RIDOX Replica Garage-In Memory of TurnLeft-GT40,300ZX,F430,TVR,AEM S2000,Cizeta,TransAm Doug Nash

[ALB123]

Thanks guys... Yes, that's exactly why I posed the question to the cockpit view drivers -- I have a strong feeling that I'm hindering my acclimation to cockpit view, in general, by switching viewing angles. Each one is so drastically different, it's like having to learn a whole new "view" all over again. Okay...I'm going to stick with Standard then. Oh, I forgot to list a main reason I was having second thoughts about using "Standard" view angle. Sometimes the instruments (Speedo & Tach) look so freakin' small in Standard view! I'm sure it doesn't help that my eyes are 8 feet from my TV screen, but I can't get any closer - and I probably wouldn't want to anyway, with a 46" LCD, it would pixelate in my mind.

Anyway, you're definitely right TC...I am MANY seconds off of my average lap times with cockpit view right now. Believe it, or not, occasionally I will spit out a lap (I've usually been using Nordschleife just so I can get 8+ minutes of drivetime/experience with this new view per lap) that's damn near my bumper view lap time -- but that's not common at all. In fact, I usually end up spinning out a lot because I'm still having difficulty judging the width of my vehicle. I wonder if I took out the McLaren F1, if I would do a little better since the seat is in the middle, just like bumper view.. Hmm??

I haven't tried the TS030 with cockpit view yet, Pete - but if it's as bad as the Audi R18 I have a feeling it will be sitting in my garage more often than not. The first time I went into cockpit view with the R18, I was like, "How the F:censored: am I supposed to see ANYTHING in this car?!" I gained a LOT of respect for real life LMP drivers that day...

I'm really upset with myself that I didn't start off using cockpit view when I initially bought GT6. You guys know how I feel about this whole game...I want as much realism and immersion as possible - yet I foolishly got hooked on the most unrealistic driving view. At least I'm not using Driving Line or any of the lame driving assists like SRF though. It blows my mind how man experienced, good drivers use the steering assists on a regular basis. Might as well just play a straight up video game if you want spinning out to be an impossibility.

Pete, I've already been thinking about what I'm going to do when I find myself wanting to drive a "Standard" vehicle, like the RUF's... I think, at least for now, I am just going to avoid them. Like you, who wants to be driving in a freakin' shadow of an interior?! That reminds me...One big issue I have with cockpit view is the horrible lack of realistic ambient lighting. Have you ever driven a car in the middle of the day (in real life) and you looked at your speedometer and all of a sudden you couldn't see it because the sun was at a particular angle in relation to your movement? Of course not. That's ridiculous. Yet, in GT6 there are several times, per lap, where the instruments are almost blackened out and that's just not realistic at all. In fact, I created a SUGGESTION for PD to please fix this issue in GT7. I understand that they want the sunlight to cast shadows and all that jazz. That's cool. That's realistic that the ambient light level would fluctuate depending on your angle in relation to the sun...but it would NEVER make the entire instrument panel so dark that you can't even see the needles of your speedometer and tachometer. Never. If you feel the same way, or just feel sorry for my hopeless quest, please "like" the suggestion I linked above.

And if you guys have any suggestions or ideas on how I can better adjust to driving in cockpit view, I would love to hear them. Thanks for talking to me about this. I know most people use bumper view, but it's nice to know some of the guys I regularly chat with are using cockpit view too! 👍

Now if I could just get used to turning ABS off... Actually, I've gotten "better" about turning it off on older cars that don't come with ABS. Still, I much, much prefer to drive with it on.

 

[Pete05]

Thanks guys... Yes, that's exactly why I posed the question to the cockpit view drivers -- I have a strong feeling that I'm hindering my acclimation to cockpit view, in general, by switching viewing angles. Each one is so drastically different, it's like having to learn a whole new "view" all over again. Okay...I'm going to stick with Standard then. Oh, I forgot to list a main reason I was having second thoughts about using "Standard" view angle. Sometimes the instruments (Speedo & Tach) look so freakin' small in Standard view! I'm sure it doesn't help that my eyes are 8 feet from my TV screen, but I can't get any closer - and I probably wouldn't want to anyway, with a 46" LCD, it would pixelate in my mind.

Anyway, you're definitely right TC...I am MANY seconds off of my average lap times with cockpit view right now. Believe it, or not, occasionally I will spit out a lap (I've usually been using Nordschleife just so I can get 8+ minutes of drivetime/experience with this new view per lap) that's damn near my bumper view lap time -- but that's not common at all. In fact, I usually end up spinning out a lot because I'm still having difficulty judging the width of my vehicle. I wonder if I took out the McLaren F1, if I would do a little better since the seat is in the middle, just like bumper view.. Hmm??

I haven't tried the TS030 with cockpit view yet, Pete - but if it's as bad as the Audi R18 I have a feeling it will be sitting in my garage more often than not. The first time I went into cockpit view with the R18, I was like, "How the F:censored: am I supposed to see ANYTHING in this car?!" I gained a LOT of respect for real life LMP drivers that day...

I'm really upset with myself that I didn't start off using cockpit view when I initially bought GT6. You guys know how I feel about this whole game...I want as much realism and immersion as possible - yet I foolishly got hooked on the most unrealistic driving view. At least I'm not using Driving Line or any of the lame driving assists like SRF though. It blows my mind how man experienced, good drivers use the steering assists on a regular basis. Might as well just play a straight up video game if you want spinning out to be an impossibility.

Pete, I've already been thinking about what I'm going to do when I find myself wanting to drive a "Standard" vehicle, like the RUF's... I think, at least for now, I am just going to avoid them. Like you, who wants to be driving in a freakin' shadow of an interior?! That reminds me...One big issue I have with cockpit view is the horrible lack of realistic ambient lighting. Have you ever driven a car in the middle of the day (in real life) and you looked at your speedometer and all of a sudden you couldn't see it because the sun was at a particular angle in relation to your movement? Of course not. That's ridiculous. Yet, in GT6 there are several times, per lap, where the instruments are almost blackened out and that's just not realistic at all. In fact, I created a SUGGESTION for PD to please fix this issue in GT7. I understand that they want the sunlight to cast shadows and all that jazz. That's cool. That's realistic that the ambient light level would fluctuate depending on your angle in relation to the sun...but it would NEVER make the entire instrument panel so dark that you can't even see the needles of your speedometer and tachometer. Never. If you feel the same way, or just feel sorry for my hopeless quest, please "like" the suggestion I linked above.

And if you guys have any suggestions or ideas on how I can better adjust to driving in cockpit view, I would love to hear them. Thanks for talking to me about this. I know most people use bumper view, but it's nice to know some of the guys I regularly chat with are using cockpit view too! 👍

Now if I could just get used to turning ABS off... Actually, I've gotten "better" about turning it off on older cars that don't come with ABS. Still, I much, much prefer to drive with it on.

Only driving a mix of cars like the McLaren, LCC Rocket, left hand drive & right hand drive cars will help with your cockpit view development. I can recall having trouble early on when I changed to a LHD after driving RHD's for a while. Same track felt different & I was missing my turn-in markers. Frustrated the hell out of me but practice is the only way around it. Keep at it & you'll get there.
The TS030 is in the same category as the R18: a letterbox. The thing missing for us is the ability to turn our heads a full 90 degrees like the real-life drivers can.
It's only my opinion but, SRF and good driver don't belong in the same sentence. I've only ever used that damn setting under great protest with no other option available (thanks PD ) to complete events towards 100%.
Consider your Suggestion liked 👍 I get that problem sometimes in the truck when the sun is at an awkward angle and shining on my Sat Nav screen.

 

[Ridox2JZGTE]

90% of the time cockpit view here on standard angle.

 

[ALB123]

I had no idea Ridox! Wow...I wish I knew all of you guys were using cockpit view when I first started hanging out in here. I would be 100% comfortable with it by now...

Hey Ridox...Any chance that we might see a BMW M4 Replica in the future?

 

[danbojte]

Hey @Pete05 (or anyone else who drives in cockpit view)... Which Interior View Angle do you use? Standard, Narrow or Narrowest? Any reason why you chose the angle that you did?

Hey, @ALB123. I'm a Cockpit View driver (see my signature). Standard View. Lately, I tried the Narrow View as well and I am quite satisfied with this one also, taking into account that my eyes are 3 m distance from my 42" LED TV.

PS: The crowd is claiming you back on the track, where you belong. 👍

 

[Ridox2JZGTE]

3m from 42" ? I sit 1m away from 51"

 

[danbojte]

3m from 42" ? I sit 1m away from 51"

Yes, I don't have a choice yet...

 

[danbojte]

The TV is wall mounted and there is always a possibility for that a family member will walk between me and the TV, though they respects my racing sessions.

 

[Ridox2JZGTE]

Managed to get the black level sorted, 1-2% accurate gray level, works on movies and games, no need to change brightness anymore, pure black at all times, got rid of the noise/dither on near black ( Kuro had this too ) Still messing with the intelligent brightness control, I think this is similar to Pioneer Kuro ABL, getting close to Kuro though, different setting system with hex numbers Lord of The Rings Trilogy, Oblivion, GI Joe 1 and 2, Avengers, Max Payne, now they all stand out, 3D like depth with good contrast vs black vs shadows. The Max Payne movie is a work of art in film noire, the black and white theme can be felt throughout the movie. With black bars, now they fused with the tv bezel

Max Payne 3, The Last of Us and Aliens Colonial Marines gets the honor of showcasing the tv black and white levels, simply beautiful I limit my game time on the plasma as it's in break in period Spent the majority on movies.

 

[Pete05]

3m from 42" ? I sit 1m away from 51"

Indeed
I sit around 3 metres from my 32" LCD. For the size of my place, that's good enough for me.

 

[danbojte]

Managed to get the black level sorted, 1-2% accurate gray level, works on movies and games, no need to change brightness anymore, pure black at all times, got rid of the noise/dither on near black ( Kuro had this too ) Still messing with the intelligent brightness control, I think this is similar to Pioneer Kuro ABL, getting close to Kuro though, different setting system with hex numbers Lord of The Rings Trilogy, Oblivion, GI Joe 1 and 2, Avengers, Max Payne, now they all stand out, 3D like depth with good contrast vs black vs shadows. The Max Payne movie is a work of art in film noire, the black and white theme can be felt throughout the movie. With black bars, now they fused with the tv bezel

Max Payne 3, The Last of Us and Aliens Colonial Marines gets the honor of showcasing the tv black and white levels, simply beautiful I limit my game time on the plasma as it's in break in period Spent the majority on movies.

I'm very glad you've managed to sort out the TV issue, my friend. Enjoy it!

 

[danbojte]

Indeed
I sit around 3 metres from my 32" LCD. For the size of my place, that's good enough for me.

Oh, your situation is even worst.

 

[Pete05]

Oh, your situation is even worst.

Considering 2 years ago I only had a 51cm analog dinosaur of a TV that only received 6 free to air channels & had a single speaker, believe me, I'm happy.

 

[danbojte]

Considering 2 years ago I only had a 51cm analog dinosaur of a TV that only received 6 free to air channels & had a single speaker, believe me, I'm happy.

You're on a right path then, any improvement is welcomed. 👍

 

[ALB123]

Oh, I never noticed your signature before @danbojte! I really wish I had made the switch sooner. With my new laptop on the way, and my desire to try both Assetto Corsa and Project Cars, I'm sure my GT6 play will be greatly reduced, of course, as there are only so many hours in the day. I wish I could get closer to my screen too. I've got to be almost 3m from my TV as well. Plus I sit in a recliner and have my wheel mounted to a pathetic little folding table. Sometimes my wheel becomes dismounted while driving hard. I couldn't fit a driving rig in this room, but I'm thinking of moving into a room downstairs where I could fit one. We shall see...

 

[tgr77]

hello everyone(not really new, but new poster for sure)

I'm sure that you don't do request tunes, ridox, but i think that this one should be interesting even within the limitations of gt6:

the 1000hp Powertune R34 "Elephant"

I've made a little tune, but i'm stuck on the gearbox. everything about the diff and suspension may be not accurate since i can't find all the informations i need. but there's the tune:

car: the premium R34 (V-spec II Nür '02) in white
rims: standard size enkei RPF1 in black

oil change needed
improved body rigidity

sport hard tires

suspension fully customisable:

ride height:
120mm - 105mm(approximately as seen in the pictures)

spring rate:
8,00 - 6,00

dampers (comp):
7 - 5

dampers (ext):
5 - 4

anti-roll bars:
5 - 3

camber:
0,5 - 2,5(approximately as seen in the pictures)

toe:
0 all(drag. for track tune, try -0,15 - -0,10 )

racing brakes kit painted in red:
your choice. I use the stock one

gearbox:

fully customisable:

in this setting, as I don't know what are the ratios of this holinger sequential gearbox, I use the one that napstergaminghd use

initial final: 3,101
auto speed: 200 km/h - 124 mph
1st: 5,278
2nd: 4,282
3rd: 3,525
4th: 2,849
5th: 2,315
6th: 1,964
final: 2,000

limited slip differential:

initial torque: 10 - 7
acceleration: 15 - 20
brake: 5 - 20

triple plate clutch
carbon driveshaft
standard central differential(doesn't know the real one so i leave the stock one on)

power:
all best parts except nos. for turbo, use the high rpm one to have the power on the higher rpms

downforce:
0 - 30

no weight reductions

ballast: 200kg in -25%(the real Elephant is heavier than a stock R34. hence it's nickname) for track tune, I use the same amount of ballast(on my black skyline) but at +25%(52 : 48 instead of 57 : 43)

if you can find some more informations, ridox, it would be great because this thing is a monster

 

[ALB123]

I never got into drag racing. I'm not putting it down -- people like what they like, but it's not my cup of tea at all. I used to have a few customers at my bar who were into drag racing (real life). They'd come in and tell me all about their cars and tell me the times they're running on 1/8th mile & 1/4 mile drag strips. It's an expensive hobby. That's for sure.

I wish PD would just build a goddamn drag strip for the drag racing fans in Gran Turismo. Talk about incredibly simple! 2 two lanes, christmas tree light system and a finish line. Then a graphical timing board, like they have at the real drag strips, to show off the racers time to the fake audience. There seems to be boat loads of drag racing fans in the public lobbies. It's a real shame that they don't have an actual drag strip to use.

 

[Ridox2JZGTE]

hello everyone(not really new, but new poster for sure)

I'm sure that you don't do request tunes, ridox, but i think that this one should be interesting even within the limitations of gt6:

the 1000hp Powertune R34 "Elephant"

I've made a little tune, but i'm stuck on the gearbox. everything about the diff and suspension may be not accurate since i can't find all the informations i need. but there's the tune:

car: the premium R34 (V-spec II Nür '02) in white
rims: standard size enkei RPF1 in black

oil change needed
improved body rigidity

sport hard tires

suspension fully customisable:

ride height:
120mm - 105mm(approximately as seen in the pictures)

spring rate:
8,00 - 6,00

dampers (comp):
7 - 5

dampers (ext):
5 - 4

anti-roll bars:
5 - 3

camber:
0,5 - 2,5(approximately as seen in the pictures)

toe:
0 all(drag. for track tune, try -0,15 - -0,10 )

racing brakes kit painted in red:
your choice. I use the stock one

gearbox:

fully customisable:

in this setting, as I don't know what are the ratios of this holinger sequential gearbox, I use the one that napstergaminghd use

initial final: 3,101
auto speed: 200 km/h - 124 mph
1st: 5,278
2nd: 4,282
3rd: 3,525
4th: 2,849
5th: 2,315
6th: 1,964
final: 2,000

limited slip differential:

initial torque: 10 - 7
acceleration: 15 - 20
brake: 5 - 20

triple plate clutch
carbon driveshaft
standard central differential(doesn't know the real one so i leave the stock one on)

power:
all best parts except nos. for turbo, use the high rpm one to have the power on the higher rpms

downforce:
0 - 30

no weight reductions

ballast: 200kg in -25%(the real Elephant is heavier than a stock R34. hence it's nickname) for track tune, I use the same amount of ballast(on my black skyline) but at +25%(52 : 48 instead of 57 : 43)

if you can find some more informations, ridox, it would be great because this thing is a monster

I do have some data on 5 and 6 speed gearbox kit for R32-34 GTR. The Holinger made and sold sequential box has wide range of ratios, while HKS also sold Holinger made box ( Version 1 ), the version II supposedly still based on Holinger but may have been made by HKS. Some says OS Giken OS-88 box is also made by Holinger, as well as Trust Greddy kit. Below are the gear ratios offered by HKS, OS Giken and Trust for 6 speed direct fit to RB26DETT

HKS version 1
1 2.519
2 1.820
3 1.300
4 1.000
5 .807
6 .650

HKS version 2
1 2.709
2 1.904
3 1.343
4 1.000
5 .832
6. .734

OS Giken Holinger OS-88 ( This has been used on a monstrous R32 GTR with 2.8 RB26DETT 1330+AWHP @11000RPM on 42 Psi Boost / close to 3 Bar )

Option1 2.609 1.934 1.521 1.210 1.000 0.785
Option2 2.890 1.981 1.468 1.174 1.000 0.757
Option3 2.516 1.865 1.468 1.174 1.000 0.822

TRUST GReddy 6 Speed H Pattern 6 speed.

1: 2.782, 2: 1.938, 3: 1.506, 4: 1.178, 5: 0.920, 6: 0.777. Final gear: 4.111.

You can use stock final or 4.111 final.

 

[ALB123]

Hey Ridox, I think you might have missed the question I asked you a few posts back... What are the chances that you might work on a BMW M4 replica in the future?

 

[Ridox2JZGTE]

Sorry, missed that I may do a research first on the car today, will see if I can play in a few days as well post some cars.

 

[ALB123]

I absolutely love your BMW M3 replicas. I have several built in my garage. But what I'm really longing for is the M4 Replica. I've been using one of shaun's tunes from Exeter garage - and it's a nice tune. The car drives very nicely. But, it's not a replica. Actually, what I usually do with other people's non-replica tunes is I just build my car with their suspension, LSD and alignment settings. I can make sure I have the proper weight and PD is surprisingly good about getting the transmission gear ratio's correct.

Obviously, please take your time if you have other cars already scheduled. I just wanted to plant the seeds in your brain, in case you ever want to make the BMW M4 replica. I'm quite sure it would be an instant hit among the Ridox faithful. 👍

Oh, my brother is flying out to Munich, Germany next week (from Tennessee) to take a tour of the BMW factory and also pick up his brand new BMW M4! What a lucky bastard. I had never even heard of "European Delivery" when purchasing a new BMW. It's an amazing program. They actually knock off a certain percentage of the price of your car - in my brother's case he's saying like $6000! So, with the $6000 he would have had to spend if he bought it from a dealer in the States, he and his GF are flying out and turning it into a week long vacation. He's already got arrangements to visit and drive the Nordschleife. Oh, I'm so jealous!!

 

[Pete05]

I absolutely love your BMW M3 replicas. I have several built in my garage. But what I'm really longing for is the M4 Replica. I've been using one of shaun's tunes from Exeter garage - and it's a nice tune. The car drives very nicely. But, it's not a replica. Actually, what I usually do with other people's non-replica tunes is I just build my car with their suspension, LSD and alignment settings. I can make sure I have the proper weight and PD is surprisingly good about getting the transmission gear ratio's correct.

Obviously, please take your time if you have other cars already scheduled. I just wanted to plant the seeds in your brain, in case you ever want to make the BMW M4 replica. I'm quite sure it would be an instant hit among the Ridox faithful. 👍

Oh, my brother is flying out to Munich, Germany next week (from Tennessee) to take a tour of the BMW factory and also pick up his brand new BMW M4! What a lucky bastard. I had never even heard of "European Delivery" when purchasing a new BMW. It's an amazing program. They actually knock off a certain percentage of the price of your car - in my brother's case he's saying like $6000! So, with the $6000 he would have had to spend if he bought it from a dealer in the States, he and his GF are flying out and turning it into a week long vacation. He's already got arrangements to visit and drive the Nordschleife. Oh, I'm so jealous!!

I hope your brother has worked out what it'll cost to land the new Bimmer in the land of stars & stripes
Maybe your tax system is fairer than the Aussie system because to import a classic Muscle Car over here, even without the conversion to Right Hand Drive is absolutely prohibitive Many people over here have bought their dream car only to have to leave it at the docks because they can't pay the import duties It then ends up going to auction & someone else ends up driving off in your dream

 

[danbojte]

In fact, I usually end up spinning out a lot because I'm still having difficulty judging the width of my vehicle. I wonder if I took out the McLaren F1, if I would do a little better since the seat is in the middle, just like bumper view.. Hmm??

I forgot to tell you about the left-right hand wheel. Don't think about that.
Now after some practice, I really don't care at which side the wheel is positioned. Sometimes I don't event realize at which side it is, I'm just focused to drive the car at my best.
To make the width size noticed in your brain, touch the left-right kerbs (or the walls sometimes ) slightly, and you'll learn the car's dimensions.

 

[ChauMing803]

For you guys who are feeling frustrated about import duties,I can help you feel better,as I'm a Hong Konger. In HK,we have to pay import duties that equates to 100% of the car's price...yes,freaking 100%!!!!!!!!


And the fact that you still see Pagani,Lambo and Konisegg on the road...

 

[ALB123]

I hope your brother has worked out what it'll cost to land the new Bimmer in the land of stars & stripes
Maybe your tax system is fairer than the Aussie system because to import a classic Muscle Car over here, even without the conversion to Right Hand Drive is absolutely prohibitive Many people over here have bought their dream car only to have to leave it at the docks because they can't pay the import duties It then ends up going to auction & someone else ends up driving off in your dream

Here's the incredible thing about the "European Delivery" program, Pete... They knocked about $6000 off the cost of his car. In fact, he just paid the North Carolina dealership $81,000 today (the balance of the price). You're still "technically" buying the car from an American dealership, but you go "pick up" the car at the factory. You drive it around for a few days and then you bring it to some BMW delivery place, near a port or something in Germany and you give the car back to them. They pack it up and ship it to the United States for you. Unfortunately, then it takes about 6 weeks to get your car in the States. My brother will then have to travel to North Carolina to pick up his car when it arrives in the States. Oh, did I also mention that BMW pays for your hotel room for 1 night while you're in Germany?! Once my brother gets his car in the USA, he could choose to just drive home and be done with it. Instead, he will be driving directly to South Carolina where BMW is putting him up in a hotel again on their dime and the following day he will be receiving classroom instruction and then track time in one of BMW's own cars at the BMW high performance driving school. AGAIN...at no charge to my brother!

It is absolutely unbelievable how much of a no-brainer this "European Delivery" is. Again, my brother is actually saving $6000 on a $90,000 car (he got the carbon ceramic brakes and stuff). The cost of his week long vacation for him and his GF isn't going to be even close to $6000...probably closer to $4000, including the airfare. And then THEY pay to ship it. Oh, I forgot to mention that BMW arranges and pays for your auto insurance while you're in Europe driving around.

The whole thing is absolutely nuts - especially once you factor in the free track driving & training that they give you for free when you get home. Honestly, you would think "what's the catch?", but there isn't one! Oh, and this isn't just because he bought an M4. You can buy a 235i and you'd get the same treatment. I don't know how BMW affords this. Apparently, Audi and Mercedes have the same type of programs, although I can not attest to the exact details of their programs.

My brother is bringing two brand new Go Pro Hero4 Black edition cameras and his Canon hand held camera, so he can make a little documentary on the experience. I'm sure I'll be the one stuck editing all the footage together for him. There are some "BMW European Delivery" videos on YouTube already. It's an amazing program for sure.

I forgot to tell you about the left-right hand wheel. Don't think about that.
Now after some practice, I really don't care at which side the wheel is positioned. Sometimes I don't event realize at which side it is, I'm just focused to drive the car at my best.
To make the width size noticed in your brain, touch the left-right kerbs (or the walls sometimes ) slightly, and you'll learn the car's dimensions.

That's exactly what I have been doing, especially when I switch cars to something different...the first lap, or half of a lap, I will drive back and forth to feel the limits of the track - let my tires hit the red/white curbs, or grooved track edge, or even let my tires hit the grass. Then I try to see where on my dashboard or steering wheel the limits of the track line up.

Strangely, I was driving the Ferrari 250 GTO yesterday, which is a right-hand drive, and I swear I was handling it better than most left-hand drive cars! It was crazy. I'm doing alright on courses that I know very well, like Nordschleife. Also, I think the tracks that have elevation changes are easier for me. Tracks like Silverstone, which are totally flat, are extremely tough for me right now because I can't physically see the full turn. So, it's like I don't get the turn-in point perfectly and then, my biggest issue is judging how severe to turn the steering wheel. I'm very often plowing through the turn, off the track onto the grass or whatever. I'm sure that will get better in time as I get used to the different viewing angle.

 

[Pete05]

Here's the incredible thing about the "European Delivery" program, Pete... They knocked about $6000 off the cost of his car. In fact, he just paid the North Carolina dealership $81,000 today (the balance of the price). You're still "technically" buying the car from an American dealership, but you go "pick up" the car at the factory. You drive it around for a few days and then you bring it to some BMW delivery place, near a port or something in Germany and you give the car back to them. They pack it up and ship it to the United States for you. Unfortunately, then it takes about 6 weeks to get your car in the States. My brother will then have to travel to North Carolina to pick up his car when it arrives in the States. Oh, did I also mention that BMW pays for your hotel room for 1 night while you're in Germany?! Once my brother gets his car in the USA, he could choose to just drive home and be done with it. Instead, he will be driving directly to South Carolina where BMW is putting him up in a hotel again on their dime and the following day he will be receiving classroom instruction and then track time in one of BMW's own cars at the BMW high performance driving school. AGAIN...at no charge to my brother!

It is absolutely unbelievable how much of a no-brainer this "European Delivery" is. Again, my brother is actually saving $6000 on a $90,000 car (he got the carbon ceramic brakes and stuff). The cost of his week long vacation for him and his GF isn't going to be even close to $6000...probably closer to $4000, including the airfare. And then THEY pay to ship it. Oh, I forgot to mention that BMW arranges and pays for your auto insurance while you're in Europe driving around.

The whole thing is absolutely nuts - especially once you factor in the free track driving & training that they give you for free when you get home. Honestly, you would think "what's the catch?", but there isn't one! Oh, and this isn't just because he bought an M4. You can buy a 235i and you'd get the same treatment. I don't know how BMW affords this. Apparently, Audi and Mercedes have the same type of programs, although I can not attest to the exact details of their programs.

My brother is bringing two brand new Go Pro Hero4 Black edition cameras and his Canon hand held camera, so he can make a little documentary on the experience. I'm sure I'll be the one stuck editing all the footage together for him. There are some "BMW European Delivery" videos on YouTube already. It's an amazing program for sure.



That's exactly what I have been doing, especially when I switch cars to something different...the first lap, or half of a lap, I will drive back and forth to feel the limits of the track - let my tires hit the red/white curbs, or grooved track edge, or even let my tires hit the grass. Then I try to see where on my dashboard or steering wheel the limits of the track line up.

Strangely, I was driving the Ferrari 250 GTO yesterday, which is a right-hand drive, and I swear I was handling it better than most left-hand drive cars! It was crazy. I'm doing alright on courses that I know very well, like Nordschleife. Also, I think the tracks that have elevation changes are easier for me. Tracks like Silverstone, which are totally flat, are extremely tough for me right now because I can't physically see the full turn. So, it's like I don't get the turn-in point perfectly and then, my biggest issue is judging how severe to turn the steering wheel. I'm very often plowing through the turn, off the track onto the grass or whatever. I'm sure that will get better in time as I get used to the different viewing angle.

Well the BMW European Delivery program is amazing & unbelievably good then. You can add me to the jealous & envious crowd.
Now if only I could afford a new M2 when they come out soon

 

[ALB123]

I know!! I would kill for an M2!!

 

[Ridox2JZGTE]

Found some interesting stuff on M4 ( got the brochure, tech data BMW training, Car & Driver test sheets, alignment data sheet, dyno sheet - big surprise here ) Will be a simple tune

 

[ALB123]

Found some interesting stuff on M4 ( got the brochure, tech data BMW training, Car & Driver test sheets, alignment data sheet, dyno sheet - big surprise here ) Will be a simple tune

Sweet! I didn't think that it would require a ton of work. It's such a new car that I figured it would be very easy collecting the data you required to get to work. Of course, I'm sure the testing will be lengthy. I am very excited to build this car. 👍

 

[Ridox2JZGTE]

Sweet! I didn't think that it would require a ton of work. It's such a new car that I figured it would be very easy collecting the data you required to get to work. Of course, I'm sure the testing will be lengthy. I am very excited to build this car. 👍

I will do a short test soon, but these are some of the data I gathered : US M4 F82, Car & Driver test weight 1600+kg, 52.x weight at front, close to 480PS power based on dyno at the wheel power at 420+HP , gear ratios needs correction as GT6 is wrong ( may include 6 speed too ), carbon drive shaft, 100% lock M Active Differential ( aggressive lsd ), stock/oem spring rate not possible ( front is very low and high rear - similar to 1M and E92 M3 ), will use special coilover setup Alignment should be easy and damper/ARB tuning will be done at Tsukuba, Suzuka and Midfield, probably 3 or 5 laps each. I'm guessing at least 1:03s lap at Tsukuba and 2:20s at Suzuka based on hp and weight. This will be on CS.


The coilover it will be based on is special , recently used.