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      03-12-2023, 12:52 PM   #1
JRocker3
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JRocker3's Black Sapphire Metallic F80 M3 CS

A tale as old as time... I bought an M3!

I vividly remember the day I first saw an E92 M3 in person. This would have been back in 2008, and I remember thinking to myself "that is the dream car". Sure, there are 911's and Ferrari's to be had, but something about the simple nature of the M3 has always resonated with me. I feel that the M3 is a true distillation of art and engineering -- it exists perfectly at the intersection of form and function. Nothing else rivals what BMW has done with this car. In every generation, it is perfection to me.

Fast forward to 2014, and my first BMW: a 2011 335i xDrive (base model, auto trans). It was far from what I wanted, but it made sense and I loved every second of that car. 100,000 miles later and I managed to spin a rod bearing. So I did the only logical thing possible -- I replaced it with a 2011 335i xDrive M Sport!! An AWESOME upgrade and it made the experience that much better. I put springs and an exhaust on it, and made it my own. It was a machine.

But something was missing...

So I ordered a 2018 F30 340i 6MT in Mineral Gray, and my wife took over ownership of the 335. That was a sweet day

The 340i introduced me to so many new experiences and people. That was the first car I owned for the soul purpose of driving. Track days, Touge runs, road trips and car shows... that was a fun ride to say the least.

Then came COVID, life, and a myriad of changes that just pushed the cars to the side for a little while. Not a bad thing, but that's how it goes sometimes. After a lot of reflection, I realized that what I really wanted was an M car, specifically, and M3. The new work-from-home world allowed us to consolidate down to one car (4Runner TRD ORP) and then we slowly started looking for the M3.

I scoped out E46 and E90, but never really considered the F80 because I owned an F30... I even test drove an M550i (holy sh*t those are awesome)! I kicked tires for a while, and deliberated specs, colors, aftermarket support, and asked way too many people for way too many opinions... I was stuck.

And then I came across the car I didn't know I was looking for -- a 2018 M3 CS in Black Sapphire Metallic. I had walked by it several times at the dealership while I was trying to figure out what I wanted, and the sales rep finally handed me the keys and said "just go drive it". Game over.

I won't even begin to compare the 340i to the M3 CS, because you can't. My mistake was thinking that you could.

From the first time I turned on the OEM red ignition switch in that CS I knew that I had found what I was looking for. The noises, the vibrations, the bucket seats and the alcantara steering wheel all felt right at home. Pulling out of the parking lot and onto the back roads of PA for that first test drive, I had no more lingering questions -- I had found my M3.

A week later I took delivery and I have since spent the last 5 months sorting the car. (The story will be continued below...)

I am so happy to be apart of the BMW M family now, and I am looking forward to continuing the journey. Thanks for reading, and happy motoring to all!
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      03-12-2023, 02:35 PM   #2
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Nice car, welcome to CS land
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      03-20-2023, 09:54 AM   #3
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Great choice. F80s look menacing in Black.

BTW - that looks like a non exec package car - one of 32 out of 607 in the US - so rare as well as lean and mean for your track build.

Enjoy and in for more pics.
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      03-20-2023, 08:17 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wanted_M View Post
Nice car, welcome to CS land
Thank you!
Quote:
Originally Posted by IB M View Post
Great choice. F80s look menacing in Black.

BTW - that looks like a non exec package car - one of 32 out of 607 in the US - so rare as well as lean and mean for your track build.

Enjoy and in for more pics.
Correct, no exec package on this car. I go back and forth on the HUD, but otherwise agree on the mean and lean! My 340i was optioned very similarly and I loved it for that reason.
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      03-20-2023, 08:29 PM   #5
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The car was in very good condition when I got it, but I wanted to make it as close to factory new as possible. So step one was a full detail, paint correction, PPF on hood, lights, front bumper, and a ceramic coating from Gyeon.

Once that was wrapped up, it was off to replace the Michelin Super Sport tires with some Michelin Pilot Sport AS4, install a KW HAS kit, install a stud kit, pin the crank hub and replace oil and coolant. The brakes were replaced new by the dealer to get the car into CPO condition, so they stayed.

I wanted the car low and mean since I knew it was going right into storage for the winter and it wouldn't be staying that way for spring. The look is mean, but the drive sucked, unsurprisingly.

More to come soon...
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      03-21-2023, 09:59 PM   #6
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Are you from Mechanicsburg? We need to get all the area CS cars together for a meet!
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      03-21-2023, 10:29 PM   #7
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Are you from Mechanicsburg? We need to get all the area CS cars together for a meet!
That’s where I purchased the car … up in Boston now.
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      03-22-2023, 03:09 PM   #8
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Ah too bad. I recognized your car because SUN is my local dealer.
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      03-22-2023, 04:35 PM   #9
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temps are rising , weather is getting nicer !
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      04-02-2023, 05:18 PM   #10
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Big back roads day !
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      04-02-2023, 06:19 PM   #11
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Alright... so while the car was in storage for the winter I needed to make the final decisions on wheels, tires, brakes, and ride height so it would be ready for the season!

I ended up going with the BMW 763M wheels in Frozen Gold, 19" front and 20" rear, with Toyo R888r in 265/35 and 285/30. I'm still running 10mm spacers all around, with the stud kit. Ride height is modest now, a small gap in the rear and a little rake in the front to keep it OE+... no rubbing under any conditions and I can drive straight over speed bumps #winning !

For the brakes I am using OEM rotors with Pagid RSL29 pads and Motul fluid.

Thanks to Kassel Performance in York PA for all of the above !!

It's ready to rip now... today was the first day I got out for a long drive and man it feels good. I think there is room to dial in the suspension a bit more with perhaps some stiffer linkage but truly it rides well exactly as it is too
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      04-02-2023, 09:14 PM   #12
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How noisy are the R888's? I run Cup2's but looking to try something different.
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      04-02-2023, 09:17 PM   #13
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How noisy are the R888's? I run Cup2's but looking to try something different.
They’re noticeabley noisy, but not loud. I had them on my 340i and I never minded it. They grip like absolute mad when they’re warm.
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      04-07-2023, 08:36 AM   #14
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Reading your story is very similar to my path to the CS. I have always loved the M3 and has been a dream to own it. I have always loved the styling the of the F80 and never even heard of the CS until one day 4 years ago I watched the straight pipes review of the CS on YouTube. I was like what the heck is this??? Never heard of a CS and it sounded amazing. Then I saw the price and limited availability and was like man I hope one day I can own it but it did not look to promising as the car was way out of budget at the time (married and just had kids) so I put it in the back burner and started looking at E90s. However I could still not tear myself away from the CS so I just waited patiently. A couple years later I started to notice a few were hitting the used market and were dropping decently in price so I kept thinking maybe this might be a reality. Finally after years of hunting I was able to get my dream car (one of them). 2018 CS in sapphire black. It actually is almost like your twin. The previous owner did most of the work so that saved me some money. Lowered, spacers, and stud conversion. Have not driven it much since like you I have stored it however now that the weather is turning I can’t wait to take her out. Anyways congrats and I understand your feelings of falling in love when you drive it the first time!

Here is a pic of mine:

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      04-07-2023, 10:58 AM   #15
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Congrats, they truly are special cars and you couldn’t have made a better decision to buy one. Enjoy!!
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      04-07-2023, 04:00 PM   #16
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Congrats, and imo one of the best looking Ms ever made, especially in black.
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      04-07-2023, 04:59 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Trm3 View Post
Reading your story is very similar to my path to the CS. I have always loved the M3 and has been a dream to own it. I have always loved the styling the of the F80 and never even heard of the CS until one day 4 years ago I watched the straight pipes review of the CS on YouTube. I was like what the heck is this??? Never heard of a CS and it sounded amazing. Then I saw the price and limited availability and was like man I hope one day I can own it but it did not look to promising as the car was way out of budget at the time (married and just had kids) so I put it in the back burner and started looking at E90s. However I could still not tear myself away from the CS so I just waited patiently. A couple years later I started to notice a few were hitting the used market and were dropping decently in price so I kept thinking maybe this might be a reality. Finally after years of hunting I was able to get my dream car (one of them). 2018 CS in sapphire black. It actually is almost like your twin. The previous owner did most of the work so that saved me some money. Lowered, spacers, and stud conversion. Have not driven it much since like you I have stored it however now that the weather is turning I can’t wait to take her out. Anyways congrats and I understand your feelings of falling in love when you drive it the first time!

Here is a pic of mine:

Looking good!! Yeah I am thrilled with this car… still hard to believe it’s mine. It’s been a dream forever!
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      04-08-2023, 02:25 PM   #18
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Another good day for driving.
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      04-08-2023, 09:06 PM   #19
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Spacers suck. Get a proper set of fully adjustable coilovers. OEM wheels look too narrow and inboard. So many superior aftermarket options out there. Crank hub pin, intrusive and unnecessary. No dragster rake, por favor.

Enjoy the drive!
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      04-14-2023, 06:49 AM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by THEROK View Post
Spacers suck. Get a proper set of fully adjustable coilovers. OEM wheels look too narrow and inboard. So many superior aftermarket options out there. Crank hub pin, intrusive and unnecessary. No dragster rake, por favor.

Enjoy the drive!
I don't disagree!

I love the 763M wheels in gold too much, IMO it is worth the spacers for now. That OEM look really sets it off for me.

Coilovers will come in the future, I think optimizing the alignment, linkage and ride height yields a better experience all around. Long term I have my eyes on a proper KW Cup set up Plus, the OE EDC dampers are not bad at all.
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      04-14-2023, 06:57 AM   #21
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Fellow BSM F80 in Boston. Hope to run into each other!
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      04-24-2023, 09:54 PM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JRocker3 View Post
I don't disagree!

I love the 763M wheels in gold too much, IMO it is worth the spacers for now. That OEM look really sets it off for me.

Coilovers will come in the future, I think optimizing the alignment, linkage and ride height yields a better experience all around. Long term I have my eyes on a proper KW Cup set up Plus, the OE EDC dampers are not bad at all.
I was like you, did springs, kept EDC. Then went and got me a proper nitron R1 setup and wow. Night and day. It's not even close...
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