[Robbyjai]

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Hi All

I've been lurking on these forums for a while. Have always been a big BMW fan and have owned 2 Previous BMW X5 and current owner of the latest gen X5...

Based in Sydney Australia and an car enthusiast for many many many years.

Last year 2020 at the onset of Covid.. i was presented with an offer of a brand new M2 Competition for a Price I couldnt refuse.

An offer I couldnt refuse so I grabbed it with both hands and havent had any regrets since!!!

Given the massive discount i got on a brand new car I literally ticked all the boxes I could tick and went a little over the top.

So my factory order was as follows

Standard:
- BMW M2C
- Alpine White

Options I added (for Australia anyway)
- Sunroof
- Heated Seats
- 6 Piston M Performance Big Brake Kit
- Wireless Charging
- M Performance LED Steering Wheel
- M Performance Carbon Fibre Mirror Caps
- M Performance Carbon Fibre Boot Lid Spoiler
- M Performance Carbon Front Lip Spoiler
- M Performance 763m M Performance Forged Rims with Michelin Cup 2s
- M Performance Carbon Fibre Side Blades
- M Performance Sports Pedal
- M Performance Carbon Fibre Rear Diffuser
- M Performance Sports Decal ( I know this is a bit controversial as some people dont like it... it is a bit loud but I do like the looks ).


So this is what my car looked like picking up from the dealer.











Took the Car on a photoshoot and decided the Car needed more.



I subsequently took this down to the race track and posted a 1:09 dead for a reference baseline to measure all my mods against.


So I embarked on a journey of modifying my car for my needs. I like to take my car track racing and roll racing so my car was set up with all of these items in mind.

I took my modification journey phase by phase rather than just throwing tons of money at the car and modifying it all in one go

Phase 1 - Light modification.

- Upgraded the Brake Pads to Pagids RSL 29 (specifically for track use noisy as hell but great)
- upgraded brake fluids to racing fluids
- upgraded to braided steel lines
- Did a Stage 1 ECU Tune and bumped power up to 350kw at the hubs (470hp in the old money) and a very very hefty 790Nm (583 ftlbs) torque... and you can really feel the difference
- Tweaked the wheel alignment as much as I could with stock set up
- Slapped on a brand new set of bridgestone RE71RS (19/265/35F & 19/285/35R)

For those interested here is the power runs after phase 1 tuning. --> https://www.facebook.com/EuroWerkeAu...4132586687124/

As is I took these new mods to the race track and posted a 1:06 dead. so the above tweaks netted me a 3 second gain around a race track so it was pretty dam huge increases and gains.

I did notice I was cooking the brakes quite significantly so I played around with brake duct cooling .. but decided not to mess around with the car and just decided to do things properly.

I subsequently went on a modification rampage and did the following

Phase 2 - Track Work Set up

- Upgraded Dump Pipe
- Upgraded Air Filter (BMC) - Didnt see the point in spending thousands on eventuri intakes for small gains
- Stage 2 Tune. Got the car to a very stout 378kw (507hp) and 800Nm (590ftlbs) at the hub. - Can definitely feel the difference)
- Gutted the Front M Performance Calipers and Rotors for AP Racing Pro 5000R. The weight saving in this was significant. I managed to save 20kg in rotational mass. You can feel the difference in steering response, turn in, stopping and acceleration all around!! The weight saving was massive!!! Pagid RSL29 All arounds, Goodridge braided steel lines, and Endless RB650 brake fluids
- Gutted the Stock suspensions for M Performance Coilovers. Only went down this path to retain some semblence of Warranty (will gut them for something more hardcore later)
- Installed H&R Front and Rear Sway Bars
- SPL Control Arms front and Rear
- Ground Control Camber Plates (Although the quality of these are questionable due to a manufacturing fault, my front right rattles and knocks horrendously and Ground Control refuses to replace the faulty unit. So my Tuning shop has put a shim in to stop the rattling. So Ground Control can go and get stuffed
- SPL End Links
- Installed a Brand new Set of 18" Volks Racing TE37 Sagas. (These wheels are only 8kg each and 1 kilogram lighter per corner than the OEM 763M and 3.2kg lighter than OEM 788m so more weight saving)
- Upgraded the car to a super light 5kg Lithium Battery 70ah and ripping out the OEM Lead Acid Battery which weighs 26kg (so another 21kg saved)

Latest Dyno Sheets




So all up the car is a whole different beast now.


















Now if only lock down will end so I can test out this new set up. Hoping to shave another 2 seconds off my last laptime.

So over all this is the finished car



Some might note the car seems to ride high a little. I dont like slamming my car, roads in Sydney Australia sucks and my house has the worse driveway known to mankind so thats why it cant be slammed.

There even more work to come.

Stage 3 Mods to Come will be

- DCT Software Upgrade
- CSF Charge Cooler and Intercooler Upgrade
- Start exploring lighter Exhaust Systems
- Looking at Recaro Pole position to hold me in better but also grab another 40kg of weight saving.
- Most likely will need to do the Crank Hub Fix


But thats it for now.

My thoughts. The M2 OEM is a brilliant car. Great compromise for Track and Road. On the race track where i go quite frequently any laptimes UNDER 1:10 is considered Fking fast.

Some reference times (all in the hands of a professional race car driver)
Porsche 911 GT3 1:05
Lotus Exige S Performance Pack 1:08
Nissan GTR 1:05

So doing a bog standard 1:09 is a pretty fast lap. Could have possibly done 1:08 if i was more familiar with the car .. as my previous track car was an AWD so different driving style required.

No regrets buying this car.!! Absolutely love it!

[white2abbit]

Can't see any of the pics

[Robbyjai]

Originally Posted by white2abbit

Can't see any of the pics

oh really ??

weird. what do people use to host the photos. ?

[Robbyjai]

Originally Posted by white2abbit

Can't see any of the pics

thanks for the headsup buddy. i think i fixed the problem and my pictures should be viewable now

[white2abbit]

Pics are working, car looks great!

[bkd705]

Such a sick build and I love how focused it is on performance.

[Robbyjai]

Originally Posted by bkd705

Such a sick build and I love how focused it is on performance.

thanks mate. Still have more to come.

Much more to come!!!

It will have two purpose in life

Drag Racing \ Roll Racing

and

Track Racing. (My First love)

Intend to strip more weight out of this car

Have light weight hood coming being shipped over from overseas

Looking to take more weight out of the exhaust by going the titanium route, take another 50kg out of the seats...

so at the end of it.. should have stripped out a total of 100-120kg out of the car!!

And more power to come!

[Robbyjai]

Some fun videos of me roll racing

- First things first, this is a legal sanctioned and safe roll racing event.
- Secondly first time roll racing with the M2C, previously used to Roll Racing with a AWD cars.... so launching was a bit tricky and nothing something i was use to in the M2C
- third the track was dead cold and damp and i was on Semi Slicks so grip\traction was pretty poor at launch (its pretty obvious in some of the videos)
- also couldnt work out which gear was more ideal to launch in...2nd or 3rd.. and the DCT gear box is just soo twitchy and jerky....


My car just had a stage 1 tune at the time of making this video and semi slicks so thats pretty much it

Enjoy

I did claim quite a few scalps that night but against the big horse power boys.... the M2C with just a stage 1 tune isnt enough

[pablom2c]

What laptime did you do with the phase 2 mods I only see stock and phase 1? Thanks.

[inTgr8r]

Originally Posted by Robbyjai

..........
- Ground Control Camber Plates (Although the quality of these are questionable due to a manufacturing fault, my front right rattles and knocks horrendously and Ground Control refuses to replace the faulty unit. So my Tuning shop has put a shim in to stop the rattling. So Ground Control can go and get stuffed
.........

No regrets buying this car.!! Absolutely love it!

Very nice!!
Car looks great.

I have exactly the same sentiments re Ground Control!
I had the exact same issue with the same lousy customer support.
I will never use any of their products again.

[Robbyjai]

Originally Posted by pablom2c

What laptime did you do with the phase 2 mods I only see stock and phase 1? Thanks.

i will be able to answer that in 2 weeks time im hoping to get down to a 1.04 or a 1.03 .. so shave 3 seconds off with all these goodies

[Robbyjai]

Originally Posted by inTgr8r

Very nice!!
Car looks great.

I have exactly the same sentiments re Ground Control!
I had the exact same issue with the same lousy customer support.
I will never use any of their products again.

totally agree. Ground control is complete garbage. Im now thinking whether i want to rip them out and put Millways in or gut the entire coil over set up and put in a set with integrated camber tops.. thinking bilstein club sports

[Robbyjai]

so for those interested... i corner weighed my car stock standard with a 75kg driver balast as that is my weight... suffice to say ... the M2C is a porky bastard weighing in at a hefty 1625kg with the DCT box.


for those interested heres the corner weight details

[Robbyjai]

i've subsequently put my car on a hefty diet and stripped out a crap load of weight as follows

So heres the itemisation of the weight saving

1. Front Calipers 2NH 7.5kg reduced to 2.73 (Per front corner) = -9.54kg both sides
2. Front Rotors 13.9kg reduced to 9.34kg (Per front Corner) = -9.12kg both sides
3. OEM 788 11.2kg reduced to 8.4kg (per corner) = -11.2kg all 4
4. OEM Lead Acid Battery 27kg reduced to 6kg (lithium battery) = -21kg
5. OEM Seats 28kg PER seat reduced to 12kg Per seat (Recaro) = -32kg
6. OEM Bonnet 20kg reduced to 12kg Aluminium Bonnet = 8kg

So that nets me a handy 90.86kg (exactly 200lbs) weight reduction which should get the fatty down to 1534kgs.

Can probably shave another 40 to 50kg out by stripping out the rear seats and changing rear brakes over to AP Racing calipers and rotors, changing to titanium exhaust and carbon fibre bootlid and carbon fibre roof also

I intend to take the car back to the suspension shop and have it re-corner weighed now i have done all of the above. just need to find time

[Robbyjai]

The M2C should be owned, driven hard and enjoyed and its natural habitat is the race track! Some updated pics of the car

[Robbyjai]

more goodies to come for the car soon!

[Robbyjai]

Originally Posted by mannysavage

Wow this ride is a work of art

thanks mate i appreciate the love. yeh the cars really pretty now. i added some more bits to the car lately

now the only thing left is my recaros and sparco harness to get installed, a rear wing and its a pretty much complete project car for now until i find anything new and interesting!

[Kingpin4]

Nice build! Congrats on front page!

[adc]

OP, very very nice build… Looks amazing and I’d rock that graphic on a white, black or grey M2.

If I may ask, aren’t you running into some rear traction issues at the racetrack? I was chatting with an M2 owner with very similar mods to yours, and he was saying that once the weight came off t the rear (seats, battery, exhaust etc) he had to reengineer the rear sway bar ends to effectively soften the rear bar quite a bit. After which, his laptimes improved considerably.

I’m very curious if you ran into this limitation or not.

[MadBimmeRad]

Originally Posted by Robbyjai

more goodies to come for the car soon!

I love everything you've done with this car and thoroughly enjoyed reading about your journey, my fellow Aussie

But most of all, I loved this:

So Ground Control can go and get stuffed

[stefan]

Originally Posted by MadBimmeRad

I love everything you've done with this car and thoroughly enjoyed reading about your journey, my fellow Aussie

But most of all, I loved this:

So Ground Control can go and get stuffed

Quality seems to be slipping over at GC. That's coming from someone who put GC parts on all his M cars.

Great build and very surprising weight savings without any real compromise.

[NightWriter]

Originally Posted by Robbyjai

- M Performance Sports Decal ( I know this is a bit controversial as some people dont like it... it is a bit loud but I do like the looks ).

...

No regrets buying this car.!! Absolutely love it!

No apologies needed; your car, your choices. Car looks awesome, and thanks for sharing.