THE LARGEST BMW 2-SERIES FORUM ON THE PLANET
2Addicts
2Addicts
BMW Garage BMW Meets Register Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read
2Addicts | BMW 2-Series forum Technical Topics Tracking / Autocrossing Is 230i decent for autocross and rallycross?

Post Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
      11-02-2021, 07:40 PM   #1
35etrgsd
New Member
2
Rep
24
Posts

Drives: 21 330e
Join Date: Aug 2021
Location: nc

iTrader: (0)

Is 230i decent for autocross and rallycross?

Is 230i decent for autocross and rallycross? Or should I look at other cars?

I used to autocross with a Subaru BRZ/WRX STI and did a few rallycross before stopping 3 years ago and I'm want to get back into it with a dedicated auto/rallycross. I told myself 3 years ago that I'd get a Miata or something if I were to come back to the cross world but I like the 2 series.

Thanks for the feedback.
__________________
'21 330e (blue)
Appreciate 0
      11-03-2021, 08:25 PM   #2
35etrgsd
New Member
2
Rep
24
Posts

Drives: 21 330e
Join Date: Aug 2021
Location: nc

iTrader: (0)

dradernh and msendit

I'm myself in the market for a new car. I've done ~20 autocross events and 3 rallycross events and I'm looking to get back into them.

Base on your expertise, does it make sense to build a car over time to do both motorsport? Whether it be a 230i or any other car and if you can list the car(s).
__________________
'21 330e (blue)
Appreciate 0
      11-04-2021, 05:07 AM   #3
dradernh
Brigadier General
dradernh's Avatar
4179
Rep
3,472
Posts

Drives: 2017 M240i
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Ohio

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by 35etrgsd View Post
dradernh and msendit

I'm myself in the market for a new car. I've done ~20 autocross events and 3 rallycross events and I'm looking to get back into them.

Base on your expertise, does it make sense to build a car over time to do both motorsport? Whether it be a 230i or any other car and if you can list the car(s).
I'm afraid I know so little about rallycross that I can't offer a useful opinion.

I've done little in the way of autocrossing, just a couple of Evo School events and one actual autocross event. The one thing I did come away with was that a car that is easily turned is one that's going to be quite a bit more fun to compete with. I don't think of our cars as being among those that are easy to turn at speed; they're just too heavy to be nimble.

However, if a 230 is what an owner has, then he or she will still find a way to have fun. After all, the main idea is to get the car out onto the racing surface and drive it to its limits.

Most of us build a car over time because that's what we can afford to do. I think there's another reason to do that, too: as you learn more about your car, the sport, and what you want out of both, you might make more appropriate modifications than if you made them all at once at the beginning. Lots of owners have had to re-do modifications after discovering that one or more of them that they'd made didn't really suit them, the car, or the particular type of competition they regularly entered.

OTOH, if you or a shop you use already know pretty much everything you need to know to go racing, and you can afford it, then I'd suggest that building the car all at once makes more sense.
__________________
2017 M240i: 23.6K, MT, Sunroof Delete, 3,432#, EB, Leather, Driving Assistance Package, Heated Front Seats | Sold: E12 530i, E24 M635CSi, E39 520i, E30 325is, E36 M3 (2)
TC Kline Coilovers; H&R Front Bar; Wavetrac; Al Subframe Bushings; 18X9/9½ ARC-8s; 255/35-18 PS4S (4); Dinan Elite V2 & CAI; MPerf Orange BBK; Schroth Quick Fit Pro;
GTechniq Crystal Serum Ultra Ceramic; Suntek PPF
Appreciate 1
      11-04-2021, 08:41 AM   #4
MarcoZandrini
Major
United_States
439
Rep
1,251
Posts

Drives: 2018 M240i
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: Virginia

iTrader: (0)

The 230i is a more nimble car than the M240i. The latter is a bit nose heavy.
Appreciate 2
      11-04-2021, 03:32 PM   #5
35etrgsd
New Member
2
Rep
24
Posts

Drives: 21 330e
Join Date: Aug 2021
Location: nc

iTrader: (0)

Thanks for everyone's feedback, much appreciate it.
__________________
'21 330e (blue)
Appreciate 0
      11-04-2021, 11:54 PM   #6
230iZTR
Lieutenant
230iZTR's Avatar
316
Rep
442
Posts

Drives: Signal Orange wrapped 230i THP
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Reno, NV

iTrader: (0)

Really depends on what you mean by "decent at autocrosss." In a practical sense, its a fun as hell car to sling around cones. I autocross mine and absolutely love it. It did need a few mods to really wake it up (especially camber plates and stiffer springs).

But you're definitely not going to win a national championship in it with the way SCCA classes it. With minimal modification its in D-Street, a category utterly dominated by the Civic Type R. With some of the more typical modifications, its in Street Touring Ultra where you're way down on power/weight and severely tire-limited by narrow fenders compared to class leaders like the E9X M3, Evo IX, WRX STI, and 350Z.

If you want to win at autocross in a BMW, get an M2 Competition for B-Street or an E9X M3 for F-Street or STU. If you want a great car that's classed well, a C5 or C6 Z06 is going to be hard to beat in A-Street, and I suspect that a new 2022 BRZ or GR86 is going to punch so far above its specs in STX.

I don't know too much about rallycross. Looks pretty fun, but I'd be hesitant to do it in my car because its also my daily driver, and it looks like a car as heavy as the 2er would sink right into the mud.
__________________
17x9 APEX Arc8-R, 255/40/17 RE71Rs, Vorshlag Plates, Swift Spec-R Springs, m-Performance Bumpstops, Dinan ShockWare, Paragon 2-piece rotors, Carbon lip, FTP Intake and Charge pipe, BootMod3 Stage 1 OTS
Appreciate 3
Post Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:28 AM.




2addicts
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
1Addicts.com, BIMMERPOST.com, E90Post.com, F30Post.com, M3Post.com, ZPost.com, 5Post.com, 6Post.com, 7Post.com, XBimmers.com logo and trademark are properties of BIMMERPOST