E34 M5 track toy

[Benji]

Any idea what the car weighs at its current state?

Around 1330 kg with an empty fuel tank

 

[Benji]

BMW Car Club are awesome they arranged a track day at Kylami which was incredibly well run and included 2 race series and a time trail event packed into one epic day. This really is the stuff of dreams...

After our previous test day at Zwartkops, the race car needed very little work:

• Reweld an exhaust hanger
• Reclip the dashboard which was flopping around
• Sort out the excess cooling
• Install proper rear wheel spacer and studs

I wont share pics of my welding to prevent irreparable reputational harm.



Note the outer grilles are now closed off with some more trusty ABS sheeting - very subtle. I had to open a slot in the bottom bumper inlet as the temps started creeping up after a few laps.


Carry out some emergency repairs after whacking the splitter on my way to the track. Our spring loaded mechanism saved us here, the only damage was a 90deg bend in the M8 centre support bolt. Easily fixed with a hammer


The M5 was amazing on Kyalami, it took a few laps for my balls to drop far enough to realise Mineshaft can be taken flat - fully loaded at 180 kph without lifting is quite an experience - I swear the front splitter is doing the lords work here. The car is a bit underpowered on the straight, only managing to hit 192 kph before slamming anchors. The Z4 quite easily hit 200 before braking much earlier.

Pretty pleased with my best lap of 2:10.057 which is about 10s off properly built aero E46 M3s and 12s off 911 GT3 cup cars





The chrome ring around the inlet making a desperate escape attempt, luckily it was unsuccessful...







Besides 2 monstrous stone chips in the windscreen, the car is ready for another track day - even left the event with half a tank of fuel - so I could very easily have gotten the car into the 2.09s with 20-30kg less fuel on board. Overall, an epic day, fantastically organized and a real privilege to take part in the event.

 

[modocrat]

Looks awesome Benji!

You can also shed some extra weight by losing the helmet

 

[Gordvisr]

Awesome Benji

 

[Urban963]

Looks awesome man. The Forest Whittaker look hurts me though. Dual inlets would look much better and definitely worth at least 13KW*.

Are you or a loved one suffering from Delusional Induction Syndrome?
If you have recently purchased a "dual inlet cold air intake" expecting an immediate, physics-defying boost of 13kW to your naturally aspirated 1.2-liter engine, you may be at risk. Adding dual inlets will not magically add 13kW of power.
Before you bolt that plastic snorkel onto your engine bay, please read the following regulatory warning:

---

⚠️ IMPORTANT SAFETY & SANITY INFORMATION
Side effects of expecting 13kW from dual inlets may include:

• • Acute Wallet Emptiness: A sudden, localized thinning of the hip pocket region.
  • Acoustic Placebo Effect: Hearing a slightly louder bwaaaah sound and mistakenly confusing noise for actual kinetic acceleration.
  • Dyno-Induced Depression: Severe emotional distress occurring immediately after your vehicle registers a grand total of 0.4 extra horsepower on a certified rolling road.
  • Bumper-Chopping Remorse: Permanent aesthetic damage to your front fascia due to aggressive, unmeasured Dremel tool usage.
  • Mechanic Smirk-itis: Enduring a specific, highly condescending look from your local mechanic when you open the hood.
  • Unwarranted Overconfidence: Attempting to race a bone-stock hot hatch at a stoplight, resulting in immediate public embarrassment.
  • Intake Air Temperature Confusion: Realizing you just built a highly efficient hot air intake that draws ambient heat directly from your exhaust manifold.

🛑 STOP TAKING DUAL INLETS IF:
You experience a sudden urge to buy neon underglow, or if you begin unironically using the phrase "it breathes better now."
Dual inlets are not approved by the laws of thermodynamics. Individual results will vary, but they will always be lower than 13kW. Talk to a mechanical engineer before altering your factory airbox.

 

[modocrat]

Looks awesome man. The Forest Whittaker look hurts me though.

Savage

 

[Benji]

Looks awesome Benji!

You can also shed some extra weight by losing the helmet

My hard German head is suitable protection

Looks awesome man. The Forest Whittaker look hurts me though. Dual inlets would look much better and definitely worth at least 13KW*.

Are you or a loved one suffering from Delusional Induction Syndrome?
If you have recently purchased a "dual inlet cold air intake" expecting an immediate, physics-defying boost of 13kW to your naturally aspirated 1.2-liter engine, you may be at risk. Adding dual inlets will not magically add 13kW of power.
Before you bolt that plastic snorkel onto your engine bay, please read the following regulatory warning:

---

⚠️ IMPORTANT SAFETY & SANITY INFORMATION
Side effects of expecting 13kW from dual inlets may include:

• • Acute Wallet Emptiness: A sudden, localized thinning of the hip pocket region.
  • Acoustic Placebo Effect: Hearing a slightly louder bwaaaah sound and mistakenly confusing noise for actual kinetic acceleration.
  • Dyno-Induced Depression: Severe emotional distress occurring immediately after your vehicle registers a grand total of 0.4 extra horsepower on a certified rolling road.
  • Bumper-Chopping Remorse: Permanent aesthetic damage to your front fascia due to aggressive, unmeasured Dremel tool usage.
  • Mechanic Smirk-itis: Enduring a specific, highly condescending look from your local mechanic when you open the hood.
  • Unwarranted Overconfidence: Attempting to race a bone-stock hot hatch at a stoplight, resulting in immediate public embarrassment.
  • Intake Air Temperature Confusion: Realizing you just built a highly efficient hot air intake that draws ambient heat directly from your exhaust manifold.

🛑 STOP TAKING DUAL INLETS IF:
You experience a sudden urge to buy neon underglow, or if you begin unironically using the phrase "it breathes better now."
Dual inlets are not approved by the laws of thermodynamics. Individual results will vary, but they will always be lower than 13kW. Talk to a mechanical engineer before altering your factory airbox.

I cant unsee the Forest Whittaker look now I had wanted to print the inlet out of silver plastic to look more like a light, but we only had black available which I quite like once it is installed...We need to print another inlet tho, the PLA does not stand up to the heat from the engine

This inlet is one of my favorite things of this car...We realized at the track that it needs to be louder, the M5 is whispery quiet compared to some of these other cars on track. Maybe a dual inlet will double the noise?