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I finally bought a Z4 - Ownership thread!
- Thread starter DaveP
- Start date
Thank you. One thing I didn't mention was how much the seats improved the experience from last time out.Usel said:Shame about the diff however it's nice to read the updates on your progress with the car whether good or bad.
The previous session I did was with the SE park benches, and one particularly violent tank-slapper at 70-something almost saw me impaled on the gearknob! Imagine explaining that one to your wife!
The E89 seats were much better in that regard, mainly I suspect as a result of the waist bolsters. I still found myself needing to brace a little against the door and tunnel, but nothing like as bad as before. I managed the 4hr round trip and around 3hrs of seat time at the event and got out without any aches and pains.
I'd like to get a CG Lock sorted to hold the seatbelt in place around my waist, but since they stopped production the prices have gone through the bloody roof. I had one somewhere, but I'm damned if I can find it.
Spoke to the transmission specialist this morning, and he said that he'd had the entire diff apart for inspection and not noticed anything untoward. No missing teeth or worn bearings that weren't replaced. Maybe I'm being a bit over-sensitive here? Still, can't hurt to send it back to him and have him run it up to speed on the ramp with a stethoscope. There are a couple of 3.64 diffs on eBay that I'm watching if worst comes to worst. :|
I've actually read a few bits of conflicting info about the oil capacity of the 188K diff, so I'm going to get him to check that in-situ and top it up if required. I put in a litre of Liquid Moly 75W-90 (I swear by LM for transmission fluids), but other sources suggest that I might be able to squeeze in another 200ml or so. I'm sure that's not going to be the cause of any issues, but I've bought another litre just in case.
Final bits of booking done for the Ring trip, and it looks like I'm going to have some company for the journey at least. Two mates are coming out to give moral support, and to drive the tourist sessions in the evenings after the trackdays are done. Work travel immediately prior to the trackday has meant that I'm going to land at Heathrow at 6am from a red-eye and get straight in the car to drive to Germany (via Le Shuttle). Here's hoping I manage to get some bloody sleep on the flight.
Oddly, even though I've got an experienced VLN racer coaching me for the mornings on both days, the bit I'm looking forward to the most is the 'track walk' the evening before (assuming I don't get stuck in traffic around bloody Brussels again!). The trackday organiser waits until the Ring is closed, and takes a bus full of participants out onto the track with a Ring expert (another racer), stopping to get out and talk through tricky points for things like lines and braking distances. If I can't drive it competently after these two days, then I'll give up altogether!
In other news, my tyre saga continues apace. 3 of the Pilot Sport 4Ss have arrived at my local fitting centre, but the other pair are lost 'in the system' somewhere. Why can't this be easier? :lol:
I've actually read a few bits of conflicting info about the oil capacity of the 188K diff, so I'm going to get him to check that in-situ and top it up if required. I put in a litre of Liquid Moly 75W-90 (I swear by LM for transmission fluids), but other sources suggest that I might be able to squeeze in another 200ml or so. I'm sure that's not going to be the cause of any issues, but I've bought another litre just in case.
Final bits of booking done for the Ring trip, and it looks like I'm going to have some company for the journey at least. Two mates are coming out to give moral support, and to drive the tourist sessions in the evenings after the trackdays are done. Work travel immediately prior to the trackday has meant that I'm going to land at Heathrow at 6am from a red-eye and get straight in the car to drive to Germany (via Le Shuttle). Here's hoping I manage to get some bloody sleep on the flight.
Oddly, even though I've got an experienced VLN racer coaching me for the mornings on both days, the bit I'm looking forward to the most is the 'track walk' the evening before (assuming I don't get stuck in traffic around bloody Brussels again!). The trackday organiser waits until the Ring is closed, and takes a bus full of participants out onto the track with a Ring expert (another racer), stopping to get out and talk through tricky points for things like lines and braking distances. If I can't drive it competently after these two days, then I'll give up altogether!
In other news, my tyre saga continues apace. 3 of the Pilot Sport 4Ss have arrived at my local fitting centre, but the other pair are lost 'in the system' somewhere. Why can't this be easier? :lol:
The higher ratio rear gears can whine more than lower ratios I've heard. I noticed a much more prominent whine on mine when I switched from 3.07 to 3.46, but it does have an LSD fitted which is probably contributing a bit.
I'd say if the transmission specialist sets the backlash correctly (not actually sure if its adjustable on stock diffs) and says there's no bearing problems then I'd say send it until it gives up (which might be never, some diffs are just noisier).
In terms of fluid, yeah 1.2L is what the tech documents state, but I can only usually fit in 1.1L (annoying as I have to buy 2 bottles) before it starts flowing out of the fill plug.
I'd say if the transmission specialist sets the backlash correctly (not actually sure if its adjustable on stock diffs) and says there's no bearing problems then I'd say send it until it gives up (which might be never, some diffs are just noisier).
In terms of fluid, yeah 1.2L is what the tech documents state, but I can only usually fit in 1.1L (annoying as I have to buy 2 bottles) before it starts flowing out of the fill plug.
The mechanics who fitted it mentioned backlash too, so I'll get the transmission bloke to check it over. I'll get them to glug in another 100ml to see what that achieves while they are at it.TheDan said:
As long as it lasts two days of abuse on the Ring, that will do for me.
The sweet smell of success actually smells like rubber!
Finally managed to get these bloody tyres fitted. Jason @ Thetford tyres was a dream to deal with, and hunted them down from across their network. I bagged a fifth too, which is waiting for me to collect along with my Goodyears tomorrow. Production date was Week 17 of 2024, which I think was one of the last times they were actually made by Michelin! These might actually be the last remaining stock in the entire UK, which is what it felt like when I was trying to order them.
Car is booked in for the last bits of Ring prep at APT next week. The rear OEM pads are on their last legs, so I'm going to chuck in some EBC Yellowstuff. I don't rate their pads for the front end, but they'll be absolutely grand running on the rear. Then one last check over of the alignment and a dribble more fluid in the diff, and we're ready to go.
Finally managed to get these bloody tyres fitted. Jason @ Thetford tyres was a dream to deal with, and hunted them down from across their network. I bagged a fifth too, which is waiting for me to collect along with my Goodyears tomorrow. Production date was Week 17 of 2024, which I think was one of the last times they were actually made by Michelin! These might actually be the last remaining stock in the entire UK, which is what it felt like when I was trying to order them.
Car is booked in for the last bits of Ring prep at APT next week. The rear OEM pads are on their last legs, so I'm going to chuck in some EBC Yellowstuff. I don't rate their pads for the front end, but they'll be absolutely grand running on the rear. Then one last check over of the alignment and a dribble more fluid in the diff, and we're ready to go.
Re the diff noises. Might not be your issue but I have had the same effect having changed to Powerflex subframe, diff and Rtab bushes. The diff noise is definitely more noticeable even when compared with the very old bushes the car came with. I thought it was the diff and changed it to the "auto" version with the tapered bearings. Same result however. I think now it is just the bushes transferring more noise than the rubber ones do. I have rebuilt my original diff with new side bearings and pinion bearings. Not fitted yet but plan to change all the bushes back to new OEM when I do. I don't track the car but just want it to be a bit quieter in normal use.
Funnily enough, the mechanics suggested the same just this afternoon when I booked it in for a check-up. It's not particularly loud, and not loud under load, so it's possibly not immediate or terminal. The whole thing was stripped bare and inspected before it was fitted, so I'm reasonably confident it's nothing like gear wear. With new bearings where available and the others inspected, it's likely not that either.Spriteracer said:
I also gave it an absolute pasting on the tuition day, with multiple 0-80mph runs back to back over the course of an hour with very little break. The noise doesn't seem any worse, so YOLO I guess...
If anyone ever needed evidence that running UUHP road tyres on a hot trackday was a bad idea, here it is.
For some context, this is the very latest Goodyear Eagle F1 (Assy 6), which is a tyre that received many plaudits from testers for its 'sportiness' and is considered one of the best road tyres that money can buy. However, as we can see here, it's very much first and foremost (only?) a road tyre.
Running this kind of tyre on track is fraught with difficulty and faff. You need to drop the pressures to allow for them to increase during your laps, so that you don't run the risk of pushing them hard at high pressures and delaminating. However, as with many UUHP road tyres these Goodyears have quite soft sidewalls to be compliant on the road, which unfortunately flex a lot.
While you are running them up to pressure (which is hard to do without working them), the flex in the sidewall causes the lateral strain to be passed directly to the tread blocks as the tyre heats and cools. The effect of this, as you can see in the photo above, is that the tread blocks start to separate around the circumference of the tyre (to the point where I can get my nail in the crack). Obviously I don't need to point out that it would be dangerous to continue to use these on trackdays.
The reason I was so adamant about getting the Pilot Sport 4S is that they have heavily reinforced sidewalls (albeit not to the extent of proper track tyres). What compliance you lose on the road (which isn't really that much) means that you maintain a much squarer tyre on track and there's less 'tread shuffling' leading to the kind of failures you see above.
Net is that these tyres are going to be mounted to a second set of 17s, and kept for winters (where they are excellent in cold temperatures and the wet).
For some context, this is the very latest Goodyear Eagle F1 (Assy 6), which is a tyre that received many plaudits from testers for its 'sportiness' and is considered one of the best road tyres that money can buy. However, as we can see here, it's very much first and foremost (only?) a road tyre.
Running this kind of tyre on track is fraught with difficulty and faff. You need to drop the pressures to allow for them to increase during your laps, so that you don't run the risk of pushing them hard at high pressures and delaminating. However, as with many UUHP road tyres these Goodyears have quite soft sidewalls to be compliant on the road, which unfortunately flex a lot.
While you are running them up to pressure (which is hard to do without working them), the flex in the sidewall causes the lateral strain to be passed directly to the tread blocks as the tyre heats and cools. The effect of this, as you can see in the photo above, is that the tread blocks start to separate around the circumference of the tyre (to the point where I can get my nail in the crack). Obviously I don't need to point out that it would be dangerous to continue to use these on trackdays.
The reason I was so adamant about getting the Pilot Sport 4S is that they have heavily reinforced sidewalls (albeit not to the extent of proper track tyres). What compliance you lose on the road (which isn't really that much) means that you maintain a much squarer tyre on track and there's less 'tread shuffling' leading to the kind of failures you see above.
Net is that these tyres are going to be mounted to a second set of 17s, and kept for winters (where they are excellent in cold temperatures and the wet).
After a bit of faff with the courier, the rear pads have finally arrived. They are pitifully small, which makes me wonder exactly how much work the rear brakes are actually doing on these cars?
Either way, it's booked in for the pads, a dribble of oil in the diff, a tweak to the alignment and a final check-up next week. Hopefully nothing untoward rears its head, because I'm rapidly running out of time. :|
Either way, it's booked in for the pads, a dribble of oil in the diff, a tweak to the alignment and a final check-up next week. Hopefully nothing untoward rears its head, because I'm rapidly running out of time. :|
Well, that's the final bits of prep done. Rear pads are in, diff oil level is checked, alignment is re-set (zero toe, 2/3 degrees of camber front/rear) and everything given one last going over, checking suspension torque settings, fluids etc..
The bloody rear BMW badge came off over the weekend while I was giving it a rare clean (I blame my new pressure washer), but it was thankfully only the roundel itself rather than the holder. Genuine replacement ordered and on its way.
Guess all that's left is to wash the thing, slap a bit of wax on it and drive it. :driving:
The bloody rear BMW badge came off over the weekend while I was giving it a rare clean (I blame my new pressure washer), but it was thankfully only the roundel itself rather than the holder. Genuine replacement ordered and on its way.
Guess all that's left is to wash the thing, slap a bit of wax on it and drive it. :driving:
I'm definitely not a detailer, and in fact I rarely fall into the 'enthusiastic amateur' category. I like quick and easy car cleaning solutions, so a snowfoam attachment for my pressure washer is an absolute dream (and the Autoglym stuff seems to work really well).
I'd really like to chuck a claybar over the car to try and get rid of some of the clearcoat contamination, but it feels like hard work. I bought a clay mitt earlier this year, but it was absolutely useless. The goal would be to give it a good wash (maybe with a prewash) to get rid of the tougher bugs and rubber, clay it, and then chuck on a layer of wax that will last a couple of months. This should mean that I can get away with less rigorous washes in the meantime.
For now, a quick wash and a bit of spray wax on the bigger panels will have to suffice. The paintwork isn't great, and if I decide to keep it and invest a few more quid I would like to get it wrapped in a dark green.
I'd really like to chuck a claybar over the car to try and get rid of some of the clearcoat contamination, but it feels like hard work. I bought a clay mitt earlier this year, but it was absolutely useless. The goal would be to give it a good wash (maybe with a prewash) to get rid of the tougher bugs and rubber, clay it, and then chuck on a layer of wax that will last a couple of months. This should mean that I can get away with less rigorous washes in the meantime.
For now, a quick wash and a bit of spray wax on the bigger panels will have to suffice. The paintwork isn't great, and if I decide to keep it and invest a few more quid I would like to get it wrapped in a dark green.
A day late and a dollar short, but here's an update from my September trip to Germany.
I'd been travelling with work for the 3 weeks prior to the trip, so it started at 7am on a Wednesday in Heathrow T3 short stay car park, with me jumping in the car fresh off a redeye from JFK and pointing the satnav at Folkstone. Not ideal. Thanks to my forward-planning, the car was already packed with tools and spares, and enough clean clothes to get me through 5 days in Germany (more on this later!). It was just a case of wedging my suitcase and rucksack into the car, and hitting the M25.
I met up with some friends who were joining for morale support (and to do some evening TF lapping) at Folkstone, and we all managed to get onto our 11am-ish departure without much fuss. Due to my rush I was the last car onto the train, which gave me the opportunity for this cool photo.
But you said this was Wednesday, right? And the trackday didn't start until Thursday? So why the rush?
Fair question. As part of the trackday, we had all booked ourselves onto a Wednesday evening trackwalk around the Ring. Where we (and 50 other folks) would jump into a coach driven at breakneck speed around the track, so that we could stop and get out to wander around some of the more interesting sections while a VLN racer talked us through the dos and don'ts. This was an opportunity I couldn't miss, and even though it ended up pouring with rain, the novelty of standing in the Karousel listening to a racing driver talk through optimal lines while drinking a beer was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! So cool.
In any event, the drive over was largely trouble-free, and we even managed to circumnavigate Brussels without too much of a hold-up in the inevitable traffic. We stopped shortly after this for fuel and refreshments at our usual spot, and got back on the road to arrive in the rain as the sun was setting. Naturally, I was exhausted after such a long day and only a few hrs sleep on my flight (Virgin 'Upper' Class beds are no good if you're 6ft3!), so a quick meal at our hotel and an early night for me.
On the hotel briefly, it's not the cheapest option but it's extremely convenient for the track (the restaurant overlooks the GP Circuit), and the car park is bloody excellent. Strong recommend for https://hotel-eifel-nuerburgring.dorint.com/en/.
I awoke like a kid on Christmas Day, ready for two days of unlimited lapping at the most iconic circuit in the world. Heading down into the hotel car park reminded me that I'd very much brought a knife to a gunfight with only 230bhp (on a good day).
After offloading my toolboxes into a mate's car, I headed out to do the 8am sign-on and driver briefing. The car park was already full of some of the most exotic metal I've ever seen at the Ring, so I knew this was going to be a fun and challenging couple of days!
Weather forecasts are largely useless at the Ring. It is in the middle of a dense forested part of Germany, and the whole place seems to have its own weather system that defies the Met Office's German counterparts. Thursday morning was wet. Very wet. And I was nervous, as of the 40-odd laps I'd done to date none had been in the wet (I don't count the snow laps earlier this year). Luckily, I had booked a VLN racer to spend both Thursday and Friday mornings with me, coaching me to push the car harder. My original hope was to learn how to go closer to the car's potential in the dry, but he was absolutely invaluable in helping me learn the counterintuitive wet lines.
As a bonus, it turns out that a lot of the Nurburgring trackday crowd are fair weather drivers, who prefer chasing laptimes in the dry to playing with grip in the wet. I got 20+ wet laps in with coaching across both mornings, and on several of those I didn't see another car the whole way around. Very surreal when my experience to date had all been on busy TF sessions. I got progressively faster and more confident with the coach across both mornings, and then promptly went out and undid most of his good work on both afternoons. My highlight was letting a V10 R8 through on one of the faster straights (parked next to me in the photo above), only for him to struggle with his lines and eventually let me back through as we fought through some of the trickier sections. Needless to say, he disappeared into the distance at the next straight.
Thursday afternoon saw the track dry out, which brought out the VERY serious machinery. With Dottinger Hohe (the straight next to the Devil's Diner) open for continuous lapping, there were many cars hitting north of 160mph as they passed the track entrance. Quite intimidating for me, knowing that I'm a good 20-30mph down on that figure at best! Thankfully, the drivers were incredibly courteous to a slower car, and I made sure that I was giving them plenty of space to blast past on the straight bits. Thursday came to an abrupt end an hour earlier than advertised with a collision on track which took out a section of barrier at a fast part. I retired to the hotel for a nap, while my travel buddies eagerly awaited the 5pm TF opening. They managed 5-6 dry laps among a flurry of yellow flags, and considered that to be a reasonable return for their investment of time! We all met up for the obligatory steak-on-a-stone in the evening, and I retired while they drowned themselves in pilsner at the hotel bar.
Friday was very much a repeat of Thursday, both in terms of weather and the dynamics of the trackday. I got progressively faster and smoother throughout the day, before retiring myself at 3pm before tiredness got the better of me. Totting up, I'd managed 40 laps across the two days, which made me very happy. I headed into Cologne for a weekend of R&R, including a visit to my favourite thermal spa and a brilliant craft beer bar, planning to rise early on Sunday morning and head back to the UK.
However, upon arriving at my Airbnb in town, the car park I'd planned to use had a huge hump on the entrance which saw me grounding out in the middle no matter how I tried to angle my approach. I drove 200m down the road to a large, multistorey and thought nothing of it. Turns out the I'd picked the only bloody car park in Cologne that isn't open on a Sunday! So a change to my train and a hurried hotel booking later, and I was staying another night in town. How annoying! Luckily, the local football team were playing that lunchtime, so I headed along to a fan favourite pub to drown my sorrows (200ml at a time), before an early night and a blast back to Norfolk on Monday morning.
Overall, even though the weather meant much less stress on the car than I'd planned for, I couldn't be happier with how it went. I didn't have a single reliability issue on the trip, and the tyres could not have been more perfect for the conditions. The new diff really made the car feel more punchy where it previously felt flat (couldn't recommend this more - best mod I've done), and the upgraded brakes were rarely troubled. My seats were absolutely worlds away from the Sport seats I had fitted when I came earlier this year, offering a great balance of support on track and comfort for the longer drives. Absolutely thrilled.
To anyone considering a trackday on the Ring, I'd highly recommend it on the proviso that you have plenty of experience there beforehand. They are VERY expensive, but so much more relaxed and courteous than TF sessions, and you get to meet a great bunch of people into the bargain. I'm already excitedly eyeing up next year's date for a one-dayer in Spring and the same two-dayer next Autumn.
But ... and there had to be a 'but' ... the Z4 really doesn't have enough power to be quick around the Ring unless you're at 9/10ths+. I'd had this nagging feeling in my mind, and watching the E92s, GT3s and GT4s blasting around with impunity really cemented the need for more power if I'm going to enjoy the Ring. No idea where this is going, but perhaps a 35i might be back on the table over winter? For now, I'm really happy that I ticked a bucketlist item off, and had a great trip with my mates.
Over and out.
I'd been travelling with work for the 3 weeks prior to the trip, so it started at 7am on a Wednesday in Heathrow T3 short stay car park, with me jumping in the car fresh off a redeye from JFK and pointing the satnav at Folkstone. Not ideal. Thanks to my forward-planning, the car was already packed with tools and spares, and enough clean clothes to get me through 5 days in Germany (more on this later!). It was just a case of wedging my suitcase and rucksack into the car, and hitting the M25.
I met up with some friends who were joining for morale support (and to do some evening TF lapping) at Folkstone, and we all managed to get onto our 11am-ish departure without much fuss. Due to my rush I was the last car onto the train, which gave me the opportunity for this cool photo.
But you said this was Wednesday, right? And the trackday didn't start until Thursday? So why the rush?
Fair question. As part of the trackday, we had all booked ourselves onto a Wednesday evening trackwalk around the Ring. Where we (and 50 other folks) would jump into a coach driven at breakneck speed around the track, so that we could stop and get out to wander around some of the more interesting sections while a VLN racer talked us through the dos and don'ts. This was an opportunity I couldn't miss, and even though it ended up pouring with rain, the novelty of standing in the Karousel listening to a racing driver talk through optimal lines while drinking a beer was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! So cool.
In any event, the drive over was largely trouble-free, and we even managed to circumnavigate Brussels without too much of a hold-up in the inevitable traffic. We stopped shortly after this for fuel and refreshments at our usual spot, and got back on the road to arrive in the rain as the sun was setting. Naturally, I was exhausted after such a long day and only a few hrs sleep on my flight (Virgin 'Upper' Class beds are no good if you're 6ft3!), so a quick meal at our hotel and an early night for me.
On the hotel briefly, it's not the cheapest option but it's extremely convenient for the track (the restaurant overlooks the GP Circuit), and the car park is bloody excellent. Strong recommend for https://hotel-eifel-nuerburgring.dorint.com/en/.
I awoke like a kid on Christmas Day, ready for two days of unlimited lapping at the most iconic circuit in the world. Heading down into the hotel car park reminded me that I'd very much brought a knife to a gunfight with only 230bhp (on a good day).
After offloading my toolboxes into a mate's car, I headed out to do the 8am sign-on and driver briefing. The car park was already full of some of the most exotic metal I've ever seen at the Ring, so I knew this was going to be a fun and challenging couple of days!
Weather forecasts are largely useless at the Ring. It is in the middle of a dense forested part of Germany, and the whole place seems to have its own weather system that defies the Met Office's German counterparts. Thursday morning was wet. Very wet. And I was nervous, as of the 40-odd laps I'd done to date none had been in the wet (I don't count the snow laps earlier this year). Luckily, I had booked a VLN racer to spend both Thursday and Friday mornings with me, coaching me to push the car harder. My original hope was to learn how to go closer to the car's potential in the dry, but he was absolutely invaluable in helping me learn the counterintuitive wet lines.
As a bonus, it turns out that a lot of the Nurburgring trackday crowd are fair weather drivers, who prefer chasing laptimes in the dry to playing with grip in the wet. I got 20+ wet laps in with coaching across both mornings, and on several of those I didn't see another car the whole way around. Very surreal when my experience to date had all been on busy TF sessions. I got progressively faster and more confident with the coach across both mornings, and then promptly went out and undid most of his good work on both afternoons.
My highlight was letting a V10 R8 through on one of the faster straights (parked next to me in the photo above), only for him to struggle with his lines and eventually let me back through as we fought through some of the trickier sections. Needless to say, he disappeared into the distance at the next straight.Thursday afternoon saw the track dry out, which brought out the VERY serious machinery. With Dottinger Hohe (the straight next to the Devil's Diner) open for continuous lapping, there were many cars hitting north of 160mph as they passed the track entrance. Quite intimidating for me, knowing that I'm a good 20-30mph down on that figure at best! Thankfully, the drivers were incredibly courteous to a slower car, and I made sure that I was giving them plenty of space to blast past on the straight bits. Thursday came to an abrupt end an hour earlier than advertised with a collision on track which took out a section of barrier at a fast part. I retired to the hotel for a nap, while my travel buddies eagerly awaited the 5pm TF opening. They managed 5-6 dry laps among a flurry of yellow flags, and considered that to be a reasonable return for their investment of time! We all met up for the obligatory steak-on-a-stone in the evening, and I retired while they drowned themselves in pilsner at the hotel bar.
Friday was very much a repeat of Thursday, both in terms of weather and the dynamics of the trackday. I got progressively faster and smoother throughout the day, before retiring myself at 3pm before tiredness got the better of me. Totting up, I'd managed 40 laps across the two days, which made me very happy. I headed into Cologne for a weekend of R&R, including a visit to my favourite thermal spa and a brilliant craft beer bar, planning to rise early on Sunday morning and head back to the UK.
However, upon arriving at my Airbnb in town, the car park I'd planned to use had a huge hump on the entrance which saw me grounding out in the middle no matter how I tried to angle my approach. I drove 200m down the road to a large, multistorey and thought nothing of it. Turns out the I'd picked the only bloody car park in Cologne that isn't open on a Sunday! So a change to my train and a hurried hotel booking later, and I was staying another night in town. How annoying! Luckily, the local football team were playing that lunchtime, so I headed along to a fan favourite pub to drown my sorrows (200ml at a time), before an early night and a blast back to Norfolk on Monday morning.
Overall, even though the weather meant much less stress on the car than I'd planned for, I couldn't be happier with how it went. I didn't have a single reliability issue on the trip, and the tyres could not have been more perfect for the conditions. The new diff really made the car feel more punchy where it previously felt flat (couldn't recommend this more - best mod I've done), and the upgraded brakes were rarely troubled. My seats were absolutely worlds away from the Sport seats I had fitted when I came earlier this year, offering a great balance of support on track and comfort for the longer drives. Absolutely thrilled.
To anyone considering a trackday on the Ring, I'd highly recommend it on the proviso that you have plenty of experience there beforehand. They are VERY expensive, but so much more relaxed and courteous than TF sessions, and you get to meet a great bunch of people into the bargain. I'm already excitedly eyeing up next year's date for a one-dayer in Spring and the same two-dayer next Autumn.
But ... and there had to be a 'but' ... the Z4 really doesn't have enough power to be quick around the Ring unless you're at 9/10ths+. I'd had this nagging feeling in my mind, and watching the E92s, GT3s and GT4s blasting around with impunity really cemented the need for more power if I'm going to enjoy the Ring. No idea where this is going, but perhaps a 35i might be back on the table over winter? For now, I'm really happy that I ticked a bucketlist item off, and had a great trip with my mates.
Over and out.
Glad someone had the patience to stick with that monster post!enuff_zed said:
I do 3-4 UK trackdays a year on average, and you're absolutely right to say that the Z4 is a great tool for those. It's just that being the slowest thing on track really limited my ability to get into a groove on a dry Ring, before I was pulling over to let a faster car past. It's a balancing act, I guess. If the plan is to spend more time at the Ring, then I need more power.
In that second photo you can really see how the suspension is squatting under cornering load at the rear, particularly compared with the static photo above. Most of that is down to the fact that I run road-biased springrates, which I can't see me changing any time soon. However, some of that will be about damping, where I haven't done any setup work for wet days yet.
Having spent an entire driving tuition day setting up my suspension for a dry track, I ended up leaving both front and rear shocks in their softest settings given the dampness of the track (see below). :roll:
Having spent an entire driving tuition day setting up my suspension for a dry track, I ended up leaving both front and rear shocks in their softest settings given the dampness of the track (see below). :roll:
I really enjoyed reading that Dave. It sounds like you had a fantastic trip despite a few challenges along the way.
And now those 290 wheels have been around the Ring. :wink:
If more power is needed have you noticed someone recently started a thread to try to organise a Group Buy for supercharger kits? Might be cheaper than swapping the car.
And now those 290 wheels have been around the Ring. :wink:
If more power is needed have you noticed someone recently started a thread to try to organise a Group Buy for supercharger kits? Might be cheaper than swapping the car.
Ha! I always forget that those wheels were dragged out of the back of your garage. They are providing sterling service!
On the supercharger front, I'm put off the idea for a couple of reasons. A non-intercooled setup is going to be largely useless to me on track - it would probably just end up running underpowered and/or burning a hole in a piston. Not ideal. Also, pouring that much cash into a car that cost so little is getting dangerously close to my last 'project'.
I've fantasised about fitting a M62B44 for a long time, which would give me Z4M levels of performance. But even that probably falls a little short of what I'm looking for to be quick around the Ring.
On the supercharger front, I'm put off the idea for a couple of reasons. A non-intercooled setup is going to be largely useless to me on track - it would probably just end up running underpowered and/or burning a hole in a piston. Not ideal. Also, pouring that much cash into a car that cost so little is getting dangerously close to my last 'project'.
I've fantasised about fitting a M62B44 for a long time, which would give me Z4M levels of performance. But even that probably falls a little short of what I'm looking for to be quick around the Ring.