What’s more expensive, HS2 or our BMW M6 project car?

Internationally renowned photographer Mark has been working with TG for many, many years. When not taking photos he’s buying inappropriate cars. Here he shares his addiction with the world…

Sitrep on the M6. Or as it shall now be known by its codename, Top Gear HS2. Because the timescale, budget and work required have all been massively underestimated by its project manager – me. It’s also now quite a large and expensive hole, so the only sensible solution
is to throw even more of the above at it.

That isn’t a bad thing though; it’s officially classed as a long-term project now and that’s good news for my accountant because it means invoices are few and far between. Encouraging words when the bare shell is currently sat in a paint shop. If anyone needs me, I’ll be running Top Gear’s first edition in the Cayman Islands.

There is good progress being made by Alan and the team at CNC Motorsport. All the nitty-gritty is now complete; bolts, fasteners and fixings have been replaced or zinc coated to ensure it goes back on the road in better condition than it left the factory. That includes the engine, which is next on the refresh list.

And seeing as the rest of the car is being approached so meticulously, there was absolutely no way I’d cut corners on the suspension. The stock items – although just about fine for an MoT test – felt saggy, had gained a helpful layer of rust and hadn’t been replaced in 30 years. Solution? More German engineering in the form of KW Automotive.

KW does many good things with suspension. Like building the N24-winning dampers for Manthey Racing, which also runs KW items on its record-breaking 991 GT2 RS. But it’s the diversity of its range which really impresses me. Whether you’re wanting an M Performance upgrade or a Clubsport kit for your Seventies 911, KW has you well and truly covered.

What about the E24, then? For road use you’d always favour a Variant 3 which gives a good balance between performance and comfort. Unfortunately, my brain is wired to always go for the most extreme option available. So, I’ve specced a set of two-way competition dampers from the motorsport department instead. The kind you’d usually find nestled under modern GT race cars.

That means you get 16 clicks of rebound adjustment and 12 clicks of compression, all wrapped neatly in a stainless steel damper which boasts “inox-line” technology to prevent corrosion over time. Ride height is continuously adjustable and there’s even spherical top mounts to allow easy camber adjustment too. They’re nothing short of art, and it seems a shame to hide them away under the arches.

Isn’t that a bit overkill? Well if you’re going to spend money anywhere on a car destined for the track, let it be those components that keep you stuck on it. Tyres, brakes, suspension – everything else may as well be secondary when having a good time on track. And while the two-way dampers might seem excessive right now, wait until you see what CNC Motorsport has planned next.