When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
The GT350 guy was target fixated, if you look at the braking zone a lap before he is hitting the brakes around the 2 marker. In the crash lap hes hitting it at the 1, definitely not enough space to slow down.
Thats crazy that the GT350 guy decided to share that video. If both cars are totaled is the GT350 paying for it? Or his insurance?
The GT350 guy was target fixated, if you look at the braking zone a lap before he is hitting the brakes around the 2 marker. In the crash lap hes hitting it at the 1, definitely not enough space to slow down.
Thats crazy that the GT350 guy decided to share that video. If both cars are totaled is the GT350 paying for it? Or his insurance?
I had the same reaction when I watched that video.
The GT350 driver had the slower car and was trying to catch/keep up with the Porsche by braking later and later.
I've driven VIR and he was really really pushing it.
I do not know for sure but my guess is "no track insurance, no luck" and guess a legal action based on him being at fault is a no go.
My guess is on track you're on your own for damages even if some jackass hits you.
I had the same reaction when I watched that video.
The GT350 driver had the slower car and was trying to catch/keep up with the Porsche by braking later and later.
I've driven VIR and he was really really pushing it.
I do not know for sure but my guess is "no track insurance, no luck" and guess a legal action based on him being at fault is a no go.
My guess is on track you're on your own for damages even if some jackass hits you.
Agreed 100%. The cars are almost equal in power, but the weight of the GT3 and the DCT put it on another level. This reminds me to pay for track insurance because you never know.
Agreed 100%. The cars are almost equal in power, but the weight of the GT3 and the DCT put it on another level. This reminds me to pay for track insurance because you never know.
Plus there's nothing like a rear engined car putting power down out of a corner. Few of the corners, you can really see that.
If you're a track newbie I recommend just taking the car stock to the track and see how fun it is right out of the box. It's the reason you spent so much money on the car. Enjoy.
I agree. Stock brakes and tires are more than adequate for starters. I've been doing about 5 track days a year for the past three years using stock brakes (thank god for fcpeuro.com) and tires and they are doing their job just fine. Remember to get DOT4 brake fluid though.
This reminds me to pay for track insurance because you never know.
Be sure to carefully read the insurance agreement before purchasing. When I investigated track insurance, I found that they cover virtually nothing of real value. The one's available to me certainly would not cover the cost of a vehicle in a crash. Mostly they covered minor body damage, no running-gear damage and no interior stuff (so, no airbags). Essentially, for their cost, they were useless (assuming you can afford a few thousand for some body damage if you tag a wall, or something (and if you can't, I'd say that you shouldn't be doing track days). YMMV ... especially on the track!
$;-))
So just had a day up at Autobahn Country Club, with 2x 1.5 mile tracks, with go Kart course. Very impressive, more of a country club with professional course and racing leagues. I did a leisurely lunch time session (about 10 laps following a pace car at 50-60 mph throughout), and you can use any of their vehicles (I used my own, but another member used the club M8, and also can use M3, RCF, RS5, etc, pic below).
Afterwards I did an open session of following an instructor at speed, and basically ran about 10 laps really pushing the car. Instructor was in a 2020 RC F Track Edition, with a couple other cars on the track (C7 Z06, 911 Carrera). I was working hard on keeping up, and I certainly pushed the car much harder than I would have felt comfortable if by myself - chasing the instructor allowed me to go much faster than if by myself.
It was about 75 degrees out and dry. I used Race mode for 8 laps, and I have performance seats. I left the traction control as is (I think it is at 5 at baseline). In my novice hands, I will say that the C63S is very forgiving, and I was able to muscle throught turns when I might not have hit the right spots. The brakes started to get soft after a few hard laps, and if I really hit the brakes and came within half a car length of the instructor, the seat belt tightened up and held me hard into the seat until I was out of the turn. I did not push it hard enough to lose traction except at one last turn that led to long straight, and the traction control would kick in while I hitting the gas hard. By the 8th lap, the temps reached 220-224 C and it seemed like the boost gauge was not showing boost when I was coming out the last turn and flooring the gas - I was still gaining power, no error, but felt like power was cutting out a little. With that being said, I could not immedeiately feel is this was a glitch of the screen or if the engine was in limp. I then ran it in Comfort mode with suspension at S+ and engine temps dropped to 210-216 quickly.
Overall, fun car on track, feels heavy, and would love to run a couple more time as is before upgrading tires, brake pads, and cooling. I have new intake and DP waiting in garage.
Awesome, sounds like you had a great time. I lived in Chicago for over a decade but Autobahn CC wasn't around when I was there. The Midwest is great if you're into tracking with so many racetracks within few hours of driving.
If you're interested in tracking on a regular basis, I would recommend joining the BMW CCA. You don't need to own a Bimmer. You take your own car to the track, any car as long as it passes a safety inspection. Especially in the Midwest, there are so many chapters of the club that put on a few track events per year. For example, the Windy City chapter and the Badger chapter will both go to Road America for a weekend a year. You can tag along with the Ohio chapter and do Mid-Ohio. These are world-class tracks. The track events are also very safe, and you always ride with an instructor that'll walk you through every racing line and every corner. Also these local chapters will do weekends at Gingerman, Grattan, and other local small tracks. Now I live in San Diego and can't access many tracks without a long haul. I really miss the Midwest, just not the weather.
Last edited by L8apexer; Jun 30, 2020 at 11:38 AM.
Great idea L8apexer. Did not do any track events with BMW CCA when I had the BMW, but reasonable to start now.
The one thing I forgot to mention was when I wore the club helmet, it kept hitting the headliner so that either I have my head ****-eyed or reine my seat. I am 6 ft, performance seats all the way down, and typically sit close to the steering wheel, but just do not fit with the helmet.
Are there lower profile helmets, and any tricks to lowering the seat further?
[QUOTE=Spazdoc;8103370]Great idea L8apexer. Did not do any track events with BMW CCA when I had the BMW, but reasonable to start now.
The one thing I forgot to mention was when I wore the club helmet, it kept hitting the headliner so that either I have my head ****-eyed or reine my seat. I am 6 ft, performance seats all the way down, and typically sit close to the steering wheel, but just do not fit with the helmet.
Are there lower profile helmets, and any tricks to lowering the seat further?[/QUOTE
i don’t know bIt I’m 6’0 and have not problem. Performance seats as well.
Agreed 100%. The cars are almost equal in power, but the weight of the GT3 and the DCT put it on another level. This reminds me to pay for track insurance because you never know.
I was thinking my wagon isn't the track car of choice and I certainly didn't buy it for that. But watching the medical car do laps around the red bull ring in the rain, it did look awesome!
Great idea L8apexer. Did not do any track events with BMW CCA when I had the BMW, but reasonable to start now.
The one thing I forgot to mention was when I wore the club helmet, it kept hitting the headliner so that either I have my head ****-eyed or reine my seat. I am 6 ft, performance seats all the way down, and typically sit close to the steering wheel, but just do not fit with the helmet.
Are there lower profile helmets, and any tricks to lowering the seat further?
I wear a Bell GT5 helmet, but honestly the best helmet is the one that fits you most comfortably. There are not going to be much difference from one to the other in terms of getting more headroom. Get yourself to an auto/motorcycle-special helmet shop and try some on sitting in your car. Only way to know. In general those generic loaner helmets are cheaper, heavier, and may contribute to the added height given the use of bulkier material. Who knows?
Funny, I'm 6 feet, have performance seats, and I have a bit of headroom with the seats all the way down with helmet on. I do not have the panorama roof, just the sunroof.
Curious how many of you actually track your C63? I have a 2019 C63s and have put ~9k miles on the car since I scooped from the dealer in Feb'19. My car has the performance exhaust and the h-pipe has already been replaced due a bad valve that rattled.
I tuned the car in May with Velos' handheld tuner. Next I ordered a set of Mike's Custom Downpipes. Once received, I sent off to Jet Hot for high-temp ceramic coating. A local shop installed the downpipes in July, just in time for a weekend with Chin Track Days on VIR's 3.3 mile full course. I should also mention that I replaced the front and rear brake pads with Raybestos ST-47 race pads paired with Motul 660 brake fluid. The brakes performed flawlessly.
The Chin format provided six 30-minute sessions on Saturday and six 30-minute sessions on Sunday. While I've been on tracks before, this was my first Chin event. Very pleased with how well organized the event was. I also graduated to run solo in the green group on Sunday or with an instructor in the intermediate (blue) group.
A few observations:
1. The car is fast. I was consistently hitting 150mph down the back straight and lapping 2:13's. Other than a supercharged S55, I was the fastest car in the green group. More importantly, I was faster than my buddy in his new M3 CS.
2. Michelin PSS's are only so good. I'll need new tires soon, and if I continue doing track days, Hoosiers and race rims are the way to go. That being said, I'll probably put Michelin Cup 2's on for the Chin event in October at VIR.
3. Stock suspension is okay.
4. Velos tune is great and so is their customer service.
5. The car is heavy.
6. Downpipes get extremely hot. Over the weekend my car was throwing O2 sensor related codes but otherwise running fine. I'd assumed at first the codes were tune-related, but only later did we find that part of the wiring harness that runs alongside the drivers side downpipe had melted and fused multiple wires, thus the codes. This happened in a couple of areas, and it was only when the tech removed the factor heat wrap that we discovered the extent of the damage (which wasn't much, just more than one area). We think we've uncovered most of it, but I just started getting a P0150 code again. The car runs fine and no misfires.
I may need to pull the downpipes off and install some heat wrap. I talked to the shop about adding some custom venting to floor of the car to allow more air to get to downpipes to cool the car. We'll see. July was HOT. Curious whether any of you have experience similar issues with downpipes. I suspect most people with downpipes don't track their car, rather installing DP's for noise instead, which candidly is why I did it!
Sorry for resurrecting an old thread!
I am close to acquiring a 2019 AMG C63S. I have tracked 5 Z06's and a Viper GTS in the advanced group. I have 2 or 3 track days remaining (I only run 4-20 min sessions out of the 6 available) and was considering tracking the C63S (if I get it) to use up the track days.
I am wondering if the stock brakes and tires would hold up or not? I would flush with high temp brake fluid. I'd rather not buy track pads for 2 or 3 track days, but I also don't want to destroy the stock pads. The track is about 1.5 miles long with 2 harder brake zones...1=150-75 and the other one is 130-60 (in the Z06 anyway ). Would the car in stock form sans the brake fluid survive?
Are there any known issues with the car that I should be aware of? Any input of advice on owning one would be appreciated!
I will say that in my search I've discovered that several of these cars had many tires replaced early on in their ownership and some more than once. What is the deal with that? Tires needing replacement after 5,000 miles? Tracked often perhaps?
I will say that in my search I've discovered that several of these cars had many tires replaced early on in their ownership and some more than once. What is the deal with that? Tires needing replacement after 5,000 miles? Tracked often perhaps?
REALITY E63S (or any model AMG) “PERFORMANCE MODELS” - BUT YES IS HARD TO BELIEVE….
THERE IS NO FRONT “CAMBER OR CASTER” AND NO REAR “CAMBER” ADJUSTMENT OEM !
YET ESSENTIAL. TO ALLOW TO ADJUST TIRE CONTACT ANGLES - SPREAD LOAD MORE EVENLY
NOW THE ONUS IS “BACK ON OWNERS” - TO FUND COSTLY PREMATURE TIRE REPLACEMENT !
THE OFTEN QUOTED REASSURING “WILL CARRY OUT A FULL FRONT & REAR ‘4’ WHEEL ALIGNMENT - Is now only adjusting basic Toe (Directional adjustment).
NEW CAR INDUSTRY'S BEST KEPT SECRET. BROUGHT ABOUT THROUGH THE EVER INCREASING SPEED OF NEW CAR ASSEMBLY LINES. “STOPPING” - TO ADJUST SETTINGS IS NO LONGER AN OPTION.
NOW CAMBER (AND CASTER) IS ONE ONLY SETTING - TO SUIT SHOWROOM HEIGHT CONDITIONS. No adjustment to change tire contact angles to cater for high cambered roads with excess passenger side edge wear, Fitting wide profile tires, altered height, extra passenger loads or having “ongoing adjustment” for curb knock damage.
WHILE FOR PERFORMANCE / TRACK DAYS IT IS INCREDULOUS NOT BEING ABLE TO “DIAL IN EXTRA NEGATIVE CAMBER” - TO SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE UNDERSTEER. In the pursuit of hitting those corner apexes every time. Plus allowing to go “deeper into the corners” with increased traction and braking response. With the aim of “FRONT ROW OF THE GRID LAP TIMES”.
At K-MAC we have therefore designed “BOLT-ON” Front and Rear kits - where no special tools required to fit or time consuming need for control arm removal !
While the unique K-MAC patented design adjustment system - allows precise easily accessible “single” wrench adjustment. Ultimate - direct on alignment rack UNDER LOAD.
Front Forward facing thrust arm bushes are also Mono ball / Self aligning - Replacing the large diameter soft rubber OEM bushes. Still allowing arms to travel through their required suspension arcs. YET SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVING BRAKE AND STEERING RESPONSE.
The above Front and Rear adjuster kits are all part of a “TOTAL SYSTEM”
INCLUDING - Uprated bushes for the 6 rear multi link arms (less rear end twist, flex, loss of traction - especially when applying power to lane change / overtake.
Uprated rear Toe arms - to prevent flex / Toe change when cornering, Front and Rear upper control arm adjustment kits as well (for Competition - extra adjustment).
SEE SPOILER RE FRONT & REAR “K-MAC TOTAL SYSTEM”
Spoiler
FRONT SUSPENSION (C63/S - SEDANS, WAGONS, COUPES)
Front Camber (ONLY) P/N 503316-1i $345 (Both Sides) Up to 2 degrees extra Pos. or Neg.
(Less cost then 1 Performance tire).
Front Camber (& Caster) - P/N 503316M $595 (Both Sides) Also “replacing / uprating” the 4 major front suspension bushings.
Front Upper Arm Camber & Caster Bushings P/N 503316-2i $380 (Retain existing OEM Hi-Strength forged alloy arms) recommended for Competition / extra adjustment.
REAR SUSPENSION
Camber (& Extra Toe to compensate) Lower arm inner bushings.
C63/S COUPE MODELS
P/N 502326-1K Serious adjustment up to 4 degrees extra Pos. or Neg. Unlike Sedan, Wagon - On Coupe models - these lower arm inner bushes can purchase OEM shim kits but inaccurate and only provide up to 1 degree Camber change. K-MAC are precisely adjustable and as above up to 4 degrees Camber change. Also these uprate / replace the OEM soft rubber inner bushes.
SEDAN, WAGON
P/N 502226K $480 Similar to above. Up to 3 degrees Camber change.
Uprated bushings for the ‘6’ multi link arms #502528K $480
Coupe #502628-1F $220
(Coupe Bushings for 2 arms - other OEM are uprated).
SEDAN, WAGON
Uprated Rear Toe arms to prevent flex P/N 502326-3J $380
(used in conjunction with above 502326-1K kit) NOTE: Not required Coupe models as OEM are uprated.
Upper adjustable Camber arms
Coupe #502326-4L $545
Sedan, Wagon #502226-2L $545
NOTE: Above upper rear Camber arms difficult to fit / adjust - only recommend if wanting extra Neg. Camber for top of tire to outer fender clearance.
DHL Express Air Worldwide $40 one kit ($20 each extra).
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Slideshow: A one-of-one U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster became even rarer after a factory-backed transformation at McLaren's headquarters.
). Would the car in stock form sans the brake fluid survive?
