X1 35i M-Sport Track/Daily Driver Build

[paradoxical3]

As I've said from the very beginning, I believe the X1 to be an almost ideal only car for someone like me. I have only one garage and live in a city, but am an avid car enthusiast who enjoys both the drag strip and road course. I play tennis and baseball at least four times a week, and constantly find myself making Home Depot or Ikea runs (translation: I need a hatchback with folding seats). On top of this, we have nasty winters where I live and AWD is a necessity. Therefore, my goal is to take the X1 and elevate it from a "great" all around car into the "perfect" all around car for me. My goals:


1. Retain stock-like comfort and drive-ability. I need to be able to have a date in the passenger seat, hit a pothole, and not lose any chance I have


2. Run a 1/4 mile in under 12.0 seconds.


3. Lap Mid-Ohio Sports car course in under 1:45 (equivalent or faster than a e92 M3 with good tires and camber plates driven by a good driver)


4. Improve the X1's somewhat awkward cosmetics


The easiest of these will be the cosmetics. To that end, I have fitted the BMW Performance black grills and Renn Motorsport 19inch wheels.


Running a 1/4 mile in under 12 seconds is not easy, but doable. The car currently stands at 12.1. I believe upgrading from the Wagner intercooler to the newly ordered Evolution Raceworks Competition intercooler (in anodized black) along with dropping nearly 40lbs of rotating weight with the lighter wheels may do the trick. I will be testing this within the next couple of weeks.


Lapping Mid-Ohio competitively with the M3 is obviously the most difficult. I am a relatively noob driver, and have only been to Mid-Ohio once. With a bone-stock suspension and stock runflat tires, the X1 was running consistently in the low 1:5x range. The question becomes, besides becoming a better driver (which will surely cut multiple seconds from that time the more I go), what can I do to achieve that goal? I decided on a comprehensive suspension overhaul based around the JRZ RS1 coilover.





For those unfamiliar with JRZ, as I was before I began doing research about a year ago, they are a high-level racing outfit that manufacturers some of the winningest suspension setups of the last few years. They are on the level of Moton and AST.


My exact setup is going to be:


JRZ RS1 Coilover
Ground Control Hybrid Camber Plates
Swift Springs


As I literally just ordered the suspension today, I will be tweaking the spring rates with the help of my local performance shop (and e90post sponsor) Turn In Concepts. I cannot recommend these guys highly enough - they have extensive race experience and have all of the equipment in-house that gives me the confidence to trust them with my setup, including a shock dyno. I will also be installing several M3 suspension components, such as the rear lower guide arms, subframe bushings, and potentially the sway bar if it fits.


I also ordered a dedicated set of track wheels - Apex ARC8 17" 9.5in, et35. These weigh only 16.9lbs each - 10lbs lighter than the stock wheels per corner. I will be running Dunlop Direzza Zii tires in a 255 square setup.


On the street, I will run OEM brake pads. On the track, I have PFC08 - since the X1 has the 335i rotors and calipers, this works perfectly. I will likely go with a Stoptech ST60 kit once I become a better driver - the Apex wheels clear this kit fine even though they are only 17in.


Unfortunately, there is a wait time for the JRZs as they are hand built in the Netherlands. I won't have them installed for around 1-1.5 months. This will give me time to hit the track a few more times on stock suspension, which should enable me to better understand the upgrade.


My next track day at Mid Ohio is from May 9-11th - one week away! This will give me a good baseline time with the stock suspension, but with the ER intercooler and Apex wheels. My focus for now is to become a better driver rather than laptimes (I will not be driving 10/10ths at a HPDE), but nonetheless I will be quite happy if I can break 1:50.


Expect lots of pics and video of the X1 at Mid Ohio with the new intercooler and wheels soon. In the meantime, here's how it looks in the daily driver setup.




JB4 Tune, Map 7 with flexfuel wires
BMS Catless Downpipe
BMS Intake
Evolution Racewerks chargepipe
NGK plugs gapped to .022
Alpina B3 Transmission Flash
Wagner Intercooler
Rennsport 19 inch wheels, 9.5" ET35 (10mm front spacer, 5mm rear)
265/35/19 Michelin PSS square setup
BMW Performance aluminum pedal set
Laser Interceptor police LIDAR jammers
Valentine 1 hardwired detector


Coilovers are up next.

[knissel]

Those rims look great man! I am thinking about going to FNL tonight also...

[manbeer]

Great car,
We had an x1 loaner a few months back for a couple weeks and loved it. Even had a friend who is into only american muscle drive it (he drives a supercharged z06, '13 gt500, and a new camaro with a z06 crate motor) and he still talks about how great the x1 was months after

We will probably pick one up in a couple years when the used prices go down a bit. Just wish they came in 6mt

[paradoxical3]

Those rims look great man! I am thinking about going to FNL tonight also...

Nice, not sure if I'm going tonight but I will be at tri-state tomorrow probably.

[bigdnno98]

I've also had one as a loner and LOVED it. I tried to get the wife to buy herself one so I could drive it.... She didn't though. I'm still considering one for my next DD. 11 second X1 for a DD would be badass haha.

[manbeer]

I've also had one as a loner and LOVED it. I tried to get the wife to buy herself one so I could drive it.... She didn't though. I'm still considering one for my next DD. 11 second X1 for a DD would be badass haha.

Thats exactly what i was thinking, maybe throw on the VTT n55 turbo and you have the ultimate sleeper. It kinda reminded me of my 135 mixed with an STI, the way you can push it around with authority even if the pavement is perfect and its unfazed. Wonder if all the xi manual stuff would be able to fit on one?

[Sticky]

The thumbnails don't work you need to link to the larger picture and not the thumbnail.

I've never seen anyone mod an X1 to this level, much respect.

[paradoxical3]

Sorry about those pics, thanks for the heads up. Here are the original pictures:

http://postimg.org/image/iuf1evnrr/
http://postimg.org/image/6ic51dzx3/
http://postimg.org/image/4latj2jvb/
http://postimg.org/image/4mpcq8b2v/
http://postimg.org/image/l2t7w7uvr/
http://postimg.org/image/ny6b32yvr/
http://postimg.org/image/tav5h7ms7/

[Sticky]

All you need to do is link to the img like this:

[paradoxical3]

I would but I can't edit the OP.

[Sticky]

I would but I can't edit the OP.

I can.

[bobS]

I've never driven a x1, but reading this makes me want to. Your car looks great OP

[Sticky]

I've never driven a x1, but reading this makes me want to. Your car looks great OP

His X1 looks mean. Normally I think the X1 is a bit soft and feminine... but not his.

[Nugs]

Nice, not a car you would expect to be this quick.
I wish we got the X1 35i here (they only sell 20i, 20d and 28i). Would have tried to convince the wife to get it over the X3.

[bobS]

I tried to get my wife to buy one, but she was set on the x3. The x3 is a great vehicle as well though, I like it.

[maui86]

with your 265's, do they rub at all? I can't wait to see what it looks like with the apex 17's. What profile are you going with on those?

[paradoxical3]

I went with 9.5 wide, et35 apex wheels with 255/40/17 rubber. Wheels arrived, intercooler comes in tomorrow. Will post pics on Friday.

[maui86]

Sweet! And your daily driver set up, does it rub?

[inter1032]

looks good..respect for taking it out to the track . are they coming out with an m version of this?

[maui86]

Nm, found your other thread talking about your tires. Good stuff.

[paradoxical3]

Car was a beast today on the track, fastest car in the group once again and didn't even come close to having to giving a point by. Got promoted to blue group today (first Porsche event ever) and ran a personal best of 1:52 flat and that's with me making tons of mistakes and missing apexes like it's my job. I'm uploading some video shortly of me running down a brand new Boxter S, 991 Carrera, and hanging with a 997 GT3 (he pitted eventually but I did get a point by that I had to wave off because he gave it too late).

Car definitely has sub 1:50 in it just with a better driver, even with the stock suspension. I just suck. When my suspension comes in and I get a little better 1:45 will not be an issue, which is remarkable for this type of vehicle with full interior on street tires.

[Sticky]

I'm uploading some video shortly of me running down a brand new Boxter S, 991 Carrera, and hanging with a 997 GT3

If you're running a 991 and 997 GT3 on the track those owners must have been thinking WTF is going on.

[paradoxical3]

Getting ready for day 2..me and my cousin in the outcast corner lol...only 4 door cars here.

[paradoxical3]

1:51 with the chicane... new best time. Getting closer.

[paradoxical3]

If you're running a 991 and 997 GT3 on the track those owners must have been thinking WTF is going on.

Pretty much!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OY8L...ature=youtu.be

And my best lap so far, 1:50

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFlP...ature=youtu.be