Tracked the M5 at Mosport
I wanted to share a brief write up on my experience this weekend (April 26/27, 2008) at a BMW CC event at Mosport (an hour from Toronto). I was the only e60 M5 there but there were 2 e39 M5s as well.
First, if you want to know more about the track, here's the website:
http://www.mosport.com/home/home.asp
Overall, the event was exceptionally well run by the local Trillium chapter of the BMW Car Club. The weather was perfect - mostly sunny and temps ranging from 45-65 F both days. There were 3 run groups and an Instructor group - so everyone got 2 hours of track time per day (2 days). There was also 3 skid pad / slalom sessions per day as well as 3-4 classroom sessions per day. They keep things moving - you don't have a spare moment to really do much else but look at your schedule and figure out what you're doing next.
If you ask me, I think this kind of track is ideal for an M5 (or similar big horsepower car). The back straight linking turns 5 and 8 - known as the Mario Andretti straightaway - is a total kick in the pants. By the end of Day 2, I was hitting 135 mph before lifting. I'm sure someone with more nerve and skill could easily hit 150 in the e60 M5. Nothing was touching the M5 in the straight - not the new M3, the Aston Martin Vanquish S, or the 2002 Corvette (all in my run group, amongst others). It was great to be king of the mountain on the back straight. It was staggering how quickly the M5 would reel in lesser HP cars down this back straight. There was more than one "holy sh!t, where did you come from" or "man, you passed me and then you were gone" after the sessions. The M5 truly is a race car for 5!
All this WOT fun comes at a price. Each 30 minute session on the track, I'd eat through a quarter tank of gas. In fact, on Day 2, I had to pit early on my last session because the fuel reserve warning was just getting too damn annoying.
A couple of other fun stories.
One of the mornings after the general meeting, the lead instructor says "Ok, we're done a little early, go get your cars ready for the first session". I walked out sorta puzzled and just went to clean the windshield. Other guys are fussing over tires, brakes, etc but really what else is there to do on the M5? Press a button and it's ready for war.
We spent one of the classroom sessions going over the particulars of heel-and-toe downshifting. After the class, I did my impression of heel-toe in the M5 to the guys "See this (left index finger twitching) - there, I'm done". I'm sure they were thinking "smart-a55" but at the same time, I'll bet they're thinking - yeah, gotta get me an SMG / DCT, this shifting stuff is for the birds!
Speaking of shifting...you can get around Mosport in the M5 quite well in 4th gear almost the entire time. Shift at the end of Turn 4 down to 3rd and then take it up to 5th in the back straight (back down to 4 into Turn 8) and that's it. Amazing. I never wanted for more torque - although it was always there at the flick of a finger.
My instructor was thoroghly impressed by the car (less so by my skills :hihi
- but wouldn't let me hit the M button - which was probably a good thing. My favorite quote from him was Day 1 heading down the back straight "Ok, let 'er rip and let's see what 500 HP feels like"...followed by "wow, what a sound". He's got the new M3 with DCT on order and besides the power and unexpected nimbleness of the M5 he was particularly intrigued by the automatic side bolsters in my M5. I love those things BTW.
There was quite the variety of cars at the event - majority was BMW for sure but some interesting specimens from other marques too. An Audi R8 made an appearance as well as the Aston Martin Vanquish S in my run group. The Audi is nice and all but - if you haven't ever seen an Aston Martin Vanquish S in person - trust me, the pictures do no justice to the car. It is infinitely more beautiful in person. And once you hear one at WOT, you will be reaching for your checkbook - unbelieveable sound. I can't get it out of my head.
Sorry, I didn't take any pictures. There were too many participants there that were paranoid about people with cameras. To the point that about half of the cars put tape over their license plates. I guess they're all worried about the insurance company finding out what they're up to and cancelling their policy. So, out of respect and deference, I decided it was better not to freak anyone out by taking a bunch of pictures.
If you haven't tracked the M5, I highly suggest you do - you will gain a newfound respect for the Beast in a safe, fun and controlled environment. You meet a lot of other like minded car people at the same time and comraderie is almost instantaneous. Warning: this is highly addictive and expensive (tires and gas especially). I'm already in the process of "selling" the wife on signing up for the next event in June.
If you have tracked your M5, I would be curious to hear if you have any "post-track" rituals or things that you do / check on the car to ensure everything is a-ok with the beast.
Thanks all - hope you enjoyed the mini write up.
First, if you want to know more about the track, here's the website:
http://www.mosport.com/home/home.asp
Overall, the event was exceptionally well run by the local Trillium chapter of the BMW Car Club. The weather was perfect - mostly sunny and temps ranging from 45-65 F both days. There were 3 run groups and an Instructor group - so everyone got 2 hours of track time per day (2 days). There was also 3 skid pad / slalom sessions per day as well as 3-4 classroom sessions per day. They keep things moving - you don't have a spare moment to really do much else but look at your schedule and figure out what you're doing next.
If you ask me, I think this kind of track is ideal for an M5 (or similar big horsepower car). The back straight linking turns 5 and 8 - known as the Mario Andretti straightaway - is a total kick in the pants. By the end of Day 2, I was hitting 135 mph before lifting. I'm sure someone with more nerve and skill could easily hit 150 in the e60 M5. Nothing was touching the M5 in the straight - not the new M3, the Aston Martin Vanquish S, or the 2002 Corvette (all in my run group, amongst others). It was great to be king of the mountain on the back straight. It was staggering how quickly the M5 would reel in lesser HP cars down this back straight. There was more than one "holy sh!t, where did you come from" or "man, you passed me and then you were gone" after the sessions. The M5 truly is a race car for 5!
All this WOT fun comes at a price. Each 30 minute session on the track, I'd eat through a quarter tank of gas. In fact, on Day 2, I had to pit early on my last session because the fuel reserve warning was just getting too damn annoying.
A couple of other fun stories.
One of the mornings after the general meeting, the lead instructor says "Ok, we're done a little early, go get your cars ready for the first session". I walked out sorta puzzled and just went to clean the windshield. Other guys are fussing over tires, brakes, etc but really what else is there to do on the M5? Press a button and it's ready for war.
We spent one of the classroom sessions going over the particulars of heel-and-toe downshifting. After the class, I did my impression of heel-toe in the M5 to the guys "See this (left index finger twitching) - there, I'm done". I'm sure they were thinking "smart-a55" but at the same time, I'll bet they're thinking - yeah, gotta get me an SMG / DCT, this shifting stuff is for the birds!
Speaking of shifting...you can get around Mosport in the M5 quite well in 4th gear almost the entire time. Shift at the end of Turn 4 down to 3rd and then take it up to 5th in the back straight (back down to 4 into Turn 8) and that's it. Amazing. I never wanted for more torque - although it was always there at the flick of a finger.
My instructor was thoroghly impressed by the car (less so by my skills :hihi
- but wouldn't let me hit the M button - which was probably a good thing. My favorite quote from him was Day 1 heading down the back straight "Ok, let 'er rip and let's see what 500 HP feels like"...followed by "wow, what a sound". He's got the new M3 with DCT on order and besides the power and unexpected nimbleness of the M5 he was particularly intrigued by the automatic side bolsters in my M5. I love those things BTW.There was quite the variety of cars at the event - majority was BMW for sure but some interesting specimens from other marques too. An Audi R8 made an appearance as well as the Aston Martin Vanquish S in my run group. The Audi is nice and all but - if you haven't ever seen an Aston Martin Vanquish S in person - trust me, the pictures do no justice to the car. It is infinitely more beautiful in person. And once you hear one at WOT, you will be reaching for your checkbook - unbelieveable sound. I can't get it out of my head.
Sorry, I didn't take any pictures. There were too many participants there that were paranoid about people with cameras. To the point that about half of the cars put tape over their license plates. I guess they're all worried about the insurance company finding out what they're up to and cancelling their policy. So, out of respect and deference, I decided it was better not to freak anyone out by taking a bunch of pictures.
If you haven't tracked the M5, I highly suggest you do - you will gain a newfound respect for the Beast in a safe, fun and controlled environment. You meet a lot of other like minded car people at the same time and comraderie is almost instantaneous. Warning: this is highly addictive and expensive (tires and gas especially). I'm already in the process of "selling" the wife on signing up for the next event in June.
If you have tracked your M5, I would be curious to hear if you have any "post-track" rituals or things that you do / check on the car to ensure everything is a-ok with the beast.
Thanks all - hope you enjoyed the mini write up.
1 - 20 of 20 Posts
Joined
·
214 Posts
I put new PS2s on last Friday - I checked the wear last night and it didn't look bad at all. No sidewall damage/wear at all - I guess I wasn't being aggressive enough (!). All in due time though.
I met a guy from Michigan who was tracking his e46 M3 at the time - but had tracked his e60 M5 about 10 times - and he warned that I will starting going through set after set of PS2 pretty soon. That was a big part of why he stopped tracking the M5 in favor of his M3.
I met a guy from Michigan who was tracking his e46 M3 at the time - but had tracked his e60 M5 about 10 times - and he warned that I will starting going through set after set of PS2 pretty soon. That was a big part of why he stopped tracking the M5 in favor of his M3.
Joined
·
214 Posts
See you at the next one in June!! You can register online here:
http://www.trillium-bmwclub.ca/site/page.jsp?DriverTraining
Re Track time: 2 hours of track time per day. You are worn out by the end of each day; trust me, you'll get your fill.
Joined
·
214 Posts
Yep, you have to be a car club member - either Canada (BMW CC) or USA (BMW CCA). It's like $50 / year (approx) to join and stay a member. Receiving the Roundel mag alone is instant ROI...beyond that you get discounts at certain shops and get to go to these driving events. Oh, and one last thing, you get a nice rebate on new or CPO cars from a dealer - last time in the US I did this I received $1000 back on an X5 a few years ago.
I'm a new member of the Trillium Chapter. I have yet to make it out to one of the monthly meetings though.
How much did the track experience set you back?
I would love to do something like that too however the thought of something happening to the beast on the track (like an accident) is horrifying since the repair bill (if repairable at all) would have to come out of my own pocket. I can't imagine any insurance company paying anything once they find out where you were.
Thanks for the write up. Just reading about your experience sparks more interest for me.
:cheers:
How much did the track experience set you back?
I would love to do something like that too however the thought of something happening to the beast on the track (like an accident) is horrifying since the repair bill (if repairable at all) would have to come out of my own pocket. I can't imagine any insurance company paying anything once they find out where you were.
Thanks for the write up. Just reading about your experience sparks more interest for me.
:cheers:
Scooter you should go and check one out, just watch for the day.
I watched a day of it when i was at bimmercruise last year, lots of instructors....cars where spaced out well... some real beginers taking it easy. Going at there own pace (trying not to get any dings!!). I didnt see any mishaps...or bad passing etc
We should get all the local M5's together and go do one.
Looks like there is one soon then one at the end of the summer.
I watched a day of it when i was at bimmercruise last year, lots of instructors....cars where spaced out well... some real beginers taking it easy. Going at there own pace (trying not to get any dings!!). I didnt see any mishaps...or bad passing etc
We should get all the local M5's together and go do one.
Looks like there is one soon then one at the end of the summer.
Great idea:lightbulb:
It looks like the next weekend is going to be June 7-8. So you are saying that anyone can go and watch the days events? Perhaps this is just the sort of medicine the Dr. recommends. I'm sure after seeing what goes on at these track weekends is going to change my comfort level. As a matter of fact I will probably be kicking my self in the *** for not actually participating during that weekend.
Well if I like what I see the next weekend is scheduled for Sept. 6-7. I can always sign up for that session.
For the June session I would definitely been open driving up there with a few other M's to see the action. Let's talk more about that (feel free to PM me to discuss further).
cherrsagai
John
It looks like the next weekend is going to be June 7-8. So you are saying that anyone can go and watch the days events? Perhaps this is just the sort of medicine the Dr. recommends. I'm sure after seeing what goes on at these track weekends is going to change my comfort level. As a matter of fact I will probably be kicking my self in the *** for not actually participating during that weekend.
Well if I like what I see the next weekend is scheduled for Sept. 6-7. I can always sign up for that session.
For the June session I would definitely been open driving up there with a few other M's to see the action. Let's talk more about that (feel free to PM me to discuss further).
cherrsagai
John
I'm up for a drive on june 7th to Mosport to check it out.
Perhaps we should start we should start a new thread mentioning something about this little road trip? I could be kinda fun
Perhaps we should start we should start a new thread mentioning something about this little road trip? I could be kinda fun
I watched a whole day and no one said anything
Im in, we should get some of the M's together
Couple of points,
Firstly...
You should be able to find a company that will insure you. I'm in the UK and the insurance here is very tight, but after much looking around found a company that will insure me at a reasonable price, most road insurance companies just said no, then the specialist companies would do it for >£300 GBP with something like a £5000 excess, but the company I now have my road insurance with just charges me about £100 ($200 usd) with I think a £3000 excess per track day.
I also just bought a magazine and there was a company advertising in there that will provide cover for up to 5 track days a year free of charge.
I'm guessing it is going to be similar over there. You just need to find them, also I'm sure I've read on here that some members are covered by their road insurance, so give them a call first of all.
Secondly...
As mentioned it is your car so if you do decide to track it, drive it how you feel comfortable and if you come across someone that you are not happy with, just let them by and do a slow lap. How you drive is up to you.
I also try and go out with an instructor even if I know a track, this is great for picking up tips and advice.
Just remember that these days are fun so enjoy yourself...
Joined
·
214 Posts
Great points NB.
Everyone is in the same boat - nobody wants to wreck their ride. Drive within your limits and let the faster guys go by - it's all done in a fun, safe and controlled way. Until you are signed off, you will always have an instructor with you - which is a huge help in managing the track and traffic.
We probably should start a different thread for the locals that want to drive up and either participate or observe the next event on June 7 and 8. There's a forum for Canadians here...
http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=77
I tracked the beast at Mosport yesterday. The car is made for this type of track. I was at a short track (Cayuga) last summer and it was no where near as much fun. Hitting 230 on the back straight at Mosport eating Porsch all the way was a thrill! Great experience and will be back for more.
Track the beast and let it howl! Make sure you go to a mixed event so you can dine on the feeble Porsch.
Track the beast and let it howl! Make sure you go to a mixed event so you can dine on the feeble Porsch.
Toronto to Mosport
I am in Mississauga. How about you guys? Let's set up a Group little road trip there!! :1:
Yes! I am in! I am not the member yet, but I will be joining soon!! Let's go together and check out/join the driver training!! Of Course a "Cruise" there together!!I'm up for a drive on june 7th to Mosport to check it out.
Perhaps we should start we should start a new thread mentioning something about this little road trip? I could be kinda fun
I am in Mississauga. How about you guys? Let's set up a Group little road trip there!! :1:
1 - 20 of 20 Posts
