mods as I drive the car 20,000 miles a year and finding a balance between a daily and track car isn't easy. Did brake pads and fluid as you did and the last 4 days I have done on Cup 2 tires which has been a very nice upgrade. I didn't come from an track prepped S2000 so I haven't been disappointed with performance really. My experience has been 2 day M school, Advanced M school and 90 mins behind the wheel of a GT3 with an instructor and now 6 days of HPDE.

Clearly you have experience but for those who don't have track experience I believe the best money spent is on proper training. Personally I will continue to give up track performance for daily comfort but if I can figure out a way to swap a proper race seat in and out for the track weekends that will be something I will do for sure.
I agree with you that seat time and experience is, if not the most important, one of the most important things you can do when it comes to tracking. Forgo the fancy carbon crap, the exhaust, etc.... and spend some money on some classes and some track days. Lap times will drop as you get more comfortable pushing the car.


I'm actually in the process of doing the interior. Since the roll cage and rear seat delete will be next, I'd like to do the seats at the same time. I'm about 90% sure I'm going to go with the Recaro PP's in leather and run a schroth harness so i won't be smacking around while on track.

I think swapping in a race seat for track days would totally be feasible. I've changed seats in other cars before but not the M2 so i guess we'll have to see whats involved when we get there.

I'm picking up my car hopefully on Friday (7/13), so we'll see whats up then.
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      07-18-2018, 12:43 PM   #31
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7/13/18: Wheels, suspension...etc..

Finally got my car back. Was just starting to miss her. haha.

Anyways....

We got some goodies installed including:
- Remus catback w/ CF tips
- CG valve controller
- Ohlins coilovers
- Te37's Ultras in squared fitment - 19" all around
- Toyo R888R's
- Vorshlag camber plates
- BMW M performance electronic steering wheel
- Autoteknic extended CF shifter paddles
- misc suspension mods from IND

Car is definitely headed in the direction of being a more track oriented set up. Overall, the M2 feels a lot more responsive due to the wheels and all the suspension mods we did.

We also threw on the Remus exhaust which is quieter than what I was anticipating. I think it definitely needs a downpipe but for now, it will have to do because I'm scared of not passing sound at laguna.

pics:



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      07-18-2018, 12:51 PM   #32
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7/16/18: GTS wing

I had some time to remove the spoiler I had purchased and installed the GTS wing. Although I liked the CF spoiler I had bought, it didn't feel like it was enough for me. After all, this is going to be my main track weapon and i wanted it to look the part.

The install actually took a bit of time because I did it myself. I'm not exactly mechanically inclined so there was a learning curve. haha. But no matter. Measure twice and cut (in this case, drill) once right? Think it came out alright.

Pics:


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      07-18-2018, 12:54 PM   #33
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7/17/18: Random pictures

I find myself driving the M2 around more and more instead of my other cars. Just surprises me how fun it is to putt around town in it. Anyways, I didn't realize I had to make a supply run for one of my restaurants the other day and holy crap, I was able to fit everything into the back of this. Really made my day and for some "hella flush' fitment. lol.

Pics:



And then some random photos I took while in town.



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      07-19-2018, 05:06 PM   #34
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Nice TEs! I'm thinking about getting a set for myself.
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      07-20-2018, 12:38 AM   #35
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pruettfan View Post
I have begun tracking my M2 and have kept is simple on mods as I drive the car 20,000 miles a year and finding a balance between a daily and track car isn't easy. Did brake pads and fluid as you did and the last 4 days I have done on Cup 2 tires which has been a very nice upgrade. I didn't come from an track prepped S2000 so I haven't been disappointed with performance really. My experience has been 2 day M school, Advanced M school and 90 mins behind the wheel of a GT3 with an instructor and now 6 days of HPDE.

Clearly you have experience but for those who don't have track experience I believe the best money spent is on proper training. Personally I will continue to give up track performance for daily comfort but if I can figure out a way to swap a proper race seat in and out for the track weekends that will be something I will do for sure.
What pads did you go with? Did you change them out yourself?

I tracked my car with stock pads but had changed out the fluid to Motec. To be honest they performed much better than expected but I think I’ll still opt for race pads next track day.
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      07-20-2018, 12:41 AM   #36
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ipeefreely View Post
7/13/18: Wheels, suspension...etc..

Finally got my car back. Was just starting to miss her. haha.

Anyways....

We got some goodies installed including:
- Remus catback w/ CF tips
- CG valve controller
- Ohlins coilovers
- Te37's Ultras in squared fitment - 19" all around
- Toyo R888R's
- Vorshlag camber plates
- BMW M performance electronic steering wheel
- Autoteknic extended CF shifter paddles
- misc suspension mods from IND

Car is definitely headed in the direction of being a more track oriented set up. Overall, the M2 feels a lot more responsive due to the wheels and all the suspension mods we did.

We also threw on the Remus exhaust which is quieter than what I was anticipating. I think it definitely needs a downpipe but for now, it will have to do because I'm scared of not passing sound at laguna
Cool thread and build. What’s your opinion of the Ohlins thus far? I’m trying to decide on a set of coilovers myself, the intent being I want performance at the 4-5 track days I do a season but more importantly better on-street performance (I think the M2’s rear is bumpy and gets unsettled easily). Interested in your take. (And what settings are you using for the Ohlins?)
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      07-20-2018, 01:25 AM   #37
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It's nice to see another "build" being used for track ( versus show) . I am in the south but have driven Laguna once and really enjoyed it. I have been tracking my 17 DCT M2 extensively for the past 1.5 years and the car continues to improve. One difference between our cars is that I went 18 inch square with BFG R1 265/35/18....tried 6 other tires including 275 Hoosier but like this set up best. The 18s reduce unsprung weight and lower the CG. I also changed to Stoptech front rotors for more cooling and less weight with PFC 08 pads, Motul 660 and SS lines. My car continues to surprise a lot of DE snd TT cars. It places second in TT4, even though it's the heaviest car by 500lbs, and outruns most other fully track/trailered cars in its class. The brakes work great and no real fade, especially with DIY cooling ducts. I am one of a very few cars in the red group that finishes a track day and drives the car home after 10 minutes of packing !
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      07-20-2018, 02:03 AM   #38
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dcmac View Post
Cool thread and build. What’s your opinion of the Ohlins thus far? I’m trying to decide on a set of coilovers myself, the intent being I want performance at the 4-5 track days I do a season but more importantly better on-street performance (I think the M2’s rear is bumpy and gets unsettled easily). Interested in your take. (And what settings are you using for the Ohlins?)
I'm unsure about how the ohlins would perform yet as I haven't had the chance to take them out to the track. But from my short time on the streets, the car does feel better.

Lots of my more hardcore track friends run JRZ's. I'm not quite there yet so the ohlins have always been more than enough for me.
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      07-20-2018, 02:11 AM   #39
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Twt View Post
It's nice to see another "build" being used for track ( versus show) . I am in the south but have driven Laguna once and really enjoyed it. I have been tracking my 17 DCT M2 extensively for the past 1.5 years and the car continues to improve. One difference between our cars is that I went 18 inch square with BFG R1 265/35/18....tried 6 other tires including 275 Hoosier but like this set up best. The 18s reduce unsprung weight and lower the CG. I also changed to Stoptech front rotors for more cooling and less weight with PFC 08 pads, Motul 660 and SS lines. My car continues to surprise a lot of DE snd TT cars. It places second in TT4, even though it's the heaviest car by 500lbs, and outruns most other fully track/trailered cars in its class. The brakes work great and no real fade, especially with DIY cooling ducts. I am one of a very few cars in the red group that finishes a track day and drives the car home after 10 minutes of packing !
I was considering the 18's but ultimately went with the 19's because honestly it just looks better (to me). That and there were some concerns regarding brake clearance.

Are you running the stoptech bbk's up front only? what pads? And any brake squeel?

I've been shopping for a better brake kit for this car as I'm not too content with my current set up. I was considering the Brembo GT's but they seem a bit overkill and at over 7k for front and rear, I'd rather spend the money elsewhere.

Last edited by ipeefreely; 07-20-2018 at 03:36 AM..
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      07-20-2018, 09:51 AM   #40
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ipeefreely View Post
I was considering the 18's but ultimately went with the 19's because honestly it just looks better (to me). That and there were some concerns regarding brake clearance.

Are you running the stoptech bbk's up front only? what pads? And any brake squeel?

I've been shopping for a better brake kit for this car as I'm not too content with my current set up. I was considering the Brembo GT's but they seem a bit overkill and at over 7k for front and rear, I'd rather spend the money elsewhere.
On this site Tire Rack offered a square 18 option at a great price...bought 2 sets...not the lightest but almost disposable and brake clearance is fine. I don't have a BBK, I just bought the front rotors ( same size as stock) to increase cooling and drop weight. This car does not need a brake upgrade. I run PFC 08 with 660 and cooling ducts and have no issues. I run Road A, Sebring, Barber, etc., all of which equal Laguna on brakes. I will top at 150+ at RA and jump on the pedal at 250 mark and it never fails...hard brake, short duration.
P.S. I had lots of squel with PFC and stock rotors but the Stoptech slotted seemed to significantly reduce the noise.
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      07-20-2018, 10:37 AM   #41
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Twt View Post
On this site Tire Rack offered a square 18 option at a great price...bought 2 sets...not the lightest but almost disposable and brake clearance is fine. I don't have a BBK, I just bought the front rotors ( same size as stock) to increase cooling and drop weight. This car does not need a brake upgrade. I run PFC 08 with 660 and cooling ducts and have no issues. I run Road A, Sebring, Barber, etc., all of which equal Laguna on brakes. I will top at 150+ at RA and jump on the pedal at 250 mark and it never fails...hard brake, short duration.
P.S. I had lots of squel with PFC and stock rotors but the Stoptech slotted seemed to significantly reduce the noise.
Any link to the website where you bought your slotted rotors? I'm running pagid RS29 pads on the stock rotors and man do they squeal. I literally had a lady cuss me out the other day while cupping her ears cause they were so loud. lol
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      07-20-2018, 04:39 PM   #42
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ipeefreely View Post
Any link to the website where you bought your slotted rotors? I'm running pagid RS29 pads on the stock rotors and man do they squeal. I literally had a lady cuss me out the other day while cupping her ears cause they were so loud. lol
The folks at Turner found them for me...not much more than stock and you can replace the rings.
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      07-23-2018, 04:38 PM   #43
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dcmac View Post
What pads did you go with? Did you change them out yourself?

I tracked my car with stock pads but had changed out the fluid to Motec. To be honest they performed much better than expected but I think I’ll still opt for race pads next track day.
I went with the Pagid RS29, they work nicely but not a pad you want off the track. Of course that is the case for any dedicated track pad. Really easy to change, the process for changing all four to prep for track days takes me about an hour, I have Quick Jack so it makes the process easier of course. Best tool investment ever.
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      08-08-2018, 10:33 PM   #44
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Alright. I think it's about time to update this thread again. haha.

Hmm... where do i start. Ahhhh... let's see...

7/20-7/25:

My main shop was busy with my other car so i ended up using another mechanic to work on my M2.

Nothing special going on really. I had scheduled a track day on 7/27 to run the full 5 mile course at Thunderhill with the M2 but missed on it because they weren't able to finish installing the roll cage on time. Ended up taking my other car instead, which wasn't my preferred choice. Didn't end up staying too long mainly because the temperature on track was about 105+ and i didn't really feel like pushing my luck. Got a good feel on what my car could do and left early.



Had a friend ask me to go a stage 1 class with him at Sonoma. He just started tracking so i figured... why not? It'd be a good chance to give him some pointers, hang out, and test my car out.


Day started off kind of crappy as I wasn't used to driving the M2 at all. They had us run drills autocross style before they took us out on track and i was running over all the cones. lol. Near the end of the day though as I got more comfortable (and my tires started heating up), I was pushing on the instructor pretty hard. To the point where he had to switch vehicles. Super cool guys and we had a blast dueling it out.
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