2019 BMW M2 Competition Track Car
Discussion
Hi Mdifficult
Road miles probably account for 80% - 90%.
Although the car has been significantly modified, specifically for track use, most of the mileage has been the result of driving the car to and from track days, plus driving it to and from Litchfield Motors, Suspension Secrets and Swift Performance for the various modifications, which were carried out over a number of years, plus ongoing regular maintenance, pre-track day checks, MOT's, etc.
Road miles probably account for 80% - 90%.
Although the car has been significantly modified, specifically for track use, most of the mileage has been the result of driving the car to and from track days, plus driving it to and from Litchfield Motors, Suspension Secrets and Swift Performance for the various modifications, which were carried out over a number of years, plus ongoing regular maintenance, pre-track day checks, MOT's, etc.
Hi AmirRS
Yes and Yes.
Below are the suspension modifications carried out by Suspension Secrets in 2023
1) Rear Upper Camber Arms
2) Rear Toe Arms
3) Front Control Arm Bushes
4) Front Drop Links
5) Rear Drop Links
6) Rear Subframe Solid Bush
7) Front and Rear Anti Roll Bar Kit
Swift Performance carried out some additional suspension modifications in Sept 2025 and changed some components, as follows,
Millway rear lower inner subframe bushes, Millway eccentric outer bushes, BMW Motorsport toe arms, KMP Diff Lift Kit, Drop Links.
Over the years I have simply asked Litchfield Motors, and subsequently Swift Performance, to build me as good a track car as it can be, with the proviso that the car is still road legal and still ok to drive to and from track days. I am not that knowledgeable on the finer points (what they do and how they work) of the various suspension modifications, however, I am sure that Fraser or Russ at Swift Performance would be more than happy to answer any additional technical questions that you might have.
Hope that helps
Yes and Yes.
Below are the suspension modifications carried out by Suspension Secrets in 2023
1) Rear Upper Camber Arms
2) Rear Toe Arms
3) Front Control Arm Bushes
4) Front Drop Links
5) Rear Drop Links
6) Rear Subframe Solid Bush
7) Front and Rear Anti Roll Bar Kit
Swift Performance carried out some additional suspension modifications in Sept 2025 and changed some components, as follows,
Millway rear lower inner subframe bushes, Millway eccentric outer bushes, BMW Motorsport toe arms, KMP Diff Lift Kit, Drop Links.
Over the years I have simply asked Litchfield Motors, and subsequently Swift Performance, to build me as good a track car as it can be, with the proviso that the car is still road legal and still ok to drive to and from track days. I am not that knowledgeable on the finer points (what they do and how they work) of the various suspension modifications, however, I am sure that Fraser or Russ at Swift Performance would be more than happy to answer any additional technical questions that you might have.
Hope that helps
Hi Matt
Getting too old, and my wife has asked me to stop doing track days. She gets very worried when I do them.
The car has been built/modified as a dedicated track day car. I have only used it on the road to drive to and from tracks and to Litchfield and Swift performance for maintenance, modification work, etc. The car would still be a lot of fun on B roads but the current suspension setup is designed to get the best handling on track. However, it could easily be made to be more compliant on the road, for instance by adjusting the Nitron R3's via the remote reservoirs to a softer setting.
We have other cars for road use - two other BMW's, plus a Ferrari which we are using for European road trips now we are retired.
I have really enjoyed my track days over the last 20 years or so (I have had various other track cars - a highly modified Nissan Skyline GTR plus several Caterhams) but at my wife's request I have now agreed to not do any more track days.
I hope that helps answer your query.
Getting too old, and my wife has asked me to stop doing track days. She gets very worried when I do them.
The car has been built/modified as a dedicated track day car. I have only used it on the road to drive to and from tracks and to Litchfield and Swift performance for maintenance, modification work, etc. The car would still be a lot of fun on B roads but the current suspension setup is designed to get the best handling on track. However, it could easily be made to be more compliant on the road, for instance by adjusting the Nitron R3's via the remote reservoirs to a softer setting.
We have other cars for road use - two other BMW's, plus a Ferrari which we are using for European road trips now we are retired.
I have really enjoyed my track days over the last 20 years or so (I have had various other track cars - a highly modified Nissan Skyline GTR plus several Caterhams) but at my wife's request I have now agreed to not do any more track days.
I hope that helps answer your query.
- How many track days roughly would you do annually ?
- Which circuits was it primarily run on, and what kind of lap times/paces was it running?
- How often was the engine oil and DCT gearbox fluid changed?
- Is the Crank Bolt Capture plate the only crank hub modification, or has the hub been physically pinned/keyed into the crankshaft by Litchfield?
- With 549 BHP on tap, how often did you run the car on Stage 2 vs. Stage 1 on track?
- Have the engine rod bearings ever been inspected or replaced as part of the preventative track maintenance?
- Are all of the original parts that were removed (like the stock exhaust, stock suspension, and full interior) included in the sale, or just the seats?
Hi ctm
Answers to your questions are as follows
1. How many track days roughly would you do annually? On average 5 - 6. Never more than 7 because my insurance only covered a maximum of 7 per year.
2. Which circuits was it primarily run on, and what kind of lap times/paces was it running? Castle Combe, Thruxton, Brands Hatch, Snetterton, occasionally Silverstone and once at Donnington. I never recorded lap times. I went on track days simply to enjoy driving faster than is allowed on the roads. I was never a particularly fast driver despite having a few lessons, over the years, in an attempt to improve. I wasn't the type of person who goes mad on a track day and thrashes the car. I was always a very sympathetic driver and always wanted to look after the car. In 2019 Litchfield installed a Forge Motorsport uprated radiator, a Garrett uprated Charge Cooler and a CSF DCT Transmission Cooler - all of which was to ensure that the car could always run at the optimum temperature. As a result, the car never ran hot even on very warm track days. Also, I always tended to keep the revs well below the rev limit - the car has so much torque in the medium rev range that it always felt better to change up between 5000 - 6000 rpm rather than revving it higher. This might not have been optimum in terms of lap times but doing the best lap time was never my aim. As long as I was enjoying my time on track, that was fine. On track days, if the weather was good (dry), I would typically only do the morning, perhaps 4 or 5 sessions of 5 - 6 laps, depending on the circuit. On occasions, if the weather was unfavourable, I might only do 1 - 2 sessions and then go home. I was always keen to not stress the car as I wanted to keep it in perfect mechanical condition.
3. How often was the engine oil and DCT gearbox fluid changed? Engine oil was changed prior to each track day season and then again after each 2 track days. As I mentioned, some of my track days consisted of very few laps and the car probably didn't need so many oil changes. The DCT fluid was changed twice in total - Litchfield advised that this was all that was needed because it had the DCT Trans Cooler fitted and, as I mentioned, I drove the car sympathetically from a mechanical perspective.
4. Is the Crank Bolt Capture plate the only crank hub modification, or has the hub been physically pinned/keyed into the crankshaft by Litchfield? Yes, just the crank bolt capture (locking disc) - Litchfield advised that this was sufficient. Litchfield could confirm exactly what this entailed.
5. With 549 BHP on tap, how often did you run the car on Stage 2 vs. Stage 1 on track? The car has three switchable maps. Stage 1 is standard, the same as the car was before any upgrades (so around 410 bhp). Stage 2 is if the car needs to run on 95 octane fuel - this is a lower bhp and torque but I'm not sure of the exact numbers (Litchfield could confirm). Stage 3 is maximum power and torque and must have 99 octane fuel. Also, the Ecutek software (with phone app) enables the torque to be adjusted (separately for different gears) to suit conditions. I have never run the car on anything other than Shell V Power 99 or Esso Supreme 99. On track days, if conditions were not ideal, I would either dial down the torque setting, particularly in second and third gears, and/or run it in Stage 2. If conditions were good (warm and dry), I would simply leave it in Stage 3 but, as I mentioned earlier, I would still drive it sympathetically and keep the revs well below the rev limit.
6. Have the engine rod bearings ever been inspected or replaced as part of the preventative track maintenance? No. I always impressed on Litchfield, and more recently Swift Performance, that they should advise me as to what I might need to do to ensure that the car is maintained in perfect condition. Neither has recommended this course of action.
7. Are all of the original parts that were removed (like the stock exhaust, stock suspension, and full interior) included in the sale, or just the seats? Just the seats, I'm afraid. I didn't keep the stock exhaust or stock suspension however, prior to Litchfield installing the Nitron R3 suspension kit, Litchfield installed an AST kit, which was much better than the stock suspension setup. However, the Nitron kit is a step up from the AST because there is so much potential for adjustment to suit different driving conditions. I'm happy to include the AST kit in the sale, if you want it.
Sorry for the lengthy answers but I hope you find this helpful.
Answers to your questions are as follows
1. How many track days roughly would you do annually? On average 5 - 6. Never more than 7 because my insurance only covered a maximum of 7 per year.
2. Which circuits was it primarily run on, and what kind of lap times/paces was it running? Castle Combe, Thruxton, Brands Hatch, Snetterton, occasionally Silverstone and once at Donnington. I never recorded lap times. I went on track days simply to enjoy driving faster than is allowed on the roads. I was never a particularly fast driver despite having a few lessons, over the years, in an attempt to improve. I wasn't the type of person who goes mad on a track day and thrashes the car. I was always a very sympathetic driver and always wanted to look after the car. In 2019 Litchfield installed a Forge Motorsport uprated radiator, a Garrett uprated Charge Cooler and a CSF DCT Transmission Cooler - all of which was to ensure that the car could always run at the optimum temperature. As a result, the car never ran hot even on very warm track days. Also, I always tended to keep the revs well below the rev limit - the car has so much torque in the medium rev range that it always felt better to change up between 5000 - 6000 rpm rather than revving it higher. This might not have been optimum in terms of lap times but doing the best lap time was never my aim. As long as I was enjoying my time on track, that was fine. On track days, if the weather was good (dry), I would typically only do the morning, perhaps 4 or 5 sessions of 5 - 6 laps, depending on the circuit. On occasions, if the weather was unfavourable, I might only do 1 - 2 sessions and then go home. I was always keen to not stress the car as I wanted to keep it in perfect mechanical condition.
3. How often was the engine oil and DCT gearbox fluid changed? Engine oil was changed prior to each track day season and then again after each 2 track days. As I mentioned, some of my track days consisted of very few laps and the car probably didn't need so many oil changes. The DCT fluid was changed twice in total - Litchfield advised that this was all that was needed because it had the DCT Trans Cooler fitted and, as I mentioned, I drove the car sympathetically from a mechanical perspective.
4. Is the Crank Bolt Capture plate the only crank hub modification, or has the hub been physically pinned/keyed into the crankshaft by Litchfield? Yes, just the crank bolt capture (locking disc) - Litchfield advised that this was sufficient. Litchfield could confirm exactly what this entailed.
5. With 549 BHP on tap, how often did you run the car on Stage 2 vs. Stage 1 on track? The car has three switchable maps. Stage 1 is standard, the same as the car was before any upgrades (so around 410 bhp). Stage 2 is if the car needs to run on 95 octane fuel - this is a lower bhp and torque but I'm not sure of the exact numbers (Litchfield could confirm). Stage 3 is maximum power and torque and must have 99 octane fuel. Also, the Ecutek software (with phone app) enables the torque to be adjusted (separately for different gears) to suit conditions. I have never run the car on anything other than Shell V Power 99 or Esso Supreme 99. On track days, if conditions were not ideal, I would either dial down the torque setting, particularly in second and third gears, and/or run it in Stage 2. If conditions were good (warm and dry), I would simply leave it in Stage 3 but, as I mentioned earlier, I would still drive it sympathetically and keep the revs well below the rev limit.
6. Have the engine rod bearings ever been inspected or replaced as part of the preventative track maintenance? No. I always impressed on Litchfield, and more recently Swift Performance, that they should advise me as to what I might need to do to ensure that the car is maintained in perfect condition. Neither has recommended this course of action.
7. Are all of the original parts that were removed (like the stock exhaust, stock suspension, and full interior) included in the sale, or just the seats? Just the seats, I'm afraid. I didn't keep the stock exhaust or stock suspension however, prior to Litchfield installing the Nitron R3 suspension kit, Litchfield installed an AST kit, which was much better than the stock suspension setup. However, the Nitron kit is a step up from the AST because there is so much potential for adjustment to suit different driving conditions. I'm happy to include the AST kit in the sale, if you want it.
Sorry for the lengthy answers but I hope you find this helpful.
Hi,
Your detailed responses are a testament to how a track car should be looked after and enjoyed..
I am seriously going to have to consider bidding for your unique car.
It reminds me of my E30 M3 that was used for track days .. way back.
Do continue enjoying your retirement and memories of your soon to be sold car 🙂🫡
Your detailed responses are a testament to how a track car should be looked after and enjoyed..
I am seriously going to have to consider bidding for your unique car.
It reminds me of my E30 M3 that was used for track days .. way back.
Do continue enjoying your retirement and memories of your soon to be sold car 🙂🫡
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