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      07-21-2018, 01:33 PM   #1
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M2 Track Notes

I posted the below in a different thread, but seems more appropriate here. Just wanted to share some notes after 40+ track days with my M2:

Looking back, it seems a person should either just leave the car stock + camber plates or be prepared to go whole hog. This is my only car and I plan on keeping it for a while, so I went the later.

I started with the Dinan sport tuner. The sport tuner just doesn't seem up to the task for the track. The last thing you want is to have just passed someone and the car goes limp mode at the top of 4th/into 5th and there's a sudden drop in speed! That's when I took it off and switched to Dinan stage 1 with the thought to eventually going stage 4.

Any added boost, even with Dinantronics Stage 1, seems to need a larger intercooler after 20min on the track. Mine would pull timing later into the sessions until I added the Dinan FMIC.

I had to add the Dinan LPFP mod so I could run below 1/3 tank on track without getting fuel pick up issues.

The Dinan suspension improved looks and handling, and is really enjoyable.

I tried the Fall Line solid rear toe links, but took them off. The added NVH is too much for me as a daily driver. Plus, the rear skirm on the M2 is so easy to manage, so no big deal.

Added 0.04” front toe-in, as the car was seeking a bit too much on the highways with zero toe. Currently at -3.0 front and -2.0 rear with 0.3” rear toe in for added stability.

I tried most all the track tires out there in 18s and 19s. The 19 staggered setup is faster than 18 square and I’ll be sticking to 4S’s for cold, wet, and snowy tracks (yes, I ran in snow at Watkins Glen early this year!), RE-71R for arrive and drive, and R7 for max grip.

As for wheels, my first set of Tirerack wheels warped after 10 track days and I had to trash them. Apex's held up well, and now on VMR's.

My biggest issue has been the brakes. I tried nursing the OEM brakes with various pads, fluid, and cooling approaches. The truth is the stock M2 brakes suck for serious tracking. I had to get a front AP BBK to make my brake issues go away.

This week I added the Dinan turbo and Stage 4 piggyback. Amazing how smooth and easy to drive all that extra power is. I feel like I want to keep this car forever now.

I also added the CSF radiator, oil cooler, and DCT cooler. I would see engine temps rising on hot track days before Stage 4, so the added cooling will help performance and protect the car. Going to try Stage 4 on track next weekend and will let you all know how it goes.

Last edited by ZM2; 07-21-2018 at 02:15 PM..
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      07-21-2018, 07:50 PM   #2
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Wow. I want to live your track schedule! I've done 4 track days in mine, and will only get in 2 more this year. They were also my first 4 track days. I appreciate reading posts like yours to get an idea of what the elite drivers experience.

Even as a novice (though a quick one), I've hit some limitations with the stock setup. I've gotten deposits on the rotors (not the end of the world) and boiled the brake fluid. Switching to track pads and SRF. Another big issue for me, and I'd love some advice, is the front tires are completely greasy halfway into the session. I've tried dropping the cold pressure with only a little improvement.... I'm wondering if I'm just plowing too hard through the corners.
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      07-21-2018, 08:25 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ZM2 View Post
I posted the below in a different thread, but seems more appropriate here. Just wanted to share some notes after 40+ track days with my M2:

Looking back, it seems a person should either just leave the car stock + camber plates or be prepared to go whole hog. This is my only car and I plan on keeping it for a while, so I went the later.

I started with the Dinan sport tuner. The sport tuner just doesn't seem up to the task for the track. The last thing you want is to have just passed someone and the car goes limp mode at the top of 4th/into 5th and there's a sudden drop in speed! That's when I took it off and switched to Dinan stage 1 with the thought to eventually going stage 4.

Any added boost, even with Dinantronics Stage 1, seems to need a larger intercooler after 20min on the track. Mine would pull timing later into the sessions until I added the Dinan FMIC.

I had to add the Dinan LPFP mod so I could run below 1/3 tank on track without getting fuel pick up issues.

The Dinan suspension improved looks and handling, and is really enjoyable.

I tried the Fall Line solid rear toe links, but took them off. The added NVH is too much for me as a daily driver. Plus, the rear skirm on the M2 is so easy to manage, so no big deal.

Added 0.04” front toe-in, as the car was seeking a bit too much on the highways with zero toe. Currently at -3.0 front and -2.0 rear with 0.3” rear toe in for added stability.

I tried most all the track tires out there in 18s and 19s. The 19 staggered setup is faster than 18 square and I’ll be sticking to 4S’s for cold, wet, and snowy tracks (yes, I ran in snow at Watkins Glen early this year!), RE-71R for arrive and drive, and R7 for max grip.

As for wheels, my first set of Tirerack wheels warped after 10 track days and I had to trash them. Apex's held up well, and now on VMR's.

My biggest issue has been the brakes. I tried nursing the OEM brakes with various pads, fluid, and cooling approaches. The truth is the stock M2 brakes suck for serious tracking. I had to get a front AP BBK to make my brake issues go away.

This week I added the Dinan turbo and Stage 4 piggyback. Amazing how smooth and easy to drive all that extra power is. I feel like I want to keep this car forever now.

I also added the CSF radiator, oil cooler, and DCT cooler. I would see engine temps rising on hot track days before Stage 4, so the added cooling will help performance and protect the car. Going to try Stage 4 on track next weekend and will let you all know how it goes.
I am at that cross road now, keep it all stock or go down the rabbit hole. Have you added a downpipe to your car? Also was wondering if Dinan still has warranty coverage for your engine when you have one of their Stages installed?
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      07-22-2018, 10:21 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CrashFL View Post
Wow. I want to live your track schedule! I've done 4 track days in mine, and will only get in 2 more this year. They were also my first 4 track days. I appreciate reading posts like yours to get an idea of what the elite drivers experience.

Even as a novice (though a quick one), I've hit some limitations with the stock setup. I've gotten deposits on the rotors (not the end of the world) and boiled the brake fluid. Switching to track pads and SRF. Another big issue for me, and I'd love some advice, is the front tires are completely greasy halfway into the session. I've tried dropping the cold pressure with only a little improvement.... I'm wondering if I'm just plowing too hard through the corners.
SRF and PFC pads will help a lot.

Which tires are you using?
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      07-22-2018, 10:29 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chief1richard View Post
I am at that cross road now, keep it all stock or go down the rabbit hole. Have you added a downpipe to your car? Also was wondering if Dinan still has warranty coverage for your engine when you have one of their Stages installed?
No downpipe. You have to be more conservative with track mods vs street mods so the car stays reliable. So, I didn’t want to modify the emissions system or exhaust, and stayed with Dinan.

If the engine blows bc of mods, BMW will not cover it, but Dinan will step in and cover it.
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      07-22-2018, 12:41 PM   #6
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I expected more problems with a 100*+ track day yesterday on a basically stock Performance Edition...I have RS29s and SRF though.

Except when I let the tires cool down too long between sessions and went into Comfort Mode and had to add pressure...

Pretty sure I'm just going to keep it stock and potentially adding camber...
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      07-22-2018, 02:02 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lax01 View Post
I expected more problems with a 100*+ track day yesterday on a basically stock Performance Edition...I have RS29s and SRF though.

Except when I let the tires cool down too long between sessions and went into Comfort Mode and had to add pressure...

Pretty sure I'm just going to keep it stock and potentially adding camber...
The car is just as fun on track when it’s stock as it is when it’s modded. It’s a fun hobby for me to mod the car, just be ready to go down the rabbit hole if you do anything more than camber plates.
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      07-22-2018, 03:55 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ZM2 View Post
SRF and PFC pads will help a lot.

Which tires are you using?
I'm running the PS4S. They don't seem to tolerate heat well, though I haven't had any chunking to date.
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      07-22-2018, 04:07 PM   #9
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Suggesting dedicated track tires. Unless you've got a serious tire budget.
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      07-22-2018, 04:26 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CrashFL View Post
I'm running the PS4S. They don't seem to tolerate heat well, though I haven't had any chunking to date.
It’s easy to overdrive 4S’s, even if you’re keeping hot pressures below 38. Pick up some RE-71Rs and keep hot pressures below 36–you’ll enjoy them.

4S’s are great in the rain, if you’re not trashing them in the dry.
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      07-25-2018, 02:31 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CrashFL View Post
I'm running the PS4S. They don't seem to tolerate heat well, though I haven't had any chunking to date.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ZM2 View Post
It’s easy to overdrive 4S’s, even if you’re keeping hot pressures below 38. Pick up some RE-71Rs and keep hot pressures below 36–you’ll enjoy them.

4S’s are great in the rain, if you’re not trashing them in the dry.
Different car, but have had the same experience with PS4S. Super slippery about half way through a session. Dropping pressure did help some.

However, This past weekend at Summit Point in the rain, I was passing everyone like they weren't moving (Definitely the grip, not the skill )

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      07-30-2018, 01:21 PM   #12
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Quick follow up:

Loved the extra power on track. I’m now able to hang with the Vette’s on the straights. Those guys were really surprised! You have to feather the throttle more coming out of the corners, but it’s so easy to do that with the M2.

My only issue was when ambient temps got hotter in the afternoon (90F), my HPFP would crash. All I had to do to fix it was run a half tank of 93 and half 100 octane. She then ran really strong with no issues.

That tells me the car is really on the knife edge to produce more power with no limp mode, so I’ll skip adding a downpipe until the other Stage 4 guys with downpipes confirm no limp mode on hot days when running 100 octane.

Lastly, if you are serious about running Stage 4 on track, the CSF cooling pack is a must. Oil never got above 270F, but coolant would hit 248F and the M2 pulls power at 242F. It was only slightly noticeable when it happened and looking at my data, temps were only above 242F 7% of the time.

Overall, a blast!
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      08-02-2018, 07:29 AM   #13
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ZM2, what issues were you having with the stock brakes? I am assuming you ran track pads and fluid on the stock setup and still had issues ...

For anyone interested, I ran Bridgestone’s S007A on track this past weekend and I can safely say it is close to a modern RE-11. Tread pattern looks a lot like MPSS/PS4S so I bet it will do well in the rain too. It’s classified as a Extreme Performance Summer tire so likely will take heat better too.
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      08-02-2018, 07:57 AM   #14
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ZM2, what issues were you having with the stock brakes? I am assuming you ran track pads and fluid on the stock setup and still had issues ...

For anyone interested, I ran Bridgestone’s S007A on track this past weekend and I can safely say it is close to a modern RE-11. Tread pattern looks a lot like MPSS/PS4S so I bet it will do well in the rain too. It’s classified as a Extreme Performance Summer tire so likely will take heat better too.
PFCs and SRF.

The brakes overheat under heavy use. My caliper paint turned black and I eventually burnt a dust seal which gummed things up and caused irregular pad wear.

I’d also get fade after 15min, so I gave up on the OE brakes and went with the AP front BBK. Rear OE brakes are doing fine with the AP help up front.
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      08-09-2018, 06:05 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ZM2 View Post
PFCs and SRF.

The brakes overheat under heavy use. My caliper paint turned black and I eventually burnt a dust seal which gummed things up and caused irregular pad wear.

I’d also get fade after 15min, so I gave up on the OE brakes and went with the AP front BBK. Rear OE brakes are doing fine with the AP help up front.
Did you paint match your calipers?

My front OEM calipers are starting to turn teal, and it's only my 3rd time on the track I suspect a few more track sessions it'll look pretty nasty. I'm considering front BBK too, for both less fade and better paint lol.

I wonder if the M2C 6 pot front brakes will change color... BMW probably uses the same paint? Might be cheaper to retrofit one if M2C owners are trying to get rid of them.
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      08-09-2018, 07:31 PM   #16
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Did you paint match your calipers?

My front OEM calipers are starting to turn teal, and it's only my 3rd time on the track I suspect a few more track sessions it'll look pretty nasty. I'm considering front BBK too, for both less fade and better paint lol.

I wonder if the M2C 6 pot front brakes will change color... BMW probably uses the same paint? Might be cheaper to retrofit one if M2C owners are trying to get rid of them.
I didn’t paint match. Pretty much any painted calipers will change colors with hard track work. I think that’s why BMW went with such a plain color for the M2C BBK, less likely to show color change.

The AP calipers are anodized dark gray, not painted. My OEM rears are near black from track abuse so they kind of match the APs.
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      08-10-2018, 12:06 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by eeyang92 View Post
Did you paint match your calipers?

My front OEM calipers are starting to turn teal, and it's only my 3rd time on the track I suspect a few more track sessions it'll look pretty nasty. I'm considering front BBK too, for both less fade and better paint lol.

I wonder if the M2C 6 pot front brakes will change color... BMW probably uses the same paint? Might be cheaper to retrofit one if M2C owners are trying to get rid of them.
I didn't paint match. Pretty much any painted calipers will change colors with hard track work. I think that's why BMW went with such a plain color for the M2C BBK, less likely to show color change.

The AP calipers are anodized dark gray, not painted. My OEM rears are near black from track abuse so they kind of match the APs.


That's one way to do it!
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      08-10-2018, 02:15 AM   #18
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OP, thanks for posting your experiences/mods etc. I am new to track driving, did the 2 day M School and Advanced M School before I felt ready to take my baby to the track. My only mods currently are Stage 1 VF Engineering tune, pagid pads, proper brake fluid and a dedicated set of OZ track wheels with Cup2 tires. I have quickly learned that camber plates are essential to having decent tire life as I burned through the outside edges of my Cup2 tires in 4 days (last two days were very hot). I drive my car 20,000 miles a year so finding the balance between a decent track setup without destroying the daily capability of the car is going to be the priority for my future mods. I will be installing camber plates soon so I hope they don't create significant NVH issues.

In 4 years my M2 will be 6 years old and have over 100k on it, at that point I plan on making it a dedicated track car, perhaps sooner if everything plays out and I can get a new daily in a couple of years.
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      08-10-2018, 05:56 AM   #19
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Originally Posted by pruettfan View Post
OP, thanks for posting your experiences/mods etc. I am new to track driving, did the 2 day M School and Advanced M School before I felt ready to take my baby to the track. My only mods currently are Stage 1 VF Engineering tune, pagid pads, proper brake fluid and a dedicated set of OZ track wheels with Cup2 tires. I have quickly learned that camber plates are essential to having decent tire life as I burned through the outside edges of my Cup2 tires in 4 days (last two days were very hot). I drive my car 20,000 miles a year so finding the balance between a decent track setup without destroying the daily capability of the car is going to be the priority for my future mods. I will be installing camber plates soon so I hope they don't create significant NVH issues.

In 4 years my M2 will be 6 years old and have over 100k on it, at that point I plan on making it a dedicated track car, perhaps sooner if everything plays out and I can get a new daily in a couple of years.
You and I are in the same boat, tracking a daily driver, but I’ve found the M2 does it so well.

I went with Vorshlag plates, as they use a spherical bearing and are less likely to make noise and hold up better over time. So far, no noise.

The alignment settings I mentioned are also surprisingly streetable. You only notice it when on rutty roads. I think the electronic steering helps considerably with this, despite its loss of some feeling vs hydraulic.

Let us know how your next outing with plates goes. I need to post an update on my Stage 4 whooping up on my Uncle’s Turner Motorsports track prepped supercharged 640hp E93 M3. He was not happy!

Last edited by ZM2; 08-10-2018 at 09:22 AM..
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      08-10-2018, 09:30 AM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ZM2 View Post
You and I are in the same boat, tracking a daily driver, but I’ve found the M2 does it so well.

I went with Vorshlag plates, as they use a spherical bearing and are less likely to make noise and hold up better over time. So far, no noise.

The alignment settings I mentioned are also surprisingly streetable. You only notice it when on rutty roads. I think the electronic steering helps considerably with this, despite its loss of some feeling vs hydraulic.

Let us know how your next outing with plates goes. I need to post an update on my Stage 4 whooping up on my Uncle’s Turner Motorsports track prepped supercharged 640hp E93 M3. He was not happy!
With Vorshlag plates and -3 negative camber, is there much difference DD ?.Did you install those yourself ?
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      08-10-2018, 01:16 PM   #21
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With Vorshlag plates and -3 negative camber, is there much difference DD ?.Did you install those yourself ?
It’s not bad, I’m surprised it’s not worse. The tiny bit of toe in makes a huge difference on the street.

I had my race shop install them. They needed to do the alignment anyways.

Last edited by ZM2; 08-10-2018 at 02:01 PM..
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      08-24-2018, 04:04 PM   #22
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Fantastic post! Great insight on modifications for the track. Was always curious how the Stage 4 or any tune for that matter would manifest on the track. This N55 M2 is definitely tuned right to the limit right from the factory.

Clearly you summed it up in the first post "Looking back, it seems a person should either just leave the car stock + camber plates or be prepared to go whole hog."

For perspective, I am one of those who left it stock (other than race brake fluid, brake pads and tires). I do get a decrease in engine power on hot days, but very used to this with most turbos I've driven, so it has not robbed me of driving fun, just tenths on my lap times, ha, ha. Otherwise, solid car!

The brakes for me have worked great for HPDE stuff. Other than some minor brake management with the Yellowstuff pads deeper into a 20 min sessions, I really have no complaints.

The stock suspension, stock diff, etc. are all still phenomenal performers on the track considering they come straight from the factory. Keep considering what I might swap it for because I tend to get the itch at 2 years, but to tell you the truth, the M2 does street and track so balanced, nothing is standing out for me to make the switch. Great car!
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