[acslater]

My Lotus has been in the shop since mid-November, and I've had a hankering for some seat time, so I figured I'd take out my 228i M-Sport (non-track pack) for some sessions. And since there aren't any track videos of the 228i, I'll give my thoughts on the car, which is bone stock except for Bridgestone RE-71R tires.

First things first, for a frame of reference my best time at Laguna is 1:43.5 in my Lotus Exige S with a passenger and a supertrapp on the exhaust. I'm fairly certain that unencumbered I would be in the low 1:42s on R888 rubber. My best time today with the 228i (the first day I've had it out on track) was a 1:48.8, which really isn't too bad! With some more seat time, I think I could get that down into the 1:46s, but not much past that without modifying the car. Honestly, this is pretty impressive for an entry-level coupe, and is a testament to BMW's competence. The car is relatively quick and very difficult to unsettle - even with DSC completely turned off, which I also recommend; the last thing you need when your car has no power is for the ECU to pull what little power you have! I can honestly say this is a fantastic beginners car for the track, too. It handles pretty well, the balance is decent, and it doesn't have enough power to really get you into trouble. Lacking power also means you have to learn to carry speed through corners, which of course is the most fun part about being on a track.

The largest complaint I have is that the electric steering is just terrible. Its light and numb, and if this is what BMW has in mind for an ideal steering feel, they are just plain wrong. Granted, I'm comparing the steering of a 2-series with that of a Lotus, which arguably has the best steering feel of any car around, but it took me several sessions to really start to pick up on feedback for what the car was doing. Seriously, F&*% electric steering.

Power: This car needs more. I've heard that arguments for the 228i over the M235i, saying that the balance and the lower curb weight make up for the lack of power, and its bullsh*t. This car feels like it needs at least a 15-20% bump in power to really be fun. The good news is that a simple tune can get you a really sizable power increase.

Suspension: Too soft, too much body roll. Again, I'm comparing to my Lotus with Nitron 3-ways, but when you trade control for compliance, what else do you expect? It's not too bad, all things considered. I wouldn't suggest getting the track pack for the firmer active suspension, either. Talk to Aleks over at Alekshop in Fremont, CA and get a legitimate set of coil overs, and you're all set.

Brakes: My only complaint with the brakes is pedal feel and overheating. I went out on stock pads, and my car doesn't have the M Sport brake package. At ideal temps, the braking abilities were good; trailbraking all day was super easy, too. But the pedal is mushy and I constantly fought with brake fade. The M-Sport brake package or some larger Brembos, along with better pads (Carbotech or Endless) and better fluid (Endless RF-650 is what I run in the Lotus - AWESOME stuff), and braided stainless lines would be the way to go here. It's not rocket science....

Tires: The Bridgestone RE-71Rs are fantastic. They played a large role in the car's performance all day, and I would absolutely recommend them in a second - in fact, I'm planning to put some on my Lotus when my R888s are done. Bridgestone knocked it out of the park on this one.

Overall, I felt like I could put the car where I wanted it most of the day (and not just because of the tires!). It was difficult at times to make the car rotate, and it needs more power. The weak throttle response makes it tough to throttle steer, and the car felt like it was lugging up-hill (which is basically the entire track). But ultimately, the most important thing is that this car is fun, and for less than $40k I'd say BMW did a bang-up job. For a relatively modest investment in a handful of modifications, this could be a really good track car. I don't see why a decent driver couldn't run in the sub-1:45 range with the mods I listed above - I came away from today feeling like I may want to do just that.

[JasonPetrie]

nice write up.

[uberspeed]

Appreciate the detailed report and contrasting it to your Lotus provides a great reference point.

[acslater]

Thanks folks, I honestly had no idea what to expect from it on track because there really aren't ANY track videos of the 228i, so hopefully this helps someone out!

[BarryJI]

What are those tires? The run-flats that come with the non-THP-equipped car? Surely you are not running it on the track with run-flats…

You are right about both the small power deficiency and the suspension. Both issues can be resolved; my Dinan Shockware mod dialed out all the mush, giving the car a much livelier suspension and their Stage 1 tune adds a lot of power and remaps both mixture and boost. Without a tune the 228i is a quick small luxury coupe; with a good one it's a Jeckyll and Hyde sports coupe with tons of torque. You are right also about the steering; nothing to be done about that.

[acslater]

Originally Posted by BarryJI

What are those tires? The run-flats that come with the non-THP-equipped car? Surely you are not running it on the track with run-flats…

You are right about both the small power deficiency and the suspension. Both issues can be resolved; my Dinan Shockware mod dialed out all the mush, giving the car a much livelier suspension and their Stage 1 tune adds a lot of power and remaps both mixture and boost. Without a tune the 228i is a quick small luxury coupe; with a good one it's a Jeckyll and Hyde sports coupe with tons of torque. You are right also about the steering; nothing to be done about that.

No, Bridgestone's RE-71R is their new performance tire. I highly recommend it. I wouldn't go out on track in run flats lmao

[MichaelL]

Nice write up and a good read. I haven't taken my 228i to the track yet, but I agree on the steering. It just isn't good, has no feel. Biggest flaw in an otherwise excellent car. Cmon BMW fix it already! How about some new software for current owners? You can do better....

[acslater]

Originally Posted by MichaelL

Nice write up and a good read. I haven't taken my 228i to the track yet, but I agree on the steering. It just isn't good, has no feel. Biggest flaw in an otherwise excellent car. Cmon BMW fix it already! How about some new software for current owners? You can do better....

Thanks, yea if they could just add some weight to the steering it would make a difference. The one major oversight on my part in the write up was that I didn't talk about the transmission, which is excellent for a traditional auto. My only issue with it was I couldn't hear the engine to determine my shift points!!

[SteveInfante]

Originally Posted by BarryJI

What are those tires? The run-flats that come with the non-THP-equipped car? Surely you are not running it on the track with run-flats…

I did at Hockenheimring......was I not supposed to do that? LOL.

https://youtu.be/AaudZ-JYrRU

I did 5 laps before the end of the session. I did 1 session before someone crashed on a motorcycle and died. It was during the heat wave this past summer and was over 100 degrees out. We called it and left to McDonald's.

[acslater]

Originally Posted by SteveInfante

I did at Hockenheimring......was I not supposed to do that? LOL.

https://youtu.be/AaudZ-JYrRU

I did 5 laps before the end of the session. I did 1 session before someone crashed on a motorcycle and died. It was during the heat wave this past summer and was over 100 degrees out. We called it and left to McDonald's.

It's not that big of a deal, but they don't make good track tires and they're heavy

[SteveInfante]

Originally Posted by acslater

It's not that big of a deal, but they don't make good track tires and they're heavy

I know. I was kidding about not knowing. it was still fun.

[rich8566]

Originally Posted by acslater

.

Which data acquisition system are you using? For track days I've been using the BMW M-Lap Timer app in my 235i

[acslater]

Originally Posted by rich8566

Which data acquisition system are you using? For track days I've been using the BMW MSport app in my 235i

I have an AiM Solo DL, but I've also used Harry's Laptimer in the past

[rich8566]

Originally Posted by acslater

I have an AiM Solo DL, but I've also used Harry's Laptimer in the past

Do you recommend the AIM Solo or would you buy a different one if you could do it all over again?

[acslater]

Originally Posted by rich8566

Do you recommend the AIM Solo or would you buy a different one if you could do it all over again?

It depends on where you're at and what you want out of data, the Aim is awesome if you're ready to really analyze inconsistencies in your laps etc but it's expensive, Harry's is super cheap and a good app, too. You can superimpose data on video using dash ware from a wide variety of sources, so the aim isn't necessary for that

[acslater]

To give you an idea where data helps, the first time I used a Solo was out at Thunderhill (running 3-mile bypass) In November in the Lotus. I was stuck with my times in the 2:04 range, and I felt like there wasn't anywhere I could pick up time, but my best virtual lap was 2:02 (which tells you I was inconsistent in different sectors). So looking at my laps and seeing where I was losing time or gaining it, and comparing variations in my line while looking at the traction circle, etc. and making adjustments on track got me down to a 2:02.5 in just one day. You can do that with Harry's but you would have to do all of the analysis in excel ad-hoc, which isn't very convenient. The Solo gives you the means to do it quickly between sessions

[kindofblue]

Thanks for the video and write up. A newbie question: Are ragtops allowed on the track at Laguna Seca? We'll be ordering a '17 228i for a Sept delivery in Munchen.

[acslater]

Originally Posted by kindofblue

Thanks for the video and write up. A newbie question: Are ragtops allowed on the track at Laguna Seca? We'll be ordering a '17 228i for a Sept delivery in Munchen.

It depends on the group you run with, but generally they just require that a vert has rollover protection or pop-up protection (e.g., BMWs ROPS system) so, you're good to go.