[TrackClub]

Originally Posted by stealthmr

I have 3 trackdays on OEM Goodyears and wear has been great so far. I agree they are fantastic tire.

I was also debating about going square stance with 305/30/19 on dedicated rims.

Another option is to go square 295/30/20 on OEM rims. Theoretically that should reduce understeer and give the option of swapping tires off rims. But if fronts are wearing at same rate as rears, then there is no point.

If ya want to try 295 square i have a 1 yr old set of RE71R i could sell ya for a good price. Never mounted. PM me if interested. I got these just in case i could not source stockers.

A square set up wont do much balance wise, as the rake will drop and hence the end result will be about the same. Going with 19 square and 305s is a different animal as it gives you much more F tire for braking performance and better gear ratios. But that makes most sense for G3R imo. Cheers!

[stealthmr]

Originally Posted by TrackClub

If ya want to try 295 square i have a 1 yr old set of RE71R i could sell ya for a good price. Never mounted. PM me if interested. I got these just in case i could not source stockers.

A square set up wont do much balance wise, as the rake will drop and hence the end result will be about the same. Going with 19 square and 305s is a different animal as it gives you much more F tire for braking performance and better gear ratios. But that makes most sense for G3R imo. Cheers!

Thanks for the offer. I will stick with OEM tires for now.

Just curious how many trackdays did you get from the OEM Goodyears?

BTW, going to Cayuga on Friday. Weather looks good and I'm itching to get back. Hoping to break into the 17s.

[TrackClub]

Originally Posted by stealthmr

Thanks for the offer. I will stick with OEM tires for now.

Just curious how many trackdays did you get from the OEM Goodyears?

BTW, going to Cayuga on Friday. Weather looks good and I'm itching to get back. Hoping to break into the 17s.

Ok and NP! I usually swap them out at 7 days, but that is a bit dependent on how many days my next event is. So lets say if i have 6 days and have a 3 day event coming up, i will swap them earlier. Id say 6-7 days is std to still have some tread left in case in rains on the way home.
Even tho at that stage it will be minimal

Have fun and go for it! Mine has been in storage for a while now, as i come to Ontario for summers only.
Cheers!

[davidwarren]

Hi!
Former e90 335i track car driver and prior BMW CCA president in KY. The SS 1LE was the first non-BMW I have bought in 20 years. I bought it after I popped the block in the n54.

At least in the mid-west where I am, I am not seeing any M2s of any flavor passing me. I was seriously looking at the M2 as well. But since I was looking for just a track day toy, the performance per dollar factor of the SS 1LE is unbeatable. I have a 6erGC for a DD.

Off the showroom floor, the SS 1LE was about 8 seconds faster around NCM than my e90. The same e90 I had spent tens of thousands on to make it trackable.

I have Vorslag camber plates as the only modification since the spindle camber adjustment is not the easiest and requires a bit of grinding to max out. Other than that, I run Hawk DTC70/60 or 60/60 pads and have a set of 19x11 apex wheels for the track. I also have Ti shims for the front pads and the SS brake cooling deflectors. No cooling mods, no power mods, no problem.....

One caveat, last month at Road America, I blew my engine on track. No idea what happened, plenty of oil, no warning, nothing out of the ordinary.

I tow it to a local dealer and tell them what happened.... Currently getting an engine replaced under warranty. The track warranty is the real deal!

edit- to answer your question, tires, pads and gas have a higher burn rate than my e90 due to weight and speed.

[ShaunG]

Originally Posted by Dabjbr

I guess I should chime in here...

My background consists of still owning a 2007 bmw 335 e92, FBO + meth, LSD, and m3 suspension upgrades. (Probably should’ve bought the m3 to begin with but it was fun building the 335 up and in many ways, it was faster than the comparable m counterpart (although less reliable). I have 260k mikes on it, used as commuter car but also have many HPDE events. I retired it from track after a meth spill that burned the main wiring harness. Now it’s just a weekend play car that sticks around solely because my 16 yr son wants it.

Anyway, my point is I have a lot of bmw experience. In car and under the hood, which was a shit ton considering how many times I had to replace thermostats, fuel pumps, etc. I remain a bmw fan because the way the car handles but damn did I grow tired of wrenching it and praying it could handle a 20 minute track session without going into limp mode.

Fast forward to today. In my search for a fun car wih relatively low track cost (meaning not a lot of modifications to be track ready), I considered a nd2 miata, mustang but at the end was focused on the m2c.

I was set on buying it but struggled finding a mt. While searching, i test drove a 1le (blame all the YouTube comparison videos) on the same day I test drove the m2c.

Well, I’ll admit, the bmw interior is more upscale, airy, roomier despite smaller exterior dimensions, and felt good.

But then I drove the 1le... and shit, I was surprised. I enjoyed the handling way more. It felt flatter around corners and the transmission is a true sweetheart. Then add on top of that PDR and the visceral engine/exhaust sound. I mean come on, the thing sounds incredible. Even with a 3k aftermarket exhaust, the m2c doesn’t compare.

The icing on the cake is the significant cost savings on the 1le. That savings only grows when accounting for mods, repairs, or maintenance.

In the end, I have now converted. I never saw it coming. Never thought I’d like a Camaro over an M but here I am. And every drive continues to put a stupid smile on my face that reinforces my decision.

I highly recommend the 1le over the m2c. And I still find it hard to believe that all you need to prepare for the track is an alignment and brake fluid!

I've heard the 335I can be very fast but overheating is always an issue. I'm coming from a Z3 M Coupe, Z4 M Coupe, and E92 M3, Porsche Boxster 981, and 2 different E46 M3's. My current E46 M3 is all "tracked" up. Brembo brakes, TC Kline suspension, Sparco Race seats, AC delete etc blah blah race car. The S54 is a very reliable motor and many track junkies run these cars well over 100K at the track. The M2 seems like a natural progression in my HPDE car journey but the 1LE has my attention over every other car, the value is astonishing.

[Zl1+911]

Another factor - extended warranty on a M2C will be super expensive and wit the mods needed for track use might be useless. However a 1LE, keep it mostly stock, 5 yr power train warranty from factory, and an extended 8yrs/100k miles will be $1.5k at most- provided by GM itself.

[weemus]

I think if you can drive one or even go for a ride along you will be sold on track car per dollar. I daily and track mine ~15-20;events a year. As far as BMWs go this car (in minimal nanny mode, I.E. PTM Track) feels just as superbly balanced as my old E36 M3 but with actual (read BIG) power. It’s easy to drive fast. I can’t speak to all things off but the chassis balance is there. It’s like a freak GM product as if they hired an ex BMW guy to help Al set it up...

[ShaunG]

Originally Posted by Zl1+911

Another factor - extended warranty on a M2C will be super expensive and wit the mods needed for track use might be useless. However a 1LE, keep it mostly stock, 5 yr power train warranty from factory, and an extended 8yrs/100k miles will be $1.5k at most- provided by GM itself.

8yrs/100k miles will be $1.5k at most- provided by GM itself?

Really? I just paid 5K for our X3 M40i extended.

[weemus]

And on the “fast” note. I’ve yet to be passed by any BMW (M2/M3/M4) on track and it embarrasses most Porsche owners... Just have to make sure they let you pass

[Dabjbr]

Originally Posted by ShaunG

I've heard the 335I can be very fast but overheating is always an issue. I'm coming from a Z3 M Coupe, Z4 M Coupe, and E92 M3, Porsche Boxster 981, and 2 different E46 M3's. My current E46 M3 is all "tracked" up. Brembo brakes, TC Kline suspension, Sparco Race seats, AC delete etc blah blah race car. The S54 is a very reliable motor and many track junkies run these cars well over 100K at the track. The M2 seems like a natural progression in my HPDE car journey but the 1LE has my attention over every other car, the value is astonishing.

335i was (still is) fast but heat or long track sessions are its kryptonite. It’s now regulated to the street because it just simply isn’t built for endurance.

TCKline? short story... When my engine caught fire at Laguna Seca, TC Kline himself was there with his trailer and several bmws. He saw my anguish and offered to trailer my car home for me; 150 miles in the opposite direction he was headed! I declined and used AAA to tow instead but that man is a true class act.

I hear ya with the natural progression to the m2c. How could you not think that especially with all hype the m2c gets and it’s comparison to being a reincarnated e46. But again, I encourage you to test drive the 1le. (Sounds like you’re planning that anyway). You’ll be impressed! Now, there are drawbacks... rear seats are for amputees, visibility isn’t great (but you’ll get used to it in 1 week and is countered by properly set mirrors), the dash and door surfaces aren’t as nice as the bmw. But then there’s the seats, engine, transmission, feel, capability, and low track costs, blah blah blah.

I just can’t get over how great the car is. But know that I’ve only had it a week and so I’m still smitten.

[arpad_m]

Originally Posted by Dabjbr

335i was (still is) fast but heat or long track sessions are its kryptonite. It’s now regulated to the street because it just simply isn’t built for endurance.

TCKline? short story... When my engine caught fire at Laguna Seca, TC Kline himself was there with his trailer and several bmws. He saw my anguish and offered to trailer my car home for me; 150 miles in the opposite direction he was headed! I declined and used AAA to tow instead but that man is a true class act.

I hear ya with the natural progression to the m2c. How could you not think that especially with all hype the m2c gets and it’s comparison to being a reincarnated e46. But again, I encourage you to test drive the 1le. (Sounds like you’re planning that anyway). You’ll be impressed! Now, there are drawbacks... rear seats are for amputees, visibility isn’t great (but you’ll get used to it in 1 week and is countered by properly set mirrors), the dash and door surfaces aren’t as nice as the bmw. But then there’s the seats, engine, transmission, feel, capability, and low track costs, blah blah blah.

I just can’t get over how great the car is. But know that I’ve only had it a week and so I’m still smitten.

The interior quality can be squeezed up a few notches by choosing the 2SS 1LE, obviously not to BMW levels, but it's still better than the 1SS 1LE. Not sure how much it matters to someone planning to track the car, just adding it as an FYI to OP.

[Zl1+911]

Originally Posted by ShaunG

8yrs/100k miles will be $1.5k at most- provided by GM itself?

Really? I just paid 5K for our X3 M40i extended.

Yup. Based on what I paid.

[HawkeyeMike]

I'm loving this thread because it hits very close to home for me. As I mentioned in an earlier post, my brother has the '19 M2C. I get the opportunity to drive both whenever I want, although while I've autocrossed the M2, I've never tracked it. We just haven't had the opportunity to do many track days this year, so I always was just focused on driving my own car.
Driving them back-to-back in AutoX really highlights the differences, and they each have pros/cons. You can't really go wrong with either one, they are both among the best cars I've ever driven.
For me, the choice comes down less to pure performance, and more about preference. Because face it, if your track time is spent on track days and not actual racing, bragging about which kinds of cars never pass you, or which kinds of cars you pass...is just silly. We all know on track days that Miata's pass Z06's, and that it's much more about driver skill than your car. You can have fun and improve your driving in any of about 10 modern cars.
But for me, I know one thing: every time I get in someone else's car (including the M2C), and then get back in mine, I get a big smile on my face because our cars have personality and style and American muscle -- and on top of that they can turn really really really well. How can you beat that in any BMW?

Mike

[apexit53]

I need to drive an m2 and have been offered but i dont want to. since i am mainly an autocrosser I dont want to know how good it is for that lol.

If track days are the focus Id say the 1LE is the better option based on cost alone and if something does go wrong at the track the write off will be less.