Project 'Clubsport' - 2011 128i Journal

[jayson]

A few years ago, I started a thread over on bimmerforums documenting my E36 M3 “Project Barn Find” - bringing a neglected 95 Avus Blue car back to life and slowly turning it into something really special.

That thread ended up being a rewarding part of the entire experience - not just the build itself, but the process, interacting with others, and learning along the way. So, figured it was time to start another one.

Just to bring things full circle, my first brand new car I ever purchased for myself was a 2010 128i w/ sport package. I was actually active here on 1addicts at the time (I forget if bimmerpost had even taken it over by then) and actually posted little bits of the experience here (which somehow is still floating around on the internet all these years later). At the time, it was just a daily driver that I was proud of. As with all things, life moves on and my newborn at the time outgrew the car, so I subsequently traded it in a few years later on something with a bit more room. 16! years later I am once again visiting the E82 platform, albeit with a bit different plans.

Fast forward to March of 2026, and here is what I picked up:


2011 128i coupe

• N51
• Slicktop
• Automatic
• Single Owner
• 32k Miles
• Completely stock

Wow! What a spec, perhaps one of the most utilitarian 128's I have seen, though thankfully it does have convenience package with alarm, comfort access, PDC and Xenon headlights.

So why a 128i (again?)
Pretty simple actually, I have been looking for a somewhat dedicated DE / track car for some time. Lets call it 75% track 25% street. Being that I have owned this platform in the past I remained somewhat interested in how folks continued using E82's for Motorsport purposes. I was considering a few other options - OG M2, base Cayman, even a BRZ, but given the prices that 128's are currently selling for (and that whatever platform I went with I would still need to spend a good amount of time setting up) the value and packaging of the 1 series made it tough to turn down.

Thus I was looking for a bare bones example, one that even a race team would buy as a basis for track conversion. This particular 128 fit the bill perfectly. Hydraulic steering, NA inline-6, 'manageable' weight, slicktop, minimal complexity.

The Thesis:
So what does the right version of a 128 look like given my intentions? This isn’t meant to be a fully stripped, caged race car. It’s more of a reinterpretation of the model - something closer to what BMW might have built if they applied the E36 M3 formula to the 1 series, with a bit more capability where it counts. Lightweight where it matters, driver-focused, reliable, and repeatable on track. That’s the goal.

The Plan (High Level)
So at the center of this adventure is the answer a question you are probably already kicking around in your head 'hey dummy! if you want a track car why is this an automatic - the GM automatic no less'. Well, I spent a lot of time thinking that through, even prior to purchase of this vehicle. We are going to be swapping in the highly lauded ZF 8hp45 8 speed transmission, which will be the perfect backbone when paired to the N52 (well N51 in my case) straight 6 for quick shifts and exceptional durability. That combination, along with a limited slip rear end, oil baffling, cooling, accusump, whatever we gotta do, will be a terrific combination.

Driveline Track:

• Solid subframe mounts
• Limited Slip Differential
• ZF 8HP45 (plug and play from E84 or E89)

Handing Track:

• MCS TT1 Single Adjustable Monotube Dampers
• Rogue Adjustable Arms
• Spherical Bushings

Motorsports Prep & Weight Reduction Track:

• Fixed bucket seats
• Lithium Battery
• Exhaust simplification
• Steering wheel / paddle solution
• Rear seat delete
• Rear cage (maybe)

Power & Engine:

• Optimize N51 (Already came with 3 stage intake)
• Dedicated Oil Cooling
• Dedicated Trans Cooling
• Oil Pressure solution

Goals:
A tidy and respectable clubsport-like car, that is fully track capable but also a nice place to be. I would like the wet weight of the car be around 3000lbs, with a reliable 225HP at the wheels as a target - all seems attainable to me.

Looking forward to sharing the journey here.

[Jim E.]

This is going to be a very cool build!

Subscribed.

[cblock406]

Hey, I recognize your car/thread from BFC! I, too, still own an E36 and bought my 128i exactly a year ago, great minds and all. Look forward to following your 128i progress!

[jayson]

Originally Posted by Jim E.

This is going to be a very cool build!

Subscribed.

Thanks Jim!

Originally Posted by cblock406

Hey, I recognize your car/thread from BFC! I, too, still own an E36 and bought my 128i exactly a year ago, great minds and all. Look forward to following your 128i progress!

Awesome! I always considered the two cars to be related, with the e82 being more refined, just modern enough.

[jayson]

While I’m waiting on what feels like an endless stream of parts deliveries, I figured I’d take a moment and revisit the 1 Series tii concept which BMW displayed at the 2007 for the Tokyo Motor Show (I hope this car still exists somewhere in the archives at BMW).



I think this concept was interesting as it plainly represents the direction BMW could have gone in when it came to M development of the platform (which in the end they chose a fairly different direction). This design wasn’t about adding power or making a bigger, more aggressive version of the 1 Series. It was about stripping things back - reducing weight, sharpening response, and focusing things around the driver. ‘Clubsport Leichtbau’ - as we often see these days in GT products from Porsche.

A few things stood out to me going through the original press materials and photos:

The front bumper design is what later became the BMW Performance aero kit. Larger openings and simplified surfaces were about airflow and function.


The use of carbon fiber was decorative and functional. The hood, mirrors, and aero elements provide weight savings and good ‘ol ‘sporty look’ in a time prior to carbon fiber being used more commonly on performance cars.


The brake setup is what became the standard 135 setup (and BMW performance brakes) 6-piston calipers up front, though here finished in a nice blue treatment.


The seats are an early version of the BMW Performance Seat, or what went on to be the Recaro Sportster CS. Fixed-back, lightweight, with good bolstering and support (plus airbags in this case). Also check out that center armrest delete.
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Around the rear, they added a lip gurney for that all-important extra 5 pounds of downforce, and the rear diffuser was pretty simple but with a nice carbon treatment.


What I like about the concept is it's all pretty purposeful, nothing feels added for the sake of it. Every change ties back to the same idea: less weight, more focus, better driving. Some automakers are coming back to this 'less is more' concept. Everything is fast these days, but what about driver feel and engagement?

[ZHPizza]

This is awesome! I also preach the gospel of the 128i as a modernized e36 M3 and have the same goals as you for my slick top. Welcome back and thanks for sharing the info on the tii. Will be following along!

[jayson]

So after all these years, I have to admit that I’m having a blast driving this thing. It’s really reinforcing my opinion that automotive design peaked somewhere in the early 2010s. There’s still enough analog feel - no giant screens, no layers of electronic driver assists constantly nagging or distracting you. Just simple, direct connection of inputs and the vehicle responding in kind.



That said - once you start to push a bit, the 128's limitations in stock form becomes pretty obvious. There’s a noticeable vagueness in the chassis that makes it hard to really feel what this thing wants to do. It’s not unpredictable, but it’s not especially confidence-inspiring either. There’s a bit of delay between input and responses, and a general lack of feel that's been dampened / smoothed out for a more comfortable road going car. I (purposefully) late braked a bit on a highway off-ramp, and the combo of deceleration g's and light steering input left the chassis in near freakout mode - it had no idea what to do! Fortunately for us, all of that will be addressed / sorted in the coming phases.



Oh and what a joy it is to press the gas and get instant response, vs this throttle lag turbocharged world of engines we live in today.




On the parts front...
In various states of assembly of the following items:

MCS TT1 Single Adjustable Monotube Dampers
I am super excited about these, I've ridden in some MCS cars on the track and cant wait to see how this setup pans out. Bonus is they can be rebuilt in the future for full 2 way adjustability if desired.

Rear subframe progress
M3 front diff mounts, Millway solid mounts, Lemforder Spherical [3067901] - still determining what to do with the rear lower bushing (kit from Bimmerworld or other).


Had a bit of a coding session
Disabled: *ediff, *brake intervention, *brake fade regulator, *axle slip
C0F_DIFF_LOCK > wert_00, C0F_BB_RAB > wert_00, C0F_FLR > wert_00, C0F_FBS > wert_00


Rear Differential
Team Mfactory rear diff that Ben from Rogue had in his inventory (thanks Ben!). 188 case from a 135i with Helical LSD installed. Here I am inspecting the backlash (which is in perfect spec - oil was clean too!). I will either need to pick up a 135i driveshaft to go with this, or just swap the LSD into my current differential case (TBD).


Shoutout to all the users and historical threads on this forum that have done an amazing job on figuring out great solutions for setting up these cars. Having all that information out there makes this so much easier!

[mightydave]

Oh my - I cannot wait to obsessively follow this thread like I did for your Avus thread on BF! So excited!

[aznbo187]

How's the car driving with all the goodies?

[jayson]

Originally Posted by aznbo187

How's the car driving with all the goodies?

Still sourcing parts, awaiting fall line rear trailing arms (being manufactured), and starting to source a low mile 8hp45 w associated components for swapping. Will likely run CANTCU with it.

[jayson]

Waiting on a few items to finish manufacturing from Fall Line motorsports, but in the meantime I managed to find a like-new performance electronic steering wheel (V2 with paddles).



Install process has been fairly well documented, but not much content is out there of the wheel actually in use so I created this little video overview here.

[jayson]

So the brakes on the car ended up being due for replacement faster than I anticipated (and man, those OE brake pads that BMW used in this era make one heck of a mess). I was stuck for a bit in a paradox of choice loop as there are a million ways to think about brakes on these cars - 135i brakes, 335i brakes, F30 brakes, M3 brakes, 330mm rotors, two-piece rotors, 17-inch wheel clearance, master cylinder sizing, pedal feel, bias, etc. etc. etc.

Eventually I decided I didn’t want to turn this into a brake science project just yet. So I went back to referencing my overall theme: keep it simple, make it better, and save weight where possible.

Up front, I stayed with the stock 300mm rotor size but swapped to the aluminum 328i-style calipers. The stock 128i front caliper uses a 54mm piston, while these use a 57mm piston, so there is a small bump in piston area/clamping force. The main advantage is weight - the aluminum calipers save about 2.5lbs of unsprung weight per side.

For the rear, I also swapped calipers and went from the stock 40mm piston to the 42mm piston setup of the 325i.

I swapped in stainless lines for all the caliper connections but left the subframe ones rubber until I fully drop things later on. (also replaced the dreadful rear subframe brake lines as the connections had frozen solid).

Current setup:
E9x 328i aluminum front calipers with 57mm pistons (2008 car)
E9x 325i rear calipers with 42mm pistons (2006 car)
128i 300mm Zimmerman coated rotors
128i EBC Yellowstuff pads
Roughly ~5 lbs saved overall in the brake setup
The piston changes provide roughly a 10-11% increase in piston area front and rear, maintaining the bias, and the EBC Yellows work for street / light HPDE use (perhaps swapping blues up front if needed).

So a lightweight brake refresh that avoids clearance and complexity issues while still improving the car feels like a win to me. This setup should be great for now, with longer term concerns on if the 300mm rotors can manage the heat of a track like WGI - but I do have some thinking for that too.

I also added wheel studs while I was in there, which I like to do when possible to facilitate wheel swaps, especially once the car starts seeing more track use.

The battery also needed replacement, so I put in an Antigravity as another easy weight reduction item (18lbs vs. 40lbs). Between the battery and the lighter brake hardware, the car is continuing to move in the direction I want: a little lighter, a little sharper, with little brain damage.

After bleeding and some shakedown, the braking feels great and confident, I'll chalk most of that up to the more aggressive pad compound. There is a bit more travel in the pedal now (I guess the 10% surface area increase does make a difference) so I have ordered and will be swapping in the 135i master cylinder a bit down the line.

Fresh brakes installed on the car


The 4 new calipers in total ticked in at just over 31lbs vs. 35.5 of the takeoffs.


The aluminum fronts of the E9x 328 have these handy cooling vanes


All buttoned up with wheel studs


Antigravity is a big weight savings over the 40lbs stocker.

[jelenp]

Any chance you are thinking about an 8hp swap as well? Been hoping to see more 128s with them.

See you post above saying you are, excited to see it!!!

[jayson]

Originally Posted by jelenp

Any chance you are thinking about an 8hp swap as well? Been hoping to see more 128s with them.

See you post above saying you are, excited to see it!!!

Yep 8HP swap is 100% coming - I'm in the middle of some research on what upgrades (if any) are made to 8HP transmissions for track applications - in an ideal world I'd like for the shifts to be firmer with less slip (not sure if this is just a tuning variable vs. actually upgrading the internal clutches / etc). Most of what's out there seems to be geared toward high HP/TQ applications but I'm looking for reliability with more aggressive shifting (and rev match / perhaps a neutral mode with both paddles pulled in).

I am really curious what upgrades if any are made to the 8HP's in the M235i Racing / M2 CS Racing.