Is this the ultimate F87 M2 comp clubsport build? [Drive Talk]

Is this the ultimate F87 M2 comp clubsport build? [Drive Talk]

Are you looking to build an F series M 2, M3 or M4 clubsport? James, owner of Auto Finesse has been on an upgrade journey with us for the past couple of years, taking this M2 from a car that felt like a mild street car on track, to an incredibly impressive Clubsport build! Lets show you how…

 If you start to corner fast, brake harder and push the car, you’ll start sliding out of the factory seats and seatbelt. To solve this, we fitted a pair of Recaro SPG XL seats, Scroth harnesses and xx roll cage. Eliminating James sliding out of the seat, sliding, or being thrown forward under braking, keeping his body and legs firmly in place, feeling every movement of the car through the seat.

The S55 engine can produce a colossal amount of power and torque, for a track car. James had his M2 Competition tuned elsewhere and complained about the throttle is really hard to control on track. When we took a look at the software, we saw that the throttle map was incorrect, creating an uncontrollable car. We resolved this by creating a ‘linear’ throttle pedal, meaning the amount of throttle you press, is the amout of torque demanded for the engine to produce, making the car feel much more natrual to drive. As well as this, we optimised the fuelling, igniton, boost and many other maps to increase power to around 550HP & 800 NM.

With big power, and driving the car on track, this will generate a lot of heat, which means he car’s cooling system can become a limiting factor. If any of the temperatures get too hot, this will reduce the lifespan of the components, and the driver can experience issues like low power, loss of gears and other overheating issues. James resolved each potential cooling issue on the M2.

Firstly, the CSF charge air cooler was fitted. Although not an outright power and torque gainer, it does keep charge temperatures consistently cooler, which means the ECU will operate the engine in the higher output maps for longer, meaning output is consistent. This also resolves a more important issue, that can prevent a catastrophic engine failure, which is that the factory charge air cooler, after its multiple heat cycles and vibrations can fail internally, allowing water into the intake, leading to a catastrophic failure. Thanks to CSF’s TIG welded and CAB brazed construction, this does not happen, keeping your engine safer for longer.

To help keep the coolant that cools the charge air, going through the charge air cooler consistently cooler, the CSF front mount heat exchanger is fitted. With this more efficient, and more durable cooler the coolant is kept cooler, for longer, helping to achieve higher performance, whilst the all-aluminium construction adds another layer of reliability.

The last cooling piece we fitted was the CSF DCT Cooler. This DCT cooler helps to keep the gearbox oil cooler consistently, ensuring the DCT box shifts operate in its optimum range more consistently and have lightning-fast shifts.

 

The car initially came equipped with KW Clubsport suspension, which is a solid option for road use and occasional track days. However, when you start adding grippier tires, larger brakes, and use the curbs on the track, it puts more load through strain on the suspension. This load can accelerate wear, and even break parts of the damper unit, which is what James experienced on the KW Clubsports. After a track day, James reported of a knock from one of the corners, and the corner with a knock had a damper piston which was bent, and a leaking seal. As the dampers were expensive and timeline to service, James decided to take this as an opportunity to upgrade! He chose to upgrade to a MOTON 3-way coilover kit. 

This setup includes rebound adjustment on the damper, and high- and low-speed compression adjustments through a separate oil reservoir. The Moton system features a large shaft guide, which provides better support and prevents issues like bent shafts and compromised seals. This suspension is designed for professional use on the track but can still be driven on the street. While it introduces more noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) due to solid top mounts and stiffer spring rates, the trade-off is extreme performance and durability. Blowoff valves are included to absorb high-force compressions, improving handling on both the street and track.

 

For braking, the car was fitted with 378mm discs in the front, 380mm in the rear, and AP Racing Pro 5000R calipers—six-piston in the front and four-piston in the back. These brakes, typically used in professional racing, are overkill for the street, but on the track, they reduce brake fade and improve recovery time between hard stops. Plus, because they operate at 70-80% of their capacity, the brakes require less frequent servicing.

The wheels and tires were also upgraded to Direzza tires and Titan 7 T-D6 wheels (18x10), allowing for easy tire rotation when the rear tires wear out, extending their lifespan. The Titan 7 wheels are incredibly strong, light and look incredible. They come with a lifetime structural warranty, so you can be sure they won’t break or bend in the same way a cast, or rotary cast wheel will. 

Inside the car, the customer replaced the stock steering wheel with a KMP steering wheel, which retains all the factory controls, including the M1 and M2 buttons, cruise control, and horn. It also features carbon fiber shift paddles for a more tactile feel, and the quick-release mechanism makes swapping the wheel easy.

 

Exhaust-wise, the car is equipped with a full Akrapovic system from the downpipes to the turndown tips. In Sport Plus mode, the exhaust valves are fully open, producing a loud, race-inspired sound without artificial crackles and pops. In regular Sport mode, the valves close but still allow the car to perform at full power, making it suitable for track use while staying within noise limits.

Finally, the customer addressed the car’s traction issues. With such high power and torque, the factory M Performance differential can behave unpredictably under extreme conditions. To solve this, the car was fitted with a Wavetrac limited-slip differential, which offers a more linear and progressive locking mechanism. This provides smoother handling, more rear-end grip, and greater confidence when driving at the car’s limit, especially when sliding through corners.

 

Purchase the parts from the links below:

Watch the installation of the whole package in the video below: