If you’re following Car Throttle you probably already know that the guys are starting a new project every once in a while, to keep their audience watching their channel. After doing a Miata experiment they are now trying to see if they can make an older BMW E46 330d Touring model just as fast as an E92 M3 on the track. In order to achieve that, they are going to modify the 330d to some extent. Starting off with a new set of coilovers they are now changing the tires.
Initially, the plan was to just change the rubber on the wheels, to add something stickier to the mix. However, after consulting with the guys from Tire Reviews, they decided a set of larger wheels might also be helpful. Therefore, they switched from 17″ wheels to 18″ ones, along with adding some stickier rubber all around. For some reason though, they went with Nankang tires, which is an odd choice in my book.
Sure, they do explain that the tires have a good price/performance ratio but, seriously, Nankang? If one’s going to build a track car, the money shouldn’t be an issue, especially in the tires and wheels department. Going for some Michelin PS tires would’ve made more sense, or even Cup 2 tires for that matter. Nevertheless, the Nankangs performed better than expected. This time round, the coilovers had proper wheels and tires to work with and that showed.
Unlike with the previous setup, where the car would simply slide all over because of an apparent lack of grip, this time everything came together beautifully. In the end, the guys shaved nearly 1.4 seconds off the lap time, getting them closer to the result they are aiming for. Next time, they’ll be changing the brake discs and pads for better stopping power. That should also translate into an improvement, as it would allow Alex to brake later.
