Abdul’s E46 M3: Checking All Boxes

A competitive driver, totally dedicated to improving his skillset in the shortest time possible benefits from two distinct things: a dependable car and guidance from experienced mechanics.

“I wanted to be able to adapt to different cars quickly, so I tried most of the usual suspects that first year,” he recalled.

Abdul Osmani recognized that there were about a half-dozen well-trodden paths into high-performance driving after sampling the vehicles during his track day foray. Some platforms aren’t as well supported, as as a brief fling with a GT350 taught him, and there’s a good reason for this. “The Mustang taught me a lot about the problems with modern cars: they’re heavy, they chew up tires, and sometimes parts are hard to come by. I realized quickly that lightweight was the way to go.”

In order to advance at his desried rate, he had to conform and buy a proven platform. This realization pushed him towards an S2000, and it also helped him recognize the one other impediment to his success: his limitations as a mechanic.

So, in the name of expedience, he decided to turn to RCrew for their help. They provided him with a prepped track car and allowed him to apply himself to his new craft without distractions. The S2000’s sharp responses would help him improve, but RCrew’s support ensured his ass was glued to that Recaro seat — and nothing would do more for his advancement than practice.

COVID was starting to dwindle by this point, and now with a largely sorted car that could take the track abuse, he logged as many laps as some professional drivers do in a similar timespan. “I had the means to dedicate myself then, so between 2021 and 2022, I completed 41 track days.”

He’d made the major strides towards his ten-thousand hours and built the muscle memory needed to move into competitive motorsport, and setting fast laps began to lose a little bit of its luster. He decided that the next step was endurance racing, for which the Honda was not as well suited to as were some other popular platforms, he realized.

As the popular HPDE options go, there aren’t many cars with the peak grip and pointiness of the S2000, which makes it a serious contender when pursuing PBs. However, due to its low torque, he had to consider an alternative of a similar vintage.

“As fun as it was to set my fast laps, the chess match of enduros was a new challenge I needed; honing my racecraft would be more rewarding, I believed.”

The E46 M3 was the versatile, if slightly compromised, vehicle that would make a successful and similarly streamlined transition into longer races probably. “There were a few reasons why I thought that. For one, the M3’s easier to drive thanks to more torque and better ABS, and the parts are widely available. Plus, it’s eligible for a few different classes with just a tune. I knew this platform would make it easier to accrue the race laps I was after.”

Once he could commit to a plan, he discussed his options with RCrew, who took his provided chassis and whipped it into racing shape in four months. Part of the reason they could proceed so quickly was because, like with Jacek’s rock-solid E46, they used their tested and proven track car package, albeit with a few extras.

“We went with MCS two-way remotes, AP 5000R Pro brakes at both ends, a TC Design cage, RCrew headers and exhaust, a Bimmerworld rear wing, an RCrew splitter, Volk TE37 wheels: the off-the-shelf RCrew starter pack,” he laughed. “On top of the usual parts, we jumped straight into sphericals, a carbon roof, fiberglass doors, and an AIM dash.”

Weighing in at 2,750 pounds with half a tank of fuel and producing 310 horsepower makes the M3 the perfect middleweight that, as mentioned earlier, can run in a number of classes with as little as a change in engine calibration. It might not have the same degree of mid-corner grip or the turn-in immediacy as the car which it replaced, but the package is better suited to long-distance speed, net-net.

But in full time trials trim, the package still puts down sensational single laps. On a set of Hoosier R7s, Abdul’s 1:34.57 at Laguna Seca is remarkable — especially since he acknowledges that he made a few mistakes that lap. The mid-corner understeer in Turns 3, 4, and 9 “might’ve been caused by being a little impatient on the throttle.”

Furthermore, he’s convinced the slicks might benefit from a little more than the 3.8 and 3.0 degrees of negative camber he’s running at the front and rear axle, respectively. Along with a slightly torquier brake compound — he’s been running enduro pads — the turn-in phase might be shortened, which in combination with more mid-corner grip, might help him find another second.

“I didn’t think 1:33s were possible before this lap, but now, if my stars align…” he hinted.

The salient point is that the car is almost completely sorted, and its dependability has helped him get to the point where he’s able to isolate the smallest setup problems and focus completely on his driving.

This stoutness, plus its kindness to its consumables, has made him convinced that there isn’t another option for someone in his position. “It’s funny that this twenty-year-old car is one of the most sensible options nowadays,” he declared.

His performance in Speed SF’s inaugural enduro endorses this statement. After finishing third, he’s committed to the entirety of next year’s season. “I found the 2.5 hour-length perfect. In comparison to my experiences with longer enduros, the 2.5-hour format makes logistics and planning simple and cost effective. It’s almost like a really long advanced DE session,” he said.

Abdul’s had a few things helping him move efficiently and expediently towards his racing goals over the last four years. Not only has he had the good sense to recognize where his strengths lie — identifying a motivating objective, making the necessary lateral moves, and dedicating himself to the cause, while having the means and the connections to get the sort of help that saves him from headaches. Since advancement has been the aim, and the specific outcome has changed slightly with time, he’s had to think about his approach constantly. Not having to worry about picking the right parts or leaving stones unturned has freed up the bandwidth needed to keep adapting to an ever-changing environment.

Chris’ Evora: Penny-Pinching Pays Off

After several successful years in time trials with two different E36 M3s, Chris Mayfield decided to modernize his equipment.

After that came a short spell with a supercharged E92 M3. As fast and capable as it was with stock power, once adding the supercharger, no matter what he tried, it would not put the power down effectively. He then recognized what the limitations of a front-engined, rear-drive GT sans transaxle were — particularly when the power figure creeped too high. The more power a road racing car must handle, the more value there is in moving the center of mass closer to the driven wheels.

Photo credit: JM Photography

Frustrated with the heavy GT, Chris contemplated hanging up his helmet, but fortuitously, a friend mentioned that one of his contacts happened to be selling a European sports car for a reasonable price. This Lotus Evora’s 2GR engine would make comparable power to the S54, and the chassis would be able to put it down quite easily. It also came with plenty of go-fast bits from factory, so it wouldn’t require as much fettling as the heavier front-engine GTs had. Best of all, if it wasn’t what he wanted, he could make a few quick fixes and turn it for a profit. Considering the bargain he got on the Evora, he named it Penny and began tracking it.

Fabulous From Factory

Even in stock trim, the Evora was refined enough for thousand-mile journeys and direct enough for respectable times at more technical tracks. Though its helical LSD would lock abruptly and induce a little more rotation than intended, it was soft in its breakaway, and always communicative thanks to a fast, feelsome hydraulic steering rack.

Having a torquey motor and sixty percent of the weight over the rear axle make the Evora easy to slide in stock trim. 

Before testing the Evora, he’d expected something more along the lines of a heavier Elise, but the bigger brother was far more forgiving. Even in stock trim with excessive body roll, its soft edges helped him clock a 1:58 around Buttonwillow 13CW his first time out — an impressive time for a factory car weighing 3,100 pounds with a tick over 350 horsepower

It wasn’t just the natural balance which helped him log such a lap. The AP Racing brakes, Ferodo DS2500 pads, adequate cooling, a flat underbody, a decently sized diffuser, double wishbones at both ends, and other features that came from factory contributed to a well-rounded car that could deliver lap after lap without faltering.

The bones were clearly good, but Chris had a few critiques of the car which, though extremely capable, was not quite sharpened enough to be placed precisely in every siThe abrupt lockup was quite exploitable in the slow stuff; bordering on over-rotation, but in faster corners like Bus Stop and Riverside, this characteristic wasn’t as useful. When lifting, the car would rotate as expected, but settling the rear with any throttle would induce a little bit of understeer — even without any weight transfer taking place. For this reason, he found himself overslowing the entries Laguna Seca’s T5 and T10 to ensure he wouldn’t be going for a trip through the dirt.

Beauty Under the Knife

Its suspension design requires less static camber than the E92 does, but there was need for more. With the help of custom upper control arms from Fred Zust at Black Watch Racing, Chris was able to dial in 2.7° up front and 3.5° at the rear. Not much for a full-on track car, but ample in practice, as it turned out.

Along with those custom arms, Fred Zust specced a set of custom Penske 7500 two-ways to sharpen the car and keep the aero platform level over — a must with the elements Chris had planned. With high school friend and founder of Zebulon Ryan Neff leading the charge, the two ran a series of 3D scans to devise the right aero package for the Evora’s sleek but surprisingly draggy body.

Even though the coke-bottle shaped Evora is a sports car, the weight and power produced give it some GT-esque traits which Ryan addressed in his aero design. With this car, he adhered to his typical philosophy for heavier, front-engine cars when designing the aero package: the front gets precedence. Generally speaking, the Evora needs more aero loading at the front axle to get the desired balance with a car like this. So, Neff built the six-inch splitter — which provides the ideal combination of downforce and efficiency — from the front of the bumper and extending all the way to the front axle line, where is blends seamlessly into the factory flat floor.

At the rear, Ryan devised a mounting system which would save Chris from having to hack up the beautiful rear clamshell. Only two holes in the rain gutter were needed to attach the mounts, which connect to a support that bolts directly to the chassis. Ryan’s careful touch is obvious in the design of the two elegant swan necks that pass through the panel gaps between the rear clam and the fenders.

The finishing touches on the first iteration of the aero package were: a set of skirt extensions which widen the surface area of the floor, and bolted on a set of his “ankle cutters,” which manage the inflow of air underneath the car. “The cutters function like a virtual sliding skirt,” he added.

To top off this first round of aero additions, Chris stuffed as much tire as he could fit under the factory bodywork — with 265s up front and 315s at the rear. The car wears its tires well and doesn’t necessarily need a massive footprint, but if the fender wells are wide enough to make room for more, he realized he may as well.

In its second iteration, the Lotus was swift enough to cut seven seconds off Chris’ previous best at Buttonwillow 13CW in the second session that day. A 1:51 is something to rejoice, but he couldn’t be happy too long — at the end of that exciting day, the factory powertrain showed its shortcomings. Simply put, the crankcase ventilation system was not built for 1.5 G and dumped too much oil into the intake manifold; choking the motor and breaking a ringland.

Thankfully, this didn’t mean his budget supercar would be breaking the bank. These Toyota motors have been used in a wide range of cars; making them cheap and plentiful. In went a new motor, to which Chris fitted a set of aftermarket stainless headers for a total of 360 horsepower and 300 lb-ft of torque.

There’s a planned diffuser on the way, as well as an OS Giken 1.5-way differential, which should make the car that much more accurate and predictable in the faster corners. There’s talk of turbocharging the engine for 500+ horsepower, but that’s still undecided.

If Chris does decide to venture down that route, a platform this strong, with this much aero, a friendly balance, and a great deal of mechanical grip should make great use of that bump in power on the track — unlike his old E92. It may be the best test for a versatile chassis like this. Perhaps it will cease being the friendly thing it’s been, but then it’ll be hard to complain when the times continue to drop rapidly. For the money, Penny has provided far more than most cars in this class ever could with similar levels of work invested.

Speed SF’s First Enduro Goes Off Without a Hitch

Endurance racing is the next step for many HPDE drivers who want to try their hand at wheel-to-wheel racing. The long sessions, the greater emphasis on strategy, and the ability to share a car make it easier to find a seat, generally speaking. We recognized that some of our talented HPDE drivers, some of whom already have been racing in other long-distance series, might be willing to take the leap into a new style of enduro if we helped them stick the landing.

So we brought our most experienced drivers together to brainstorm. After several months of revisiting various rulebooks and taking a look at the greater range of driving experience we had among our regulars, we devised a plan for an accommodating, competitive endurance format that would not break the bank. Endurance racing can be very expensive, but it doesn’t have to be.

Our loose rules are meant to be easily understood, keep barriers to entry low, and welcome a wide range of driving talent and vehicle performance. Tire choices, horsepower, and weight are all left open. Tires are open as well, as long as they’ll last a 2.5-hour race. There isn’t a restriction on driver count, either — some brave souls can run solo if they choose to.

The one mandatory pit stop is timed at seven minutes. We want to make sure the teams have plenty of time to safely refuel and remain hydrated. It also evens out the playing field; the high budget teams can’t take advantage of a fast refilling system and the low budget teams behind.

As for the regulations, we allow vehicles that pass the safety standards of NASA, SCCA, Lucky Dog, and other major endurance racing series. The vehicle will need to pass our safety tech inspection.

Drivers are required to hold a race license from another approved organization, though we can make exceptions. For drivers without a racing license, as with LeMons, Lucky Dog, and Chump Car drivers; we require they have experience in wheel-to-wheel racing or advanced open-passing run groups with Speed SF track day events. Essentially, they must have a long-standing record showing they are capable of racing in close proximity to others.

The classing is easy and straightforward. It’s based only on the car’s capabilities and the drivers’ performance during the event.

Whatever the time set in qualifying must be adhered to in the race. Essentially, that time cannot be beaten by an established delta or a penalty will be issued. The first infraction will incur a drive-through penalty; the second, a two-minute hold in the pits; the third, a five-minute hold; and the fourth, disqualification. We can also force the team to change class, depending on how much faster their race pace is. Sandbagging is something we hope to avoid.

Last weekend, we put these plans to the test at Thunderhill Raceway Park.After collecting the qualifying lap times from our 21 different cars that day, we established the parameters that would determine which team would run in which class.

Class A: 1:55 - 1:59

Class B: 2:00 - 2:05

Class C: 2:06+

The drivers on the cusp then decided whether to push their car to race in the faster class or dial back to race in the slower group — to push for total dominance or take the conservative approach. Strategy (as well as reliability and consistency) is what decides an endurance race, and our drivers were forced to make a choice that morning.

We started our race at 8 AM, the coolest time of the day, as we wanted to reduce the effects of heat on both drivers and vehicles. Many drivers appreciated that.

Class A and overall winner Daniel Rose had competed in many sprint races in NASA before this, but only a few endurance races. He had his worries about running an enduro, since they aren’t always the best organized, but that wasn’t the case here.

“Speed SF has always been a good host for the track day events, and I’m happy I did it because the enduro was really well organized; everyone knew what they needed to do. Sometimes things can get a little hectic with these kinds of races, but everything was well explained to the drivers that morning.

The classes were split just right — the competition at the front was intense and I had to stay sharp since I was running solo. Thankfully, my car ran well the whole race and went without a single hiccup, but I made one mistake — I drove over some oil in T3 and went into the dirt, but nothing major. Still, with how close it was until the end, I had no idea where that mistake put me. We pitted at the right time, I kept consistent with my lap times, I put my head down, and we came out on top. Group A win and first overall!”

“As far as I heard from everyone else in the paddock, everyone was happy with the class sorting,” Rose added.

Coming in second in Class A were Maxwell Lisovsky and Nate Hackman, who put the plan together at the very last minute. “Maxwell called me on his way down from The Ridge. He needed a co-driver. I’d never driven the car before,” Nate said. He wasn’t filled with confidence, but he took the opportunity.

The two met at Thunderhill and crossed their fingers. Max’s TT2-spec E36 wasn’t built to endurance specs, so he had to sort out a few things during qualifying.

Nate, with fifteen minutes to get a feel for a car he’d never driven before, jumped in and put the car on pole with a time of 1:54. With such a strong start, he decided to start the race and battled door-to-door through four consecutive corners over the first lap to take the lead.

“I really didn’t want to blow the motor in the first stint, so I short-shifted the whole time,” Nate admitted — a sensible approach to getting a time attack car to last 2.5 hours. Even leaving the car in fifth gear for half of the lap, he could set consecutive lap times in the 1:55s.

With a healthy lead, Nate made the mistake of beating his qualifying pace in the race — excusable considering his inexperience with the car — and had to serve a five-second penalty. While in the pits, Daniel snuck by and held onto the lead.

Considering the fact Maxwell and Nate had “no real plans, no communication, and no execution,” as the latter put it, their performance deserves a tip of the hat. Turns out the “send it and pray” approach, even with a time attack car, can yield impressive results in a medium-length race.

Abdul Osmani, a regular Lucky Dog endurance racer and the only solo driver on the Class A podium, also challenged Daniel through much of the race. “I found the 2.5 hour-length perfect. In comparison to my experiences with longer enduros, the 2.5-hour format makes logistics and planning simple and cost effective. It’s almost like a really long advanced DE session,” he said.

Joe McGuigan, regular endurance racer and Speed SF Challenge winner, used the enduro to shake down his newly acquired E46 M3 and get an idea of its fuel burn rate. As his co-driver Don signed on for twenty laps tops, Joe felt he’d leave some on the table, run in Class B, and use the track time to identify any possible problems with his new car.

The M3 had pace, though, and Joe beat Speed SF favorites Gary Yeung and Yunni Zhai to the win by a lap. The M3 proved more economical than he’d planned, so he finished his two hour-long stints with a few gallons left in the tank. The fact that he was able to run an endurance race without having to spend more money to buy a high-capacity fuel cell is just another way this medium-length race lowers the barriers to entry; a fully-built endurance car isn’t necessary for a race of this length.

At 10:30 that morning, the checkered flag flew and we could breathe a sigh of relief — our first endurance race was a success. A total of 21 cars entered and 19 finished. Considering the heat that weekend, not to mention the added strain of a medium-length race, that finishing rate speaks highly of our drivers and their level of preparation.

We’re in the middle of planning next year’s season of endurance racing. but waiting on confirmation from our regular tracks before we publish what we hope will be a very busy 2025 calendar. In the meantime, we’ll be using the race data from this event to create better classing rules that will accommodate an even wider range of drivers and vehicles.

Seeing our dedicated drivers take the next step into racing and proving themselves in a new environment makes planning these events worth the extra effort.

Class A Winners:

1st Daniel Rose BMW E46

2nd Maxwell Lisovsky / Nate Hackman BMW E46

3rd Abdul Osmani BMW E46

Class B Winners:

1st Joe McGuigan / Don BMW E46

2nd Gary Yeung / Yunni Zhai Nissan 350z

3rd Nicolas Voordeckers Funduro Speedster

Class C Winners:

1st Michael McColligan Honda Civic

2nd David Vodden Honda Civic

3rd Becky / Niki Arsham Honda Civic

Results

CSG Brake Pads: Details Make the Difference

Much like tire technology has evolved rapidly in the last several decades, so has brake technology. There are hundreds of brake compounds produced all over the world, and the majority of off-the-shelf brake compounds offered decades ago still exist today. These compounds that may have been great in the past may not be ideal for today’s performance requirements.

CounterSpace Garage have tried to make their mark by putting together a detailed, comprehensive understanding of the entire braking system (across numerous makes and models) as well as the general demands of the entire racing landscape. After spending years testing hundreds of discs, fluids, compounds, and calipers to identify their respective limitations, they’ve been able to satisfy a wide array of performance cars, tracks, and tire compounds.

Contrary to popular opinion, outright braking performance is only one part of the puzzle. Not only are CSG concerned with improving the pad’s outright performance, but they also think about pad control and the context in which the pad will be used. If a pad isn’t suited to the driver’s preferences or the car’s limitations, it will never be used to its full.

To improve control, maintaining consistency is paramount. If the brake pad breaks down, then it snowballs into fluid failure, excessive caliper flex, and excessive disc wear. Consistency also means friction characteristics at different pressure applications, pad modulus through the temperature range, and performance from fresh to the backing plate.

Expending Energy Efficiently

Aiming for a consistent friction material often yields higher pad stiffness, which allows for a more responsive braking feel or “bite.” This doesn’t mean the brake torque is delivered in spikes, which can cause early ABS intervention, but rather with smoother engagement and smoother release. Primarily, the driver feels a more intuitive relationship between his brake application and the way his car decelerates.

Thanks to CSG's custom setup, Gary Wong enjoys reliable, reassuring braking performance in his high-horsepower heavyweight Supra.

Stiffness has secondary benefits including: better pad wear, lower overall heat generation and less heat transfer into critical components like the caliper and hydraulic fluid compared to the existing compounds on the market. A stiffer pad is usually a denser pad, and more material means more thermal capacity.

In order to understand how stiffness plays a role in response, we should use a simple physics equation with the assumption of infinitely rigid structures:

Friction Force (Ff) = Coefficient of friction (mu) x Normal Force (Fn)

This equation helps us visualize the effect of using two different sanding blocks to hold a piece of sandpaper against a sanded surface. A sponge requires more vertical force to generate the same level of friction force at the sanded surface compared to using a piece of hardwood. Now it’s obvious why having a good pad compound can result in better pedal communication and improved control over braking events — it maximizes tire adhesion and improves peak deceleration characteristics more consistently and with less force.

Tailor Made

When we’re trying to assess the level of control their particular pad offers, we consider things like: whether or not they need to build up the threshold pressure, whether they need to reduce their brake pressure carefully like with an aero car. This helps us establish the control objectives,” CSG’s David Leung notes.

“If a driver is dealing with a lot of ABS intervention, a digressive pad can help. As it limits some of that power at higher pressures, it makes it less likely to activate ABS.

Part of Gary Yeung's remarkable speed in his normally-aspirated S2000 comes down to its ability to decelerate, courtesy of CSG.

For cars with aero, a progressive pad might be best. As temperature and pressure increase, breaking power increases at an exponential rate. However, when the aero bleeds off (often very rapidly), this compound makes it easier to reduce pedal pressure quickly enough to avoid lock-up.

All of these profiles are taken into consideration to deliver what is ultimately an intuitive braking experience that allows the driver to focus on other aspects of driving and racing.

To demonstrate the ways in which driver preference factors into the equation, consider just the well-known users of the Supra A90 who’ve partnered with CSG: Jonathan Wong, Jackie Ding, Gary Wong, Allen Patten, Dave Kramer, Drew Turner, and even Toyota Engineering have turned to CSG for their own bespoke setup.”

Thermal Constraints for Different Applications

To get the most from a particular set of pads, some turn to ducting, which helps keep a brake system in its operating window. Some pads need to operate at a much lower temp to generate the performance and better wear (especially pads that generate excessive heat). High levels of heat generation also transfers into the caliper, causing them to get soft, and also transfers into the fluid.

Some pads need heat to perform, which is where ducting can be a detriment, since heat may be required for some friction materials to improve wear consistency in racing situations. Ducting also subjects a brake system to a wider spread of temperatures, which can shorten the lifespan of various components.

Viz paint is used to establish the exact thermal parameters their brakes must operate within.

Ducting does have some benefits especially when you’re operating a spec/homologated brake system that may have undersized calipers/discs (they usually get replaced after each race) and require the brakes to be regulated in a more consistent temperature range.

At the end of the day, ducting should really be a fine tuning tool, not a complete solution to resolve brake issues. It all comes down to designing for the appropriate application and optimizing the performance zone.

Maximizing Both Ends

“We also assess the rear brakes’ utilization. Regardless of whether they’re optimizing their rears to work with the factory bias or they’ve added a proportioning valve, we want the brakes to aid in slowing the car and assisting in rotation.

Jackie Ding's able to make his Supra turn like a much smaller car thanks in part to the well-chosen pads at the rear axle that facilitate usable rotation. 

By maximizing the rear brakes, we can utilize the tire grip from all four corners of the car. Using tire grip from all four tires means better distribution of brake load, maximum deceleration, better wear, and better temperature management to keep the brakes in the optimal operating zone.

A Compendium for All Invested

To take every conceivable factor into consideration is how CSG has been able to develop a wide range of pad solutions. It’s also due to driver feedback and motorsport data, as shared with them by their loyal customers. This information is then filtered down into a range of solutions that meet spirited driving activities to racing at every single level between HPDE and professional racing applications.

"All relevant areas of braking performance must be understood to provide a truly premium product," David adds.

CSG have made countless strides towards finding the right products for most of today’s platforms, They’ve built a compendium of braking data over years through internal development goals, brake dyno work, interacting with their customers, and using their feedback to tailor their products to the customer’s demands. They offer a huge array for different conditions, setups, and for different driving styles.

“CSG is a premium product and the costs reflect that. With that cost, we offer free consultation since we want to meet our customer’s needs and optimize results. All we ask is that they provide data. Ideally, this comes in the form of telemetry, but onboard video, photos, and anything else that can contribute to a clearer picture of what’s happening at the track,” David adds.

The brake system is an ecosystem in itself, which is better understood through constant communication between customer and manufacturer. This interaction is the backbone of CSG’s feedback loop, and only through this and the high-quality data it relies on has high-grade deceleration been made available to drivers of all stripes.

Forced Induction For Track Work: Supercharging Two Popular Platforms

Among E46 M3 and S2000 owners, power is almost considered a four-letter word. The majority of those who regularly lap these cars, for reasons of simplicity and cost, prefer to optimize their car’s handling and braking performance in pursuit of impressive lap times. Also, they typically pride themselves, though usually tacitly, on their ability to lap quickly without a big motor to lean on. However, the ratio of grip to power usually falls in favor of the former with most of these builds, which forces the builder to consider whether a significant bump in grunt is worth the time, expense, and possible hassle.

Two of our fastest drivers decided the relatively cost-effective path of forced induction to determine if more power makes a worthwhile difference with these two popular HPDE platforms.

Seigo Ma had been swooning over the videos of the Arvou S2000, a lightweight AP1 using an HKS supercharger to make a touch more than 400 horsepower. The already capable package could exploit that power bump well enough to lap the technical Tsukuba circuit in a remarkable 53.887 seconds.

Seigo wanted to double his engine’s output, but worried that the famously fragile platform wouldn’t be able to handle it. So, in an attempt to get some much-needed encouragement (and see F1 in person), Seigo took a trip to Tokyo. Three days in, he visited Arvou to consult with Mr. Shibata, who encouraged him to take the plunge.

Back in San Francisco, Seigo started speccing his own HKS kit. He did his homework and chose the option of the smaller pulley needed to make 400+ horsepower. After he installed the kit, he sent his car to Blacktrax for the first pass at tuning his Hondata Pro ECU. They were able to make a knock-limited 350 horsepower at the wheels available over a very narrow powerband. “It only revved to 7,000 safely. That lowered redline, the shorter AP2 gearing, and 4.3 final drive made it a challenge to drive; it required constant shifting.”

To make the most of his new kit, Seigo ordered a higher flow fuel pump, 1050cc injectors, colder spark plugs, and a surge tank with an integrated fuel pressure regulator — all the items needed to run E85 safely. A retune of the Hondata brought power up to a knock-free 420 horsepower available at 8,500 rpm. “Power delivery was like a stock F22, but with a lot more at the top end,” Seigo said.

Even with 285-section rear tires and an OS Giken differential to help meter out that power, the bump in grunt was challenging to manage. “Second gear was pretty much useless,” he added. It also proved too much for the factory gearbox; breaking fifth gear broke on his second track day at that power level. To get himself back on track, he picked up a used AP1 box and a larger supercharger pulley to drop boost and lower the power output.

Relocating the oil cooler made lowered temps enough to run full sessions on moderately warm days.

The AP1 box’s longer gearing combined with the lowered output — about 360 horsepower — helped Seigo get to grips with the car at his next outing. Usable power, strong traction, and drastically improved top speeds has helped him keep up with higher horsepower cars that previously left him in the dust. Before braking for Thunderhill East’s Turn 1, he was traveling at 133 miles per hour — roughly 15 miles an hour faster than he ever had before.

The only notable issue with the car were creeping supercharger oil temps, which he resolved by relocating the supercharger’s oil cooler under the right headlight. With that upgrade, the car has been mostly reliable.

On moderately warm days, the car can run full sessions without issue. Only on the hottest days does it begin to falter, but it still works well enough to run three consecutive laps before engine oil temperatures get too high.

A drawback of running E85 is that combined with the new powerplant, it gets quite thirsty. “I burn half a tank per session, so I’ve gotta bring a few jugs of e85 with me every day. It’s still cheaper than running 91 octane and is much safer for the engine though.”

For Christian Fernandez, power was the last box to be ticked after aero, weight reduction, and a solid suspension setup. He’d already set impressive times with his E85-fed E46 M3, but he wondered if there might be an easy solution to extract a little more from his S54.

Dan from RCrew, Christian’s dependable mechanic, made him an offer on an ESS supercharger kit which promised easy power and little-to-no hassle.

As Christian had already installed a larger pump and 550cc injectors in preparation for corn juice, there wouldn’t be much more he’d need for a successful install.

“Multiple YouTubers who’d used the same kit complained of overheating issues, though. The front-mounted intercooler wasn’t necessary with this entry-level kit, so I decided to take the band-aid solution and install a water injection kit to keep intake temps low.”

On a Dynojet, HTE Performance tuned the stock ECU to handle six pounds of boost from the the supercharged S54 put down 487 horsepower — 157 more than what the atmospheric, E85-fed motor had made on the same dyno.

The bump in power is felt largely at the top of the rev range; making the motor feel similarly linear in its delivery, but notably faster at the end of straights. “It’s pretty easy to put the power down, but the extra 3-4 miles an hour it nets at the end of the straights forces me to reconsider my braking points.”

This bump in straightline speed doesn’t overwhelm the current cooling system, which consists of a larger radiator, an oil cooler, and the water injector. “Even on 80° days, the needle never moves past the ¾ mark!

That said, I’m not sure I’m getting all that peak power over a whole session. It probably needs an intercooler.”

The blower hasn’t made maintenance a nightmare, but it has exposed a few leaks that weren’t an issue before. Running a leakdown test revealed a leak from the valve cover seal and around the aftermarket injectors, which never seat properly and require a washer for passable fitment.

Both drivers are content with their new engine setups, which have proven to be reliable after the little issues were addressed. Seigo bought a usable 150 horsepower and 2.5 seconds at his regular tracks. “So far, it’s been money well spent,” he said.

Christian is content with the improvement, though the M3 was never lacking power in the way the S2000 was. To be fair, the former has gone a step further in addressing all their supercharger’s shortcomings, while the latter has taken a more relaxed approach.

There’s still more to be done before the bare-basic ESS kit offers track-worthy performance, but once it’s sorted, there’s no reason it shouldn’t have that funny effect of shortening straightaways — so much so that Christian will have to start thinking of braking point right after he starts to accelerate.

Joe’s M3: Proving His Potential

Photo credit: CaliPhoto

When building a track car, it’s almost always easier to take the paved path. Picking a platform that has been thoroughly developed, with available parts for every possible problem and associated forums filled with information help get the driver to the track without much wrenching.

Not that ease was the main reason Joe McGuigan decided to add an eighth car to his collection — he did that because his friends urged him to try the car he’d avoided for a while. They were tired of watching him struggle with his trailblazing passion projects. They said he’d be able to save himself time if he just joined the tribe and bought an E46 M3.

When Spencer Kimball decided to sell the E46 he’d built for his father, whose injuries prevented him from enjoying it, half of the greater NorCal track community flooded his inbox. Spencer had already proven he knew how to put a seriously quick M3 together, and this example checked just about every box a track car needs to. Plus, the price was impossible to argue with. It would make some track rat a very happy owner soon enough, but an iconoclast like Joe? Not likely.

He was well aware of the M3’s potential, but he never found it interesting enough to build one himself. He preferred the challenge of developing a less-loved car, and always found the E46 M3’s competence a bit boring. Too easy to drive quickly, too easy to build. Not enough of a challenge for a man trying to prove a point.

However, the long list of primo parts and the low, low price were too tough to ignore. Joe had to accept the “boring” car for the simple fact that he would no longer be able to handicap himself with a sub-par chassis. “I could show people how fast I really am,” he added. Rather than prove a point as a builder, he could prove himself as a driver.

He mulled it over for a few days before pulling the trigger. Picking it up on the way home was the easy part. Driving it back to his crowded driveway, it dawned on him how big a task he’d set for himself: “Now I’ve gotta put my money where my mouth is and build a really fast car,” he said.

Fortunately, the car was already well on its way towards perfection. Spencer had big plans for the build and sank a good amount of money into making it fast, reliable, and fun to drive. The short list includes:

• Shaftworks USA coilovers with 500/750-lb springs

• Custom Drexler-style 1.5-way differential

• 4.10 gears

• SPL arms

• Supersprint V1 header

• CSL intake

• HTE tune

• E90 GTS rear wing

• Bimmerworld diffuser

• Bimmerworld 3” exhaust

• PFC ZR45 BBK

• APEX Wheels 18x10" ET25 Forged VS-5RS

Those and a few minor mods were all Joe needed to set some competitive times. The first track day was a few days after pickup, so he only had time for an alignment and a fluid flush. Nevertheless, its first outing in his hands, a two-day event at Buttonwillow, was a success.

He found it fast and forgiving, with a linear power delivery and direct steering. Those qualities, plus a hint too much understeer, helped Joe get on top of the car in a session. By the end of the first day, he lapped Buttonwillow 13CW in 1:56.3 — on an old set of Toyo RRs, no less. The predictive timer showed an optimal lap a half-second faster which, funnily enough, is one tenth shy of his best-ever time at 13CW in his well-developed IS-F.

He’s already sussed out its shortcomings and drummed up a short list of solutions which he plans to implement soon. Being able to knock out problems quickly with the support of a vast market is one of the reasons going with a well-loved platform makes sense. “I plan to move pretty quickly with this build. Who knows? I might sell it next year,” he laughed.

The brakes are capable, but the pads might need to be changed as the initial bite wasn’t strong enough to give him much confidence. The spring rates are too low; the owner before Spencer had specced them for autocross. It’ll receive MCS two-ways, a TC Designs cage, reinforced swaybar brackets, and full Zebulon/Buildjournal aero in the next couple months.

But the bones are good, as they say, and it’s already fast enough to aim for some of the times set by friends and colleagues in the E46 scene. While he hasn’t given up on his IS-F, he’ll fixate on beating the established BMW benchmarks for the time being.

Andrew from Buildjournal has taken his E46 M3 just about as far as anyone on the West Coast has, and his car can turn a lap around 13CW in the 1:49s. “I’m sure its capable of something in the low 1:50s with weight reduction, a better setup, and full aero,” Joe declared. There’s no reason to doubt it.

The potential is obvious, the build is nearly finished, his connections are eager to help him, and all he’s had to suffer is a little boredom. The E46 might not pull at the heartstrings like some passion projects, but he can’t deny the potential that the project holds — and the fun he’s already had with it — has caused him to change his tune.

Richard’s MR2 Turbo: Not Too Pretty To Pirouette

It began all the way back in grade school with Gran Turismo. A few years later, Richard Tran graduated from video games and started moving through the worlds of hard-parking BMWs and drag racing until his expanding network brought a few road racers into his life.

When they invited him to a track day with Speed SF in 2019, he accepted — but not before considering the consequences. Richard was opposed to taking big risks; he’d seriously hurt himself in a car crash a few years before, and he certainly didn’t want to damage his then-new M3, but they persisted — they told him he’d leave the the track feeling something extraordinary.

The feelings of euphoria following that first session helped him forget about the potential costs of thrill seeking. In fact, he’d been bitten badly enough to sign up then and there for another twelve track days. Quickly, he put the dependable M3 on the back burner; he had a cheaper, lighter, more maneuverable mid-engined car he believed would take more to master.

To the trained eye, his 1991 Toyota MR2 Turbo (SW20) didn’t look like the ideal track toy candidate. Actually, it looked more like a museum piece. Three-stage paint, fresh interior panels, and completely new suspension components were all parts of a three-year restoration that culminated in a show-grade vehicle. Richard was so proud of it, he displayed it at SEMA.

Work Meisters and the OEM kouki aero was all that was needed to make the SW20 pop — it truly is a svelte, sexy car.

Despite its immaculate condition, he felt it wasn’t too good to be used in the way he’d (ab)used his M3. In fact, Richard felt that he’d be missing out on something vital if he didn’t track it. There was a directness and a demanding quality about it that made him feel giddy at 5/10ths.

The second outing proved he had his head screwed on straight, but didn’t quite have the quick hands needed to manage the MR2. The factory components just wouldn’t cut it, especially on all-seasons, so he replaced the rotors with slotted Stoptechs and slapped on a set of EBC Yellows. Along with those, he installed a set of Tein Super Street coilovers, a pair of GReddy side skirts, and a 1998-spec spoiler with lifted risers for a little flash.

The basic package was fun, but far from friendly. “I made the mistake of trying to drive it like the M3,” he began, “and that just wouldn’t work. I learned pretty quickly that I couldn’t throw it around or brake as late as I could in the BMW.”

The odd agricultural excursion didn’t dampen his enthusiasm for his demanding new car.

After many red flags and several stern conversations with the track workers, Richard learned he had to soften his inputs a little and improve the chassis a lot. The second-generation MR2 is known as a nervous car prone to rotate without much provocation, but it can be tamed with some suspension work, a little maintenance throttle, and the right sort of staggered tire setup.

Giving precedence to the rear axle began by fitting the rear wheels with 245/40R17 Federal RS-RR Pros — somewhat wider than the 215/40R17 fronts. Then, Richard turned to Elite Performance’s Melody Cannizzaro to soften the sensitive midship’s edges. A little more front camber relative to the rear helped settle the rear end while cornering, and more toe-in at the rear kept it planted under braking and acceleration. Then, as advised by his friends, Richard tried stiffening the front to minimize the nose dive under heavy braking, which could encourage the lightened rear to spin.

Minimizing some of that see-sawing gave him much more confidence in the car, and the resulting improvements in cornering speeds helped Richard notice a few more of its shortcomings.

It wasn’t the tight, direct thing he thought a lightweight MR car would be, but, after all, it was nearing a half-million miles. Sunshine Auto overhauled the entire suspension, adding new control arms, bigger sway bars, inner and outer tie rods, additional chassis bracing, and a set of 808 Racespec coilovers from Bob Pham. “The new setup made the car feel like a go-kart. Actually, the first day back at the track with these mods, I went six seconds faster than I’d ever gone before,” he exclaimed.

Richard’s love for the Sailor Moon series gave this car its eponymous nickname.

“Those modifications transformed it from a decent daily driver to an uncomfortable track car, but I still trust it enough to drive it to the track — it hasn’t left me stranded once,” he said. Pretty impressive for a car that just passed the 500,000 miles on the odometer. Chalk a bit of that up to build quality from the late-eighties Japanese boom, some of that to Richard’s obsessive maintenance habits, and a little bit to the near-stock configuration of the power train.

Aside from a Mishimoto radiator an HKS SSQV BOV, and a Berk 3” exhaust, the original 3SGTE motor remains stock.

Aside from a splitter and a pair of canards, Richard doesn’t plan on adding much more. Actually, he’s confident enough to admit he’s the limiting factor at this stage. “My friends will get in and go six seconds faster than I can, so I know I need seat time more than anything. Well, I could use a set of Sparco Circuits because I’m getting thrown around on the stock seats, but that’s about it.

For me, it’s the perfect track car — dependable, fun, and constantly challenging. I don’t really care about making it the fastest car here. I’ve got a ways to go as a driver, anyways. I’m not here to be the best — I just want to have fun, and in that department, the MR2 always delivers.

My track friends’ words of encouragement and support have been a driving force behind my journey; pushing me to overcome obstacles and strive for greatness. I rolled my car once many years ago and I was in the hospital for months. I thought I wouldn’t walk again.

My wife did not want to see me in another accident ever again. Actually, she wanted me to retire, but she saw how happy I was attending track days with friends, so she now watches me track. I promised her I’ll never go completely flat-out ever again and I’m fine with that — as long as I get to see her smile.”

Special thanks to Elite Performance, The Driveway, and Sunshine Auto.

Alex's RUSH SR: Turning The Page

Alex Chang’s foray to North American track days with a track-prepped Z4M was fun, but it’s odd how, now, after trying a single-purpose open-topped racing car, he’s thinking about parting ways with it.

Alex’s upbringing in Brazil gave him a chance to get some karting miles underneath him before purchasing a Civic Si and running a few pricey lapping days at Sao Paulo’s Interlagos. That was a bit of a tease as the hobby was then out of reach financially, but his karting experience and the greater speeds of the bigger tracks had left an indelible mark on his young mind.

By the time he moved to Los Angeles, Alex had made a little more dough and started looking for another way to get his speed fix. Urged along by Sam Kim and Ed Kim, he decided to try the North American style of lapping days at one third the cost of the Brazilian alternative.

Inspired by his BMW-loving brethren, Alex bought an E92 M, but he couldn’t connect with it in the way he hoped he would. The desire for an unadulterated driving experience pushed Alex to purchase another front-engine production car from the same family, albeit one both smaller and lighter. With some luck, it would feel a little more like an extension of himself.

He didn’t hesitate to pick up his Z4M Coupe, which had plenty of promise. With the venerable S54 and a wheelbase ten inches shorter than the E92’s, the potential for an involving on-track experience was there, and for the first year, the rapid breakaway kept him entertained. “You must have quick hands to drive this car!”

And so the foundation was set. There wasn’t much hope for outright lap records in this car, but it scratched some of the itch and, if he could look past the steep price of aftermarket parts, was a solid car with moderate-to-low running costs.

Bigger brakes, tires, and eventually power mods helped generate some extra excitement on his monthly outings at the track, but the addition of aero had the opposite effect—the Z4 became too planted.

Without any nervousness to keep him on the edge of his seat, Alex decided to shelve the trackday hobby for a while; he’d just become a father and had more pressing concerns than getting his adrenaline fix. Getting to wake up in the middle of the night to a baby’s cries did that just fine.

But it’s hard to put the helmet down forever, and after his brief sabbatical, Alex sought out something else to give him a purer thrill. He toyed with the idea of a Radical SR8, but its reliability issues scared him off. Still, a short test in one helped him recognize that an open-top/single-seater sports racer was what truly appealed to him. After stumbling upon a Facebook advertisement for a new open-top car called a RUSH SR, he acted without much deliberation and put in an order with Jeff Schneider from Fresno Powersport.

The 1,100-pound sports racer has a tube frame construction, a GSX-1000 motor that revs to 11,800 rpm, easily removable bodywork, and a moderate amount of aerodynamic grip.

After stepping into the RUSH, Alex found himself in a wildly different environment. The car was bare, raw, and responsive in a way anything over 3,000 pounds can never be. Its attitude was so easy to adjust, which pushed him to focus on altering his driving inputs much more than he ever had with the BMWs. “I might’ve been relying on modifications to go faster before, but, to be fair, that might’ve been because I never really had another similarly-modified Z4 to measure myself against—and so my driving has never received as much attention as it does now.”

The driving experience was undeniably pure, and the operational costs more than justified the entry price. A set of Nankang AR-1s run him $700 a set, and they last him eight-ten track days; they begin to fall off after around twenty heat cycles. A set of brake pads and rotors run him $30 and $70, respectively. Reduced operational expenses and a sense of support from the surrounding community gave him a way to evolve quickly.

Not many vehicles make a Z4 look enormous.

More than the driving experience, it was the community of RUSH enthusiasts on the West Coast that made him feel he’d made the right step forward.

The tight-knit group is growing fast, though still relatively small. Nevertheless, their competitive nature and the mechanical parity of their cars has pushed them all to develop quite quickly as drivers. “I actually was never considering wheel-to-wheel, but the other guys were getting their competition licenses and encouraged me to join them. It’s like having a second family at the track.”

With the cars all being equal, it all comes down to who drives the best that day and regardless of who wins, they all celebrate. “If it wasn’t for the RUSH SR and its community, I would’ve quit”

They’re all glad Alex didn’t stuck with it. He’s just returned from events at Sonoma and Laguna Seca this last October, where out of a field of twenty-four RUSH cars from California, Texas, and Canada, he was a top-five contender both weekends. With a little more seat time and a little help from his new RUSH family, Alex might be a front-runner in the upcoming season.

What’s certain is that he won’t regret his decision to follow his gut.

Blake's M4: Friendly Firepower

Lead photo credit: @danielbooty

He could look past one letting go, but when the second EJ motor blew, Blake Titus’ honeymoon phase with his WRX officially ended. Though there was an opportunity to rebuild for the third time, Blake sensed a better platform might help him make an easier transition from autocrossing into track days. He was half-right. 

The Subaru’s successor, an S52-swapped E30, held some promise, and for a while, it seemed like he’d found a way to get his jollies with half the headaches. That wasn’t to last.

As it turned out, the S52’s head had cracked somewhere on the way to his first track day at Thunderhill West. After pulling his oil pan’s plug, a milkshake poured out, and Blake considered throwing in his helmet. 

Thankfully, there was another car sitting in Blake’s garage. His F82 M4 was far from track-ready, and the predicted running costs made him wince, but it was operational and still covered under warranty.

His first outing at Laguna was successful; a 1:42.10 is an encouraging time for a heavyset grand tourer with more torque than traction. Sure, it floundered around on stock springs, but that time in an intermediate’s hands proved beyond a doubt that the F82 platform had potential. He knew it wouldn’t be easy on his wallet, but out-of-the-box performance like that can make people do silly things.

Curious where he could start tweaking the car to find some more cornering speed, he got underneath it and studied the intricately arranged layers of structural stiffeners meant to help the big BMW belie its weight.

“You just have to look around and marvel at how much structural bracing there is. After a while, you start to ask yourself, ‘How could I improve upon this?’”

Thankfully, not much is needed to get this car ready for the racetrack. The first round of basic bolt-ons consisted of a staggered set of Apex EC7s wrapped in Toyo R888Rs, GLoc R18 and R10 pads, Castrol SRF fluid, and a set of Girodisc two-pieces—the factory rotors would warp after a few track days.

That simple setup served him well for the first year of tracking the car, but after he’d gotten properly acquainted with the M4, he sensed the weight wasn’t being managed as well as it should be. 

To hasten weight transfer and provide a little more body control, Blake picked a set of Swift Spec R springs measuring 5K and 13K front and rear, respectively. These were a grand compromise; they were chosen so that he could retain some semblance of comfort on his drives to and from the track. Mainly, they allowed him to keep using the factory EDC dampers.

“I’ve kept it full weight for now. I thinks it’s pretty easy to turn a nice dual-duty car into an uncomfortable POS,” Blake admitted. 

The rubber began to feel like the limiting factor after some time, so Blake bought a new set of tires that promised more consistency. The Nankang AR-1s delivered in that respect, and they helped him chop two seconds off most of his best times. 

They would fade fast, though no faster than any other tire he’d tried. Its heft was undeniable and, unfortunately, virtually unmovable. Most of the strippable weight sits around the rear axle, which shouldn’t be removed. Even in stock trim, the M4 needs more weight over the driven wheels; it always struggles to administer the S55’s power without wheelspin. 

In the name of improving traction, he decided to try to force the rear into the pavement with Bimmerworld’s GTMore wing. It made a considerable difference—he chopped his time at Buttonwillow 13CW by four seconds the first time out. However, the front hadn’t been balanced aerodynamically and the resulting understeer made it even easier to fry the fronts. Bimmerworld’s rep recommended he try a track-oriented set of shocks, so Blake bought a set of MCS two-ways and turned a few knobs.

Few things have helped settle the rear like Bimmerworld’s dry carbon GTMore wing.

He might not’ve known precisely what he was doing, but he was relieved to see the rep had Blake’s best interests in mind. The resulting compliance made a world of difference—particularly at the bumpier tracks he frequented. At Buttonwillow 13CW, Blake could drop his best time by nearly three seconds—a 1:55.8. Quite an improvement from a set of shocks adjusted and an educated guess. 

Credit: CaliPhotography

He figured that then would be as good as any time to throw a front splitter into the mix, so he tried cutting his own Alumalite piece and bolting it to his front, but it folded at the end of Thunderhill’s front straight. The replacement, Turner Motorsports’ MC2P splitter proved more resilient and effective, though it still cannot match the downforce generated at the hinteraxel. To find an agreeable balance, Blake had to reduce the wing’s angle of attack.

By this stage, Blake was pushing the car hard enough to test the powertrain’s thermal resilience. After one frustrating leak from the charge air cooler, he replaced the factory item with one of CSF’s, and swapped the standard heat exchanger with a Koyo unit. Since then, it hasn’t been fazed by August heat.

A square set of Yokohama A055 slicks mounted on narrower APEX VS5-RS wheels gave him the grip and neutrality he’d been seeking for some time, and with the elements cooperating, Blake went back to Buttonwillow and logged a 1:54.3—his best yet.

Blake’s still searching for a 52, but he feels that the M4 needs to diet or get its footwork finely tuned by a master before that’s possible. As mentioned earlier, pulling weight isn’t his idea of a good time, so he’s decided instead to buy the every one of Turner’s adjustable suspension arms as well as their differential bushings for perfected body control. If all goes to plan, he won’t have as much difficulty putting down the power—which he’s recently increased with a Bootmode BM3 CS tune. As much.

While the F82 M4 doesn’t change direction like a true sports car can, it compensates with unbelievable power—enough to spin at seventy in a straight line. Where it’s at its best is in the longer, faster corners; the long wheelbase and accompanying stability make it easier to trust in these bends. At this point, it’ll just take a little bit of tweaking to make it a nimble thing in the sections where traction and rotation take precedence.

Credit: @ariesphoto7

If Blake’s experiences have taught him anything at this point, it’s that “the torque is always trying to kill you, so you have to be very quick with your hands and be confident in your skills; you have to drive with all the nannies off. MDM will kill your lap times and too many people rely on these systems. Then the first time they turn the traction control off they send the car to Copart.

The F82 is an amazing platform that still lacks in some of the aftermarket support that have made the E92, E46, and E36 such appealing track cars. Still, the potential is there to make the F82 a real contender once the rest of the world catch on. I can’t wait to see what other companies offer in the future to keep improving on the platform.” 

Edson's E46: Quarter-Million and Counting

He found his feet in the world of autocross, but a little bit of mockery from his track addict buddies made Edson Burgos ditch cone course carving and dive headfirst into road racing.

Edson remembers the moment fondly. “I got a ride around Sonoma in a friend’s Civic Si. Yeah — that’s when my life started to go downhill.”

The S2000 that had brought him so much pleasure in autocross was a sensational first track toy, but Edson, being a bigger fella, found the Honda to be less than ideal for daily duty. Only one parking space at the time mandated he have dual-purpose machine, so he sold the S2000 and picked up a mint E46 M3 ZCP. The performance out of the box wasn’t bad, but Edson knew he wanted to go all in modifying his street-track car., and this one, as he put it, “was just too pretty to chop up.”

Wisely, he made a bit of money selling that gem and decided that he’d look for an example a little rough ‘round the edges so that when it came time to strip and slice, he could do it with a clean conscience.

One well-worn example popped up on his radar. The odometer had just ticked past the quarter-million mark, but the annoyingly low price of five racks was fair and Edson swooped it up in thirty-six hours.

The previous owner had taken some pretty innovative approaches to quieting the creaks and rattles present in a 250,000-mile M3, including expanding foam. The paint was patinaed harshly, so even at twenty-feet it showed its age. However, the motor sounded healthy, and that was enough motivation to begin replacing every OEM bolt, nut, and bushing on the ol’ girl.

Along with the underbody overhaul, Edson dropped nearly twice the price of the car on every E46 M3 owner’s big gripe: rod bearings, VANOS, and subframe reinforcement. These are a must-fix on most of M3s of this generation, though the later cars aren’t cursed with the same rod bearings as the earlier cars. However, after dealing with these three, the E46 is a workhorse willing and able to take the abuse.

He wanted the weight of the car to take a dive, so he tossed the rear carpet and seats, put an Autopower bolt-in half-cage in their place, and a Sparco Evo XL in the place of the plush factory driver’s seat. There’s no sense in holding onto heft when the sunroof-equipped car is already meant to be a track toy, and since he and his wife had a reliable daily at this point, he could make this car as extreme as necessary. Accepting that approach made it easier to drop another couple thousand on a CSL carbon trunk.

Not that he wanted to go for a full-aero build with big power and composite panels. This build was meant to remain simple and reliable, so only the necessary performance modifications were made—and made in one fell swoop. There aren’t many, but the few he did make are quality. JRZ RS Pros, DO88 radiator and oil cooler, and a Ground Control front swaybar.

Being that the motor is as well-used as it is, Edson thought it wise keep all power modifications to a minimum. To get a reliable 300 wheel from the S54, all it took was Build Journal B-Spec tune and Myers Competition’s header and single-exit exhaust. Say what you will about the last atmospheric M-grade straight-six, but with a few mods for power and reliability, it is a glutton for punishment, even at a quarter-million miles.

With these goodies, the M3 was sorted, dependable, dailiable, and fun. That is, until he tried braking past the three-marker at the Andretti Hairpin. Laguna’s known to be hard on brakes, and Edson learned this the hard way when his stock brakes failed. He managed to keep it out of the wall, but this 120-mph scare drove him to buy some big brakes the second he got home that night.

Up front, he did not skimp. AP 5000Rs stuffed with Winmax W5s are perhaps some the best big-brake combinations for the car. At the rear, he opted for a set of the old school Porsche 996 Brembo “Big Reds” and fitted some of Hawk’s DTC-30 pads for a stable rear under deceleration.

Since Edson had his hands full adapting to the torquier motor, he appreciated the M3’s composed, predictable behavior under braking. “i had to be a lot more careful with the power; it was too easy to overdrive. Everything else was easier. Six years in the S2000 taught me a lot. I wouldn’t be as comfortable in the E46 if it weren’t for my previous car.”

He’s put in some impressive times in the meantime. He can lap Sonoma in the 1:49s and Laguna Seca in the 1:40s. For a 3,300-pound car (with driver and fuel) with stock bushings and no aero, that’s pretty dang quick.

“It took me a year to adjust to the platform, but I’m super comfy now. Without all that time in the S2000, I wouldn’t have adapted as quickly, but I’m here. That car was nervous—not that this one isn’t, but I don’t think I’d be able to catch the faster slides if I didn’t spend so much time spinning out in an S2000.”

Speed SF Challenge Laguna Seca: New Surface, New Records

Ideal weather and a massive turnout of thirty competitors at the last round of the Speed SF Challenge guaranteed some action. Sure enough, we saw new records in several categories. Though some of the newfound speed was due to the recent repave, our Challenge drivers were in stellar form that weekend, and their onboards prove that.

In S1, Steve Melson and his Audi R8 broke the S1 record that had been standing for five years, set back in 2018 by Andrie Hartanto in a C6 Z06. Steve took advantage of the stellar weather and logged a 1:34.081 — a new record that any driver should be proud of—in a car that looks nearly stock. Such is the performance of the second-generation R8.

In S2, Kai Anderson reset Peter Hsu’s Chevy Corvette record by seven tenths. Anderson ran a 1:34.8 to Hsu’s 1:35.7, but not before suffering through a few frustrating sessions. By the end of the day, he cooled his jets long enough to find a gap and avoid slower cars. “My main challenge was recovering from a poor qualifying. There was a good turnout for this event which was great, but it meant the morning sessions were a little crowded, so I ended up only qualifying 7th fastest overall. I recovered to 4th fastest overall in the Challenge session, so mission accomplished, but my fastest lap didn't come until lap 5 because I kept having to abort laps due to catching traffic.

I didn't really have any specific goals for the weekend; mostly just evaluating what is still a relatively new car to me on a newly resurfaced racetrack. Overall, I was impressed with both. I think the changes to Laguna really inspire confidence to push for that optimal lap without creating a different line that requires total abuse of track limits.

The Camaro is perfect for Laguna, with prodigious power, cooling, and brakes to match. There is definitely still some laptime to come from this pair. Crossing my fingers December is dry!”

In S3, Spencer Kimball put in a serious effort to try and beat Kevin Schweigert’s S3 record of 1:36.0.

“I went into this event with some reservations knowing that my M3, with limited torque, was not at its best on Laguna’s straights. Laguna is also the one local track that I drive the least, but I made sure to try and get some practice in before the Challenge weekend. I lucked out and a friend lent me his pass for an event the weekend before, where I ran a low 1:37 after a year-long Laguna hiatus. I looked over my data and saw that a mid-35.xx would be possible, but I went into the Challenge event with the goal of breaking into the 36s. 

I knew that I had my work cut out for me as my main competition, Legend Brandenburg in his A90 Supra, benefits from ~200 more ft/lbs more than my E92 has. Luckily I was able to run a mid 1:36 during sessions 1 and 2, which put giving me a good spot for the challenge session. I studied my data to figure out where I needed to commit, and it was clear that the faster corners were where I could push harder to find somet time. I ended up running a 1:36.5 in the Challenge by carrying more speed through T5, T6, and T8, which was enough to make me the fastest in S3.”

In the end, Kimball was just 1/2s off of Schweigert’s lap, which Schweigert set in a car weighing 500 pounds less with comparable power levels. Not too shabby.

Gary Wong still has a little bit of work to do in the Supra to find the second between him and Dave Colbert’s 1:31.5 Group X record. The infamous purple Supra had its engine tweaked slightly to reduce power cuts, but heat is still an issue which Wong has to deal with. Thankfully, the team has a solution—though they won’t be able to use it until the next weekend.

“It was a fun weekend. I mainly wanted to sample the new track surface and see where I could push more than before. Because of how bad the stupid bump at T1 is, I wasn’t able to hit our sub-30 target times, although that had something to do with to traffic and some electrical gremlins. Because of some overheating issues, we had to lower the power level to complete the full lap. Thankfully, we know the issues and the solutions and we’ll come back stronger.”

Gunning for the S4 record, Nate Hackman’s put in an incredible 1:39.7, less than one-tenth off of Sean Yepez’s record, in what appears to be a very mildly modified car without any aerodynamic goodies. The primo parts are under the skin, though: his Ohlins TTX coilovers help his S2000 handle better than most. A last-minute setup change reduced some of the oversteer in the car, so Hackman could commit to the faster corners easily.

“Up until that weekend, I had only mustered high 41s at Laguna. With the repave running faster and a few changes to the car I figured I'd run a second or two faster, but tried not to overthink it with goals and just go have fun. Luckily, I was able to cook off a number of 39s with some definite room for improvement. I was still a tenth off Sean's pre-repave lap record which was a little disappointing, but I knew he'd come back and crush any record I set, and was still very happy to crack into the 39s with no aero and take home a win with an underbuilt car.”

In S5, Tony Rodriguez’s 1:45.2 record seems untouchable. Maybe we need another all-out MR2 to chase Rodriguez’s old S2000 down. In the meantime, we’ll have to tip our hats to our talented drivers taking advantage of the new pavement and pushing themselves hard enough to keep all the Speed SF Challenge competitors on their toes. When times continue to tumble like they have been, none of the Challenge competitors can coast, boast, or rest on their laurels.

Dustin's Supercharged M3: A Lesson in Applied Economics

He wasn’t intimidated at the prospect of buying and tracking an E46 M3, but Dustin Furseth felt some pressure to build one in a way that would allow him to balance his checkbook. That’s a normal concern, but with a baby on the way, he couldn’t afford to get in over his head.

But with the car’s reputation and its strong aftermarket support, as well as his knack for finding a little sponsorship here and there, he turned this basic road car into a approachable, reassuring, and still-somehow-comfortable track toy in only a few years. It also makes 500 and change.

For the first few seasons of track work, Dustin was known to leave a child’s car seat by his parking spot at the track; sometimes he’d drop his boy off at daycare before putting in four or five sessions. He wanted to make the best use of his time, clearly. For that reason, after adding MCS one-ways and Ground Control arms, he hired a coach for several weekends and refined his driving style.

His approach was an intelligent one. After one impressed coach suggested he try a more competitive form of motorsport. Dustin finally had the confidence to step up, and after a friend recommended Global Time Attack, Dustin entered his modest M3 in Street Class.

In time attack, he found a sparring partner in Karl Taht, whose S2000 was, on average, a hair faster at technical tracks. Dustin’s M3 usually had the upper hand at faster tracks, but the two were trading tenths regularly and pushed to get the most from themselves and their cars.

Not interested in mega power or hiring someone to fabricate piping, Dustin picked this easily-installed kit.

When Karl decided to turbocharge his F20C, he inadvertently dropped the gauntlet. Dustin responded by modifying his S54 with a trick head and some big Shrick cams, but it was no longer a reliable motor. After a year and a half, it popped.

When it came time to rebuild, he considered another attempt at a highly-strung engine, or, as his friend had, he could try forced induction. A little research convinced him he could bring power up by 200 and still save some money over another strung-out S54 if he could bring himself to boost a stock engine.

With an ESS G540 supercharger kit, he had to upgrade the clutch to a Clutchmasters FX725, beef up the cooling system with a Mishimoto rad and oil cooler, and add a little ducting to ensure air flows through the right channels and isn’t recirculated at the backside of the radiator.

Now, the boosted S54 is a real powerhouse—legitimately GT3 RS-strong, distinctive, and resilient. Even though the blower makes a peak of 515 at the wheels, it doesn’t change the delivery or the driving experience that much from when the engine made 300 at the wheels.

The blower doesn’t really change the shape of the curve, it just elevates the curve a few hash marks higher on the dyno chart. It feels intuitive. What is most different about the new powerplant is that there is appreciable torque where there once was none. It’s not peakier than the engine was originally, it feels like there are a few more cubes available.

An RS Future splitter helps encourage a neutral balance at speed.

The power was easily transferred into propulsion before the blower, but the new grunt alters the way Dustin has to depress the pedal. With eight pounds of boost at his disposal, he can spin the wheels for a hundred feet after a second-gear chicane if he’s out to impress a passenger.

However, the car’s grip and poise means it still takes a lot of provocation to do so. In other words, car can still be leaned on mid-corner and generate strong drive off the corner, provided he’s not using the wrong gear.

There is the matter of gear selection. The hairpins which rewarded a second-gear exit now have to be taken in third; the power delays throttle application in sections where the car is traction-limited. Not everyone considers it, but if a bump in power means it takes longer to deploy it, is it worth the addition?

Going from a 275-square setup to widening the rears with 295s has made the car border on high-speed understeer.

The answer is yes. Even when it does light up the driven wheels, the rear remains planted. Maybe that’s the APR GT250 wing imparting some stability, but even in slow hairpins, the factory LSD does a stellar job.

This staggered setup promotes a little understeer, but it’s a minimal amount of push and it’s really only noticeable in faster corners if he’s hasty putting the power down. Yes, there is an iron lump up front, but the big motor doesn’t make itself noticeable unless the throttle’s stabbed mid-corner. Line things up after a committed flick into the corner, then power out with encouraging neutrality.

For all this fun, he’s had to pay another fee on top of the supercharger’s purchase price. The oil breather, after enduring high revs, would mist onto the belts, which would underdrive the water pump and overheat the engine. After a quick fix involving a rag and some hair ties, the engine hasn’t given him any other headaches.

“The brakes have been a great addition. When I put something on my car that I believe in, I try to explain it to people as best as I can.”

The added strain on the brakes from a middleweight with serious power made it necessary to go for a big brake kit. However, he wasn’t keen on spending the money needed to buy the AP Racing kit he had his eyes on, so he found an affordable alternative.

Underneath his Apex VS-5RS, he opted for PB brakes front and rear. The fronts use eight-piston calipers and 380mm rotors, and the rears use six-piston calipers with 356mm rotors. Complete with the motorsport-grade bobbins, knockback springs, and floating rotors, the kit has proven itself track-worthy. The calipers are finished in a subtle shade of silver that blends in beautifully, too.

By milling down used pads bought from endurance teams, he’s saved himself money and time. The rotors rarely need replacing, the pads last thirty-odd sessions, and even with the old Mk20 ABS, the car inspired a lot of confidence in the braking zones. Higher speeds and ~3,000 pounds put some real strain on the binders, but the PBs have handled that well.

And despite all that focus and performance, it’s still very much the sleek machine Dustin bought seven years ago. Yes, the wing and RSFuture splitter, and N15 vents leave nobody doubting its role as a track toy, but Dustin’s insistence on leather-wrapped Recaro Pole Position NGs and the retention of most of the interior prove he’s after a little more than speed alone.

It doesn’t come as a surprise that Dustin is an architect—he has to weigh aesthetics and functionality as part of his job. The soft shape of the car, the silver and carbon-black scheme, and the simple execution make it a stunner that you can sit and drink in for minutes, even if it doesn’t call your name from across the paddock.

In other words, it’s a complete car—and not many cars built on a careful budget are truly complete. Dustin did his homework, though, and even with a full plate, he got where he wanted to be quickly. Stay in school, kids.

Modifications

• EE G540 Supercharger Kit

• Rogue Engineering section 1 and 2

• Agency Power section 3

• Epic Motorsports tune

• Naturally Agitated Stage3 VANOS (ported for higher oil pressure)

• SAP delete

• Electric fan conversion

• Turner power pulleys

• Sachs clutch

• Mason pedal box

• APR GT250 wing

• CSL carbon roof

• CSL trunk

• CSL diffuser

• Hard Motorsports splitter, upper canards , and carbon door cards

• MCS 1-way coilovers

• Apex VS-5RS 18x10”

• PB BBK with 8-piston 380mm fronts and 6-piston 356mm rears

• Hawk DTC30 pads

• Sparco Seat

• Schroth harnesses

• Custom 4-point cage
  
  
  
  
  

Peter Phung's Widebody M3: Wide and Wonderful

Search YouTube for Hans Stuck Jr. romping around the Nurburgring in his M3 GTR. The widebody, V8-swapped E46 in that famous clip was as gorgeous as it was quick. Peter Phung hadn’t actually seen that video until I mentioned it to him a few days ago, but several years back, he’d found another image of that car that encouraged him to try building his own version of what some see as the ultimate E46.

Immediately after picking up the car, complete with moonroof and a six-speed, he handed it off to someone else like a negligent father. He wanted to attach the DTM Fiberwerkz widebody kit sitting in the corner of his garage, and so he entrusted one shop he knew little about with the task.

It became a pretty significant job since black paint wasn’t exactly doing it for him—mainly because he’d already pictured the ultimate iteration of this car as one with a white base. This M3 was meant to be an homage to the original GTR, which is doused in white with the M-tricolor striping. He handed it off to the professionals and waited eagerly for a pretty car to come back to him.

Peter posing beside his sister Florenza with the car wearing a simpler livery.

Once back in his hands, he was mostly impressed. The paint looked great, but the bodywork was terrible; he noticed cracked fenders and excessive fiberglass reinforcement pretty soon after. Oh well—it was meant to be a track weapon, so he moved on and started addressing the shortcomings of the stock suspension. The first round of mods consisted of Turner swaybars, and TC Klein coilovers, Brembo big brakes, and a set of Bimmerworld brake ducts.

Besides the stripped cabin and the lightweight Recaro buckets, the diet consisted of a few things: aluminum door panels, two fixed Recaros, a DTM Fiberwerkz hood, an RKP carbon roof, a removed rear deck.

Interestingly, the extra tire and width came at a serious cost to any track-dedicated car. Though made from fiberglass, the bodykit added another 200 pounds to the tally. Even after gutting the interior and taking other weight saving measures, the car still weighs in at a slightly doughy 3,100 pounds.

TC Design installed a gorgeous half-cage and made the necessary subframe reinforcement problems, then Auto Logic replaced the rod bearings with WPC coated rod bearings and refreshed the VANOS with the Beisan kit. After that, Auto Logic cleaned the combustion chamber, performed a five-angle valve job and administered the Epic tune. If the car had been given to the wrong people initially, he made sure that everyone else who touched his dream M3 were top-tier.

The one persistent gremlin that plagued them, an overheating issue, was traced to the A/C condenser. Once they chucked that in the trash, the car ran cool in the scorching summer temperatures. Powerful, tractable, and reliable—the S54 with a little work is something special.

Along with a custom fitted Borla cat-back and long tube headers, the naturally aspirated package pumps out roughly 360 horsepower—more than enough power for a heftier E46 M3.

Peter’s thinking was that if the extra weight offset its above-average power output, the wider footprint would have to compensate. To make the most from this, he deicided that he needed a better suspension system, upgraded to a full 2 way adjustable MCS pro suspension, added a set of spacers, and fitted Titan 7 wheels measuring 18 x 10.5”. Peter then added camber plates, a stiffer front sway bar and rear traction arms from Ground Control. Even with the stock differential, the combination of massive tires and a soft rear makes the BMW sticky, predictable, and easy to lean on.

There’s a constant through this build, and that’s that his entrusting the car with enough gifted people to make up for the few bad apples who got their greasy mitts on it way back when. Once he had the gifted guys at 101 Paintworks fix the widebody, he was finally satisfied with this ambitious build. Finally, the showpiece part, the amazing widebody, the thing that distinguishes this from all the other E46s, was fitted like it was supposed to be.

“It handles well, but I’d say it looks better than it performed than it did during the first phase. I did want it to look good—so at least I accomplished that goal,” he said with a chuckle. After going though five years of changes, upgrading to better performance parts and more than doubling his original budget, the car performs as good as it looks.

Jeff Tam's E46 M3: Never Compromise Too Much

After five months of owning his 2012 VW GTI, Jeff Tam took it to his first ever track day. After that eye-opening afternoon at Thunderhill East, he knew he had to make room for his newest love in life.

The honeymoon phase was predictably sweet, but once he’d turned enough laps to become a discerning driver, he was frustrated by the front-heavy VW’s torque steer and wheelhop. 

The GTI was a great car for him to find his feet as a track driver, but he knew he wanted a rear-wheel drive car with a higher base potential. There were a few candidates, but they all had their shortcomings.

The JDM Tax kept him out of the seat of an S2000.

The big-power candidate, the C6 Z06, pulled hardest at his heart strings. However, a little research revealed that its LS7 engine was plagued with a valve drop issue.

Around that time, Seigo Ma sent him a listing for a nicely sorted E46 M3. Jeff realized that for the amount of the S2000’s silly surcharge, he could take the middle-path car and sort it out for track use. By that point, he was tired of weighing the options and pulled the trigger.

The previous owner had spent some time prepping it for track work before he decided to get into shifter karts, so Jeff took on a project that was largely sorted. Included with the car were a CSF oil cooler, a CSF radiator, a CAE hard mounted shifter, Vibratechnics race engine and transmission mounts, a Moroso aluminum coolant expansion tank, CPI stepped headers, as well as a mild engine tune. The result: a quick, direct car that could run laps without issue.

While his sim experience had given him the hands to control a little oversteer, he recognized his hands might not be fast enough to catch the bigger drifts this M3 was capable of. So, after a year of ownership, he installed an OS Giken 1.5-way and enrolled in a drifting course. With a bit of instruction, he found the car to be predictable and reassuring, even if it was spinning up the rears.

Part of that comfort came from the M3’s benign nature, the predictability offered by the differential, as well as a few new parts. The first area he focused on was footwork. One of the few shortcomings of the M3 are its undersized brakes; fine for spirited driving but inadequate for track work. An AP Racing BBK shortened braking distances and helped him trail-brake more consistently.

He understood the reason for splurging and doing it right the first time, so he grabbed a set of MCS 2-ways with remote reservoirs. The prevalence of track-tuned E46 M3s made it easy to find a good setup, and a set of Ground Control camber plates and Megan Racing camber arms made getting the right alignment possible. 

Any excessive tail-happiness was quelled by the mild aero package. It didn’t take much; a homemade Alumalite splitter and a Voltex Type 7 wing gave him the reassurance to push hard in the fast sections. The first event after donning the new wings, he lopped a couple seconds off his previous best times.

Along with the athletic stance, a homemade alumalite splitter and Voltex rear wing give this M3 an unmistakably serious appearance.

His proximity to Sonoma, his favorite track, lets him party the night before and still wake up in time for a track day.

The increased speeds he was hitting encouraged him to improve the car’s safety. In went a Kirk Racing half-cage, a Bride bucket seat, and 6-point Schroth Profi harness.

Perhaps the biggest accomplishment with the build is its general level of balance. The power, thanks to the stepped headers and HTE Performance tune, is progressive in its delivery. The differential puts the power down well. The general balance is neutral-to-oversteery, but thanks in part to the linear delivery of the motor, the car is still very manageable when sliding at the rear.

There are still a few items on the to-do list needed before he’s able to match the lap times set by his role model: Dan Avon. Dan’s lightweight car is the more focused machine, but Jeff’s is rapidly becoming as spartan as Dan’s.

After deciding to have the carpet stripped from the b-pillars back, Jeff committed to tread down that path that represents the death of a street car in the truest sense of the term. Nevertheless, the versatility of his E46 M3 should not make Jeff hate his drives to and from the track.

Jeff’s proven one thing with this particular M3. He’s made sure that reliability, fun, emotion, speed, and sanity—all equally important to him—can be had when the tuning approach takes everything into consideration. Usually, the word “compromise” has a negative connotation when applied to a car, but this M3 proves that it doesn’t always have to.

Dan Avon's E46 M3: A Study in Taking Things Slowly

One doesn’t need to have a big V8 or a turbo to go quickly at most of Northern California’s medium-speed tracks. They don’t necessarily need a featherweight, either. The E46 M3 sits somewhere between the two. Weighing in at 3,200 pounds and making a healthy 300-odd horsepower with moderate torque, it straddles the fence between momentum car and muscle car. With the right touch and a few chassis mods to help bring out this middlewight’s best attributes, namely its handling, it remains a hard car to beat. 

Dan Avon took a comprehensive approach to tuning his 2004 M3; engine power, grip, balance, and braking performance were all valued evenly throughout this build’s three or four stages. Most importantly, he’s learned how to gel with the car by fine-tuning its handling so that it complements his driving style. 

Its first iteration as a mildly modified road car was fun, though he felt the plush nature of the M3 was limiting its on-track performance. That didn’t concern him much as he was still driving it to work, to the grocery store, and through the canyons. The motor made ~285whp with a set of Status Group Tuning headers and a Dinan muffler, and with a full interior,  it weighed ~3,400 lbs with driver and a half-tank of gas. Despite those less than stellar figures, the broad powerband of the motor and the playfulness of the car were satisfying enough to overlook its shortcomings.

Except some. The factory suspension was not up to snuff, so he added TC Kline D/A coilovers, rear camber arms, and polyurethane trailing arm bushings. Even with these modifications, it was very much a street car. His growing fascination with developing the car and improving his lap times meant he’d stuff track wheels in the car before driving it to the track, but it was still doing double-duty. 

He started stripping the car slowly and systematically to help give it a feeling of agility. Being a plush car, it wasn’t hard to remove a couple hundred from the total. It then became clear that the Brembo brake kit wasn’t really as inspiring as he thought they’d be, plus the consumable costs were high, so he eventually swapped those for a set of PFC binders. 

With an AFe Stage II intake and a Epic Motorsports tune, he now had 300 horsepower at the rear wheels. Again, he made sure to address every area of performance through the various stages of modification, so even if the improvements seemed insignificant on paper, it felt more alert, competent, and encouraging. The M3 was always meant to be more than just the sum of its parts.

Weight reduction became more and more important to him as he learned to push harder, so after five years of worsening this car’s civility, Dan decided that the M3’s days as a street car were over. He chucked most of the carpet, door panels, and roof liner to get it down to a respectable 3,100 pounds with driver and a half-tank. 

Increasing his cornering speeds and just generally working the car harder revealed some of the limitations of the factory differential. When he installed the renowned OS Giken 1.5-way differential with aluminum bushings, he could generate much more propulsion off the corner, even if the rear was moving around slightly.  At the same time other areas of the rear suspension were addressed with various mono-ball bushings in place of the previous poly bushings.

Not that it was ever tailhappy. His setup was neutral to oversteery; an extremely satisfying and manageable balance that helped yield some great lap times. Still, he wanted to experiment with a little aerodynamic grip—even if that risked the near-ideal balance he’d achieved..

With a Bimmerworld rear wing and a homemade front splitter, the car had even more stick in the braking zones and the few high-speed corners at Thunderhill and Sonoma. The upside was that the lap times immediately fell by a couple seconds.

Unfortunately, that aero grip came at a price. The once playful car was suddenly arrested at the front end; a persistent mild understeer kept him from enjoying the car like he once did.

In an attempt to take some weight off the car, particularly off the front, and restore some of that neutral handling he once enjoyed,  he added Supersprint V1 headers and Section 1 midpipe, a Bimmerworld cat back race exhaust, a Ground Control hollow front sway bar, a rear-mounted Antigravity battery, and Bimmerworld carbon headlight blanks. These measures saved nearly 200 pounds in total, but the push was still plaguing him.  At least the car was significantly quicker.

Frustrated with the balance but happy to see this car evolve into a no-compromise track toy, he continued to stiffen and harshen. Why not?  He’d already decided to start trailering this dedicated track car, so he had no reservations about adding a rear half cage from TC Design, Turner Motorsport solid aluminum engine and transmission mounts, a set of MCS three-ways, and a Racetech 4119 halo-style bucket. 

Life has gotten in the way in the last year, but he’s still fascinated by the car—and hopes to return to regular lapping days in the near future. “I’ve always enjoyed tinkering and seeing what improved the car and what didn’t. I’ve used my AIM system to determine exactly where the tweaks paid off. I guess that’s what motivated me most of the way.” 

He’s still frustrated by the current balance, so he’s pondered two possible paths to follow once he gets back into the swing of things. Either he removes the aero and tries to optimize the mechanical grip of a lightweight car, or he finds the biggest, meanest cattle plow of a splitter he can find to give the front some much-needed aero grip. Either way, he’ll be measuring incremental improvements and sticking to his basic philosophy of addressing every aspect of performance and taking baby steps. Seeing how quickly this middleweight, mid-powered M3 navigates Northern California’s best tracks, it’s certain this steady, methodical tuning approach works.