Bosch Motorsport M5 ABS Integration Kit for BMW E36, in final development
A Bosch Motorsport M5 ABS integration kit for the BMW E36 is in 909’s development program now.
The Bosch Motorsport M5 ABS is a professional-level motorsport unit used in racing worldwide. It provides ultra-fast processing, highly accurate wheel slip control, and configurable ABS strategies for track use. Eleven selectable calibrations on a 12-position map switch allow the ABS behaviour to be tuned for tyres, surface conditions, and driving style.
The E36 is one of the most raced chassis in the world, and one where the factory ABS is a familiar topic of conversation in the paddock, usually the wrong kind. It is a natural platform for a motorsport system.
The problem with factory ABS in competition: what track drivers call “ice mode”
ABS works by holding each tyre near a target slip ratio, the difference between wheel speed and vehicle speed, where 0% is a freely rolling tyre and 100% is a locked one. Peak braking force sits somewhere between the two, and exactly where depends on the tyre and the surface. The cycling you feel through the pedal is the system chasing its target, and while it’s in slip control, pressing harder adds nothing; extra pedal force won’t be sent to a tyre the system already considers at its limit.
Road-car calibrations have to be built conservatively: one calibration must stay safe on every surface a road car can meet, down to the very worst. Under genuine circuit braking (real speed, semis or slicks, kerbs and bumps working the tyre) that conservative logic can settle on a slip target far below the grip actually available. The result is what drivers call ice mode: the system refuses to build brake pressure no matter how hard you stand on the pedal, and the only way out is to come almost completely off the brake, let the wheels match the car’s speed, and reapply. If you braked at the limit for the corner, that margin doesn’t exist.
It isn’t a fault, and pads, fluid or bigger discs won’t touch it. It’s a road calibration operating outside the envelope it was designed for. It is also the reason a great many E36 race cars have had their ABS unplugged rather than fixed.
Motorsport ABS approaches the problem from the other direction: the driver selects the calibration for the tyre and conditions actually in use, and the system controls to a slip target appropriate for genuine circuit grip. Eleven selectable calibrations on the 12-position map switch cover the range from wet circuit to slicks, chosen before the braking zone, not discovered during it.
In final development
The E36 integration kit is in 909’s development program now. Register your interest and be first in line for fitment details, pricing and the first production kits, and tell us about your build; development cars occasionally get early access.
What a 909 integration kit means
Across our released platforms, a 909 kit is the vehicle-specific engineering around the Bosch Motorsport M5: wheel speed sensing designed for the hubs and axles the car actually runs, hydraulic unit mounting in a location we have tested, cabin hardware bracketed rather than improvised, and calibration support behind it. That is the standard the E36 kit is being developed to.
On every 909 kit, brake lines from the master cylinder to the hydraulic unit are made to suit the vehicle at install: 909 specifications call for Goodridge or Speedflow hardware.
Technical Specifications: Bosch Motorsport M5 ABS
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Control Strategy: High-speed multi-channel wheel slip control
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Maps: Eleven selectable calibrations on a 12-position map switch
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Inputs: 4x wheel speed sensors
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Outputs: Hydraulic modulation via Bosch Motorsport valve block
Bosch Motorsport M5 vs Factory ABS
|
Factory E36 ABS |
Bosch Motorsport M5 ABS Kit |
| Technology |
1990s road-car ABS module, often removed on race cars |
Modern, high-speed multi-channel motorsport ABS |
| Processing Speed |
Limited, slower ECU response |
Ultra-fast ECU with real-time wheel slip control |
| ABS Maps |
Single, fixed map |
Eleven selectable calibrations for different tyres and conditions |
| Driver Control |
None |
Driver-selectable map switch, adjustable between sessions |
| Performance |
Adequate for road use; limited under hard braking/track |
Motorsport-level braking performance for the track |
| Adjustability |
None |
Adjustable for tyres, surface conditions, and driver preference |
FAQs
Q: When can I buy one?
A: The kit is in final development and pricing has not been released. Register your interest and we will come back to you with fitment details and timing as soon as they are confirmed.
Q: My E36 race car has the ABS unplugged already. Is that a problem?
A: Not at all, and it’s the most common state we see. A motorsport system doesn’t depend on the factory one being alive.
Q: I’m building a car now. Can it be a development car?
A: Possibly. Get in touch and tell us about the build and how the car gets used. Development cars occasionally get early access.
Q: Will installation need brake lines made?
A: Yes. On every 909 kit the lines from the master cylinder to the hydraulic unit are made to suit at install. Professional installation is recommended, and we can install and commission in our Newcastle workshop.
Q: Can you ship overseas?
A: Yes. 909 vehicle-specific kits ship worldwide. Contact us for freight to your country.
Q: Is the system validated for road use?
A: No, Bosch Motorsport ABS is for track usage only.
Q: Will this kit suit a LHD car?
A: Development is on a RHD car. For the right pilot customer we would be willing to work together on LHD testing, please get in touch via the contact page.
