Oulton Park Track Day - M3 lots of pics

[ben_p]

Had a great day today!

M3 was awesome in the dry and scary in the wet, its such a rocket ship! Brakes were mega too, thumbs up for the yellow stuff pads!!

Quite a few crashes, GT3 hit the wall as did a TVR! Druids claimed about 4 other cars too! Someone even managed to bin it on the slow touring laps lol!

Pics (you can see Dave off cs in his type R too)

 

[Mr Burns]

Good stuff mate, I was there at the Renaultsport trackday the other week. Great track, dangerous when it's slippery!

Good selection of pics there mate

 

[Ad]

Great day and a pretty good track. M3 was scary in the wet but super rewarding in the dry.

Some cracking machinary on display!

 

[mini-valver]

Druids is a nightmare when its wet! Down a gear, swap ends. Lift, swap ends, lol. Have to be so careful!

 

[Ad]

Druids is a nightmare when its wet! Down a gear, swap ends. Lift, swap ends, lol. Have to be so careful!

LOL pretty much sums it up!! couple of four wheel slide moments on entry and exit!

 

[mini-valver]

Entry feels sedate, always have that smug feeling thinking "Ahhhh, have that you fucker, not got a flap on this time" as soon as you hit the first apex its turns to "ahhhh FFS" lol

 

[Ian_182]

Great pics.How quick was the saphire cossie out of intrest???

 

[Ad]

Great pics.How quick was the saphire cossie out of intrest???

annoyingly quick and the guy had great car control.

 

[ForceIndia]

Another gt3 crash? There was a massive one on Tuesday, brakes failed going into cascades.

 

[Ad]

Another gt3 crash? There was a massive one on Tuesday, brakes failed going into cascades.

Yep, was a german one in white. Lost the backend in the damp coming over the crest on the start finish straight. Grazed the NS down the barrier.

 

[chris_p]

I'm thinking about chopping in the tt for an m3 in the summer, is it fun?

The tt is remapped so it's fairly quick, but dull!

The bmw is a heavy car too, so is it fun?! And I dont mean going sideways as that isn't really viable on uk roads!

Good photos and lovely car mate, that ctr looks glued to your rear bumper? I assume you dusted him?

 

[Ian_182]

I drove my mates silver 52 plate M3 and it was great to drive.

 

[ForceIndia]

A standard m3 feels barely different to a 330ci when driving normally, but becomes fantastic when you push it.

 

[Christopher]

Great pics. Are the the BMW/Brembo upgrades?

 

[Hazza]

That blue DC2 looks yummy!

Some good shots there, but shame some of them the leave in the foglight spoils it!

 

[marinemackay2003]

nice photos seems quite busy for the time of year

 

[dutty_112]

When did you get this gayboy! Halo carpark?

 

[cat171]

Good stuff. I still like the E46 M3's yours looks very nice Ben.

- I was going to ask about the Cossie too lol !

 

[ben_p]

I'm thinking about chopping in the tt for an m3 in the summer, is it fun?

The tt is remapped so it's fairly quick, but dull!

The bmw is a heavy car too, so is it fun?! And I dont mean going sideways as that isn't really viable on uk roads!

Good photos and lovely car mate, that ctr looks glued to your rear bumper? I assume you dusted him?

Its proberly about the same weight as your TT tbh m3 is 1500kg iirc, it will be much quicker and the fun of RWD.

Maintainace and insurance will be pretty much double though, last service in mine was 2k.

CTR was my mates car, In the morning he was much quicker due to y shiting myself on every cornor when it went sideways!

Dry the m3 was quicker

 

[ben_p]

Awesome day, both cars drove really well...!

 

[mas]

yes, a very good day indeedy!

 

[ForceIndia]

Rather be slow in the m3 than fast in the Civic tbh! They do look a hand-full in the wet, but fun.

 

[Ad]

yes, a very good day indeedy!

your backward!

 

[Ad]

Rather be slow in the m3 than fast in the Civic tbh! They do look a hand-full in the wet, but fun.

the civic was sensational around the track warren. I know its not what you want to hear, but as a standard car it was immense.

 

[mas]

your backward!

Witty!

 

[ForceIndia]

the civic was sensational around the track warren. I know its not what you want to hear, but as a standard car it was immense.

I'm not a fan, never will be. Don't like vtec, don't like ps3 steering. I've never had an issue with a CTR on track in my shed.

 

[Ad]

Witty!

I try

 

[Ad]

I'm not a fan, never will be. Don't like vtec, don't like ps3 steering. I've never had an issue with a CTR on track in my shed.

The facts are thee sweet fa in outright pace between the pair.

Just CTR is better built by some way, more practical and a better everyday car.

 

[ForceIndia]

The facts are thee sweet fa in outright pace between the pair.

Just CTR is better built by some way, more practical and a better everyday car.

I'm 29, not 49. I'd rather have a fun car to do my 25k miles a year in, than one that bored me senseless. :rasp:

 

[Jonny1*2]

very nice ben. glad you had a crash free day yourself. How bad were the crashes? right offs?

 

[ben_p]

Porka was easy 5k of damage (not that bad just the carbon fibre bits looked expensive)

The TVR looked worse than it was as its fibreglass!

Other cars were cheap toys by the looks of it, just a few dints and bent wishbones!

 

[Ad]

I'm 29, not 49. I'd rather have a fun car to do my 25k miles a year in, than one that bored me senseless. :rasp:

LOL I wish I had a fun car do to most of my 35k a year. But unfortunately the company bus has to do most them:dapprove:

 

[mas]

The CTR is sensational, performed amazing on track...as a standard car, RS vs Type R - The Type R would edge it IMO

Much more driver focussed, plus it was the Anniversary - Recaros make it feel oh so much better!

 

[ForceIndia]

The CTR is sensational, performed amazing on track...as a standard car, RS vs Type R - The Type R would edge it IMO

Much more driver focussed, plus it was the Anniversary - Recaros make it feel oh so much better!

See, that's the kind of nonsense that gets people backs up. How exactly is it more driver focussed? Is it the numb steering, or the numb chassis that entertains the keen driver?

Believe it or not, there is a reason that the CTR was freq and often below cars like the MCS, RS in group tests.

Standard for standard, there's nothing in it pace wise (but the Clio is slightly quicker when wet, the softer set-up helps). But the Clio is more fun. The Civic is better built, sounds better and has the better drivetrain (by far!!).

 

[mas]

The seating position in a Clio is well... horrific. The seats are not supportive and you are 40ft in the air.

As you stated the Drivetrain is better, the whole setup is. The Gearbox is slick and gear stick is in a much better position.

I dont understand this 'Numb' steering issue people have, I felt in control at all times, had good feedback through the wheel and the turn in was great.

So really, the only arguement an RS owner can state is.... 'well, mines more fun... so nerr!'

 

[chris_p]

Its proberly about the same weight as your TT tbh m3 is 1500kg iirc, it will be much quicker and the fun of RWD.

Maintainace and insurance will be pretty much double though, last service in mine was 2k.

CTR was my mates car, In the morning he was much quicker due to y s**ting myself on every cornor when it went sideways!

Dry the m3 was quicker

May have to give one a test drive. On the straights, in the dry, is there much of a difference between the ctr/m3? In theory there should be...

 

[ForceIndia]

The seating position in a Clio is well... horrific. The seats are not supportive and you are 40ft in the air.

As you stated the Drivetrain is better, the whole setup is. The Gearbox is slick and gear stick is in a much better position.

I dont understand this 'Numb' steering issue people have, I felt in control at all times, had good feedback through the wheel and the turn in was great.

So really, the only arguement an RS owner can state is.... 'well, mines more fun... so nerr!'

Driving the civic is like driving the 172. With oven gloves on. From the back seat.

Given that every test of the civic mentioned the steering issue, possibly the issue is you?

 

[ben_p]

May have to give one a test drive. On the straights, in the dry, is there much of a difference between the ctr/m3? In theory there should be...

Yeah, The M3 is uber quick, at oulton there wasnt much getting past on the strights bar a touring car and a 650hp evo.

0-60 in 4.5 seconds
0-100 in 11 seconds
Max speed 185mph

The ctr is about 6.5 to 60 and 0-100 is 16iirc

 

[ForceIndia]

M3's in a different league to any hot hatch. There was a csl at an airfield I did with w3eeb, guy was sideways (but controlled) on every corner. Stunning.

 

[mas]

So, given the fact the CTR is better in so many other ways stated, yet it apparently doesn't have much feel to the steering...

The clio remains a better car?