Impact of Racing on Vehicle

Lawman · 07-31-2012, 04:58 PM

Hi everybody, I just joined the forum and I'm looking forward to learning a lot. I currently drive a Benz (please don't hold it against me), but I'm considering switching to a BMW so I came here to read and learn.

One thing I noticed is that racing seems to be more popular in the BMW community than the Mercedes community. Racing is one of the reasons I'm considering switching to BMW and I was wondering what impact autocross and track racing generally has on a vehicle in terms of overall maintenance costs and life of the vehicle. I searched already on the forum but couldn't find the answer to my question.

jabela · 08-01-2012, 10:12 AM

Welcome, and no worries about not having a BMW. You can have fun in any car. Lots of people come in Corollas, Impalas, Minis, Integras, etc.
Autocross and tracking mostly just wear out your tires and brakes quicker. If you're smooth, it won't be much at all.
You will also stress your engine/drivetrain more than normal, so more frequent engine, transmission, differential oil, etc. are recommended (you should be doing this on a street only car as well, factory recommendations only care to get the car out of warranty)
You'll just want to make sure your car is in good mechanical condition.
Of course, the real cost is once you get hooked. You'll want upgraded tires, brakes, suspension, etc.

I would recommend BMW Trillium's driving schools as a good place to start.
http://trillium-bmwclub.ca/content/a...river-training
Autocross/autoslalom is also a great way to get a feel for your car at slower speeds in a safe environment.
http://www.maxbimmer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=149250

**T.Dot_E30** · 08-01-2012, 10:14 AM

^+1 Maintain your car right and you'll be amazed at how much abuse it can take.

Bullet Ride · 08-01-2012, 10:28 AM

If you maintain your vehicle properly, doing Autoslalom and lapping will not have much of an effect on the life of your vehicle. Components such as tires, brakes, fluids, bushings, tie rods, ball joints, etc. will all wear out much faster if you track your car regularly, but that's normal... you gotta pay to play

DIY · 08-01-2012, 11:18 AM

1 day of auto-x is equal to floring it on an on ramp and braking hard into the off ramp maybe 20 times total

, so drive casual on the street and the life expectancy chages less... But we all know how hard that can be

SiR · 08-01-2012, 11:28 PM

cars are pretty beefy relatively speaking.

take care of it and some lapping and auto x wont really shorten the life at all.

cormier · 08-02-2012, 10:51 AM

its worth it. if anything it just forces you to keep up more on maintance items

jabela · 08-02-2012, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cormier

its worth it. if anything it just forces you to keep up more on maintance items

+1 on this. My is in better shape too.

Lawman · 08-24-2012, 02:20 PM

Thanks for the input guys! Sorry for the delayed response, work has been kicking my ass. I feel more confident now about getting into racing

.

cormier · 08-24-2012, 03:05 PM

So u buy a Beamer yet? :p

If you're wondering about track use you should check out bimmercruise if you're free this weekend, will be autox and open lapping there

davericher20 · 08-24-2012, 09:05 PM

Don't buy a convertible, 4 cylinder, an all-wheel drive, or an automatic if you're interested in tracking your car.

craz azn · 08-28-2012, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davericher20

Don't buy a convertible, 4 cylinder, an all-wheel drive, or an automatic if you're interested in tracking your car.

Gahhh... you mean my Honda S2000, E30 M3, Subaru STI, and Nissan 370Z 7AT aren't good for tracking?!

**EMPOWERD** · 08-28-2012, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by craz azn

Gahhh... you mean my Honda S2000, E30 M3, Subaru STI, and Nissan 370Z 7AT aren't good for tracking?!

Exactly. Glad someone is catching on.

328IScreamer · 08-28-2012, 10:37 AM

going back to the original question I'll put things into perspective. I have a 2008 135i and went to Cayuga last week. I had just done a service so my "kms to next sevice" light that comes on when you start the car said 25,000. After tracking the car the light said 20,000 so I did about 5,000kms worth of wear in a few hours on the track. That obv doesn't take into accound everything such as tires and suspension etc but that gives you a general idea.
But for the record, it's totally worth it!!

davericher20 · 08-28-2012, 11:17 AM

Lmao, the OP wants to buy a bmw, so that meant any of those kinds of models made by bmw. Lets not get into why he shouldn't cause you damn well know I'm right.
The M3 is an exception.