M240i X-Drive (G42), 150 laps at Laguna Seca HPDE

Here is a second report about tracking this car in HPDE events, following the first one earlier this year that you can find here: https://g87.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh….php?t=2163342

Spoiler alert: The BMW M240i (G42) did an exceptional job at this track, both in terms of performance (best laps in the 1.43.xx) and reliability. We did the equivalent of three track days in one weekend, as the second day was run with two drivers on back-to-back sessions. I posted the video of the last session, with a detailed explanation of the corners before doing hot laps in the 1:43.xx and not getting to 1:42 due to traffic.

Also, the M240i constantly outpaced more powerful cars or lighter ones and impressed many people. I posted a shorter but fun video of a few laps where our little 240i is catching up with a Corvette C8 and a Porsche Cayman GT4.

Laguna is the most fun per mile you’ll get on any track IMO, but it’s also a track that can bite you hard if you make a mistake. Luckily, the car was easy to drive, always predictable (except on one occasion that I’ll discuss later), and ultimately very efficient.

Here is what you need to know:

Track:

– Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca

– High intermediate group

– Lap times window between 1:45 and 1:43.xx

– First time ever on this track

Setup is mostly stock, with the basic mods for track day:

– Brake fluid: Motul RF600

– Brake pads: iSweep is4000

– Wheels: Apex VS-5RS 18×9 ET25

– Suspension: Vorshlag Camber plate

– Tires: Kumho Ecsta V730 255/35-18

Electronics:

– Sport+ mode

– DSC off for three sessions, then Dynamic Traction Control (middle setting) activated.

Let’s start with the Traction Control ON/Off question:

On the previous track days at Buttonwillow, we ran hot laps nonstop with DSC off, and we had no issue whatsoever. Laguna has way more elevation changes and opportunities to unsettle the car though, and we had a bit of a scare entering turn 6 on the third session. You can see it in the video I posted here:

It looks like the right rear tire let go before the turn while still on the curb. I didn’t feel like I did anything different than usual and it took me a bit to overcome some apprehension after the incident. Talking with various drivers at the track who were running in the same group at the same pace (with any kind of car from Porsche Cayman GT4 to Type R modified), it turns out they all used traction control for this exact same reason. I changed my setup to use the second level of Traction control on the dash (we don’t have the adjustment like in the M2) and the rest of the weekend was uneventful, and the car didn’t seem to be reacting any different. BMW engineers know what they’re doing when designing a safety net!

Tires:

If you read my previous post, you know that I was concerned about the longevity of the Bridgestone R71Rs. I probably under-inflated them, as mentioned by a few fellow forum members. I learned from my mistake and nurtured my new set of Kumho Ecsta V730 this time. Cold pressure was around 36 psi, and hot was around 43F. Every time we saw more than 43 we removed a bit of air. After 150 laps, the tires look like they’ve barely been used, as shown in the pictures below.

Brakes:

The brake pads are not easy to find for this car, but I started a thread on the topic for those interested. I’ll copy the last post here regarding Laguna Seca and the iSweep IS4000 race pads.

Long story short, the stopping power of the IS4000 compound is incredibly high, way above the Hawk 70 (that is more like endurance pads I believe). Where I had to stomp on the pedal with the Hawk, I barely had to press the same pedal with the IS4000… And if pushing hard, you get some impressive braking power.

These pads took some abuse, with 150 fast laps so far on two hard braking tracks: three sessions on Buttonwillow “The Circuit” and then 15 sessions at Laguna Seca. There is still some life left in the pads, and they didn’t squeak much on the drive back from the track. There is one pad, front right, that is getting worn out, but for the other pads, they have probably one more track day in them on a flowy track like BW 13CW.

You can see in the pics below how they look after 150 laps on a relatively fast and heavy car like the M240i G42…

Last, but not least, I bought these race pads from RG Sports in California.

Engine:

The engine in this car is rock solid. Out of curiosity, I did another oil change after the last two track days, and the oil color was still almost new. It might not be a perfect scientific way of measuring oil life, but still, it gives a pretty good idea that no oil change was needed 😉

During the sessions, the oil temperature stayed mostly flat, rising to 232 and staying there for the most part. In the afternoon of the second day, with a bright sun and warmer temps, the oil temp rose slightly to reach 237F. And we were running back-to-back sessions!

Suspensions:

Still running stock suspensions, with just the camber plates. In pictures, the car sometimes looks high, but it feels planted on the pavement. Even sending it through the big dip of turn 6 or diving on the inside of Corkscrew didn’t unsettle the stock dampers. No excessive body rolls in turns, even on the transition from turn 9 to 10…

This second post about track day should encourage more people to track their cars. On the way back home from the track, the little coupe loaded with wheels, jack stand, helmets, etc, the drive was quiet as usual, with 34.4 mpg recorded and no rattle. Luxury, reliability, and performance in the same package, this car is the real deal!