New 2009 2010 BMW Z4 - ZPOST
BMW Garage BMW Meets Register Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read


Go Back   New 2009 2010 BMW Z4 - ZPOST > BMW Z4 Forum (E89) > 2009-Current Z4 Forum (E89) General Discussion

Post Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
      01-20-2014, 07:30 PM   #1
Ichiro
Private First Class
5
Rep
126
Posts

Drives: Z4
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Aus

iTrader: (0)

First track experience in the Z

Hi everyone, I recently got a taste of motorsport in my Z4 and wanted to share my experience online (and document it before I forget this feeling). I’m not good at writing or organising my thoughts, and doing both is definitely asking for trouble. Maybe...just maybe you’ll have the patience to read through it all and possibly share in my experience.

Motorsport - Everyone should try this at least once in their lifetime....or 20 bazillion times....like I plan to.

This past weekend there was a CAMS Come and Try day at Eastern Creek Raceway Park in Sydney, so me and my Z went to investigate. The cost for the 3 hour event was $50 and we were promised two sessions – Supersprint & motorkhana. (CAMS: Confederation of Australian Motorsports and is the governing body controlling all motorsports in Australia)

Now a bit about me - I’ve had my Z since Sep 2013 and haven’t had the chance to even begin exploring its limits. So, as you can imagine, I was itching to see what it’s like when driven with gusto in a safe/controlled environment. My Z is a standard 2013 sdrive28i with the MSport pack, 19” 326 wheels & the 8sp ZF transmission. No modifications.

So, on Saturday morning I woke up early (6am) as I just couldn’t wait any longer. It was stinking hot – 30deg C and would hit 40deg C later in the day. I removed all loose items from the car and left for the track at 8am. 1st step was registration where you sign a few forms. Then it was off to scrutineering and once passed I had a bit of a wait for the drivers briefing session.

Drivers Briefing: We were told that we must have a coach riding along in the passenger seat during both events and the track was limited to 160km/h, no overtaking in corners, no dangerous driving, no drifting & how to watch/interpret the different flag colors from the flag officials. A few other rules were explained and I was ready to go out and have some fun.

The first event was motorkhana. A cone circuit was setup on a wet skidpan & on paper it looked fairly basic and easy. (Driving it was a different matter all together and made me severely doubt if I had any sense of direction at all). I improved after a couple of runs and was happy to see a marked improvement in my times. The Z has a lot of grip to offer when handled with care and rewards you with a sharp turn-in if you’re not being too ham fisted. (Me = ham fisted x 10).
Motorkhana is intense! Loads of quick sharp direction changes and delicate throttle inputs combined with thinking 3-4 turns ahead had me buggered by the end of the session. This is also where I felt that a proper handbrake would’ve been nice for a few 180 deg turns. Nevertheless I have a long way to go before that becomes the only handicap in improving lap times.

Next up was the Supersprint. This was held on the north circuit which has a few challenging turns and a switchback with elevation change (Trying to sound technical here). I focused on driving smoothly and learning the track on the first couple of laps, taking it easy and just following the car in front. On the 3rd lap, my coach encouraged me to open it up a bit. So off we went chasing down the car in front, then the next and the one after that. I was in heaven! The N26 was so eager and quick to climb the revs. It felt like I was nowhere near the limits of adhesion & the car was definitely out driving me. It felt so sweet to flick it into corners with confidence. The balance is wonderful, sport seats hold you snug, suspension keeps it near flat and stable, good feedback from the steering, brake feel is tight, the exhaust growls, intake roars....everything works in harmony to carve out corners and devour them with pleasure, and then eagerly goes hunting for the next one.

This is my first auto car & the ZF is a pure delight (feels similar to a DCT). Throughout the day I was in Sport Plus & manual shifting up and down the gears using the paddles. The shifts were quick and snappy, hardly any noticeable lag. I don’t think I could shift faster in a manual car.

For those of you who have thought about motorsports but hesitated to take your Z to the track, let me tell you....you are missing out. The Z feels like it was made for racing. You sit low slung & cosseted in a driver focused cockpit. The whole car feels like it pivots around your hip & it makes all the right sounds and goes fairly quick to boot. I’ve experienced a whole new side to the Z and can’t wait to try it out some more.

Best of all, after spending the afternoon hoofing it around a track it was time to head home. So, I put it in comfort mode, A/C on full blast, my favourite tunes playing via Bluetooth and cruised home smiling brighter than the afternoon sun. What a superb machine!

I’m completely blown away by the Z’s performance & all round capability......and so chuffed that I didn’t prang it. I’ve now applied for a CAMS Level 2 Speed license and looking forward to the next Super sprint day being held by my local BMW club.

Lastly, I wish I had pics but sadly I forgot to pack my cam in my early morning excitement. Next time for sure.

Hope you enjoyed reading about my experience and maybe this will encourage those who’re on the fence to go out and try it for themselves.
Appreciate 0
      01-20-2014, 10:16 PM   #2
wmandra
Track Addict
wmandra's Avatar
97
Rep
242
Posts

Drives: 2010 328i, 2014 Z4
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: NJ, USA

iTrader: (0)

Welcome to the world of high performance driving!!! So glad to hear about another Z owner taking their car to the track and experiencing the potential for this chassis. Keep us posted on your future sessions.

Bill
__________________
Driver, Ratchet Head Racing #93 BMW Z4
Club Organizer, Garden State Euros Motorsport Division
2014 Glacier Silver Z4 28i M Sport - See the build thread: http://e89.zpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=950367
Appreciate 0
      01-21-2014, 12:54 AM   #3
nicknaz
Lieutenant General
nicknaz's Avatar
3183
Rep
10,509
Posts

Drives: C6Z
Join Date: May 2008
Location: NorCal

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ichiro View Post
so chuffed that I didn’t prang it.
Does that mean "very happy you didn't crash the car"? (I definitely know that feeling )

Congrats on doing your first event and thanks for sharing
Appreciate 0
      01-21-2014, 01:28 AM   #4
vasmir
eh
vasmir's Avatar
129
Rep
331
Posts

Drives: 2011 E82 M, 2016 F25
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Bay Area, CA

iTrader: (0)

Awesome to hear you enjoyed the track day!

Good to read your notes about throwing the 4-banger around the track as well; I remember test driving the sDrive28i and getting a sense for the nose being noticeably lighter than my sDrive35i. It probably makes initial turn-in a bit easier for you; I feel like I'm on the edge of oversteer when trying to get my Z around the autocross.
Appreciate 0
      01-21-2014, 04:47 AM   #5
Ichiro
Private First Class
5
Rep
126
Posts

Drives: Z4
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Aus

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by wmandra View Post
Welcome to the world of high performance driving!!! So glad to hear about another Z owner taking their car to the track and experiencing the potential for this chassis. Keep us posted on your future sessions.

Bill
Haha, I got quite a few stares and comments as the Z is rare down under. Kinda surprised a lot of the bigger boys when I got their rear and passed em by. Will definitely keep up the motorsports & should have pics the next time around.

Quote:
Originally Posted by nicknaz View Post
Does that mean "very happy you didn't crash the car"? (I definitely know that feeling )

Congrats on doing your first event and thanks for sharing
Thanks and yea, I was quite anxious if I was going to overcook it on my first lap out and kept telling myself, slow in & not so fast out...lol (the Z is my first BMW and so precious )

Quote:
Originally Posted by vasmir View Post
Awesome to hear you enjoyed the track day!

Good to read your notes about throwing the 4-banger around the track as well; I remember test driving the sDrive28i and getting a sense for the nose being noticeably lighter than my sDrive35i. It probably makes initial turn-in a bit easier for you; I feel like I'm on the edge of oversteer when trying to get my Z around the autocross.
You know what...I struggled to get the Z to spin the tires and oversteer in the wet motorkhana. I'm pretty sure I turned traction control off but it just wouldn't spin.
Appreciate 0
      01-21-2014, 08:03 AM   #6
ManiacGT
Major
ManiacGT's Avatar
United Kingdom
84
Rep
1,448
Posts

Drives: Z4 sDrive 35i
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Manchester, UK

iTrader: (0)

Sounds good. At 40C though your tyres will have been very sticky, hence the grip.
Appreciate 0
      01-21-2014, 09:36 AM   #7
Putzo
Newb
Putzo's Avatar
Canada
2
Rep
110
Posts

Drives: 2012 E89 Z4 35is
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Calgary, Canada

iTrader: (0)

Garage List
Thanks for sharing!
__________________
Putzo
Current: 2012 E89 Z4 35is
Previous: 2008 E92 335i Coupe, 2007 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT spec.B, 1993 Dodge Stealth R/T Twin-Turbo AWD, 1994 Ford Taurus SHO
Appreciate 0
      01-21-2014, 10:14 AM   #8
Nkc
NOOB
Nkc's Avatar
Canada
1601
Rep
1,356
Posts

Drives: Cars
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: @BMWclassicdivision

iTrader: (0)

sounds like a lot of fun. Congrats.

Wish we had this opportunity here in Hong Kong.
__________________
@BMWclassicdivision
Appreciate 0
      01-21-2014, 12:42 PM   #9
nicknaz
Lieutenant General
nicknaz's Avatar
3183
Rep
10,509
Posts

Drives: C6Z
Join Date: May 2008
Location: NorCal

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ichiro View Post
You know what...I struggled to get the Z to spin the tires and oversteer in the wet motorkhana. I'm pretty sure I turned traction control off but it just wouldn't spin.
Did you press button (DTC mode) or press + hold for 5 seconds (DSC off)?

DSC off you can definitely spin it (so watch out when you are in that mode)

Take pics next time
Appreciate 0
      01-21-2014, 01:25 PM   #10
wmandra
Track Addict
wmandra's Avatar
97
Rep
242
Posts

Drives: 2010 328i, 2014 Z4
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: NJ, USA

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by nicknaz View Post
Did you press button (DTC mode) or press + hold for 5 seconds (DSC off)?

DSC off you can definitely spin it (so watch out when you are in that mode)

Take pics next time
Sport+ mode is the better option I think... better throttle response and DSC is disabled. The stock setup and alignment is really prone to understeer when pushing hard on the track. Removing some rear camber can help a bit.
__________________
Driver, Ratchet Head Racing #93 BMW Z4
Club Organizer, Garden State Euros Motorsport Division
2014 Glacier Silver Z4 28i M Sport - See the build thread: http://e89.zpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=950367
Appreciate 0
      01-21-2014, 03:09 PM   #11
rking117
Lieutenant Colonel
United_States
118
Rep
1,668
Posts

Drives: Z4 3.0i & 320i
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: USA

iTrader: (0)

pics or it didnt happen???
__________________
Enjoying an E89 Z4, F30 320i and Fiat Abarth //
E85 Z4 (sold), E82 128i (sold), Fiat Pop 500 (sold)
Appreciate 0
      01-21-2014, 04:54 PM   #12
Ichiro
Private First Class
5
Rep
126
Posts

Drives: Z4
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Aus

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by ManiacGT View Post
Sounds good. At 40C though your tyres will have been very sticky, hence the grip.
Never thought about that. I'm on stock standard run flats and they did a fantastic job for a beginner like me.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Putzo View Post
Thanks for sharing!
Cheers mate.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nkc View Post
sounds like a lot of fun. Congrats.

Wish we had this opportunity here in Hong Kong.
Thanks Mate. I've heard of organised Auto-X in HK. You should check with your local clubs or motor-sports organizers.

Quote:
Originally Posted by nicknaz View Post
Did you press button (DTC mode) or press + hold for 5 seconds (DSC off)?

DSC off you can definitely spin it (so watch out when you are in that mode)

Take pics next time
I did the latter, press + hold the DSC off button next to the shifter for 3-5 seconds. The DSC off image appeared in my cluster as well. I'll definitely take pics next time...or arrange for someone to take pics of me on the field.

Quote:
Originally Posted by wmandra View Post
Sport+ mode is the better option I think... better throttle response and DSC is disabled. The stock setup and alignment is really prone to understeer when pushing hard on the track. Removing some rear camber can help a bit.
This is what I ended up doing, Sport+ mode & as you mentioned throttle response was much sharper but DSC still seemed to be nanny-ing the rear a bit.

Quote:
Originally Posted by rking117 View Post
pics or it didnt happen???
Oh How I wish I had some action shots... I will aim to get some shots and hopefully an in-car vid the next time round for sure.
Appreciate 0
      01-23-2014, 05:34 PM   #13
JavierBayArea
New Member
2
Rep
26
Posts

Drives: sdrive35i
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: mountain view

iTrader: (0)

Dude I'm sorry but our cars are HORRIBLE for the track, completely terrible.

Understeer dogs with too much body roll, and don't even get me started on brake fade.
Appreciate 0
      01-23-2014, 06:24 PM   #14
wmandra
Track Addict
wmandra's Avatar
97
Rep
242
Posts

Drives: 2010 328i, 2014 Z4
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: NJ, USA

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by JavierBayArea View Post
Dude I'm sorry but our cars are HORRIBLE for the track, completely terrible.

Understeer dogs with too much body roll, and don't even get me started on brake fade.
Have you actually taken yours out on the track, or are you just repeating what you've heard elsewhere?

Remember for a lot of people its not about going out on the track to be competitive, its just for fun. Going out on the track in ANY car is worth the experience to push the car to the limit in a safe environment. At the end of the day, learning how to drive properly on the track will make you a better driver on the street.

Most production cars have issues with brake fade when pushed hard on the track. Simply replace the pads with Hawk mixed used pads and use a fluid with a higher boiling temp will resolve this rather inexpensively.

If you're more serious about tracking the Z4, the suspension can be upgraded to the point where the car feels very well balanced. See this thread: http://e89.zpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=879624
__________________
Driver, Ratchet Head Racing #93 BMW Z4
Club Organizer, Garden State Euros Motorsport Division
2014 Glacier Silver Z4 28i M Sport - See the build thread: http://e89.zpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=950367
Appreciate 0
      01-23-2014, 07:47 PM   #15
JavierBayArea
New Member
2
Rep
26
Posts

Drives: sdrive35i
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: mountain view

iTrader: (0)

I did take it to Laguna Seca, it was not fun at all.

I'm comparing it to my Lotus Sport Elise though, i can see if you haven't driven anything else you can think the Z4 is good. but it really isn't.

The pads sure you can replace, but if you do I'm not sure BMW will replace them free of charge anymore if you are under warranty.


Don't get me wrong, i like my car. But it's purpose is not the track.
Appreciate 0
      01-23-2014, 09:33 PM   #16
nicknaz
Lieutenant General
nicknaz's Avatar
3183
Rep
10,509
Posts

Drives: C6Z
Join Date: May 2008
Location: NorCal

iTrader: (0)

It will definitely take some money to prep the E89 for serious track use and there are indeed better "bang for the buck" starting points, but let's not take away from the OP's thread by having this conversation here.
Appreciate 0
      01-23-2014, 09:58 PM   #17
JavierBayArea
New Member
2
Rep
26
Posts

Drives: sdrive35i
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: mountain view

iTrader: (0)

True, I'm sorry OP i didn't want to come out like an a$$ hole.

It was just very disappointing to me what i felt in the racetrack and it just got me going.
Appreciate 0
      01-24-2014, 08:11 AM   #18
Fripp64
If in doubt...go flat out
1
Rep
54
Posts

Drives: 2011 Space Grey Z4 3.0
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: AlaBimmer (Alabama, USA)

iTrader: (0)

With enough money you can always transform it into this....
Attached Images
 
Appreciate 0
Post Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:35 PM.




zpost
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
1Addicts.com, BIMMERPOST.com, E90Post.com, F30Post.com, M3Post.com, ZPost.com, 5Post.com, 6Post.com, 7Post.com, XBimmers.com logo and trademark are properties of BIMMERPOST