330ci Sport - could it be used on track?
Discussion
I currently own a Golf Edition 30 (daily) and heavily track prepped Saxo Vts, but will shortly moving in with the better half & will only have space for one car ...
Having owned 2 x 328i Sports in the past, a 330ci Sport seems sensible considering the 80 mile a day commute, but my question is, with some decent suspension/brakes, would it be ok on track as well - i dont want to have to give up on this aspect of driving and buying something like a Leon Cupra R really doesnt appeal
An M3 of any sort is not an option due to budget (e46) and age (e36) ...
Some Vts pics, just to prove its not your standard chav mobile
Appreciate the responses.
Thanks
Dave
Having owned 2 x 328i Sports in the past, a 330ci Sport seems sensible considering the 80 mile a day commute, but my question is, with some decent suspension/brakes, would it be ok on track as well - i dont want to have to give up on this aspect of driving and buying something like a Leon Cupra R really doesnt appeal
An M3 of any sort is not an option due to budget (e46) and age (e36) ...Some Vts pics, just to prove its not your standard chav mobile
Appreciate the responses.
Thanks
Dave
They can be used on the track, but after your Saxo it will feel annoyingly soft and heavy. The standard brakes tend to cook pretty quickly too.
You could make it better by fitting coilovers, a big brake kit and losing some weight, but then it would be irritating as a road car...
When I had a 330, I picked up an e36 318iS for the track for £800.
You could make it better by fitting coilovers, a big brake kit and losing some weight, but then it would be irritating as a road car...
When I had a 330, I picked up an e36 318iS for the track for £800.
NickXX said:
When I had a 330, I picked up an e36 318iS for the track for £800.
Thats the problem though, its a gated property with one allocated space - we currently have three cars and i dont fancy commuting in the saxo!!! Unless i can turn her TT into a more capable track car 
Maybe back to the drawing board then
I used to have a Z3M, & whilst it was awesome, the potential 'moneypitness' of doing 35k a year in a similar engined e36 doesnt really appeal lol ... Mind you, i put 25k on my 328i Sport last year in 6 months - & that cost be nothing over 6 months as it actually appreciated in value so much!!
Perhaps, in 5 years time, everyone be stripping 330's & tracking them like they do with 328's now ... it is of course, the weight of all that leather & luxury that is the problem.
Perhaps, in 5 years time, everyone be stripping 330's & tracking them like they do with 328's now ... it is of course, the weight of all that leather & luxury that is the problem.
with better shocks and brakes it would make quite a decent track day car.
however, you need to be careful with the rear floorpan "ripping" on the non M e46s, bmw revised the rear subframe around the time the 328 became the 330 although i belive there was a transitional period where early 330s still had the old subframe.
even with the update i have hear of some ripping, mainly with upgraded motors, when the car is mainly used for track / drag
if this happens on your car the rear subframe and diff asembly parts compeny from the car itself and can litraly fall out in bad cases (however those are ones that have been left witht he fault for ages, first signs are a clunky rear end)
ive been told many bmw garages will try and charge you around £3K to fix this as the whole rear of the car has to be disasembled and a new floor pan welded in.
although you should not need to pay anything. there was a full recall on these in germany (germany only for some reason :S )and there is a service bulitin that states all cars with that problem should be repaired FOC, if the dealer gets arsy with you all you need to do is quote the bulitin number ( cant remember it off the top of my head) or phone bmw uk and ask for a copy to be faxed to the dealer.
the problem is more of an inconvenience nowadays rather than a massive cost ever since the yanks made a massive law suit out of it
however, you need to be careful with the rear floorpan "ripping" on the non M e46s, bmw revised the rear subframe around the time the 328 became the 330 although i belive there was a transitional period where early 330s still had the old subframe.
even with the update i have hear of some ripping, mainly with upgraded motors, when the car is mainly used for track / drag
if this happens on your car the rear subframe and diff asembly parts compeny from the car itself and can litraly fall out in bad cases (however those are ones that have been left witht he fault for ages, first signs are a clunky rear end)
ive been told many bmw garages will try and charge you around £3K to fix this as the whole rear of the car has to be disasembled and a new floor pan welded in.
although you should not need to pay anything. there was a full recall on these in germany (germany only for some reason :S )and there is a service bulitin that states all cars with that problem should be repaired FOC, if the dealer gets arsy with you all you need to do is quote the bulitin number ( cant remember it off the top of my head) or phone bmw uk and ask for a copy to be faxed to the dealer.
the problem is more of an inconvenience nowadays rather than a massive cost ever since the yanks made a massive law suit out of it
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