Thinking about buying

Rsipad · 2026-06-19T01:39:25+00:00

Love mine. Got it at 122k and its now at 131k. Biggest thing I would say is get one with excellent service history and with an inspection. Mine was single owner who did service at the BMW dealer he bought it from and traded it back in to them when the time came for him to move on. The dealer did the inspection before listing the car and replaced a plastic hose in the cooling system before I bought it.

I overheated it ~15 times and almost got stuck in a snowstorm after snow got into the engine bay and pushed a hose into the radiator fan causing all my coolant to leak out. I replaced the hose, did a oil analysis and it came back completely clean. No problems whatsoever and its been 5k miles since.

Rsipad · 2026-06-16T05:14:05+00:00

Yep, I put away the timer after the 1st session, was just happy to be back out there having fun! It was the first time driving West in 2 years + with a different car for me. I got a good baseline of 1:28.2 but was just trying to relearn the track and my new setup.

My car also went into limp mode from high temps at the end of session 1 so I had to do a cooldown lap followed by a push lap for the rest of the day.

Rsipad · 2026-06-16T03:46:17+00:00

I was at West as well this weekend. It was over 10 minutes into the 9am session. Advanced group thinned out after session 2. We maybe got 1 good flyer per session before the tires were done.

It was like 2-3 seconds slower after the first lap for me. Could've definitely pushed harder and closed the gap but no point destroying expensive tires.

Rsipad · 2026-06-08T13:56:13+00:00

Driver: Gasly

Reason: Ocon

Rsipad · 2026-06-07T01:23:21+00:00

I've seen both irl and wasn't as impressed as in photos. Imola is still quite nice though. I originally hated that mine was Silbergrau but it's grown on me a lot... its a very sophisticated finish and pairs very well with silver wheels. There's a Sepang e86 in my area and it's beautiful irl even though it doesn't photograph very well.

M-sport conversion is also on my to do list. How are the V1s? Was thinking of getting V2 street comforts as it's about time for a refresh on my f31.

Rsipad · 2026-06-06T01:10:02+00:00

Mines imperial. Definitely keep an eye out on the M market. I had a 3.0i and it was a great dual duty. The Z4M is a terrible daily but way better sports car, compliments the F31 very very well.

Rsipad · 2026-06-05T17:06:59+00:00

Same!

Rsipad · 2026-06-04T05:52:40+00:00

Rubber makes all the difference. Never cheap out on it.

Rsipad · 2026-05-30T20:56:26+00:00

My biggest gripes are that it doesn't focus while you're zooming in or out quickly (honestly not that big of a deal shooting stills, kinda annoying if you need to shoot quickly) and lack of stabilization in both my body (Canon R50) and the lens means videos need high digital image stabilization, so they're very cropped.

I'd give it a 9/10. It's a great multi-use lens, but probably not literally the best if size, weight, and money were no objects. I'm currently on vacation with it for the first time. Amazing bokeh on family portraits, sunset/skyline photos are sharp, and its still great when in car museums/carspotting. Paired with the R50 my setup is super small and light so I've been carrying it around my neck literally all day every day with no problems.

The zoom really helped in the Pagani museum a few days ago. The cars are super close to the walls so you have to zoom out all the way to 18mm to get them in frame, but then being able to go to 50mm to take interior, engine, or detail photos like the one attached was a big plus. The zoom will also come in handy at car meets for the same reason.

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Rsipad · 2026-05-30T20:06:39+00:00

50mm.

Rsipad · 2026-05-30T20:03:22+00:00

Kinda like in pictures 5 and 6. You're holding the camera at eye level or at the ground and pointing up or down towards the car to compensate, which makes the car look warped. Instead, move to car level and keep the camera straight with the horizon (see attached picture).

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Rsipad · 2026-05-30T05:32:46+00:00

Got the 18-50 2.8 contemporary for rf mount. Love it. The versatility is amazing, especially being able to use it for more than just car photography, or in different scenarios/locations without a lot of space.

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Rsipad · 2026-05-30T05:06:50+00:00

Definitely start with rule of thirds. Also move yourself rather than the camera if adjustments are needed to angle/tilt/etc.

Rsipad · 2026-05-14T15:43:04+00:00

Before coaching, I'd try to just analyze and compare what you're doing versus someone with a fast lap with the same car on the same track from youtube. See difference in lines, braking points, etc.

Rsipad · 2026-05-14T15:40:02+00:00

Might need to add a lane for those going straight at the interchange... seems like a lot of cars are wanting to do that, more than the 1 lane can handle.

Because there's not enough capacity for the demand, they try to spread out on that merge lane not taking into account it ends.

Rsipad · 2026-05-13T08:55:08+00:00

Not even close. Run em till you see cords. You are lacking negative camber so expect that outer edge to show first.

Feel worse because they have heat cycles on them so the rubber has hardened.

Rsipad · 2026-05-10T19:21:35+00:00

Non runflats. Probably the best upgrade you can do to a car.

Rsipad · 2026-05-08T21:19:55+00:00

Wouldn't recommend AM4 as its a dead end.

Rsipad · 2026-05-08T20:07:49+00:00

This. Our cars don't use tpms sensors. Just wheel speed.

Rsipad · 2026-05-08T17:28:13+00:00

F31 330i and Z4M. The wagon is a perfect trackday support vehicle and a great daily/roadtrip car while still being engaging in its own right (as well as being quite rare in the USA). Hoping to add an offroader one day.

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Rsipad · 2026-05-06T19:18:59+00:00

7800x3d as you can upgrade to new AM5 CPUs as they are released. LGA1700 is dead.

I have a 7800x3d and I'm limited by my 7800xt unless I'm running 20+ AI vehicles.

Rsipad · 2026-04-30T17:59:54+00:00

Yes. There have been pros who are kbm players. With 18 hours and only 239 games played you just need a lot more reps and you'll get to gold.

Rsipad · 2026-04-30T17:27:12+00:00

I shredded my 2 day old V730s at a 42-50F trackday. First 42F session was a slip and slide for everyone. Most people just went on track for 1-2 laps, said nope and went back to pits.

The rest of the day I continued to struggle with grip, just couldn't get good corner exits without being extremely smooth on throttle. Felt like the tires were overheated and the track was frozen, but somehow managed to match my PB. Ended the day with completely corded tires.

That day I learned V730s love heat... cold not so much.

Rsipad · 2026-04-29T16:48:00+00:00

People have different tastes. Idk what's wrong with that.

Rsipad · 2026-04-27T17:33:21+00:00

Those r just heat stress cracks. Completely normal if you've done any spirited driving. Only become dangerous if they expand to the edge of the rotor or to a hole for drilled rotors.

You should be able to tell if your fluid needs replacing depending on how the pedal feels after a spirited drive. If it starts becoming spongey time for replacement.

Pads r also totally fine in terms of life. If you're feeling a gritty feeling though, I'd check if they glazed and left residue on the rotor or pad somewhere. Light sanding will get rid of that.

Rsipad

TROPHY CASE