Review: 135i on the Track =)

[moveswiftly]

So Over the last 1 1/2 year I've been constantly modding my car to meet my needs as far as handling and power. Being my daily driver, I had to keep it civil (I.E. no roll cages or stripping of the interior).

First I'll go over the mods I have:

Tires: Hankook Ventus V12 225/255
Suspension Mods: HPA Koni Kit and m3 front sway bar
Brakes for the track: Hawk HT10 and OEM rotors
Differential: Quaife LSD
Power Mods: HPF Intercooler, Catless Downpipes, Procede V5 and Dual Cone Intakes

My Driving Experience in the 135i:

2 Days at Monticello Motor Club

1 Day at NJMP Lightning, This will be my second day.

Track Day: NJMP Lightning Circuit

Review of the performance of me and the car.

First 2 runs, I ran with traction control on to gain confidence. Then last Two runs I kept traction control fully off but turned Procede to Map 0(Stock tuning). I was able to produce the same times (even though it wasn't timed) but i could feel similar results but I had to push my car harder on stock mode compared to 13-14 psi on the Procede.

The car felt Perfect. Very balanced and neutral in the turns. It did understeer but I could control it by throttle oversteer in some turns.

Tires: On the street my Hankooks don't feel so great. Runflats are much more precise and inspire more confidence. On the track however, the Hankooks were actually better than runflats. The tires are excellent for the price I paid for them. My most favorite part of the tires is that they TALK to you. They communicate to you to let you know that they are starting to give out. You KNOW that you are reaching the max grip these tires have to offer and even while they were chirping around I was able to bash my way around the track.

Suspension: I had KW v2's last time I was at NJMP Lightning. The performance was similar except that the HPA Koni Kit is much more predictable and linear( thanks to the awesome swift springs). On the street the Koni Kit is more compliant but the rear is a little bouncy for me (need stiffer springs)

Brakes: This time i was too lazy to put my track pads / rotors on. But First run i really had a lot of brake fad (because i was getting used to the track and was braking WAY too early. Last 3 runs, I understood the brake points and faced a bit of fade but nothing too bad. My track pads in comparison are AMAZING and stop the car in an instant.

Differential: Best mod I've ever done. Coming out of corners with DSC off I was able to smoothly put the power down without any unnecessary spinning. At times the tail would slightly come out but it was very easy to control.

Power: As I had said my first two runs I ran with procede on a custom map 1. Last two runs, because I had switched traction control off for the first time on a track, I ran with Procede on map 0. I was on the throttle a lot more and was pushing the car a lot harder because there was less power. My instructor said he didn't feel much of a difference in the pickup. As far as oil temps go, my temps were higher STOCK around 260 because i was pushing it much harder. With the procede on map 1 i hit 250F. I conclude that I'm not at that level to take advantage of the full 400HP i have in the car.

The intercooler was great, very little heat soak but the car did start to get a little lethargic once the oil temps went about 250. I probably need a better oil cooler but at the moment it's not necessary.

Overall, I love the way my car is right now. Everything is perfect. Handles great, power is awesome for both street and track. Tires wise, I probably will upgrade to Pilot Super sports once these wear out but the Hankook V12's are GREAT for their money.

Future planned mods (possibly):

m3 front / rear suspension
more track days obviously
ER widebody front

Photos / Videos for your enjoyment:

Boss 302 spins out:

[ptack]

Nice. You'll be amazed at the difference when you go to PSSs.

[1SerieStud]

Outstanding videos and pictures! Thanks for sharing

[moveswiftly]

Originally Posted by ptack

Nice. You'll be amazed at the difference when you go to PSSs.

I can't wait to wear these out :P

[MrRoboto]

Surprised they allow you to mount a external camera on a track day.

[moveswiftly]

Originally Posted by MrRoboto

Surprised they allow you to mount a external camera on a track day.

Why is that? There are many more hazards on a track then flying cameras :P

[pixelblue]

Nice pics & video. external mounted cameras at the track it's a pretty common thing

[delta-9-ginseng]

nice video and pictures

[Lubo]

You really have to try the Thunderbolt. It is a lot more exciting track. My recomendation to you would be get 255s up front and a lot more camber via some plates. I am on the stock suspension but I only had a problem to keep up with the GTR in my run group (SOLO intermediate).

Here are some of my videos from last Friday. I did happen to go off course in part 3 at about 3:30min in .

[moveswiftly]

Originally Posted by Lubo

You really have to try the Thunderbolt. It is a lot more exciting track. My recomendation to you would be get 255s up front and a lot more camber via some plates. I am on the stock suspension but I only had a problem to keep up with the GTR in my run group (SOLO intermediate).

Here are some of my videos from last Friday. I did happen to go off course in part 3 at about 3:30min in .

]

Hey Lubo,

I haven't tried out thunderbolt. I noticed in the video that you pretty much stay in either 3rd or 4th gear the entire time?

What tires do you have?

Great driving man.

[Smiley1175]

What kind of external camera mount are you using?
I'm looking to get something like that.

Cheers

[Lubo]

Originally Posted by chesterfan1230

Hey Lubo,

I haven't tried out thunderbolt. I noticed in the video that you pretty much stay in either 3rd or 4th gear the entire time?

What tires do you have?

Great driving man.

I am running 255/40 17s all around in Dunlop Star Spec.
Yes most of the track is 3rd and 4th gear all the way through but that is only due to our low end torque and long gears. My speeds were about 50mph at the slowest parts while I got up to 138 on the back stretch, which is almost as fast as Monticello (got up to 145 there)

[moveswiftly]

Originally Posted by Lubo

I am running 255/40 17s all around in Dunlop Star Spec.
Yes most of the track is 3rd and 4th gear all the way through but that is only due to our low end torque and long gears. My speeds were about 50mph at the slowest parts while I got up to 138 on the back stretch, which is almost as fast as Monticello (got up to 145 there)

Sweet. I might do camber plates and run the same setup or do Michelin PSS. Waiting for my current tires to wear out though.

[pixelblue]

Nice driving Lubo. Take it you fixed your brakes?

[Lubo]

^^
new front calipers courtesy of good friend

[pixelblue]

That's what friends are for. Sweet

[1speedbike]

Great review Mo! It's nice to read some feedback on mods (and the car itself) in their "intended" setting at the track, vs just on the road where bums like me stick (until warranty's over at least).

I'm amazed ianf's hankooks suck so much. Let's just say i tested them out on a closed course (empty parking lot with a "lookout" for any cars going by) and I was very impressed. Of course PSS's are better, but for double the price are they twice as good? Just wondering..

[moveswiftly]

Originally Posted by Smiley1175

What kind of external camera mount are you using?
I'm looking to get something like that.

Cheers

GO PRO HD

[moveswiftly]

Originally Posted by ianf2002

Good write up.

I had a track day 2 weeks ago. I had the same setup with Hankooks 255/225's. They are crap tyres. DCT lights up around most of the track, even on straights. Traction was rubbish. Turning the DCT off was too much work with these as car was oversteering dangerously.

As a DD the Hankooks are probably ok, but not with added HP via a tune. They just refuse to grip!

I just switched to PSS's...OMFG they are GREAT tyres. The car feels so much more settled and planted, great steering response & traction.

I had no problem with oversteer. Granted i have an LSD, but i'm very smooth with my inputs of throttle. I hope you're not treating the throttle like an ON and OFF switch...

[moveswiftly]

Originally Posted by 1speedbike

Great review Mo! It's nice to read some feedback on mods (and the car itself) in their "intended" setting at the track, vs just on the road where bums like me stick (until warranty's over at least).

I'm amazed ianf's hankooks suck so much. Let's just say i tested them out on a closed course (empty parking lot with a "lookout" for any cars going by) and I was very impressed. Of course PSS's are better, but for double the price are they twice as good? Just wondering..

Try it once (track driving) and you'll be hooked for good.

[meg180]

Great pics and vids

[Focusedintntions]

Fun pics and vids!! But seriously how tall are you? Looks like you have 2ft of headroom even witht he helmet on!! I barely squeeze in there haha. My one bit of advice though is use the whole track, at corner exits your not getting to the edge with acceleration, you can go faster