F82 M4 GTMore

M4 Track Car For Sale
Our F82 GTMore is now for sale. The perfect gift for that certain track junkie in your life.
Inquire with Phil Wurz, [email protected]

Intro 

BMW competed in international racing with the F82 M4 in the FIA/SRO/IMSA GT4 class. We were among the first US teams to receive the GT4 and promptly put it on the podium. As a Customer Car from BMW Motorsport it's an outstanding machine. But in motorsport with multiple types of cars there are compromises to level the playing field for everyone (aka Balance of Performance). In the case of the M4 GT4 that handicap comes mainly in the form of a power restriction. There are five allowed power levels for the M4 when it competes in GT4 trim. When allowed, the highest level is about the same as a stock M4 GTS - 500hp. Looks can be deceiving but our racy GT4 is often slower in a straight line than our tuned street cars. The Porsches have to keep up somehow. 

So that led to the question, "What can a GT4 do if it was un-leashed? How much faster can we make a street M4 than our GT4 race car?" 

 


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The Car 

Our subject is a 2015 F82 M4 in Mineral Grey with DCT and Carbon-Ceramic Brakes. The car was completely stock when we received it and had covered just 53,000 miles. First stop was the workshop where it got a complete fluid change to Red Line Oil and then onto the dyno (421whp, 415wft-lbs). 
  


M4 Aero Upgrade, Part 1 - The Wing 

You won't get anywhere these days without big aero. The GT4 has a modest but functional rear wing, dictated by aero parity with other competitors in an international GT4 series. Without these restraints our only considerations were functionality and, frankly, aesthetics. Anyone can plop a super-sized wing on their car and look racy. That's never been our approach. This is a bespoke, chassis-specific, and dedicated race wing for the F82 coupe profile. Also as a fresh sheet design we took advantage of the swan-neck configuration to maximize efficiency and surface area. 

The swan-neck mounting minimizes obstruction and drag on the underside of the wing and takes up less real estate overall than traditional pedestal uprights. This wing comes as a complete kit which is a direct bolt-on for F82 coupe models (unlike generic elements that require hours to make both legal and functional, or unattractive adaptor blocks). Additionally, using a proven motorsport airfoil profile modified for our specific application, the efficiency is much higher than production-based spoilers including Lightweight/Motorsport reproductions and the Chinese replicas of Corvette wings with upturned, drag-inducing ends. 

We made this as a complete kit for a standard F82 trunklid as well as an upgrade for GT4 models that no longer need the homologated wing. 


M4 Aero Upgrade, Part 2 - The Splitter 

Any rear wing must be balanced with a front splitter and we stepped up our game for the GTMore. Again, the GT4 is rules-restricted on the shape and size of  the front splitter. We had to go bigger. 

The GT4 splitter follows the contours of the front bumper (per series rules). Which means it gives up surface area at the outside edges. An un-restricted design would have more surface area as the profile would be consistent across the entire front edge. That's a given on any motorsport splitter. The GTMore splitter is not hugely deeper at the center point of the car (only about an inch) but it maintains that leading edge across its whole width - at the outer edge it's about 3.5" deeper than the GT4 piece. 

The shape of this splitter is where the true magic happens - and where our aero expertise is tangible. This splitter is not to be dismissed as just another flat piece of carbon. There are plenty of "undertray" splitters out there for less money and performance. This is a true air foil with a more efficient profile on the leading edge than the GT4 splitter. It also has brake ducts and large diffusers built in on the underside. This splitter is all about managing airflow on top and bottom to maximize the full surface area. 


M4 Aero Upgrade, Part 3 - The Dive Planes 

The magic in any aero package is the balance - IF your rear wing truly produces downforce (and not just drag) then you need more downforce on the front to match. And if your rear wing is productive as well as efficient - as our GTMore wing is - then you need a lot more aero in the front. That limitation of the front aero dictates the amount of rear wing you can run (and vice versa). Our swan-neck rear wing can produce a very large amount of rear downforce - so much that it can “overpower” the front and upset the F:R balance, and force us to reduce rear downforce (not good). With the front “always” needing more downforce we added our GTMore front splitter and then supplemented it with these “jumbo” dive planes. Because of their size we started calling these the “747 Jumbo” spec dive planes. Where many other dive planes are there for aesthetic purposes or limited by rules, our GTMore dive planes are huge and take full advantage of the real estate available. Thanks to their size we can now run more angle on the rear wing for better rear grip.



GTMore Brakes Part 1: Pagid Track Pads for BMW CCB 

This is not our first project car with carbon-ceramic brakes but it's the first one where we are pushing all systems beyond their limit - and the brakes are no exception. In our first track outing with the car we confirmed some glaring deficiencies with the stock carbon brakes but also tested and adopted a solution. 

The Carbon Ceramic system (CCB) is futuristic technology with a lot of positive attributes - lower unsprung weight, longer service life, and minimal unsightly brake dust. The downsides are extremely high replacement cost and a lack of heat capacity for hard track driving. We knew going in that the stock CCB pads are formulated for street driving, which is what 98-99% of CCB use will be. Like traditional pads, CCB pads perform well within a certain temperature box. Step beyond the walls of the box and trouble reveals itself. The issue with CCB pads is that the friction material overheats and instead of forming resistance with the disc the material smears over the disc surface. The resulting loss in friction will make the pads and the discs essentially worthless. Since the CCB discs cannot be turned or machined this trouble can cost you a ton of money - replacement discs and pads can run over $15,000! And will limit your speed and performance the next time you want to take your CCB to the track. It's important to clarify that this is not a defect in the CCB rotors or pads. We took them outside of the limits they were designed with. We're actually big fans of the CCB package because the pros outweigh most of the cons. 

The Pagid RSC pads have been designed specifically for carbon brakes. Like traditional pads the material has been formulated to work in a higher temperature zone without a loss in friction. The Pagid pads are more stable at the temperature levels we are used to seeing at the track. This extra capacity provides the crucial buffer between excellent on-track performance and a carbon ceramic paperweight. We used the RSC1 compound in the front and rear which were very compatible with the stock BMW CCB rotors. Having a more appropriate pad for track use will make you more confident in the braking zone, better modulation and release, and consistently better stopping power. And you can use the RSC1 compound for limited street use, avoiding a pad swap at the track. 
  
Our Motec data system backed up what our driver was experiencing at the VIR long course. We have two excellent braking zones from high speeds - turn 1 and turn 14. Our data was recording brake system pressure, system pressure with ABS, wheel speed, vehicle speed, longitudinal G force, and other parameters. Most interesting to us was the wheel speed and the ABS intervention. We knew the Pagid brakes were going to stop better than stock pads but we also wanted to ensure proper ABS operation. The stock pads beyond their limit were causing dramatic ABS operation - the ABS was cycling in a desperate attempt to keep the brakes at that threshold of lockup. The Pagid data was much more stable and consistent, allowing the driver to brake later with just as much pedal pressure and less ABS intervention. We should mention that we did not change the DSC settings or reflash the DSC module with different software. The RSC1 compound has excellent compatibility with the factory BMW DSC strategies. 


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GTMore Brakes Part 2: CCB-to-Iron Disc Conversion 

While we believe we have overcome the biggest limiting factor on the stock CCB on the track the fact is these are still consumable parts. And anyone that tracks their car regularly is aware of consumable costs. For a set of CCB rotors and pads it's about $16,000 (or the price of a good E36 M3 track car). Traditional iron brakes are much less cost and provide about the same performance, as we discovered by swapping brakes at the track and recording the data. 

We swapped to Giro Disc iron rotors and Pagid race pads for the stock CCB caliper. Braking performance, measured by G force and brake pressure, was virtually the same with the iron brakes. We did not see any loss in braking performance in our back-to-back testing of carbon-ceramic vs iron. And because the pads were not giving up under the heat we had more confidence in the car. Our pro racer behind the wheel can feel the difference between the carbon and iron discs. The CCB saves 15lbs per corner and that makes an impact in MOI and performance. 

Weight does matter but is it worth the enormous additional costs? For every pair of CCB rotors you can buy a pair of assembled two-piece iron rotors plus 9 pairs of replacement rotor rings! It's very common for Porsche and Corvette owners to swap from carbon to iron discs for any track use and all indications are that the BMW CCB are no different. Put your carbon discs in storage for when the time comes to sell the car. 

In a F8X CCB conversion we keep the original CCB calipers and only swap the rotors and pads. The calipers are not specific to the CCB brakes - they are actually the same as the M2 Competition and very similar to the F10 M5. But they get the gold finish for CCB use. Every other part of the caliper is the same between CCB and iron - caliper seals, brake master cylinder, brake booster, lines, etc. We use the rotors from the M2 Competition - 400x38mm in front and 380x28mm in back. As a track upgrade we like the Giro Disc 2-piece rotors because they are lighter than OEM iron rotors, have a better vane structure and premium metallic content, and the iron friction rings can be replaced separately. You can also use factory OEM M2 Competition rotors. Note: because the rotor size stays the same you must still run 19" front wheels. If you want to run 18" wheels you must switch to a smaller rotor, which we'll cover in Part 3. 

You just saved $14,000 that you can put towards something more important... like safety gear. 

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GTMore Brakes Part 3: Alcon Racing Brake Kits 

GTMore is a dedicated track car and will consume items like brake rotors, pads, and tires just like any other track or race car. As much as we like the weight savings of CCB we just could not absorb the replacement cost of carbon discs so we switched to a traditional iron. This also allowed us to run a more standard 18" tire and wheel that offered more tire choices. 

We approached several major brake suppliers but only Alcon could provide us with the highest-quality materials and workmanship. The GT/Touring Car calipers are forged from aerospace-grade billet aluminum in the UK. Dry weight is just 7.37lbs without pads. Forged two-piece calipers are extremely stiff, which translates into greater confidence in braking and optimum performance. One huge selling point for us was these calipers take extra-thick pads - 25mm in front and 20mm in the rear. Thicker pads have more heat insulation, last a long time, and are vital for endurance races. The brake rotors are cast and machined in the US from a proprietary iron with high carbon and copper content that has exceptional thermal stability and high strength from low weight. The turbulator vane design pumps air through the disc much more efficiently than straight or curved vanes. The discs are truly impressive in person with extra-meaty 36mm thickness on the front (most aftermarket BBK are only 32 or 34mm). 

We worked directly with Alcon to get this new kit on the market that met our own GTMore goals but also as something we think our customers would value as well - a true racing brake kit with premium components not found on mass-market big brake kits. 


M4 DCT Clutch & Flywheel 

By all indications - including our GT4 racing - the stock DCT clutch, flywheel, and Getrag transmission hold up well when driven hard. BUT realize the GT4 is not unrestricted and is operating well below its potential. It also has different DCT oil pan with slightly more capacity and better cooling. Our plans for the GTMore engine upgrades were going to be "FBO+" - Full Bolt On plus more - so we took a hard look at the clutch and flywheel situation while planning our S55 engine upgrades. The DCT transmission in our subject car was also a grumpy partner, sometimes interrupting our driving or testing with limp modes and errors. Clearing these hurdles also resulted in some very clever solutions for expected DCT problems, especially on track and race cars. To be honest, we also think our subject car was "rode hard and put away wet", which may have led to some of the trouble we experienced. 

We've seen our share of dual-mass flywheel failures. Usually high miles and sloppy shift technique. In theory the DCT is more forgiving to the driveline but we had our suspicions of past abuse. We didn't want to risk a DMF failure in our M4 after all of the other work. We had worked with Clutch Masters on some other DCT flywheels and they were quick to provide us with one for this project. Featuring 6061 aluminum, lightweight machining, and a sprung-hub we knew right away this would be a winner for a replacement DCT flywheel. Although it looks ultra-light the factory DCT flywheel is not as heavy as those in the past - the weight savings is "only" 5lbs but that's a 28% reduction. This means faster shifts and quicker acceleration. And the sprung-hub helps dampen vibrations (but not as well as the factory flywheel of course). 

For the clutch we were eager to try an aftermarket clutch material that offered more grip. After researching several we landed on the SSP full upgrade package. We could have done the clutch-only option but this car deserves the full kit. The full kit with the discs, plates, and baskets elevates the driveline and prepares you for "beyond FBO" power levels. While costing more upfront you get that value back with the best design and premium construction for better performance and long-term operating costs. Even though these are marketed as "heavy duty" discs we found the drivability to be very easy and smooth, even on the street. Before our first track day with the clutches and flywheel we daily drove the GTMore to get some real-world impressions. Engagement, behavior, shift smoothness all remained near factory expectations. The one thing to note is the noise - the "clutch chatter" is louder but only really noticeable at idle. Your expectations may vary, however, so if anything less than factory refinement is unacceptable you should probably stick with OEM components. But in our experience, the Clutch Masters flywheel and SSP clutches will be our favorite recommendation for any tuned M2/M3/M4. 

A note on DCT shift settings: we race the GT4 and the GTMore in the S2 setting. This is the second-slowest shift speed.... We prefer this setting because the shifts are still fast and there is less shock to the driveline (aka mechanical sympathy). If you want to use a more aggressive setting we can't stop you. But in our experience the S2-S3 settings are all you need. It's true - smooth is fast! 

 

M4 DCT Fluid Level - Overfill by 1 Quart

We experienced multiple DCT faults and limp mode when on track and traced it to low(ish) fluid levels in the DCT transmission. Of course we fill up with Red Line DCTF before every event but it seemed that DCT operation was overly sensitive to the fluid level. We naturally burn up some fluid or it is pushed out through the vent, but that would trigger DCT faults and even limp mode. The GT4 has a slightly deeper oil pan but also has a simple way to add a liter of more fluid. We put together our own DCT overfill kit that accomplishes the same thing - a dry break valve on the fill hole with a nozzle attached to our fluid pump. As everyone knows you cannot simply add extra fluid because it will immediately spill out of the fill hole (as designed). So this dry break kit allows us to essentially jam an extra quart (1 quart = 0.95 liter) into the fill and quickly and cleanly detach the hose. With the extra fluid our DCT problems on track have evaporated! We also came up with a thermostat bypass for the DCT thermostat that circulates fluid at all times for better reliability and more cooling flow. 

 

M4 DCT Thermostat Mod

This machined aluminum block will open up the thermostat in the M2/M3/M4 DCT cooling system to be always open and flowing to the cooler. This replaces the brass internal valve and spring. The logic in the DCT programming will close the thermostat to manage temps. But in the interest of reliability, simplicity, and cooling we want this thermostat to always be open for track use. The last thing you want is for a thermostat to get stuck closed and overheat the DCT fluid and shut down your session. And with full flow the fluid is constantly circulating, getting more even cooling and avoiding heat soak. In colder climates the closed thermostat makes sense - circulate the fluid through the transmission again to get it up to operating temp quicker. So this product is not recommended for cars that are driven in below freezing temperatures. And for track use you will want to warm up the transmission just like you would the engine - a few minutes of idling in the pits or false grid will suffice. 


M4 Engine & Exhaust Upgrades 

Engine Rebuild & Upgrades

We did all of the brake and suspension work on GTMore first, leaving the engine alone aside from some software tuning. But to overcome the street-spec weight of this car we needed more power. As part of the philosophy of this build we wanted to keep it as close to the original street car as possible - that meant the original leather interior, A/C, stereo, etc., and that adds a lot of bulk to a car. Our car weights almost 3900lbs before the driver hops aboard.

We weren't going to crank up the boost on the stock turbos. Anyone can do that with a tune but it will overwork the turbos, create more heat, and will lead to more issues on the track. The proper approach is with bigger turbos that can handle the extra performance without sweating or wheezing. This has been a program on this car for over a year but we could not reveal all of the details - and still can't for some of it. The final spec uses Pure Stage 2+ turbos with a host of other upgrades to reliably make 750+ whp and crack off full sessions without backing off (more on this under the cooling section). Tuning is provided by Motiv and was custom tuned remotely on our dyno.

We rebuilt the engine using Mahle Motorsport forged pistons and Carillo rods. Mahle Motorsports S55 pistons are forged for strength, light weight, and low drag to be a more specialized application than factory mass-produced pistons. At the power levels we were targeting we would need their extra strength and special coating that resists knock as well as hard-anodized ring lands for extra strength. WPC-treated bearings and motorsport-grade hardware complete the internals. On the outside we added the 4-pin crank hub from SSR and backed it up with two crank upgrades from Vargas Turbo - the bolt capture plate and the crank guard. Redundancy is not a bad idea with a tuned S55...

Fuel has been an ever-present challenge with the S55 and the F8X in general. We had two challenges: proper and enough fuel for the turbos and fuel starvation when on track. We did not opt for a manifold with dual fueling for this project, mostly because we had already committed to developing a top-mount cooler with PWR and wanted to keep this build relatable to most F8X owners. That mean better and larger injectors for the stock high-pressure system in the factory orientation. For full track days we used VP Racing fuel with the appropriate tuned maps. Ethanol-heavy fuels are not as common in our area so we had tuned maps done for the VP Racing fuel as well as pump 93.

For the fuel starvation we attacked this problem from a number of angles. Fuel starvation happens when the car gets below a 1/2 tank, G-forces climb, and certain corners force the fuel away from the pickup. Fuel starve has been a bane for tracked BMWs for a long time and we're no stranger to it. A new F8X fuel starvation kit will be released shortly that will nearly eliminate this issue. Our fuel starve fix for the F80 / F82 resulted in getting below 1/4 tank before there is any starvation at all.
 

M4 Oil Overfill Kit - Level Sensor and Spacer Kit

We added 3/4 liter of extra oil to our stock oil pan with this S55 engine oil overfill kit. Over-filling engine oil is an old trick to help avoid oil starvation on the track - especially on long, sweeping corners or tracks that have steep banking. The extra oil sits in the sump so the pump pickup will have more oil to draw from. On modern cars with an electronic level sensor it's not as easy as just pouring in extra oil - the sensor is not positioned for a different oil level and will give an erroneous reading. This overfill kit should be a no brainer for ANY tracked S55 engine - M2, M3, M4, including GTS and CS models*. Our kit uses the correct S55 oil sensor with an aluminum spacer to allow 3/4 liter of extra oil capacity on the original oil pan. Total oil capacity is now 7.25 liters. This is done with zero changes to the oil pan other than longer studs for the spacer. No programming changes are needed either. * - GTS and CS models came with a similar spacer trick but ours is a little different and will allow an additional .25 liter over the GTS/CS capacity. New capacity for all S55 is 7.25 liters. 
 

The GTMore Race Exhaust

Loud pipes save lives. The exhaust on the M3/M4 is far too quiet on the race track. Not only do we want to hear the engine but others around us need to hear us too. Turbo cars are inherently quiet so GTMore had to have a more robust voice. We've been working with MagnaFlow for 20 years on custom race exhausts for everything from E30 to our latest E9X M3. And it worked out perfectly that they were taking another look at the F8X M3/M4 platform when we came knocking for a GTMore exhaust. Loosely based on the factory GT4 exhaust, our rear section eliminates the large factory muffler. It is LOUD and obviously does not have the electronic valves or muffler packing to decrease exhaust volume.​​​​ An H-pipe section is included. We tested multiple variations and placement in the exhaust and this H-pipe made the most power and torque. And not just at peak output either - our exhaust made more power and torque at all RPM than even the GT4 race exhaust!!! It also held power better at the top-end too! A lot of work went into this project that is not reflected in photos or video alone - multiple revisions to get the right pipe sizing, ground clearance, underbody airflow, cross over location, X vs H pipe, tip fitment and style.... This is really more than just a straight pipe! 

 



M4 S55 & DCT Complete Fluid Change 

It's pretty much universal that when you buy a used car you change the oil. Especially true for cars that have just surpassed their factory maintenance plans where - if you were lucky - it got a few engine oil changes, brake fluid flushes, and radiator coolant top-offs. It did not get transmission or differential oil changes under the BMW maintenance plan. If you want to invest in the long-term health and performance of your new purchase a complete fluid replacement is a smart move. Here are the fluid products we used in our new-to-us F82 M4. 

Engine Oil - Red Line Euro Series 5W30. The Euro Series is a special formula intended for European makes. It's a high-performance Group IV/V full synthetic with a high ZDDP content but low SAPS value. In plainer English it's more compliant with modern technology in Euro cars, especially turbocharged BMWs. As a true full synthetic (not marketing) it has extremely high shear resistance at high temps and does an excellent job of coating metallic surfaces. The low SAPS makes it more compatible with modern catalytic converters that should not be using older high-ZDDP engine oils. The Euro Series is the best option for a high-performance turbo BMW. 
Coolant - Red Line Supercool pre-mix. This is a new coolant/antifreeze formula from Red Line that ticks all the right boxes for us. It's compatible with factory BMW coolant, including being Nitrate, Phosphate, and Silicate-free. It's pre-mixed with distilled water. It's pre-mixed with Red Line Water Wetter. And it has a longer service life than factory fluid. 
Transmission - Red Line DCTF. This was a no-brainer for us as we used it in our factory M4 GT4 race cars and it dropped the transmission temps right away. When temps get high the shift time and performance suffers, even to the point of faults and limp mode. The GT4 has slightly improved cooling and capacity over the street car but it needs all the help it can get and Red Line DCTF helped us out a lot. 
Differential - Red Line 75W140. Just like with the transmission fluid, the properties of the gear oil also help reduce internal diff temps. The 75W140 grade is the same as the factory oil weight but the quality of the base stock is much better. 
Brake Fluid - Red Line RL-600*. Brake fluid should really be changed completely every two years. And more often if it's a track car. The factory fluid is DOT4 so it's pretty good out of the bottle. Red Line RL-600 is a Super DOT4 that actually exceeds DOT5 specs. 
* - the factory fluid is a low-viscosity weight, meaning it's super thin. For any street use we recommend an OEM low-viscosity fluid such as Pentosin or Ate. However, for track use this fluid becomes too thin when it gets hot so we start out with the traditional normal viscosity RL-600 and let it thin out as it gets hot. These normal viscosity fluids can be used on the street but it's not recommended. 
Red Line Fuel System Cleaner. Any car regardless of mileage can use an occasional fuel treatment. An internal combustion engine leaves carbon deposits throughout the system and that will have detrimental effects at some point. An occasional cleaning will break up carbon deposits (to a certain extent) and improve efficiency and performance. 

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M4 18x11 Square Fitment & Suspension Upgrade 

Stock control arms with coil overs will allow 285-295 tires on 18x10 or 10.5" wheels. But the big grip comes from 315 slick tires and that requires 11.0" wheels. It's always been easy to fit the 11.0" on the rear. But there is just not the right combination of alignment and room on the front to clear the 11.0" wheel on stock bodywork. BMW did it with the GT4 race cars by using custom tubular control arms, an eye-mount front strut, and camber plates. The wheel is an ET30 with a massive 32mm spacer (leading to an effective offset of -2mm). Given the mission statement of the GTMore build we had to have an 11.0" square set too. 

The existing tubular control arms on the market work great for 18x10 or 18x10.5 wheels with 285-295 tires. This is the ideal setup if you still drive the car on the street as a dual-purpose car or if you swap wheels from street to track. For 11.0" wheels, and dedicated track use, we had to spec new control arms, tie rods, steering limiters, struts, and alignment. With this combination we can get 305 and 315 slick tires underneath stock bodywork. Our GTMore control arms are made just for this purpose and are not shared with any other application. 

This looks like a lot of complexity - and cost - for what is really a hobby for most of us. But look closely at the kit and it's not any more components than what most hardcore track customers will buy anyway - 
+ coil overs and springs - everybody jumps to coil overs but they are usually a compromise for some street comfort. MCS are the best coil overs on the market and you should be running these at this level. 
+ camber plates - of course you should have camber plates for track use! 
+ tubular control arms - at this level you should have some added adjustability in the suspension for a better track alignment 
+ spherical bearings - with grippier rubber the bushings and bearings need to be upgraded to match the extra grip 
+ tie rods - most track builds will not change tie rods but we needed to on this project. If everything else is tubular and spherical, these should be as well. 
+ steering limiters - most track cars will have these (or should), especially if you have brake cooling hoses.  

When you weigh the pros and benefits you will likely be buying all of the above anyway. If you're starting a fresh F8X build you likely won't be spending much more to get the correct wheel and suspension package. 


GTMore Suspension Package Contents: 
 

 
MCS 2-way, 3-way, or 4-way dampers.

 
BimmerWorld Camber & Caster Plates.

 
Hyperco race spring set.

 
GTMore-exclusive SPL tubular arms.

 
Spring and damper hardware.

 
Click photo above for a larger photo of the complete kit.

To view more information on the GTMore suspension, including pricing, click here. 


M4 Sway Bar Upgrade

Sway bars are part of any serious track upgrade. True to form the GTMore project included a set of Hotchkis front and rear sway bars to fine tune the balance. And like many other GTMore upgrades there was a hitch - the rear sway bar did not fit well when used with a rear coil over damper like our MCS. This would not be an issue with the standard divorced spring and shock like most any other F87/F80/F82 build. But with the highly specialized focus of GTMore we could have no compromises. We worked with Hotchkis to make small changes to their rear bar design to better accommodate the rear coil over springs and perches, as well as the wider rear wheels and tires. 

 

 


M4 18x11 Wheels 

 
18x11 TA5R.

18x11 wheel options are limited unless you have custom wheels made. Our desired front offset is -2 to -7 but because of the wide difference in offsets between the front and rear, we have to compromise on offset and use a very large spacer on the front. Below you will find details on the wheels we have researched. 

18x11 ET?? BimmerWorld TA16. Specs To Be Announced soon. This will be our lightweight forged wheel with years of race-proven performance and strength. We have come up with a new offset for the GTMore project and intend to release this spec in Spring, 2022. 

18x11 ET30 with 32mm Spacer M4 GT4. As the factory GT4 setup these are a direct fit. 

18x11 ET25 with 30mm Spacer / 18x11 ET44. If you have 11.0 ET44 on the rear and simply want to add two front 11.0" wheels you can use the ET25 that is available from multiple places. You still need a front 30mm spacer to reach the ideal offset. The rear fits without spacers. The downside to this setup is that you cannot rotate wheels/tires. But you do get 305-315 tires at all four corners. 

18x11 ET44 Square Set. We don't believe this is an option worth pursuing. To get to the desired offset you would need a 48-51mm spacer (essentially 2 inches). We're not aware of anyone that makes a spacer in that size for BMW and no one that makes wheel studs long enough to work with it. It's too bad there is no solution here as there are a lot of these wheels on the market. They still make for a good rear wheel in a staggered set but it's not a front fitment we are going to pursue. 

18x11 ET25 Square Set. Since the ET25 will work in the front, why not use it in the rear? The offset is too low.... BMW spec'd a high offset in the rear, making it much more difficult to run the same offset in the front and rear. The low offset will make the tire poke outside the fender. 

18x11 ET34-37 Square Set. There are several wheels on the market that have these specs. These should work with the appropriate spacer. Stay tuned for more details. 

Remember that wheel spacers need to have longer wheel studs. 



M4 Racing Steering Wheel Upgrade - KMP Corsa Wheel 

 
Speed comes from within.

It feels like we have just as many hours from the seat of a race car as we do in our everyday street cars. That's why a racing steering wheel was the first upgrade we did on GTMore. Replacing the "school bus" sized factory wheel for this special OMP Corsa wheel is a big improvement not just in feel but in setting the tone for this build. 

And this is not just any race wheel because you can't bolt on a universal wheel to an F8X car and expect everything to work. The electronics are much too sophisticated for that. The engineers and craftsmen at KMP Drivetrain in The Netherlands have reverse-engineered the factory electronics, clock spring, and hub to provide a bolt-on race wheel for F8X as well as other modern BMWs. Some minor wiring may be required but the beauty of this wheel is that it retains the critical functions of the factory wheel and is customizable for others as well. We had ours built to retain the M1 and M2 mode buttons, horn, and traction control settings. KMP supplies the correct plugs and wiring to make it all work. 

Normally we would not recommend removing your air bag without first having proper 4 or 6-point harnesses, a proper seat, and a rollbar. But all of those things are just around the corner. Adding this wheel first puts the focus on the task at hand - speed. Because racecar. 
  
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M4 Racing Seats & Harnesses 

Not only are we strong believes in track safety, many clubs and organizations are requiring better safety upgrades. We have our own minimum standards for our track cars and we're happy to see groups around the country taking a closer look at safety. 

For the GTMore we're still interested in keeping this street-able. Maybe trailering a car to the track is the ultimate goal but for this project we still want to have a car to drive on the road and then bring to the track. The GTMore got a set of OMP racing seats, Lifeline 6-point harnesses, and a JP Marketing 4-point bolt-in roll bar. At the end of the day we dropped over 30lbs compared to the stock power seats.  

 



Current Spec 

  
BODY & AERO 
+ BimmerWorld GTMore Front Splitter 
+ BimmerWorld GTMore “747 Jumbo” Front Dive Planes
+ BimmerWorld Swan Neck Rear Wing 
+ M4 CS-style front vented hood
+ Carbon rear diffuser
BRAKES 
+ Alcon 380mm front & 355mm rear racing brake kits 
+ Performance Friction pads 
+ BimmerWorld brake cooling deflectors
+ Red Line brake fluid 
ENGINE 
+ Built S55 engine
+ Mahle Motorsport forged pistons
+ Carillo connecting rods
+ WPC-treated Rod Bearings
+ Pure Stage 2+ turbos
+ Motiv custom tuning
+ Evolution Racewerks Chargepipe Set
+ Upgraded Fuel System (HPFP, Injectors, Fuel Starvation Kit)
+ SSR 4-Pin Crank Hub
+ Vargas Crank Guard
+ Vargas Bolt Capture Plate
+ BimmerWorld "Oil Overfill Kit" 
COOLING
+ PWR/BimmerWorld Top-Mount Charge Air Cooler
+ CSF Front-Mount Heat Exchanger
+ PWR GT4 Aux Radiators (Left & Right)
+ PWR Engine Oil Cooler
+ Mishimoto Thermostat
+ Red Line SuperCool coolant
+ Red Line Water Wetter
EXHAUST 
+ BimmerWorld F8X Race Front Exhaust 
+ BimmerWorld F8X Race Rear Exhaust 
SOFTWARE 
+ Motiv custom tuning 
DRIVELINE 
+ Clutch Masters Sprung-Hub Aluminum Flywheel 
+ SSP SPEC-R DCT Clutch Upgrade 
+ Red Line DCTF fluid 
+ BimmerWorld DCT Quick-Overfill Kit 
+ BimmerWorld DCT Thermostat Bypass 
+ KMP rear differential bracket and mounts 
SUSPENSION 
+ BimmerWorld GTMore front tubular control arms 
+ BimmerWorld GTMore front camber plates 
+ BimmerWorld-MCS GTMore dampers 
+ Hyperco springs 
+ SPL rear tubular control arms 
+ BimmerWorld-Hotchkis front/rear sway bars 
+ GT4 Upgrade rear hubs
WHEELS 
+ BimmerWorld TA16 18x11 square wheel set 
+ BimmerWorld TA5R 18x11 square wheel set 
+ BimmerWorld or GT4 front wheel spacers 
+ BimmerWorld wheel studs
SAFETY & INTERIOR 
+ KMP Corsa steering wheel  
+ OMP HTE-R racing seats  
+ Lifeline Copse 6-poiint racing harnesses
+ JP Marketing Rollbar
+ BimmerWorld Pedal & Deadpedal Set
+ Lifeline Electric Novec Fire System
+ Full F82 leather interior (all of our accomplishments were done in the comfort of Merino leather and A/C) 



Events 

M4 GTMore Track Finale at VIR

Our GT4 racecars are fast and when un-burdened by rules you can make them even faster. But can you make a street M4 faster than the purpose-built racecars? Can we go GT-More??? Watch the video below to find out. Spoiler alert: we did.

The video below is another must-watch for anyone with an F8X M2, M3, or M4 or anyone looking for get more speed at the track. It's a fantastic front-row seat as James and the crew go about tire setup and tuning, car setup, and a professional approach to extracting more speed.

GTMore Track Finale Video

M4 Bimmer Challenge Buttonwillow 2023

BimmerWorld makes the long trek to the desert in California for an event we have long been interested in, and a new-to-us track - Bimmer Challenge at Buttonwillow.

Bimmer Challenge is a young racing series based on the left coast and features cars at the high end of the prep scale. It's a fast lap throwdown and you'd better bring the heavy artillery. GTMore was a perfect fit. Unfortunately, it was a track we had never been to so James had some learning to do. The dusty conditions were not unexpected but still came as a surprise. The result was not ideal but we made a great trip out of it and pushed GTMore hard again.

The video below is an inside look at life at the track for James and some of the BimmerWorld crew. It's inside access as James learns a new track and the team make adjustments for a “typical” West Coast track and how it varies from other track environments around the country. We pride ourselves in making these types of trips because it expands our knowledge base so we can better advise our customers.

GTMore Bimmer Challenge Video

M4 Gridlife Road America 2023

Hot off the class win at One Lap of America we turned to the Gridlife event at one of our favorite tracks - Road America.

GTMore Gridlife 2023 Photos

GTMore Gridlife Videos

M4 One Lap of America 2023

One Lap of America 2023 featured an appearance of our GTMore M4 project car, promoting the Race to End Alzheimer's campaign. This charity is one that we feature throughout the year and it means a lot to us. Not only do we encourage donations but we also match and seek other donors to match so that each individual donation has a big impact.

We gave the GTMore a very GT4-like livery for this event, very similar to our actual GT4 race cars. Drivers James Clay and Evan Levine are veteran racers with a deep depth of experience. Clay is a One Lap veteran but Levine is a One Lap virgin and while he drives an F80 M3 on the street he has limited time behind the wheel of GTMore - an entirely different car than his regular F80.

Below is a series of videos they did during the nine-day event. There was drama on and off the track so we encourage you to tune in (and smash the like and follow buttons). Not only do Clay and Levine put on impressive in-car videos but have in-depth discussions on transmissions, suspension theory, and brisket. But we'll also provide a brief, drama-less text summary below.

GTMore One Lap 2023 Photos

GTMore One Lap 2023 Videos

GTMore One Lap 2023 Summary

In a deal with Continental Tires we opted for their new ExtremeContact Sport 02 tire. It's wide grooves and tread pattern ensured superior water drainage and the 340 treadwear rating hinted at sticky performance (spoiler: this tire performs better than expected!). We made the right call on the rain-friendly tires as many of our on-track events were done in wet conditions.

We prepped in the months before One Lap by rebuilding the engine and installing new, larger turbos. We tuned the car on our dyno and did a 3-day test at VIR to further dial things in. One key aspect of performance would be alignment: the car favors negative camber and toe out, which is not what we want for the highway portions of this event (the car must use the same four tires throughout the whole event). So we came up with a quick-ish way of setting alignment for the track sessions, then switching to a zero-toe setup for the street driving. We actually tested multiple S55 turbos during these months so stay tuned for more product and more technical discussion in the not-so-distant future.

Straight away our M4 GTMore was at the top end of the results - 1st in class (5th overall) on the Tire Rack (wet) skidpad, a 2nd in class at Grissom Air Reserve Base autocross, a 1st and 2nd in class at Nelson Ledges time trials, and two 1st in class finishes at Road Atlanta (5th and 6th overall). And then it was apparent that something was not quite right with the DCT transmission.

We had some driveline issues during April testing and replaced the clutch and flywheel before One Lap. However, it was apparent that something was still grumpy in our gearbox. We were getting "drivetrain malfunction" errors after being on-track. And on highway sections Clay and Levine had to be very gentle with the power to avoid similar intervention. The situation was dire enough that they made an unscheduled stop in Tennessee (at Mike Akard's ACT shop) and met some crew from the BimmerWorld race team to change the transmission in the middle of the night (allowed under the rules).

If the electronics were pleading for mercy the GTMore didn't show it on track. A 3rd and 2nd in class at Nashville Speedway, 2nd and 1st in class at Eagles Canyon, two 1st in class at Hallett, two 3rds at National Corvette Museum, and a 2nd at the final Tire Rack (dry) skidpad. Never finishing lower than 3rd in class the Clay/Levine duo won the Luxury class and finished eighth overall!

What did we learn in this 3500-mile, nine-day race/rally? A lot and probably too much to post in this small space. But briefly, there is a margin between advertising and actual use. We may have punished ourselves a little bit to find out the hard way but the point in all of this is to share that hard-won experience with our customers. There IS such a thing as too-much power and it's more vital than ever to equip your car with the parts that best suit your environment and realistic driving. We found the limit by stepping over it and have a better understanding of how to drive the GTMore even faster…

M4 Prep for One Lap of America 2023

We planned a return to the One Lap of America for 2023 with the GTMore - one of the best cars we could think of for such a wide-ranging and eclectic “event”. BimmerWorld has participated in One Lap in the past, and we have followed along since then, so we knew what the event entailed and what sort of motorsport hardware would be needed.

Even though a lot of “heavy weaponry” always shows up for One Lap the cars must still be street legal and the tires must be intended for street use (200+ TW with a set minimum depth). We had been talking with Continental Tires on some other projects and this was the perfect opportunity to put their new ExtremeContact Sport 02 tire to the test. The ECS 02 is a summer ultra-high performance tire favored by street drivers as well as light track use. It has a 340 TW rating so we expected it to be grippy but also to wear better than a 200, especially with the specific alignment requirements of the GTMore. Since the same tires must be used throughout the event as well as factoring in highway miles in-between tracks and late-Spring weather, we put our faith in the ECS 02 instead of the faster and more track-focused Continental ExtremeContact Force tire.

In addition to tire testing, we also had a fresh engine and turbos that needed more miles before One Lap. We already had the car on the dyno for break-in and tuning but more shakedown was needed. And we had to test out the latest addition to the GTMore aero kit - jumbo dive planes to work in conjunction with our splitter and rear wing.

Check out video from our One Lap prep, including detailed feedback on these Continental tires.

M4 Prep for OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Challenge 2022

No Rest for the Wicked - GTMore at September DE VIR 

M4 GTMore Hot Laps at VIR - sub-2:00 lap time! 

 


Clay & GTMore Win Overall in Grassroots Motorsports Ultimate Track Car Challenge 

BimmerWorld's James Clay bested twenty other track cars to take the trophy in the 2022 Grassroots Motorsport Ultimate Track Car Challenge (UTCC) event at VIR in May. The event was part of the motorsports festival known as Hyperfest. Although the UTCC is usually filled with dedicated track cars, the GTMore car was still technically a street car with current registration and inspection sticker. 

Check out the GRM video and tour of the GTMore with BimmerWorld ace Devin Jones: 
 



M4 Takes on the Sandhills Open Road Challenge (2021) 

All of this work ain't for nothing. So when OPTIMA Batteries told us about the Sandhills Open Road Challenge we knew the GTMore was going. It would also give us an opportunity to test out some new brakes, tires, and suspension upgrades we've been hard at work on. 

What is the Sandhills Open Road Challenge? Just one of the best-kept secrets in amateur motorsports in the country. In central Nebraska every August you will find the Heartland's version of a tarmac TSD rally (Time Speed Distance). It's a "run-what-you-brung" event put on by the residents of Custer County, Nebraska. They close the local roads for a week and let racers run loose on them. All earnings from the event go to the local community. 

Think Nebraska is flat land with corn in every direction? You couldn't be more wrong. We encountered long straight-aways topping 160mph that ran in-between twisting and snaking tarmac roads. The road surface is quite bumpy which gave us plenty of opportunities to tune our excellent MCS dampers. There are a variety of events throughout the week, mostly of the TSD format - complete the course from A-to-B in a prescribed amount of time, averaging the specific speed for your class. Closest to the target time/speed for the given distance is the winner. 

We'll add more content here soon but for now check out some of the videos below. 

26.6-Mile South Leg TSD Stage 

 

Standing Mile ShootOut 

 



M4 in Grassroots Ultimate Track Car Challenge (2021) 

HyperFEST is the annual festival of all things automotive held at Virginia International Raceway (VIR). Sponsored by Grassroots Motorsport magazine and supported by BimmerWorld, we had multiple cars on and off the track this year. We used the opportunity to test out some new aero and suspension upgrades for the GTMore. Our new swan-neck rear wing made its first track appearance. Consisting of a 13.25" core and swan-neck uprights we had some very favorable feedback from Devin Jones, a driver of one of our M4 GT4s. We also got a lot of compliments from the paddock and other participants. We also tested this package with a M4 GT4 front splitter to baseline the aero balance. We found that the swan-neck rear wing made much more downforce than the GT4 part so we'll be designing a new front splitter to match. 
 

M4 at OPTIMA's Ultimate Street Car Challenge at SEMA (2021) 

BimmerWorld brought two cars to SEMA for OPTIMA's Ultimate Street Car Challenge event, held just outside of the Las Vegas Convention Center. While not officially competing the GTMore spent plenty of time on track, giving demo rides and drift exhibitions. Until we inadvertently shredded a brake line while shredding a tire. Still, we got some additional time behind wheel with a new front splitter design. Fresh from the mold and 3D printer we put this prototype splitter through its paces, albeit in a autocross-style parking lot course. 
 

GTMore Galleries 

M4 Arrival Gallery: 
 

M4 Aero Upgrade Gallery: 
 

M4 CCB Race Pads Gallery: 
 

  
M4 Seats & Harnesses Gallery: 
 

GTMore Parts Catalog: 

Body & Aero 
 

 
M4 Race Front Splitter

 
M4 Race Dive Planes

 
M4 Race Rear Wing

Brakes 
 

 
M4 Alcon Front Brakes

 
M4 Alcon Rear Brakes

 
M4 CCB Front Iron Rotors

 
M4 CCB-to-Iron Pads

 
Racing Brake Fluid

Driveline 
 

 
Clutch Masters DCT flywheel

 
SSP DCT clutches

 
DCT Overfill Kit

 
Red Line DCTF

 
Red Line Gear Oil

Engine 
 

 
S55 Oil Overfill Kit

 
Red Line 5W30

Intake & Exhaust 
 

 
M4 Race Exhaust, Front Section

 
M4 Race Exhaust, Rear Section

Software 
 

 
M4 Performance Software

Cooling 
 

 
Red Line Coolant

Suspension 
 

 
M4 GTMore Suspension

 
M4 GTMore Camber Plates

 
M4 GTMore Swaybars

Wheels 
 

 
M4 18x11 Wheel Set

Safety & Interior 
 

 
F8X KMP Steering Wheel

 
F8X Racing Seats

 
F8X Racing Seat Floor Mounts

 
F8X Racing Seat Side Mounts

 
F8X Lifeline Racing Harness

 
F8X Roll Bar