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Brakes:

Factory brakes on the M3 are very capable. You really don't need a whole lot more than a change of pads and a good brake fluid flush before taking your car to the track.

Before my first track event, I replaced my front rotors (which needed replaced) with the European floating rotors. These rotors are an improvement over the stock US part by being lighter, having better heat dissipation characteristic, and more resistant to warping (under extreme conditions). The "hat" of the rotor is made from aluminum, and connected to the iron disk via brass pins. Maybe not a big deal, but sounded pretty neat.

I also flushed the brake fluid with ATE Super Blue and replaced my brake pads with Ferodo DS2500's.

Everything worked great for my first track event at Road America but as my rookie season progressed, I started to get a lot of shuddering while braking when everything was hot. The worst of this happening during a track day at Gateway International Raceway, with my instructor telling me to definately get that fixed before next year!

I thought my rotors were warped, and to make sure that NEVER happened again, I was going BIG! Spring of 2004 I upgraded to a Stoptech 332mm (13.1") front BBK (Big Brake Kit). Slotted rotors and red calipers... not only do they stop great, but they look hot too!

The installer got randy just looking at them!

Look nice, huh? They work too!

For track days I swap in a set of Cobalt SpecVR race pads in front. I am still running Ferrodo DS2500's in the rear. Stainless steel braided brake lines both front and rear. Fluid is now Motul RBF 600. Absolutely no fade at all with these brakes. No brake management or conservation for track days, they just plain work... everytime. Some say it's overkill, and that is why I like it! :p

Wheels and Tires:

To clear these new brakes, I needed some new wheels. The stock wheels do not offer enough inside clearance for the caliper.

For the street, I run a set of BBS RG-R's 18x8.5 with the bright silver finish. Wheel offset is +38mm and weight 18.6 lbs per corner, definately lighter than the stock 17's. These wheels are forged.

BBS RG-R 18x8.5

Pic with the new BBS RG-R 18" wheels on the car!

I wrap these wheels with 245/35-18 Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 tires on all four corners.

I picked BBS wheels because of their good history of having sufficient brake caliper clearance and because these were the closest wheels I could find to match the e46 CSL look (without going 19's). Unfortunately I have to run a 15mm spacer up front to clear the brakes. I did not see this ahead of time because these wheels were very new when I bought them, and there was limited knowledge on their brake clearance. Oh well, the spacers work great and don't really cause any problem.

For the track I have a set of Kosei K1 racing 17x8.5 and they clear the calipers just flawlessly. I run Toyo RA-1 comp-r tires in the 235/40-17 size. These tires are awesome for the track and make a great beginner comp-r tire. Since I am not attending competitive events, these work out great as they have a long tread life (well, for a track tire they do) and offer a LOT more stick over street tires. Adding sticky tires will make you much faster around the track than horsepower upgrades.

Table of Contents:

Page 1: Quick pics, Intro, and car selection
Page 2: The New Whip
Page 3: Mods and Suspension
Page 4: Brakes, Wheels and Tires
Page 5: Drivetrain and Engine Mods
Page 6: Exterior Mods and Lighting
Page 7: Track Events and Drag Racing
Page 8: Mod and Spec Summary, Future Plans
Page 9: Other Cars and Friends
Page 10: Car Stereo Upgrades