Most of us spend hours fantasizing over the machinery we would buy, build, or modify for track work for that one day we hit the lottery. We leaf through innumerable pages of magazines, obsessing over which suspension components would best suit our needs, how well we’d perform with our bespoke track toy, and what kind of cars we would pass on our first day out. For some, it becomes obsessive and very emotional, like a passionate director refusing to compromise on their vision.

Unfortunately, money, time, knowledge, or experience prevent many of us from ever seeing our automotive dreams become a reality. Even if we have the means to build our ideal track toy, it takes experience and connections to build a car that suits our specific needs and driving style. After all, anyone with a fat wallet can buy whichever high-dollar car or part they please, but getting all those components to work harmoniously is a challenge that requires more than just dough.

Greg Silva is a fortunate man whose obsessive nature and dedication to developing the best version of a track car have paid off. Built on a long-running foundation of street racing with Civics, canyon carving in Corvettes, and finally taking to the track in BMWs, he used all his experience to create one of the more fearsome M4 track cars we’ve ever seen.

His first foray into the world of BMWs began with a 135is, which he tuned with the intention of mimicking the hard-to-get 1M. After a JB4 tune and a few suspension upgrades, his car was only a widebody away from matching the 1M, and capable of lighting up the rear tires in nearly every gear. That ferocious power delivery was intoxicating, but when matched with the 135is’ short wheelbase, it was a terrifying car.

Spurred on by his friend Marco, whose V8-powered 1M has quite a following, Greg thought of new platforms to use. “Marco gives you suggestions, and really wants you to succeed with your build,” mentions Greg. So, he shopped around to see what could match the sense of driver involvement and the power the 135is offered, but with greater stability.

It was the looks which sold Greg on the M4. The power was impressive, but that longish wheelbase, short overhangs, and a wide track made for a real visual feast. Additionally, the modern S55B30 twin-turbo engine has virtually no turbo lag. All in all, it was a great platform to start with, and as Greg wisely professes, “starting with a great platform ensures a better build in the long run.”

Like he modeled his previous build on the 1M, Greg took his M4 and set his sights on emulating the track-oriented M4 GTS; his upgrade list would help make the car less of an executive’s coupe and more of a sports car. To bring out more of the car’s aggressive nature, he began his tweaking with H&R springs, spacers, and a throaty Akrapovic exhaust. With an added edge, the time to test the car’s performance on-track was imminent.

With a responsive, taut, and planted car, Greg talked his way onto Thunderhill Five-Mile, somehow without an instructor sitting alongside, despite it being his first time behind the wheel while on the track. Seems a way with words and an insistence on vehicular perfection go hand-in-hand. Following his more experienced friends’ lines, he was easily on the pace at the end of the day, though his exaltation would not last long; after he was lapped around the outside by a Cayman on R-compound tires, he committed himself, through a wave of profanity, to make his BMW a low-flying missile.

Getting the plush M4 to weapons-grade standard was never going to be simple. Thankfully, Greg had some experienced drivers helping to guide the upgrade process. After his first foray on-track in the M4, he handed the keys to an experienced test driver, who complained of a lack of rear stability at speed. The shakedown revealed that the stock shocks and H&R springs had to go, and in their place went a set of Ohlins RT coilovers, which cost a pretty penny. This build was intended to use the best available parts, and to quote John Hammond, “spared no expense.”

Greg overhauled every aspect of the footwork, beginning with Dinan race arms and monoball joints, and H&R swaybars, measuring 30 mm at the front and 25 mm at the rear. Being a track car, the correct alignment is paramount, and a set of TC camber plates here bolted on – using 3.38 degrees negative up front and 2.5 degrees negative at the rear. Now, his cornering forces could reach nearly 2.0 G on the right tires.

Initially, the engine modifications were limited to an Akrapovic exhaust and a questionable tune, and that provided plenty of punch. However, that shoddy tune led to a blown coil pack in the midst of Friday-afternoon, Los Angeles traffic. After limping 100 miles over the Grapevine, a tune from a reputable company was definitely in the engine’s future.

So, he returned to Dinan for their S1 kit. The package is designed to improve upon the factory torque curve without getting too peaky, all while retaining the reliability one would expect from a factory engine. Consisting of Dinan’s own intake and ER charge pipe, an Akrapovic down and mid-pipe, and an Eisenmann GT4 exhaust, the breathing side of things is improved greatly. Additionally, the GT4 exhaust – Straight Pipe- saves thirty pounds without a muffler.

With the package installed and a proper tune from the same company, they netted an enviable 495 horsepower and 475 lb-ft of torque at the rear wheels. The transmission was reflashed with the software from the M4 GTS, so that huge wallop of mid-range torque could be better harnessed with quicker shifts, though the ratios were kept stock. With that power and constant access to the real meat of the powerband, Greg can manage an astounding 140 mph at the end of Thunderhill’s front straight.

More impressive is the way the motor delivers power. Smooth and seamless, the turbocharged inline-six deploys its grunt progressively, and even howls like the older, atmospheric engines the M-cars of the eighties and nineties were known for. No dull whooshing, contrived popping, or bland humming here; the Dinan-tuned S55 is a screamer.

Greg then turned his attention to the inside of his steed. As this car was quickly becoming a fully-fledged track car, Greg had Fall Line Motorsports mount in a full rollcage directly to the shock towers, which increases chassis rigidity and places a little more weight over the lively rear axle.

Keeping Greg and a courageous passenger planted firmly while careening through corners are a set of Recaro SPG seats and four-point harnesses. For those who are familiar with the five-point style, the crotch strap can take the fun out of late-braking. So, in the interests of comfort and the possibility of children in his future, he opted for a four-point setup, which mercifully omits the crotch strap.

With these bucket seats lowering the seating position, Greg had to replace the center console with the low-sitting one found in the M4 GTS. For a bit of style in a similar vein, he stuck on the slimline steering wheel from the hot-rod sibling. The carpet was retained for an air of civility, though only just a hint.

Then came the full-body carbon treatment, which went through a couple phases. The first slew of aero pieces came from Revozport, and included a 48-inch rear wing, diffuser, splitter, and canards. Eventually, every Revozport item was replaced, with the exception of the front splitter. In their place went an APR wing, Vorsteiner’s diffuser, and some of BMW’s side blades for more downforce.

Those carbon pieces help press the 3,600-pound M4 into the asphalt at speed. However, downforce is only as meaningful as the tires which support the cornering and braking forces. In this instance, the rubber of choice is the Michelin Pilot Supersport, which covers set of Klassen ID M354R monoblock wheels weighing a meager twenty pounds apiece. Though quite large for a track toy, Greg insists they were chosen for their practicality – he can manage to hop over speedbumps without rubbing for the occasional trip to the car show. Further reducing the unsprung weight are BMW’s carbon ceramic brakes, which offer more than enough braking power and durability for Greg’s purposes.

Though the machine is more than capable at the moment, Greg’s intend on making it the perfect track tool. For added grip, he intends to run Cup 2 tires, and has ordered a GTS hood for thirty pounds of downforce through heat extraction. Where power is concerned, he plans to upgrade the engine with Dinan’s Stage 3 software, in conjunction with their high performance heat exchanger, and Fall Line’s top-mount intercooler. These upgrades should offer an additional fifty horsepower at the wheels, and (mid and charge-pipe excluded) will still remain smog-legal within all fifty states. I suppose that’s what you get when you pay the Dinan premium.

This pristine build not only shows the value of selecting the correct parts, but reinforces the fact that an effective track car requires experienced hands and minds. Without some of the clever people Greg surrounded himself with, it’s probable that the build wouldn’t have turned out as well as it did. However, with Greg’s enthusiasm, his friend Marco’s experience, and the expertise of seasoned track day drivers, he fine-tuned his M4 and made it into a thoroughbred. What was once a compromised cruiser, Greg’s BMW became a specialized scalpel, and with that grip, precision, and power, it’s doubtful any other Porsches will give him a hard time.