If you tote around one less American passenger, you won't know the difference!!!!1

9/1/2011 3:20:03 PM

anything over 4000lbs is hard for me to consider sporty....


unless its a wagon

9/1/2011 4:04:08 PM

Geez, however could they make a better M5? Oh yeah, take this new fangled TT V8 and stuff it in the E39 M5.

9/1/2011 4:40:34 PM

E39 M5 and E60 M5 were both 4k lb. It's a lot, but they carry that weight well.

...speaking of tires. SF bay area craigslist offers so much...i just picked up used Potenzas RE050A run flats (for rear..255/35/18). $100 installed....60% tread left. I just picked up whatever was good deal. These are my first RFTs though. Feel a bit weird, but getting used to it.

[Edited on September 1, 2011 at 8:19 PM. Reason : f]

9/1/2011 8:18:07 PM

E60 was about 100 lbs heavier. Either way this is a big bump.

9/1/2011 8:29:12 PM

So, if one were to buy an E92 M3, and buy the extended maintenance package from BMW (where they do all the oil changes, inspections, brakes, etc), I wonder if there is any way that they could bone me out of covering brake jobs, ummm...a little more often than would be needed in the case of the average owner?

Also, I wonder how the stock E92 M3 brake pads would fare under the stress of repeated brake application from triple-digit speeds with the grip of R-compound tires?

[Edited on September 1, 2011 at 11:37 PM. Reason : i guess i would consider E90, too]

9/1/2011 11:14:06 PM

^^64llb difference between E39 and E60. Just about the same.

^Maintenance program is a waste of money. Oil changes are every 17k miles. You will get 3 oil changes that are worth $120 and maybe a diff fluid change. It is not worth the admission price. CPO may be worth it if you are buying used, but not if you are buying new. My 335i is CPO and I had gone to hell and back arguing with dealer service managers over smallest of repairs (had injectors replaced and waste gate actuators problems ...rattling).

I have been shopping for E9x M3 for 2 years now. Best you get is '08 with 50-60k for $37ish. Out of warranty of course. I got a quote for a NEW '11 zcp, zpp, E90 M3 for $60k out the door (well optioned). This car is now becoming to be like civic. They are not worth buying used. Used hold the value extremely well! I can give you more info if you are interested as I spent WAY too much time on shopping for this car. I go back and forth between 996TT (Ahmet, help!) and E9x M3. Let me know if you need any info....there is a dude (forum sponsor) on m3post.com who sells E9x M3s at invoice. Seriously great price. E90 M3 will be terminated with MY 2011 and you will be able to order them through october of this year. MY 2012 is coupe only.

Stock brakes on E9X M3 are not suited for track in any serious form. They will fade. Stockers as typical of BMW have excellent cold bite and make great street brakes (albeit with ton of brake dust), but I would not consider them for any serious track session.

[Edited on September 2, 2011 at 12:43 AM. Reason : p]

9/2/2011 12:38:06 AM

^Does the braking system just need a good set of track pads?

Also, why do BMW pads give off so much dust? Nothing I see (numbers-wise) indicates to me that they have superior stopping performance compared to other performance minded sedans and yet their signature look is excessive brake dust. It makes it extremely easy to point out lazy BMW owners

9/2/2011 8:25:31 AM

yeah, nothing a set of good track pads couldn't fix. just referring to pads. still single piston, but somehow BMW makes them easy to modulate and brake feel on all BMW is awesome.
i would guess because stock pads have great cold bite makes them shed like crazy.

9/2/2011 11:17:47 AM

^I always found it curious that BMW stuck with single piston floating caliper designs, even on their M vehicles. However the 135i and 1M Coupe both have monoblock calipers with multiple pistons now. Wonder what made them switch. The new M5 will also have multiple pistons on the front brakes as well.

The only late model BMW I've recently driven was my brother's 335i 6sp. I didn't notice anything special about the brakes' initial bite. Still don't know why they give off so much brake dust.

9/2/2011 12:17:50 PM

^ the mono block calipers have a lot better pad AND rotor life... thats why most people do it.


(for the performance they offer)

[Edited on September 2, 2011 at 12:31 PM. Reason : .]

9/2/2011 12:28:58 PM

^no...I know that. I'm saying why did BMW just recently make the switch (obviously they should know that as well)

[Edited on September 2, 2011 at 4:30 PM. Reason : k]

9/2/2011 4:30:37 PM

Why BMW does some things I have no clue. 135i 6 piston caliper is an odd ball. Maybe they haven't added it to Ms because 6 pistons caliper adds more unsprung weight? Not sure.

How old is your bros 335? Coming from s2k, brakes on anything will feel inferior. Car is like feather

[Edited on September 2, 2011 at 5:25 PM. Reason : b]

9/2/2011 5:24:42 PM

go figure...

http://www.f30post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=580641

9/2/2011 7:31:15 PM

Excessive brake dust because of soft compound organic pads? Great cold bite, but heating them up causes the pad surface to glaze, thus reducing the friction coefficient between pad surface and rotor and making the braking feel faded until the surface gets sanded/worn away by the rotor and a fresh pad surface is exposed. It seems like all the newer, heavy sedans achieve their "awesome" brake distances because of these pad compounds... I could be way off base here as this is just my speculation and experience with my 3,500lb IS250 and observations with other, heavy (~3,500lb) sedans.

[Edited on September 2, 2011 at 8:28 PM. Reason : .]

9/2/2011 8:27:50 PM

Help coming dear sir.

Short version:
If ya got ~$60k and want reliable, thoughtless and to be fair still lots of fun car w/more utility, get a new M3.

If you'd rather drive something more focused (to be fair ultimately I don't know that there's a huge performance difference between a stock 911 turbo and a new M3) spend $40k now and the difference you'd get from depreciation on the BMW on maintenance and unforeseen issues, go 996tt. Bone stock they're a hoot to drive, a $1k tune gets you ~70hp+ easily and the chassis is eager to keep playing. If you're willing to spend another few grand in the suspension, they can be rather remarkable but you keep removing civility in the process.

My vote? 996 GT2, buy a "high" miles one for $65k, die a happy man.

9/2/2011 9:09:20 PM

To be clear, I'm about to call you and talk your ear off...

9/2/2011 9:09:41 PM

Good info! Thanks for calling!

9/2/2011 11:18:42 PM

E92 M3 is cat removal and a couple of pipes away from picking up 40 hp with software. Of course, if you want real monster power, then 996tt would better.

I will say this--Car and Driver lapped VIR slightly QUICKER with an E92 M3 than they did with a 997tt on the same day...so the M3 ought to beat the 996tt without much trouble.

A 911 Turbo is tough to beat in terms of boner-inducing capability, though.

9/2/2011 11:48:56 PM

http://www.history.com/shows/top-gear/videos#top-gear-2-the-500-challenge

@ 13 minutes... your answer will be there....

9/3/2011 12:39:14 PM

I don't get it, they're just talking about Cadillac around 13 minutes?

9/3/2011 3:34:22 PM

2 months into my 335 and I have a major boner for E92M. I did cobb, ar dp's, and ets fmic and now the brakes and suspension are inadequate. I do not know what to do. I should be able to move mine for a profit. The more I look into it the 15K I will spend to go the the M car should be reasonably close to what I am going to spend getting mine to be capable to staying with the M. As of today my E90 will walk my friends E92M in a straight line but that is the only thing it does better. I hate not being satisfied with mine.

9/3/2011 9:34:21 PM

High standards ITT.

9/3/2011 9:52:15 PM

There is a white e92m in the parking lot of my hotel right now.

Thought I'd suppressed the urge to buy one, and then some asshole has to park one right by my shitty pickup.

9/3/2011 9:57:48 PM

i got a 04 330ci today. i love it

9/3/2011 10:05:47 PM

I had an 02. Best all around car for the money on the planet, I thought...although now 335i prices are getting reasonable enough that they're a good value.

9/3/2011 10:07:49 PM

spent 5 hours wenchin on the 335 today. well pleased with the output the dp's gave the bottom end. would recommend to anyone with a 335.

9/5/2011 4:08:20 PM

didn't look hard enough at the left headlight. car had two problems when i bought it, left headlight needs to be fixed and i'll need to put some decent tires on it. would anyone here be able to figure out how bad it is based on a picture?

9/5/2011 9:44:11 PM

you need a laser headlight upgrade, because HID are so last decade

http://inhabitat.com/bmw-to-make-laser-headlights-twice-as-efficient-as-leds-and-1000-times-stronger/

9/6/2011 4:14:03 PM

and i thought my LED halos were hot shit

9/7/2011 3:39:21 PM

not sure why they think 3500lb is light weight, but nice nonetheless

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=548729

9/15/2011 6:10:03 PM

my sedan is 3300 and awd...

suckers.

9/15/2011 8:12:57 PM

yeah, cause it's missing 200lb of personality

9/16/2011 1:43:41 AM

more like leather, coddling, engine, and track parts like diff coolers etc.

I'm not going to act like i'd rather have my car than a brand spankin new M
but damn cars are getting heavy.

9/16/2011 6:35:45 AM

^They sure are. And the heavier they get the less suited they are for track activities

[Edited on September 16, 2011 at 8:59 AM. Reason : w]

9/16/2011 8:59:39 AM

New F30 3-series finally revealed.

Lighter than E90
Way better gas mileage

Good job BMW.

http://www.f30post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=592598



[Edited on October 14, 2011 at 3:32 PM. Reason : ilu]

10/14/2011 3:32:33 PM

I hate this new trend where the front fenders "blend" in with the A pillar.

[Edited on October 14, 2011 at 3:56 PM. Reason : .]

10/14/2011 3:48:12 PM

^^it's not as bad looking as I'd feared. But what's with the huge hood bulge?

10/14/2011 3:50:42 PM

looks like a smaller 5-series, and that's a good thing.

^ agreed about the hood bulge. reminds me of the IS-F's hood bulge (but that's got a 5 lit V8, so it is kinda forgiven)


[Edited on October 14, 2011 at 6:41 PM. Reason : ]

10/14/2011 6:40:25 PM

Quote :

"looks like a smaller 5-series, and that's a good thing."

I respectfully disagree

[Edited on October 15, 2011 at 1:55 AM. Reason : Unless you're talking about the E34...]

10/15/2011 1:54:26 AM

well i am comparing the current 5-series with the one before it. i think pretty much everybody agrees that the current one is better looking than the previous one. the ones before the previous one, yes, those were nicer than the current one.

10/15/2011 3:35:49 AM

29/32 mpg? sounds too good to be true!

10/15/2011 12:43:43 PM

yea im not holding breath for that mileage. euro cycle thing tends to be grossly different. i would expect 2mpg difference, but not more than than.

335i should be around 22/31

10/15/2011 1:21:05 PM

getting 22.9 in my 335 with tune, downpipes, fmic, and a very heavy right foot.

10/15/2011 1:30:36 PM

stone, you should look into wavetrac LSD for your e90. it's a great mod.

10/15/2011 3:23:21 PM

Quote :

"getting 22.9 in my 335 with tune, downpipes, fmic, and a very heavy right foot. "

what type of driving (city/highway)? I get 18-19 in mine...but that's mostly city driving with a touch of 440 and 540 from time to time, and an extremely heavy right foot.

10/16/2011 9:24:51 PM

I only get 15 in mine.

10/17/2011 12:38:45 PM

^ that's more like it for me...i get 15-16 when i drive it hard 80%+ of the time. being a little more careful about coasting down hills and only getting on it maybe 50% of the time I manage 18-19. not that the small diff in mpg really impacts my wallet that much, but i figure it's probably good to save wear and tear on the brakes too.

10/17/2011 1:09:07 PM

1 yr average on my 335i cp is 22.1 mpg (N55)

10/17/2011 1:17:35 PM

Just had dealer replace waste gate actuators because of rattling. They also replaced for free post cat O2 sensors and leaky thrust arm bushings. CPO FTW! Last two items aren't covered, but SA was uber nice

79k so far


[Edited on October 17, 2011 at 2:16 PM. Reason : .]

10/17/2011 2:15:34 PM