[ian55]

I've taken my car to Spa Franchochamps - driving the 400 odd miles and then taking it directly on the track was magic, but hard on the car. Recently I did two open pit lane days at the Nurburgring on the Nordschleife. It seems to me that the e39 M5 is fairly good at track work - a little heavy, nicely balances and overall not bad.

Clearly the brakes are pants, but with an upgrade, in my case APs, it's now the tyres as the suspension seems fine for few track days a year. Has anyone run Toyo R888 and what were the results - what miles do you get, and what is the track experience like, and how is the road work?

What are the views, am I mad to make an e39 track worthy when it might be cheaper to take a Caterham or Boxster or even a 911?

Ian

 

[yellowgixxer]

Are you mad? Not if it makes you smile, no.

What are you trying to achieve? Is this your daily driver, or a dedicated track toy? Mine turned in a comfortable nine minute lap on the Nordschleife on stock suspension and brakes. But the brakes were shagged after one lap - which was all I had the time to do anyway.

I've since had basically all the bushes replaced all round, along with the front shocks. Still with standard components. I will be upgrading the brakes to APs because next time I want to be able to do a few laps back to back and actually make my Jahreskarte pay for itself. I have a towbar so I'll be taking my bike as well...

Tyres are GSD3, I think (it's late and I'm tired). They're certainly plenty good enough for the 'Ring, though how they'd hold up on a short circuit I don't know.

Cheers,

YG

PS Just to put it into context, I have done, um, quite a few laps so pitching up and doing nine minutes is about normal. But I'll do eight minutes day in, day out on the bike.

 

[Cemessi]

I found the GSD3's lean over alot on the track and even running 50psi (the limit of the tyre), I couldn't get them to stop doing it. PS2's are much better.

But after nearly 2 years of tracking an M5 I sold it and bought an E46 SMG M3. Its a much better track car in every respect. If tracking is important to you then the M3 is a better bet, it will cost you less to run and you'll enjoy it more. But the M3 isn't as relaxing as the M5 is on the motorway.

 

[ian55]

You guys make good sense. I do like the idea of driving across Europe in a great long distance car and then driving it on a track, but it's expensive in tyres, brakes and fuel. The sound of that v8 in anger is magic though!

The Michelin PS2 are great road tyres, but get way too hot on track, that's why I was interested in the Toyo R888s.

I can see that an e46 M3 will be better in most ways on a track. I guess that I've been avoiding buying a track day car. That said, I'm driving the M5 less all the time - I take the train to work most of the time these days. I can see a time very soon very I have a very very dull family car and a weekend car that I can track too.

In the meantime, I might just have to put some Toyo R888s on for 2 or 3 European days next.

I think I need a way of justifying a 'ring season ticket.


Ian

 

[Cemessi]

I've been there (now 6 years at the Ring) and the M3 is a better track car in every way. However, I have an M5 because I drive on the UK cratered roads and need a comfortable car. I spend alot of money trying to get my M5 upto track spec and would have been better of just buying an M3, so eventually I did.

Saying that though, the R888's should help and certainly if you can get a second set of wheels to put them on.

 

[jamesrothwell]

Try driving a Caterham to the Ring... No thanks....

 

[Cemessi]

I liked the Caterham I drove but you are right. I find everyone who comes with me wants to drive to the ring in an M5 but drive an M3 around

 

[Lancefitzgiben]

No direct experience with the R888s yet, but I fully intend on running those as my track tire this next year. I've had the M5 to the track more than a few times and - even with stock suspension at over 100k miles - the car handles remarkably well. I run 275's all around and a dinan rear sway, handling is absolutely neutral. Brakes are fine, stock pads with powerslot rotors, however on the track I frequent I rarely see anything north of 90mph.

Can't wait to get the suspension freshened up and run on some dedicated tires. The M5 is not as fast on track as the Z06 but it inspires much confidence - and sounds much better with the muffler delete.

=)

 

[psiggy]

hi,

i didnt buy my M5 intending to lots of track work, was actually planning on going back into racing properly at the same time i bought the car
but the sponsorship didnt come through.

anyway, i ended up doing more and more track work with it even though it was my daily driver. so then the modding started to pick up pace
and i ended up with the spec you can see in my sig.

ive done Spa, 'Ring, Snetterton a number of times, Oulton, Silverstone etc and i think with my spec i had it just about spot on.

as a former racer, i am very particular about handling, tires, brakes etc but didnt really have the money or time with the car to
go extensively into trying many different combinations. in my sig. it says i was running hawk race pads but ditched them after a couple
of track days and tried the Pagid RS19s and found them much better.

ive never tried PS2's but they were going to be my next set before i sold the car.

anyway, i think youll find my spec just about the best balance between daily and occasional track use. but as we all know its a heavy car
so wear and tear is high no matter how good your components.

but sorry no, never tried the R888's!

oh, the one thing i was sure my car needed was a full geo set-up as i added some bits (roll bars/GC top mounts etc) but never got around
to it before i sold the car.

anyhow, any questions feel free to ask.

you can also youtube a vid or two under sevenzero racing E39 M5

ETA: here is the link, first time at Snetterton with the new mods on a drying track with the Hawk pads and wasnt happy under braking:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvlyBCg10kY

cheers,
ps

 

[Copasetic222]

Never tracked my M5, but my son and I each track e39 M3's and we tries the R888's this summer because we couldn't get RA1's. We did not like the R888's, by comparison at all. They last longer, but don't stick nearly as well.