BMW Z4 GT3 v BMW M3 GT2

[Chris Partridge]

It's been interesting to compare the GT3 Z4 (red) and the GT2 variant of the M3 (blue) at Monza this week. Graphs from top-down: BRAKE / GEAR / SPEED / THROTTLE / TIME DIFFERENTIAL

Edited: got the red and the blue around the wrong way!! Sorry! The above colour coding is now correct in initial description. But this now actually confirms what I thought before carrying out this test. The Z4 is slightly less fast than the M3 on the straights - but because of better downforce the Z4 is better in the corners. This Z4 trait -- in relation to other cars (not M3 in the following series) tallies with what has been observed in Blancpain and also FIA GT in 2013.

 

[Simon Roberts]

I have no idea why but I just can't drive the Z4, it feels very unstable to the point I can't brake the car in a straight line, using the default setup. Can anyone give me a help on this?

Are you using a wheel?

 

[Vinicius Matheus]

Of course!

 

[Chris Partridge]

Sounds like a hardware issue?

 

[Rhys Gardiner]

@Vinicius Matheus That's just a handling characteristic of the Z4 in my experience. Very unstable under brakes unless you take due care. I've noticed that with the M3 GT2 as well. Have you tried changing the brake bias forward? There will be longer braking distances, but it'll be more stable.

 

[Simon Roberts]

I have just run a load of laps in both cars, I can't work out which i prefer now! Prob the GT3 still for long distances.

 

[Vinicius Matheus]

@Vinicius Matheus That's just a handling characteristic of the Z4 in my experience. Very unstable under brakes unless you take due care. I've noticed that with the M3 GT2 as well. Have you tried changing the brake bias forward? There will be longer braking distances, but it'll be more stable.

Thanks for the tip, I'll try moving the brake bias forward, but still, quite weird that everyone finds the car very easy to drive.

 

[Miroslav Davidovic]

Just curious, what kind of wing settings do you guys use with the Z4?

 

[traind]

I know the McLaren GT3 has less power than the road car because of restrictions. (somewhere I remember Aris talking about this) but not sure about others.

Correct. But the BMWs have a lot less power in street form so they gain in the translation unlike the McLaren and Ferrari (and SLS too)

 

[traind]

I have no idea why but I just can't drive the Z4, it feels very unstable to the point I can't brake the car in a straight line, using the default setup. Can anyone give me a help on this?

If the brakes are locking you need to start to back off them slightly before that point occurs. This will allow threshold braking but not get the tail too loose. Sometimes a little "looseness" under braking can be fun but you have to catch it really quick if you want to be fast.

 

[Ignazio Pinella]

Thanks for the tip, I'll try moving the brake bias forward, but still, quite weird that everyone finds the car very easy to drive.

I had some of your issue before, I too was not surprised by this GT3, I felt slow and wasn't unable to gain even the bronze medal at Imola (and I'm not really capitan Slow, not even the Stig ), then, after a week or so of break from most sim I've came back and started to do some setup change and, most of all, I've started to threat it like a proper race car, AC gave the bad habit of driving a road car lol , and I've Lear how to drive it deep into the corner, but I encountered this loose backend of the car.
I don't remember exactly which set was but if you move you mouse over a set into the garage there is the explanation of what this setting will let the car feel, if I'm not wrong we should look into rear rebound to stop this loose backend, in fact,, if I remember correctly, it is set to a lowest 9.
This afternoon I will look into it and I will update my post if I find that I wrote some stupid thing

P.s. Sorry for the long post, today I feel like one of that woman that can simply not stop to talk at the phone, every word have a funny story to tell.... Hahahahah I'm a bit crazy due to this strange pills I take for my bad cold... A friends of mine gave me those, but they are not in any kind of blister, should I be worried?

 

[Stelios]

P.s. Sorry for the long post, today I feel like one of that woman that can simply not stop to talk at the phone, every word have a funny story to tell.... Hahahahah I'm a bit crazy due to this strange pills I take for my bad cold... A friends of mine gave me those, but they are not in any kind of blister, should I be worried?

Do they write "ecstasy" on the bottle?
If yes, you should be worried

 

[Joco Gorenc]

Just curious, what kind of wing settings do you guys use with the Z4?

1-2 or 1-3, except Monza 0-0 or 0-1