[jbass524]

Originally Posted by SoDiezl350

Wait you're comparing your times at Thunderhill with times at Sears? Since you have experience with both cars you may be in a position to provide a qualitative assessment, but I wouldn't rely on comparing 2 different cars on 2 different tracks based on an expected lap time difference.
http://www.trackhq.com/forums/f99/to...ap-times-2421/

http://www.trackhq.com/forums/f93/to...ap-times-2417/

I was. Probably not great for those who haven't driven them a ton. I retract that.

You're making things far more complicated than they need to be although I should have painted a better, more equivalent picture though.

You don't take into account the M3's condition and you didn't factor in the weight of my passenger in it. And why is the 20th fastest time compared to the fastest even a measuring stick - very different tracks and different lengths. I'm glad you said "Maybe..." It does however underscore why I should have initially written what follows. The car discussed below was my E36 M3 but it's been so long since it was like this (stockish) my memory failed me and I was obviously not thinking straight. Apologies:

The E36 M3 is a faster car on track - at least at Thunderhill - given the same car condition and equipment and when I'm driving. I've driven many E36 M3's at Thunderhill and my times range from 2:01 - 2:09. The 2:09 car was a stock E36 M3 in very good condition with stock suspension and Nitto NT01's so that's pretty equivalent to the KW V3's and Hoosier R6's on the F30. All in all, 5 seconds isn't much and on a different day it could have been a little less.

My qualitative assessment is that the E36 M3 is far better out of the box. They're very different cars and it's an M3 and that really does stand for something: light, linear, connected. With mods the F30 could/would be a great track car. It's lightish, love the motor and it's a BMW.

BTW, I would love to drive an F30 328 that is more heavily prepped than mine was.