Tweet
I am still in love with this car....16 months...some tweaking and I have to say that this car is getting a little more satisfying with each tweak.
March 2007: European delivery. Car broken in in Italy and did a top speed run of 152mph in Germany
June 2007: Took delivery in the US and swapped the OEM run flats for a reasonably light weight wheel tire combo. This got rid of the high frequency harshness but it also made the softness of the OEM sport suspension even more noticable. I start looking for options out there for replacement suspension. This is my first time I'm seriously considering coilovers on any car.
Oct 2007: Still on OEM suspension I finally bring my 335 out to Auto-X. I've been participating at the BMW CCA events since 2001. Shocker....my 325 turned out better times in the morning vs my 335i in the afternoon.....Given the Conti CS3 tires aren't the best of tire of choice. At this point I still coundn't believe how my lightly prepped (sway bars all round + 16" Azenis tires) E46 325 (184hp)was spanking my stock 335i. The most common theme on the 335....understeer and the open diff.
Late 2007: I get a set of AST (prototype) coilovers from Vorhlag. This transforms the car!! OMG this is the way the car should have come from the start. I was very hesitant as to how harsh the ride might bcome but the car rides very well on a daily basis (it passed the spousal approval test with flying colors).
I campaigned my E46 325 for the first 4 event of the year....constantly placing in mid-pack. However, we recently sold the 325i which gave me an excuse to get a set of r-comps for the 335. Last week was the big day......I wasn't too optismistic...having flash backs of the Octoberfest event. I was shooting for a top 25% finish, taking into consideration that this was my first time on R-Comps and I had no clue where to set my suspension at. Long story short, understeer is still there but much tamer. I set the suspension too stiff (full F and R that resulted in some pogoing). I'll try 4 from stiffest F and 3 R. Mess with the tire pressure a little. Oh and I finished 5th which blew my mind away, behind Terry in an AST Vette, a couple other Vettes and Paul in his STi. The car on the high speed sweepers was amazing. I've never driven a car that was this hooked up. a mid speed off-set slalom showed me how much better transitions were compared to OEM/the E46 (The E46 had an advantage prior to the E90 getting coilovers)
Looking forward to next months event when I hope to dial out more of the understeer and get a little more comfortable with the car.
I'm in haven!...almost....I could do with an LSD but I'm not craving for one like I was craving for a better suspension 6+ months ago.
March 2007: European delivery. Car broken in in Italy and did a top speed run of 152mph in Germany
June 2007: Took delivery in the US and swapped the OEM run flats for a reasonably light weight wheel tire combo. This got rid of the high frequency harshness but it also made the softness of the OEM sport suspension even more noticable. I start looking for options out there for replacement suspension. This is my first time I'm seriously considering coilovers on any car.
Oct 2007: Still on OEM suspension I finally bring my 335 out to Auto-X. I've been participating at the BMW CCA events since 2001. Shocker....my 325 turned out better times in the morning vs my 335i in the afternoon.....Given the Conti CS3 tires aren't the best of tire of choice. At this point I still coundn't believe how my lightly prepped (sway bars all round + 16" Azenis tires) E46 325 (184hp)was spanking my stock 335i. The most common theme on the 335....understeer and the open diff.
Late 2007: I get a set of AST (prototype) coilovers from Vorhlag. This transforms the car!! OMG this is the way the car should have come from the start. I was very hesitant as to how harsh the ride might bcome but the car rides very well on a daily basis (it passed the spousal approval test with flying colors).
I campaigned my E46 325 for the first 4 event of the year....constantly placing in mid-pack. However, we recently sold the 325i which gave me an excuse to get a set of r-comps for the 335. Last week was the big day......I wasn't too optismistic...having flash backs of the Octoberfest event. I was shooting for a top 25% finish, taking into consideration that this was my first time on R-Comps and I had no clue where to set my suspension at. Long story short, understeer is still there but much tamer. I set the suspension too stiff (full F and R that resulted in some pogoing). I'll try 4 from stiffest F and 3 R. Mess with the tire pressure a little. Oh and I finished 5th which blew my mind away, behind Terry in an AST Vette, a couple other Vettes and Paul in his STi. The car on the high speed sweepers was amazing. I've never driven a car that was this hooked up. a mid speed off-set slalom showed me how much better transitions were compared to OEM/the E46 (The E46 had an advantage prior to the E90 getting coilovers)
Looking forward to next months event when I hope to dial out more of the understeer and get a little more comfortable with the car.
I'm in haven!...almost....I could do with an LSD but I'm not craving for one like I was craving for a better suspension 6+ months ago.
Comment