BMW M Track Day Experience (at COTA) Questions

[stealth.pilot]

Originally Posted by richard in NC

Good news is we'd just get an over temp warning and a default to D1 mode and 7th gear. After about 10 secs we could get manual shifting again. Happened to both the M5 and M6GC.
PS: I felt the M6GC handled better with quicker reactions in the S's. the CCB brakes are definitely a benefit in track. Your call to justify the cost.

The turn in was slightly better but Bierman said they had updated the bushings on the steering for the M6GC. He also said they did the same with the LCI M5.

[Rob///M5]

Limp mode nearly every lap in both cars

BMW better figure that out before they release the turbo M3/M4, cause limp mode in a track car is gonna cause a revolt

[richard in NC]

I noted the temp gauge didn't look like it was over heating. I wonder if it was just the DCT? It often happened on the back straight after winding out several gears.
Or other places if holding a low gear a long time?

[stealth.pilot]

Originally Posted by richard in NC

I noted the temp gauge didn't look like it was over heating. I wonder if it was just the DCT? It often happened on the back straight after winding out several gears.
Or other places if holding a low gear a long time?

That's an interesting hypothesis.

The BMW guys were very pleased with the engine cooling on the car so probably something else as you say.

[stealth.pilot]

I left my Sony RX100 camera somewhere in Austin. If someone sees it please let me know.

[Bokke]

Originally Posted by Rob///M5

Limp mode nearly every lap in both cars

BMW better figure that out before they release the turbo M3/M4, cause limp mode in a track car is gonna cause a revolt

Agreed!

Let's see if the E90 M3 has issues this weekend, it's going to be warmer than Wednesday!

[Rob///M5]

Originally Posted by richard in NC

I noted the temp gauge didn't look like it was over heating. I wonder if it was just the DCT? It often happened on the back straight after winding out several gears.
Or other places if holding a low gear a long time?

Yep. The instructors also seemed confused by this. The back straight is where the most cooling air should be.

I've had my F10 M5 out on track in 95 degree heat (track was even hotter) for multiple 25 minute hard sessions without a single limp mode issue. Only difference I can come up with was that at Chuckwalla I was maxing out at 105-110 MPH vs 140-150 at COTA.

Is it possible that airflow could play a factor? We were following the lead car pretty closely, where in my other track experiences there was nobody in front of the M5 on straights

[chong0]

Originally Posted by Rob///M5

Yep. The instructors also seemed confused by this. The back straight is where the most cooling air should be.

I've had my F10 M5 out on track in 95 degree heat (track was even hotter) for multiple 25 minute hard sessions without a single limp mode issue. Only difference I can come up with was that at Chuckwalla I was maxing out at 105-110 MPH vs 140-150 at COTA.

Is it possible that airflow could play a factor? We were following the lead car pretty closely, where in my other track experiences there was nobody in front of the M5 on straights

running 150 repeatedly in the m5 was not a problem at watkins glen doing 5- 30 minute sessions a day for 2 days. if it was airflow wouldnt you see the temp gauge climb?

[M54ccibo]

I am willing to bet that as Rob said, the reason we were getting overheat warnings (these were just warnings) was due to the interrupted airflow at high speed. As he said, we were all following fairly closely together. When we backed off a bit, no warnings. At one point I was still going well over 120 and it did not throw the warning, but well back from the car in front.

My guess is that there is some pretty sophisticated stuff going on with airflow, ambient temperature, coolant temperature, oil temperature, max velocity, etc., and the car is just "protecting" itself. After listening to Albert about some of the engineering that is in this car I would not doubt this.

[wrsbmw]

Well after the long argument with Boss330 concerning heat, I guess I feel a bit vindicated here. It was pretty hot the last few days here (but nothing out of the ordinary for June) and I don't think you guys are aware of how hot roads get here in Texas. I have been on the North Dallas Tollway in the afternoon when it was 95 outside but the roadway air temp was 120. The car measures the temp closer to the pavement and my 535i registered 120 last summer at 5pm in the afternoon on the tollway when I know it was about 98 outside. Once I got off the tollway the temperature dropped back to about 102 on the car thermometer.

That track is out there in the middle of nowhere with no trees and no vegetation to speak of. It gets damn hot here in Texas under those conditions and the ground is much hotter than the air in most cases. So I am not surprised the cars couldn't slough the heat, they were engineered for European heating conditions, not Texas. We know what hot is around here, Europeans don't. So let me just say I am not surprised at the heat being a problem for the cars.

Watkins Glen is in upstate NY I believe and the same thing applies there as in Europe.

Back in the summer of 1980 and again in 2011, I saw bank parking lot temperature signs reading above 120F. I remember the one in Kingsland that read 125 in 1980. You could see the heat waves shimmering on the asphalt.

I checked the temp for yesterday and the high was 95 which means it was well over 100 on the track.

[VintageFerrari]

Originally Posted by Rob///M5

Is it possible that airflow could play a factor? We were following the lead car pretty closely, where in my other track experiences there was nobody in front of the M5 on straights

Bingo -- that's the most likely reason! I'm a fellow San Diegan and was also there on Thursday -- would've enjoyed meeting you.

[Rob///M5]

Originally Posted by VintageFerrari

Bingo -- that's the most likely reason! I'm a fellow San Diegan and was also there on Thursday -- would've enjoyed meeting you.

Right on! Come join the SoCal M5 crew for a Palomar drive sometime.

[stealth.pilot]

Originally Posted by richard in NC

I noted the temp gauge didn't look like it was over heating. I wonder if it was just the DCT? It often happened on the back straight after winding out several gears.
Or other places if holding a low gear a long time?

Richard - do you remember the last time you saw me with my still camera (the sony compact with the leather case)? I realized I lost it just before my flight, and neither the airport, the hotel nor BMW can find it.

[richard in NC]

Originally Posted by stealth.pilot

Richard - do you remember the last time you saw me with my still camera (the sony compact with the leather case)? I realized I lost it just before my flight, and neither the airport, the hotel nor BMW can find it.

Unfortunately not. I do recall seeing you have it sometime in the afternoon but no specifics.

[mcvaughan]

Did anyone get any GoPro vids?

[Jason]

Originally Posted by M54ccibo

I am willing to bet that as Rob said, the reason we were getting overheat warnings (these were just warnings) was due to the interrupted airflow at high speed. As he said, we were all following fairly closely together. When we backed off a bit, no warnings. At one point I was still going well over 120 and it did not throw the warning, but well back from the car in front.

My guess is that there is some pretty sophisticated stuff going on with airflow, ambient temperature, coolant temperature, oil temperature, max velocity, etc., and the car is just "protecting" itself. After listening to Albert about some of the engineering that is in this car I would not doubt this.

Sounds possible. At the press drive days, I personally didn't experience any limp modes, and didn't hear of anyone experiencing it in their cars. There were few cars out on the track at any given time and everyone basically had plenty of track (and airflow) to themselves.

Conditions were 93+ degrees.

[Jason]

Here's some B-roll clips from the press days:

[boots]

Rob m5 sent me a message that he was in Austin. Would have been great to meet all you guys. I only had a tiny bit of info on this and didn't know how to get more as I wanted to go, but got called out to work in Louisanna and am still here 10 days later.....Prob will be finished up here on wed night hopefully.

[richard in NC]

Originally Posted by mcvaughan

Did anyone get any GoPro vids?

I am working on a couple of videos, one from my M6GC session and one from the hot lap. Both are hand held but OK quality.

[mcvaughan]

Thx Jason.