[Neubauten]

Still need a couple of posts to catch up on the rest of the year, so let's go ahead...

So after the nice cleaning session, last June I went to try the car in Ebisu Circuit for the "famous" Grip Matsuri : 2 days of open pit track action in a very nice circuit hidden in the mountains!







The new setup with those tires, the proper geometry and those brake pads is just awesome. The car is super sharp, brakes very well... You can toss it in the corners while on the brakes, it will gently pivot and then you just floor it to unleash the 286hp and it will jump out of the corner in anger! Love it!

So I managed to run 4 sec less than my last time in Ebisu, and I can finally be (much) faster than our 318is race car, which feels nice, as the M3 is still a very tame road car

Then in fact I did not touch the car for the whole summer as I had to travel a lot for work, then for holidays, then for work again...
I took the opportunity of a trip in Germany to drop at the Nürburgring, and allow myself a couple of laps in a rental car : E36 of course:







(sorry, big pics again)

And a video, with the instructor

First Experience on the Nürbürgring with Ringfreaks BMW 325i E36 - YouTube

This circuit is amazing, I really wish I could go more often!

Then I also went to the Goodwood Revival, but I am not sure that will interest many people here. Anyway one of the best experience in my life:


More to come on the M3 soon...

[M3AN]

Oh, I'm sure Goodwood would interest most people here.

Great video, thanks for sharing, reminded me of my fun times at the 'ring. Your instructor was very good actually, much better than the one I had!

Was that a McLaren on the back of the truck?

[Neubauten]

Originally Posted by M3AN

Oh, I'm sure Goodwood would interest most people here.

Great video, thanks for sharing, reminded me of my fun times at the 'ring. Your instructor was very good actually, much better than the one I had!

Was that a McLaren on the back of the truck?

Thanks! Well Goodwood is as awesome as it seems, really... I want to go again
That would deserve a specific post, so just a few pictures:










My Nürburgring instructor was very nice actually!
This circuit is quite overwhelming when you go on it for the first time, I never experienced that before, so I really believe seeking for some help like this at the beginning is good.

It was indeed a McLaren on the back of the truck, on my first lap it was planted in a rail when I passed it... Poor thing.

[M_Parallel]

Ah you went to the Nordschleife. Amazing isn’t it? I wish I could re-experience my first time there. It was everything in between crazy and utterly amazing.

Revisit it every year ever since.

[Neubauten]

Originally Posted by M_Parallel

Ah you went to the Nordschleife. Amazing isn’t it? I wish I could re-experience my first time there. It was everything in between crazy and utterly amazing.

Revisit it every year ever since.

The Nordschleife is beyond amazing, I really want to go again, although I believe going fast on this circuit does look a bit like Russian roulette...

Speaking of legendary circuits, I finally managed to have a track day with the M3 in Fuji Speedway last year and this was a wonderful experience too.
I know the circuit already since I did some track days there with our 318is race car but it was the first time I could really go around it with some power, and the first time I could unleash really all the M3's horses... And feel like I need more
This circuit is really great as it is super wide with safe zones everywhere and the quality of the tarmac is perfect. It is really nice to be able to drive on a real FIA-standard track. Night was falling down so it was even more memorable!

Fuji Speedway - BMW M3 E36 - 29th November 2018 - YouTube

Before that the M3 was on duty again in Ebisu for the Autumn Matsuri

You Tube

You Tube

I found the proper pace now, where I have a lot of fun, without taking high risks, and I could drive like this forever...
The Endless race pads with OEM floating rotors are working perfectly and provide a very good stamina, and AD08R tyres are wonderful. So everything is great and I don't intent to change anything now on the car.
The driver still needs a lot of improvement though



And after a hard day of driving, time to enjoy a typical Japanese evening



Next day we also trained with our 318is race car



And back in the M3 for the afternoon.





Actually my left front tyre was starting to wear badly and that showed particularly in Fuji later, I need to improve the way I enter in corners to avoid understeer.

Anyway, what is wonderful with the M3 is that after 2 days of hard driving on the track you can go back on the road and drive the 400km back home easily, enjoying a very tame car, listening to your favourite track on the audio system... Got to love this versatility.

However you can notice in the video of the Fuji track day that the illumination of my shift knob did not work. Actually it was pretty worn and previous owner fiddled with the electricity and connectors were missing on both end of the wiring (in the knob and in the car).



So I bought a brand new knob, but since I had no connector on the car and could not find the OEM one, I cut the connector and made a new one by myself:



Aaand it works!



That was the last adventures of 2018 before switching to winter duties, coming soon

[JitteryJoe]

Awesome experience. The Ferrari 330 Berlinetta at Goodwood, well, that's a keeper.

[frbz]

I do not think that the 3.0 cars had an illuminated knob.

[Neubauten]

It was an option in France, not sure for the other EU countries and Japan, but all cars I have seen in Japan had it.

[Nate047]

Awesome updates. Love hearing about people's first times at Thew Ring too. I'll say plainly that the experience I had the first time I ever went there (to photograph the N24 in 2014) quite literally changed my life, lead to me meeting my wife, and redefined what I thought was "cool" forever. I've been back at least twice a year since, and we're gearing up for the N24 in June. You should go. That event will **** you right in the face.

[Neubauten]

Originally Posted by Nate047

Awesome updates. Love hearing about people's first times at Thew Ring too. I'll say plainly that the experience I had the first time I ever went there (to photograph the N24 in 2014) quite literally changed my life, lead to me meeting my wife, and redefined what I thought was "cool" forever. I've been back at least twice a year since, and we're gearing up for the N24 in June. You should go. That event will **** you right in the face.

Thanks!
I definitely want to go back to the Ring! I need to find the opportunity

Now catching-up on winter action...
So after all those track days, I changed again all oils (engine, gearbox and differential) and put my winter wheels.
This year I also decided to change the rubber seals on the rear windows since they were totally dry and were coming out in pieces at each cleaning.











Oh, here was the replacement for the day!



I almost killed myself a couple of times, but I have to recognize this is an amazing machine. The torque difference compared to the E90 is impressive and it pulls like hell!
I would still buy the E90/92 because I don't really like turbocharged engines and there is nothing better than reving an engine to 8000rpm...

Anyway the E36 was ready!







So this year we went skiing to Appi Kogen, in Iwate prefecture, so a good 600km drive all the way to the north of Japan.
And as a proper family car the M3 could accomodate our family of 3 with the kid seat, the skis and all the stuff, gotta love this car!

After going through a totally jammed traffic in Tokyo area, we drove halfway to stop in Sendai and the next day we went to Matsushima, one of the most famous panorama in Japan, in Miyagi prefecture.
Since we arrived early I could enjoy a deserted parking next to the local castle



The bay and the temples there are really worth the trip, especially in snowy winter...







And the seafood is amazing too!



After those nice oyster we went back on the road toward Appi.
The Tohoku in Japan is quite a deserted area and Iwate has one of the the lowest density of population in the country. You can feel it on the road where the traffic is quite clear and speed limits are higher (110Km/h). Still slow by European standard but not really enforced so you can drive pretty much how you want... Although this time weather became quickly a limiting factor



And we arrived at the station, under the blizzard but without much stress, since with the right tyres, the M3 is actually pretty good on the snow.



By the way, skiing in Appi is really great, far from the crowds you would find in Nagano or Hokkaido but with a great snow, great local food and nice people. I recommend!





A few days later, I had to work a bit to be able to drive back however



And once the car cleaned, blizzard came back so everything was to be done again...



AWD are overrated