How we turned our broken high mileage F80 M3 into a track monster!

[R44 Performance]

The F8X generation BMW M3 & M4 is getting on a bit in age & with age, has come depreciation. If you open up AutoTrader, you can find many high-mileage examples at very attractive prices but you don’t dare pull the trigger because of the thrashed drivetrain & deferred maintenance that lay behind the low price tag.

It’s a shame because these S55-powered BMWs have the potential to be very reliable when looked after & maintained thoroughly. We put together a reliability guide for the S55 engine here in case you are curious: https://r44performance.com/blogs/r44...ance-servicing

You see an F80 M3 with 120,000 miles on the clock for under $30,000 and already start imagining the thousands of dollars leaving your pocket to get it up to scratch.

However, when we saw our 2014 F80 M3 for sale at only £20,000 ($25,000), the only thing we thought was… yes please. What could go wrong? Well, quite a lot it turns out.




Straight after collection our director, Rhys, took the car on the NC500 - a 500-mile road trip around the north coast of Scotland, here in the UK. The car made the trip absolutely fine and we thought we had bought a gem. As we planned to do some development with this car, we got to work on the maintenance & installed an MMR crank hub kit. We’ve supplied many of these kits & haven’t heard a single customer car spinning the hub. Although a spun crank hub has affected less than 5% of S55 engines worldwide, we wanted to be on the safe side & get it sorted before any tuning began.


https://r44performance.com/products/...k&_ss=e&_v=1.0

Unfortunately, shortly after installing this upgrade, the charge cooler let go. The engine ingested some water which caused a lot of internal damage. We needed a whole new S55 engine. This is why we always recommend replacing the cheap plastic OEM charge cooler with a higher-quality aftermarket item. We now run the CSF S55 charge cooler which is billet aluminium - not only is this far more reliable but it also improves cooling massively.



Here’s the CSF S55 charge cooler we run: https://r44performance.com/products/...e&_ss=e&_v=1.0

Our good friend Tom (the man behind our 1000bhp G80 M3) fortunately had a low mileage S55 doner engine from an F87 M2 Competition. He swapped the crank hub over & dropped the new engine in for us along with a DCT service & replacement flywheel.

This was quite a significant expense & completely wiped out the savings we’d made by buying a higher mileage example. 80,000 miles didn’t seem too high to us but it’s obvious the car had seen some pretty hard use & was very tired overall.

With a new low-mileage motor now in the car, we made a start on the performance upgrades.

In terms of bolt-ons, the car’s running the full CSF cooling package, including the heat exchanger, charge cooler, DCT oil cooler & engine oil cooler. We’re running an Active Autowerke equal-length midpipe which sounds incredible. The sound difference with an equal length on the S55 is crazy - far more high-pitched & less rasp. This is paired up with catless downpipes which provide the flow we needed for the Tom Wrigley 700 hybrid turbos.



The car runs around 650 bhp at the crank - all the power we need for a track car. Tom Wrigley Performance took care of all the software using MHD.

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/vGaLJkuf6LE?si=nLO9tde5KKuSH7KH

With the engine & drivetrain now 10/10, the track mods began. We threw away the OEM discs & pads for the EBC 2-piece floating brake discs all around & EBC RP-X pads. These pads are only for track use - perfect for what we were after.



https://youtu.be/sf-uF4euArs?si=84ux_mwryxz8_x_4

The next stage of the project was to install Nitron R3 coilover suspension, an SW Motorsports half roll cage, 2x Tillett carbon fibre racing seats, Schroth harnesses, a SHFT LED steering wheel in carbon fibre & Alcantara + the new MHC LDN pre-preg carbon styling kit.





What’s the catch? We only had 4 hours until the car was due to be showcased at Petrolheadonism underground which meant we were really against the clock.



https://youtu.be/m19XCUfJ4Eo?si=OwU81l2pscJY6L6L

Since the show, we’ve made a few minor adjustments including all F8X upgrades from suspension secrets. This includes solid control arm bushes, adjustable drop links, camber arms, traction arms & toe arms. The guys at Suspension Secrets gave us the perfect track-spec suspension setup along with a much-needed alignment.





A lot has happened with our F80, looking back. We wanted to give you a full breakdown of the project since we get a lot of questions & enquiries about the mods we’re running. We have lots of customers asking us for the ‘Rhys-spec’ which always makes us smile.

All parts on this car are available on our website: https://r44performance.com/collectio...-modifications

We can ship worldwide at excellent rates. If you’re looking to modify your F80/F82 or any BMW, feel free to send us a message!

Thanks for reading and feel free to comment on any experiences you have buying a high mileage BMW. Did you get burned like us?

[ShopVac]

Originally Posted by R44 Performance

Straight after collection our director, Rhys, took the car on the NC500 - a 500-mile road trip around the north coast of Scotland, here in the UK.

Oddly, was going to ask if this car was ever up in Scotland - I swear I was driving behind it. Near the bridge to the Isle of Skye if I recall where I saw it, but was all over the northern coast - so can't fully recall where it was. Now I wish I would have taken a pic.

EDIT: Apparently, your car didn't hit a cool factor like this guys M diesel.

[M3SQRD]

A good mixture of performance parts except for the CSF TMIC! Should provide many years of enjoyment on track with proactive maintenance. Curious to hear how the EBC 2-piece rotors, and pads (I’d never consider EBC for track pads), handle track braking extremes.

[Topcarbon]

do you have a better photo of those seats? perhaps a link to who/where sells them

[1heckinboi]

How cruel luck with the motor bombing itself with the charge cooler after having the hub done lol

[R44 Performance]

It was time for some more modifications on our BMW F80 M3 track car and we thought we’d share them with you…



Our F80 is already setup for track but we’ve been desperate to add some final touches.



First off, the SW Motorsport rear seat delete kit is something we have been meaning to do since we installed the SW Motorsport half roll cage. It looks far better than the exposed floor and finishes the interior off nicely.

SHOP YOUR OWN https://r44performance.com/products/...+&_ss=e&_v=1.0

Our main reason for installing this mod was, firstly to ensure complete cleanliness in the back of the F80 after removing the rear seats, but also for noise reasons. We drive our cars to the track, around the track and back home so it was important that the car was still pleasant to use on longer journeys.




SHOP YOUR OWN https://r44performance.com/products/...p&_ss=e&_v=1.0

Next up, we installed the JQ Werks Madtrace racing steering wheel system + the driving dynamic control module to give me full access to configure the free to use buttons. In my case, I chose to use the traction button and gearbox adjustment button on the wheel to make everything easy to adjust while live on track.




SHOP HERE https://r44performance.com/products/...l&_ss=e&_v=1.0




The final detail on the F80 was a custom front tow hook cover. This is so we have access to our tow strap at all times without having to mess around with removing the cover. If you are looking for an off the shelf solution then the iND painted tow hook covers is the option for you

SHOP HERE https://r44performance.com/products/...r&_ss=e&_v=1.0

SHOP HERE https://r44performance.com/products/...p&_ss=e&_v=1.0





Let us know your thoughts on the build and what you think we should do next!

[R44 Performance]

https://youtu.be/ivhBgWVttdY?si=_87BuMccCA5fXEYH

[R44 Performance]

Originally Posted by R44 Performance

Attachment 3368449

The F8X generation BMW M3 & M4 is getting on a bit in age & with age, has come depreciation. If you open up AutoTrader, you can find many high-mileage examples at very attractive prices but you don’t dare pull the trigger because of the thrashed drivetrain & deferred maintenance that lay behind the low price tag.

It’s a shame because these S55-powered BMWs have the potential to be very reliable when looked after & maintained thoroughly. We put together a reliability guide for the S55 engine here in case you are curious: https://r44performance.com/blogs/r44...ance-servicing

You see an F80 M3 with 120,000 miles on the clock for under $30,000 and already start imagining the thousands of dollars leaving your pocket to get it up to scratch.

However, when we saw our 2014 F80 M3 for sale at only £20,000 ($25,000), the only thing we thought was… yes please. What could go wrong? Well, quite a lot it turns out.

Attachment 3368451
Attachment 3368450

Straight after collection our director, Rhys, took the car on the NC500 - a 500-mile road trip around the north coast of Scotland, here in the UK. The car made the trip absolutely fine and we thought we had bought a gem. As we planned to do some development with this car, we got to work on the maintenance & installed an MMR crank hub kit. We’ve supplied many of these kits & haven’t heard a single customer car spinning the hub. Although a spun crank hub has affected less than 5% of S55 engines worldwide, we wanted to be on the safe side & get it sorted before any tuning began.

Attachment 3368458
https://r44performance.com/products/...k&_ss=e&_v=1.0

Unfortunately, shortly after installing this upgrade, the charge cooler let go. The engine ingested some water which caused a lot of internal damage. We needed a whole new S55 engine. This is why we always recommend replacing the cheap plastic OEM charge cooler with a higher-quality aftermarket item. We now run the CSF S55 charge cooler which is billet aluminium - not only is this far more reliable but it also improves cooling massively.

Attachment 3368461

Here’s the CSF S55 charge cooler we run: https://r44performance.com/products/...e&_ss=e&_v=1.0

Our good friend Tom (the man behind our 1000bhp G80 M3) fortunately had a low mileage S55 doner engine from an F87 M2 Competition. He swapped the crank hub over & dropped the new engine in for us along with a DCT service & replacement flywheel.

This was quite a significant expense & completely wiped out the savings we’d made by buying a higher mileage example. 80,000 miles didn’t seem too high to us but it’s obvious the car had seen some pretty hard use & was very tired overall.

With a new low-mileage motor now in the car, we made a start on the performance upgrades.

In terms of bolt-ons, the car’s running the full CSF cooling package, including the heat exchanger, charge cooler, DCT oil cooler & engine oil cooler. We’re running an Active Autowerke equal-length midpipe which sounds incredible. The sound difference with an equal length on the S55 is crazy - far more high-pitched & less rasp. This is paired up with catless downpipes which provide the flow we needed for the Tom Wrigley 700 hybrid turbos.

Attachment 3368463

The car runs around 650 bhp at the crank - all the power we need for a track car. Tom Wrigley Performance took care of all the software using MHD.

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/vGaLJkuf6LE?si=nLO9tde5KKuSH7KH

With the engine & drivetrain now 10/10, the track mods began. We threw away the OEM discs & pads for the EBC 2-piece floating brake discs all around & EBC RP-X pads. These pads are only for track use - perfect for what we were after.

Attachment 3368466

https://youtu.be/sf-uF4euArs?si=84ux_mwryxz8_x_4

The next stage of the project was to install Nitron R3 coilover suspension, an SW Motorsports half roll cage, 2x Tillett carbon fibre racing seats, Schroth harnesses, a SHFT LED steering wheel in carbon fibre & Alcantara + the new MHC LDN pre-preg carbon styling kit.

Attachment 3368469
Attachment 3368471
Attachment 3368470

What’s the catch? We only had 4 hours until the car was due to be showcased at Petrolheadonism underground which meant we were really against the clock.

Attachment 3368472

https://youtu.be/m19XCUfJ4Eo?si=OwU81l2pscJY6L6L

Since the show, we’ve made a few minor adjustments including all F8X upgrades from suspension secrets. This includes solid control arm bushes, adjustable drop links, camber arms, traction arms & toe arms. The guys at Suspension Secrets gave us the perfect track-spec suspension setup along with a much-needed alignment.

Attachment 3368486
Attachment 3368487
Attachment 3368488

A lot has happened with our F80, looking back. We wanted to give you a full breakdown of the project since we get a lot of questions & enquiries about the mods we’re running. We have lots of customers asking us for the ‘Rhys-spec’ which always makes us smile.

All parts on this car are available on our website: https://r44performance.com/collectio...-modifications

We can ship worldwide at excellent rates. If you’re looking to modify your F80/F82 or any BMW, feel free to send us a message!

Thanks for reading and feel free to comment on any experiences you have buying a high mileage BMW. Did you get burned like us?

As many of you will have seen, we recently installed EBC’s 6-piston Apollo big brake kit to our F80 M3 track car. We wanted to share a bit of info about the product & our experience fitting it to the car.



If you prefer to watch the install, check out our video here: https://youtu.be/mSgj01HkLd4

We were previously running EBC’s 2-piece discs and RPX pads at the front which have been phenomenal over the past year or so and countless trackdays. However, with our car being 10 years old now with around 90,000 miles on the clock, the OEM brake calipers were looking a bit worse for wear and were definitely in need of a refresh.

After doing some research, we found that EBC’s big brake upgrade for the F80 M3 is very comparable in price to buying OEM BMW replacement calipers and new discs. This made making the upgrade a no-brainer for us.

What’s included?



EBC Racing 6-piston brake calipers
380mm 2-piece front brake discs
Stainless steel brake lines
EBC Racing brake fluid
Bluestuff front brake pads (standard)



We give you the option to upgrade to RP-X front brake pads for the racetrack. If your car has a more fast-road application, we recommend sticking with the Bluestuff pads which are still qute a tough compound.

As our F80 M3 is used exclusively as a track car, we opted for the RP-X brake pads to replace our current ones that were very worn. A great benefit of EBC’s big brake kit is that it works with all standard size EBC F80 M3 brake pads.

EBC’s lightweight-yet-strong aluminium 6-piston brake caliper
Two-piece bolted design that incorporates high-tensile 12.9-grade steel bolts for reinforcement of the caliper bridge section (computer FEA analysis shows that this offers significant improvements in caliper stiffness compared to a monobloc design)

Machined from heat-treated low-pressure castings (this offers a noticeable performance advantage over conventional gravity cast calipers, exhibiting higher overall strength and a comparable caliper body stiffness to forging)
High-temperature fluid seals coupled with full boot-type dust seals give maximum protection against road grime and debris

Lightweight, hard-anodised aluminium staggered pistons with serrated/castellated piston noses that reduce heat transfer into the braking hydraulics.

Every single brake caliper pressure tested to 2,500psi
Full stainless-steel hardware and fittings, providing durability and longevity – this caliper will never rust.

Uses standard pad shapes, giving choice when selecting brake pads
Rather than a powder-coated finish, all Apollo calipers use an advanced high-temperature Teflon™ polyester coating process to ensure they look great for much longer. Currently available in Stealth Black, Storm Shadow Blue, Luminous Yellow and Racing Red



We opted for the Luminous Yellow colourway to match the yellow ceramic brake calipers on our Porsche 911 GT3 RS. Both cars are already white with a white roll cage and red harnesses so mathcing the brake calipers is the perfect final touch. Unfortunately, the colours don’t match perfectly so we’ll most likely repaint the EBC calipers in the exact same Porsche colour code down the line.
We’re looking to take the car out on track in the near future and will update the thread with our thoughts on how the EBC big brake kit performed.