[gippy]

After a month of planning and research and some trepidation, took the plunge and decided to track the car on an EVO evening session at Bedford autodrome. I had 1 objective - to try and do skids, understand what the car was actually capable of at the limit, and shred the tyres. I've never had the chance to attempt skids before - I wouldn't dare try it on the public road - and finally here was an opportunity to live out my inner chris harris.

In the end I did 4x12 min sessions with about 15 min breaks in between, didn't fancy doing anymore given the brake issues (more of that later)

Unfortunately I got the 'NO DRIFTING' sign held up at me about 3 times, so I've edited together all the ones I could get away with.
Here are 2 vids from the day - first one is all the attempted skids cut together. 2nd one is from the 4th and final stint where I reverted back to a little more grip driving. Even with the grip driving I still found the car enjoyable, to my surprise.

Annoyingly i forgot to mount my 2nd cam to record the dials, but i had my speed warning set to 90mph so if you look closely you can see the orange warning triangle light up whenever i hit 90.

I also had in the back of my mind throughout "this is my precious car and it must get me home", so chose to short shift around 5500rpm each time. I regret not pushing it a little bit more now...wouldn't have done much more harm!

I thoroughly enjoyed it. I didn't think i would as its something not designed for track use - the last time I'd driven a road car on track was in a 2016 Type R, and though it was far better sorted for track use than the 440i (excellent body control, flat cornering, stiff suspension) - it was wrong wheel drive. Managing understeer at apex and out of corners gets boring pretty quickly.

What doesn't get boring, ever, is having a car break traction at the rear :-)
The 440i was hilarious over the limit and made me giggle. I was finally experiencing the car properly after 16 months of ownership, especially with the MPPSK i'd fitted only a few weeks prior.

A quick comparison with an M4C
I also got to drive an M4C for 2 laps as part of the EVO magazine promotion thing. Obviously I only got a really short time to assess the car, so my perception of it is not going to be a conclusive opinion, however -

- I was expecting a really stiff track orientated car, in the same mould as that Type R. Amazingly, I found the body control to be only slightly better than the 440i. It still felt a bit sloppy to me, with the same dead feel from the steering to accompany it. If I had spent £60k on one of these I'd be hugely dissappointed.

- Wasn't as fast as I was expecting - the 440i was nudging 140mph on the back straight and I was reaching just over 140mph in this, obviously with longer track time and focusing on lines/exit out of the corner it would probably be closer to 150+, but given that this car has 100bhp more than mine, I was expecting more noticeable and significant oomph.

- (to my ears) It didn't sound as good as my MPPSK'd car, i would say, significantly not as good. There doesn't appear to be any tone to it below 6krpm, though it did liven up past this.

- The heads up display was really useful and I wish I had one in mine. (not sure if I can retrofit one…probably not).

- The DCT was FANTASTIC and the standout feature. The racecar like jolt on the upshifts, and the instant response and blip on the downshifts was amazing. The ZF 8 speed is good enough, but cannot compare to this - not in the same league. I wonder what the new ZF's are like in the new M cars? I assume they've engineered them to be as good as the DCT they've replaced - I need to look into the ZF software hacks….

- It was nice having a progressive rear end. Palmersport had their regular instructors managing the BMW demo cars - I asked before jumping in if I could turn off the DST….he said no. But he did let me put it in dynamic TC after the first lap. Even with this half nanny mode engaged, I could feel the rear slip being much more easily controllable out of corners. The 440i's oversteer is like an on/off switch in comparison, although i'm sure with a bit more time and throttle control it could be tamed a little.

Overall I found the experience underwhelming. My fear before driving it was finding it so much better than my car and trying to justify trading in for one - but its not the track weapon I thought it'd be, given the price. I'm now very happy with the amount of car I got for £27.5k.

Future mods needed
Now I've got the racing bug back it looks like I'll have to scrape the cash together for the following mods in readiness for the new season next year:

- An M performance or Quaife diff.

- A cheap set of wheels and tyres just for track days - the less grippy the better…

- ZF remap for quicker shifts

- Suspension that gives flatter cornering and better body control (no idea which suspension components I need to upgrade to achieve this, anyone?)

- Performance rotors that can withstand the heat

- see if there's any way to put in a seat with fixed harness which i can swap out easily after track days

- Find some circuits with more opportunities to do skids.

Issues
The only issue I've had has been with the brakes. I've done something to my discs, and was experiencing it both on the journey back home and after swapping back to the OEM pads - I now have a vibration coming through (and a drone noise) as I brake through 40mph, from higher speeds. It remains from 40 down to 20mph or so.

Not sure if I've warped the discs in some way, or maybe its just track pad material I need to remove, or get the discs reskimmed?

if anyone has any thoughts or can offer suggestions I'd appreciate it if you could go here and respond, where I've made a thread specifically on the issue.

https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...2#post25240442

Conclusion
if you have an x40i and haven't tracked it - do so, it is a huge amount of fun.

[muffking]

Good videos and it looks like you was having a blast. Ive not Bedford in years, although I'm doing a bike day at Anglessey the weekend.

I can't really help with the brakes. Bets thing is to visually check the discs and maybe throw a set of pads at it to check.

[gippy]

Originally Posted by muffking

Good videos and it looks like you was having a blast. Ive not Bedford in years, although I'm doing a bike day at Anglessey the weekend.

I can't really help with the brakes. Bets thing is to visually check the discs and maybe throw a set of pads at it to check.

i'm pretty sure it aint pads as it was doing it with the track ones and the OEM's when i swapped em back.
i'll have a look at reskimming but most likely i think i'll just buy some new OEM discs and fit em myself, and buy some performance rotors next year for track day use only.

[Watsey]

If you went to an EVO event to do skids, you went to the wrong event - as you found out.

This is precisely the kind of driving that isn't welcomed. EVO, and other organiser's, track events are all about smooth fast progress and good control. Trying to skid/drift, at the risk of losing control and risking damage to your car and others on the track is not what these events are about. You'll soon get plenty of looks from other drivers as they realise that you're a liability.

I'm surprised you got to three 'no skid' flags. Normally they'll black flag you after a couple, and bring you into the pits for a stiff word. Carry on regardless and it'll be the end of your session.

[gippy]

Originally Posted by Watsey

I'm surprised you got to three 'no skid' flags. Normally they'll black flag you after a couple, and bring you into the pits for a stiff word. Carry on regardless and it'll be the end of your session.

i wouldn't worry, they didn't black flag me and all was fine, clearly I was in control and competent enough to not be a liability to others, otherwise i'm sure they would have had a word. I wasn't doing it when others were following me and was well aware of my mirrors.

and skids are so much fun

was great to find out how the car handles in oversteer, everyone should try it.

[Lorcan]

http://www.dwyb.co.uk/index.php

You're welcome

[G50]

Nice writeup, looks like you had a lot of fun!

Find it a bit strange that you were willing to get the back end out, but not willing to rev it to the red line, or even the top of the powerband!

With the brakes, did you make sure at the end of each session, (a) not to put the hand brake on, and (b) not to hold the car on the brakes if you needed to come to a stop, that wasn't where you were parking the car? After each session I did a cool down lap, then drove carefully around the car park areas, not using the brakes, then put the car in park/engine off in gear for a manual.

If it's pad material, you could try doing some repeated high speed stops somewhere safe, but you may just need to get them skimmed/replace them.

[gippy]

Originally Posted by G50

Nice writeup, looks like you had a lot of fun!

Find it a bit strange that you were willing to get the back end out, but not willing to rev it to the red line, or even the top of the powerband!

With the brakes, did you make sure at the end of each session, (a) not to put the hand brake on, and (b) not to hold the car on the brakes if you needed to come to a stop, that wasn't where you were parking the car? After each session I did a cool down lap, then drove carefully around the car park areas, not using the brakes, then put the car in park/engine off in gear for a manual.

If it's pad material, you could try doing some repeated high speed stops somewhere safe, but you may just need to get them skimmed/replace them.

yeh i know doesn't make a lot of sense - i guess i'm like - suspension, brakes, tyres, these are all things i can replace for not much money. But i just dont want to stress the engine out. I suppose its not like i'll be doing any more track days this year so i should have let it out more.

yes and yes to your questions.

i'm getting them skimmed at an F1 autocentre for £95...hope that fixes it, if not its £340 for a pair of discs. ouch.

[seenthelight!]

Originally Posted by gippy

yeh i know doesn't make a lot of sense - i guess i'm like - suspension, brakes, tyres, these are all things i can replace for not much money. But i just dont want to stress the engine out. I suppose its not like i'll be doing any more track days this year so i should have let it out more.

yes and yes to your questions.

i'm getting them skimmed at an F1 autocentre for £95...hope that fixes it, if not its £340 for a pair of discs. ouch.

I don't know what an f1 autocentre is like, but make sure they skim both the faces of the discs at the same clamping/setting. Not all 'engineers' do, but it is the only way to do it correctly and maintain zero run out between front and back face. The machining tolerance for concentricity between faces will probably be .02mm, but if done correctly, you will get it down to zero ...

Btw, where are you getting the replacement discs from, assuming you need them ? Price seems a little steep

[gippy]

Originally Posted by seenthelight!

I don't know what an f1 autocentre is like, but make sure they skim both the faces of the discs at the same clamping/setting. Not all 'engineers' do, but it is the only way to do it correctly and maintain zero run out between front and back face. The machining tolerance for concentricity between faces will probably be .02mm, but if done correctly, you will get it down to zero ...

Btw, where are you getting the replacement discs from, assuming you need them ? Price seems a little steep

i only googled eurocarparts. The BMW shop was double that so i thought 'well ok i guess £300+ is the price point'.

i guess not!

[Londoner]

Great videos and review OP, many thanks!!

Where did you get your track day insurance from? Did you get your brakes sorted?

[Abzynthe]

Good review.
I have driven the M4's they have at Bedford Autodrome. I haven't driven mine on a track, but I too felt that the M4 wasn't a massive improvement over mine in terms of speed in the straights and cornering compared to a few spirited country road corners in mine. I still loved driving it though and want to go again.

[Tengocity]

Glad you had a good time! Interesting read too.

I hope you've not fully warped your discs. I too found it strange that you didn't extend your engine, but pushed everything else!

Given that you didn't extend your own car it does seem weird that the M4 didn't feel faster, as presume you dit take that to the red line?

If not, then try, and then you'll feel the extra horses!

The standard M4 damping isn't fantastic, so I've swapped mine out for coilovers, but the way the front end steers is night and day better than a standard car. The bushing is much stiffer, there's more camber, at the rear there is a solidly mounted subframe, so there's lot more precision, especially when you add in the M-diff.

[Tengocity]

Originally Posted by Abzynthe

Good review.
I have driven the M4's they have at Bedford Autodrome. I haven't driven mine on a track, but I too felt that the M4 wasn't a massive improvement over mine in terms of speed in the straights and cornering compared to a few spirited country road corners in mine. I still loved driving it though and want to go again.

They don't have those M4s at Bedford any more, they now use M2 CPs. The Evo evenings are sponsored by BMW so they're standard.

The Palmer M cars have roll cages, bucket seats, coilovers, track tyres, big brake kits, and they're absolutely night and day better on track than a standard Mcar.

[gippy]

Originally Posted by Londoner

Great videos and review OP, many thanks!!

Where did you get your track day insurance from? Did you get your brakes sorted?

aah thanks, thought it was worth documenting for my own sake at least, glad others found it interesting. Its a car i intend to keep until it dies (might be with me forever!) so it'll be nice to look back on this in 10 years.

i didn't bother with insurance in the end - i got a quote from Moris for £140 odd i think it was... spent some time mulling over the risk vs cost and thought it wasn't worth it.

I was really worried about random instances happening on track, i've seen so many nordschleife crash compilation videos.....but i was expecting the driving standards at an Evo event to be good enough, which they were - everyone was excellent and well behaved when around other cars. Also you'd have to be pretty incompetent to crash at Bedford. Maybe when i do more open pitlane events on other circuits i'd reconsider.

Haven't got me brakes sorted yet, i'm pretty sure i've just got uneven track pad deposits, i'm going to switch back to the track pads, drive around for a few weeks and see if it improves - if not, i'll get them skimmed.

[gippy]

Originally Posted by Tengocity

Glad you had a good time! Interesting read too.

I hope you've not fully warped your discs. I too found it strange that you didn't extend your engine, but pushed everything else!

Given that you didn't extend your own car it does seem weird that the M4 didn't feel faster, as presume you dit take that to the red line?

If not, then try, and then you'll feel the extra horses!

The standard M4 damping isn't fantastic, so I've swapped mine out for coilovers, but the way the front end steers is night and day better than a standard car. The bushing is much stiffer, there's more camber, at the rear there is a solidly mounted subframe, so there's lot more precision, especially when you add in the M-diff.

i think its uneven pad deposits rather than full warp, time will tell.
yeh, definitely it was that progressive rear that was the standard feature compared to my car (and that DCT)

don't get me wrong, the M4C was certainly more precise, i was just expecting something a bit more raw.

I've driven those palmersport M4's a few times back in 2017 - i haven't read car mags in a decade and knew nothing about the M4C - i think i was expecting a palmersport M4 type experience with less noise! An M4 with Type-R stiffness and steering response, i don't know
Maybe the 'Competition' moniker is a tad misleading.

As i say i only had 2 laps so my opinions on the car are by no means final at all, if i could afford it i'd get an M4 and stick on uncompromisingly stiff suspension on it

[Londoner]

Hehe let's hope you're still allowed to drive a 3.0 petrol engine in 10+ years!

Oh interesting re insurance - I read somewhere that you had to show proof of your track day insurance at these events! However was thinking that re that Bedford track looking newbie friendly - will give it a go after I get my MPPSK fitted next week!

Annoying re brakes. Was reading somewhere that simply up-rating fluid and lines will reduce brake fade significantly, and maybe all the novice to intermediate track day 340/440 driver needs.

[higgy]

Interesting write up. I had a 440i with MPPSK and whilst it is a great car for the money it’s night and day different to my M3 CP. My M3 is a different animal altogether. A 440i shouldn’t get near a well driven M car around a track. I think you needed a few more laps in the M to get your confidence and eye in.

[NISFAN]

Originally Posted by Londoner

......

Annoying re brakes. Was reading somewhere that simply up-rating fluid and lines will reduce brake fade significantly, and maybe all the novice to intermediate track day 340/440 driver needs.

No need to upgrade the lines. Modern lines are aramid reinforced. At around 3-4 times the tensile strength of stainless steel, there is no reason stainless would better. In fact many reasons why stainless are worse.

[MattRST]

3-4 60mph to zero stops in quick succession will clear the vibrations . Happened to me all the time after track days

[Watsey]

Originally Posted by MattRST

3-4 60mph to zero stops in quick succession will clear the vibrations . Happened to me all the time after track days

Processes like this, whether for cleaning discs or bedding the brakes fully, will generate a lot of heat. The brakes should be released before the car stops, say 5-10mph.

Stopping the car fully with hot discs and pads increases the risk of uneven deposits.

[lens]

Originally Posted by NISFAN

No need to upgrade the lines. Modern lines are aramid reinforced. At around 3-4 times the tensile strength of stainless steel, there is no reason stainless would better. In fact many reasons why stainless are worse.

I can confirm 40i lines are still rubber hoses, not aramid reinforced, which you should upgrade to stainless lines if you tend to do more lapping. If you also drive the car in the winter, normally the coated stainless steel lines will also protect the line from debris and such.