I relocated from the US to Belgium last September and stayed away from race tracks for some time. Last Sunday, I had the opportunity to spend the day at Spa-Francorchamps (only one hour from where I live) and thought I would share some impressions after my first trackday 1) with the F36, 2) in Europe & 3) in Spa
F36 430d on the track
I had no other car to take to the track than my daily driver, but I was overall positively surprised. This was a 'Public Driving Experience' day and I had no intention of breaking any record. The only modifications to the car are:
-a new engine tune. I replaced the first one that was only increasing the boost by another piggy back using 4 different parameters and that is far more linear. The car feels pretty much like a 2WD 435d (if it existed).
-Eibach springs (combined with the OEM M-adaptive suspension), F80/82 front lower control arms
-Michelin PSS tires
Taking a diesel-powered car to the track was a whole new experience for me. It behaves as expected: the strong torque helps you rebuilding speed after having to shave some for whatever reason (traffic, turn...) and you can then keep up with serious sportscars. The story is of course different in a long straight where you can not achieve the same top speeds as you would with an engine running on gas. I could only get up to 210 km/h (131 mph) at the end of the Kimmel straight and I bet my F30 would have finished 10 mph faster at that point. Still, the car does not feel slow by any means. It will stay ahead of most hot hatches (only a new Golf R managed to run at the same pace) and sportscars driven in a more 'conservative' manner. When you see a GT3 in your rear view mirror (which never lasts very long), do not fight it, you are not in the same league
One merit of Diesel engines is their frugality: it is the first time I do 4 x 30 minutes sessions with less than one tank
Not that you care about how much gas you burn at the track, you will save the planet another day.
The combination of the M-adaptive suspension with Eibach springs does a very good job and I did not feel that I would really need coilovers or bigger sway bars
for an occasional trackday. The car remains sufficiently flat in turns, stable in long straights or sweepers and remarkably planted at Eau Rouge and the Raidillon. The only downside is the (very) heavy front weight you feel in tight corners and hairpins (La Source, Rivage ,Chicane). This is the only time you feel frustrated.
The brakes were the original OEM MPerformance setup and I did not get stainless steel lines, neither replace the fluid with one that has a higher boiling point and left the standard pads. I was surprised not to experience any fading in spite of the weight of the car but I was not as aggressive on the brakes as I usually am either. Should I take the car back to the track, I would probably go for these minor upgrades to be on the safe side.
Trackday in Europe
I should not generalise by any means after just one trackday, that was in addition only a 'Public Driving Experience', but there was no tech inspection, everybody runs solo whether you are a veteran or it is your first time, the safety briefing (in French only supported by a few slides in English) does not last more than 10 minutes, there are no point by's (but marshals do an excellent job of warning slow cars that they are obstructing or are going to get passed) and you drive with the windows up. Having been educated following much stricter rules in the US, I was surprised (an understatement) but always felt safe. Guys in GT3s, Radicals or KTMs were very skilled and did a good job passing you flat out without ever scaring you off.
Trackdays with other groups have probably stricter rules but still more lax than Stateside I think.
Spa-Francorchamps
This track was on my bucket list for a while and finally driving Eau Rouge was a blast. The track is a nice blend of speed and technical turns, elevation changes, is well maintained, has proper run-offs etc. Based on my own -limited- experience, I would put it in the same category as VIR or Road Atlanta, but with better amenities.
I will definitely need to do the 'ring some time soon (even though I have the feeling it is a bit over rated and that with the length of the track, you need a lot more practice to do a half decent job).
While I am still looking with no hurry for a suitable week-end/track car (I just missed a nice Cayman S opportunity), I will probably take the F36 a few more times to Spa since the fun factor more than justifies it
Here is a short & cheesy video to give you a better idea (with a soundtrack since there is more wind noise than engine sound or exhaust note
)