[JMK007]

So - I just got back from my first track event with my F30 328i. My set up was the bone stock sportline suspension, a stop tech BBK, and Nitto NT-01 245/40/18s; I ran the stock software. The event was through NASA Pro Racing at Gingerman Raceway in Michigan. I competed in TTD, which is a time trial event--the fastest lap around the track that day in your class.

Overall, I was quite pleased with the car's performance. Handling wise, turn in is very good for a stock suspension. The car definitely understeers when pushed hard at mid corner through corner exit. However, this can be minimized if you adjust your approach, which includes being more patient on throttle application. If you are too aggressive on the throttle, the back end squats, the front end raises and the car pushes badly. A properly tuned suspension (including camber plates) would really improve this. However, even in stock form, the car is very capable on track provided you are extra smooth with your inputs so as not to easily upset the car's balance. (Note: this illustrates why it is best to learn on a stock car, rather than a prepped one that masks driver errors.)

The engine was strong throughout the weekend. There was no significant drop in power toward the end of 20 minute sessions in hot humid weather. Unlike the e90 335i pitted next to me, there was also no limp mode! As everyone has attested before me, the F30 is really reliable on track. The car never seemed to struggle even when pushed very hard.

The transmission was smooth and deliberate. Braking was absolutely breathtaking with the stop tech 6 piston front, 4 piston rears. The electronic diff, on the other hand, was not terribly impressive. Particularly when going over any bumpy areas under hard acceleration, I could feel the LSD get upset and hesitate for a moment. In a timed event, this can be a killer. I was able to work around this by altering my line through a particularly rough area. A true LSD would really benefit this car. However, that does not mean you can't have a ball with the car in its current form.

Objectively speaking, the car probably performs better than you subjectively feel it is performing. Why do I say this? I competed last year in TTE with a Mark VI GTI at the same track with the same tires and stage 1 software that made that car pull like a freight train. Last year, I set the track record at Gingerman in TTE with the GTI in 1:54.03. When I finished the first session in the BMW in TTD, I pulled off track thinking I was probably a second slower than the GTI. In reality, I was over 2 seconds faster--which shocked the hell out of me. On the second day, I ran a 1:49.89; this is 1 second off track record set last year in TTD--and I am on a stock suspension. (Note: the FRS shattered the old track record this weekend by 2 seconds.) If I had coilovers and camber plates, which I can still run in this class, I am certain I could go 2 seconds faster. The point is the F30 is very, very capable--more capable than I even realized until I saw the times it is able to put done.