Opinions on prospective 2018 M3 6MT purchase

[Yuille36]

Originally Posted by SteveYem

Ha, great point! I’m going to be relying heavily on Sonax wheel cleaner and my pressure washer, I reckon.

SteveYem,

I have 666m wheels on my M3. And I knew that cleaning them would be a pain in the *** So, the first thing I did was replace the OEM Brake Pads with carbon ceramics; Power Stop, Akebono, EBC and others make pads for our cars. You will be much happier. I have been running carbon ceramics for years on my E63 AMG and X5M. Brake dust is no longer and issue. In the beginning, the initial bite wasn't as good as the OEM pads, until the pads were fully bedding in, now I can't tell the difference. And I never use my three bottles of Sonnax, just soap and water does the trick. Another benefit is that carbon ceramics are rotor friendly, they don't bite into the rotors like those dusty semi-metallic pads. Thus, you get longer life out of the rotors and pads.

[wishbone]

congrats! patience pays off. Took me 10 months to find my low mileage alpine white 6MT exec and ZCP

[Yuille36]

Originally Posted by wishbone

congrats! patience pays off. Took me 10 months to find my low mileage alpine white 6MT exec and ZCP

What did you pay for yours, if you don't mind me asking? And how many miles were on the odometer when it was purchased?

[wishbone]

Originally Posted by Yuille36

What did you pay for yours, if you don't mind me asking? And how many miles were on the odometer when it was purchased?

$64K 16Kmi

[SteveYem]

My M3 has this carbon fiber trunk lid spoiler installed (see photo below). The listing for the car was unclear as to whether or not this is a BMW factory part. I have not been able to find any vendors showing a BMW M Performance trunk lid spoiler that looks like this so I'm thinking it is an aftermarket part. Can anyone here confirm?

[spidy512]

Yo!

That looks like a CS spoiler, so you are probably right in that it is aftermarket.

You can get them everywhere in any quality you like (cheap to expensive, the fit and finish usually directly related to price). The MP has a different, more sweeping shape and does not have the middle "gap". You can also get an M4 replica taht I think looks the tits. BUT, it is not an OEM option, so I stuck with an MP replica.

Congrats on the F80!

josh

[wishbone]

Originally Posted by spidy512

Yo!

That looks like a CS spoiler, so you are probably right in that it is aftermarket.

You can get them everywhere in any quality you like (cheap to expensive, the fit and finish usually directly related to price). The MP has a different, more sweeping shape and does not have the middle "gap". You can also get an M4 replica taht I think looks the tits. BUT, it is not an OEM option, so I stuck with an MP replica.

Congrats on the F80!

josh

Originally Posted by SteveYem

My M3 has this carbon fiber trunk lid spoiler installed (see photo below). The listing for the car was unclear as to whether or not this is a BMW factory part. I have not been able to find any vendors showing a BMW M Performance trunk lid spoiler that looks like this so I'm thinking it is an aftermarket part. Can anyone here confirm?

Agreed looks aftermarket, the OEM M performance is lower and doesn't have the two wings. Fitment looks good but you'll have to check when it arrives.

[SteveYem]

The eagle has landed. Surreal.

[ried]

Originally Posted by wishbone

Agreed looks aftermarket.

Ahem.

https://www.getbmwparts.com/oem-part...er-51628076872

[wishbone]

Originally Posted by ried

Ahem.

https://www.getbmwparts.com/oem-part...er-51628076872

Ahem.

https://www.getbmwparts.com/oem-part...er-51712240832

[SteveYem]

Interim family photo while I have the opportunity, before I sell the S4 (hopefully within the coming month). It's also a great car, especially with its Stage 1 tune, but I'm looking forward to the journey with the F80.

[SteveYem]

Well, I suppose as anticipated, the honeymoon is going well. Fortunately the weather here today is fantastic so I elected to take the M3 to work.
While I don't have plans to rush into modifying this car (if even at all), I have to ask the burning question of how best to go about lowering the car mostly only at the front end to close up that tire/fender gap, without making the car look too raked forward and without significantly upsetting the weight balance and handling dynamics of the car? Based on the factory configuration I'm sure this topic has been discussed ad nauseam. I've seen plenty of examples of lowered F80's but it always appears that when the front tire gap is reasonably reduced, the rear tire ends up tucking pretty noticeably under the fender, which is aesthetically not ideal. I suppose this is the delicate dance that one does when lowering one of these cars.

[Yuille36]

Originally Posted by wishbone

$64K 16Kmi

I paid $65K for a 2017 M3 with 10,237 miles on the odometer. The car was unmolested with some interior and exterior carbon goodies.

[wishbone]

Originally Posted by Yuille36

I paid $65K for a 2017 M3 with 10,237 miles on the odometer. The car was unmolested with some interior and exterior carbon goodies.

Makes me feel like we got the same deal

[Yuille36]

Originally Posted by wishbone

Makes me feel like we got the same deal

For the price I paid, I truly feel that I got a fair deal for the MY and the mileage. The car even had PPF on the front clip, which actually set it above the other M3's I was considering. But after a lot of comparison shopping, I made the right decision, and I'm very pleased with it. Perseverance has paid off for me.

[Yuille36]

Originally Posted by SteveYem

I have to ask the burning question of how best to go about lowering the car mostly only at the front end to close up that tire/fender gap, without making the car look too raked forward and without significantly upsetting the weight balance and handling dynamics of the car? I've seen plenty of examples of lowered F80's but it always appears that when the front tire gap is reasonably reduced, the rear tire ends up tucking pretty noticeably under the fender, which is aesthetically not ideal. I suppose this is the delicate dance that one does when lowering one of these cars.

The front wheel gap is an issue for a lot of us. I went with lowering spring, it brought the front down to exactly where I thought it should be. But the rear is tucked in, although the kit did come with a 3/4" spacer. But adding that to the rear, essentially restores the cars rack, which I didn't like. I truly don't mind the tuck. But it's not for everyone, and I get that. A lot of people go with HAS (Height Adjustable Spring) Kit, where they can deal in the height they want.

[SteveYem]

Originally Posted by Yuille36

The front wheel gap is an issue for a lot of us. I went with lowering spring, it brought the front down to exactly where I thought it should be. But the rear is tucked in, although the kit did come with a 3/4" spacer. But adding that to the rear, essentially restores the cars rack, which I didn't like. I truly don't mind the tuck. But it's not for everyone, and I get that. A lot of people go with HAS (Height Adjustable Spring) Kit, where they can deal in the height they want.

Thanks for that info! Which lowering spring kit did you use?

My concerns with lowering the car are the following....but I would be curious to know whether these are non-issues on this car:

1) Has it been proven that lowering the front of the car with a mild drop (say, 0.50 - 0.75") shortens the life span of the front dampers?

2) (and this may be a silly question) When the car's rake angle is changed, e.g. by lowering the front 0.50-0.75" while leaving the rear at roughly stock height, do the headlights automatically adjust their level so that projection down the road remains unchanged from stock?

3) What are the negative consequences, if any, from lowering only the front end by 0.50-0.75"?

[spidy512]

Hiya!

I went with Eibach Pro kit. It was the linear, euro version springs. But, I ONLY intalled the FRONT springs. It was a mod that many had done before me, and it completely changed the car for me.

The car then sat level, and with no real penalty to the ride. The springs are not a dramatic drop, so the affect on the shocks is minimal. No rubbing of scrubbing either.

I also installed spacers, which was all I needed to get the look I wanred with the 437m's that I had.

If you search around the suspension sub forum you will find plenty of info. I did the install myself and it took about 3 hours. 2 for the first side, 1 for the second

cheers!
josh

[SteveYem]

Originally Posted by spidy512

Hiya!

I went with Eibach Pro kit. It was the linear, euro version springs. But, I ONLY intalled the FRONT springs. It was a mod that many had done before me, and it completely changed the car for me.

The car then sat level, and with no real penalty to the ride. The springs are not a dramatic drop, so the affect on the shocks is minimal. No rubbing of scrubbing either.

I also installed spacers, which was all I needed to get the look I wanred with the 437m's that I had.

If you search around the suspension sub forum you will find plenty of info. I did the install myself and it took about 3 hours. 2 for the first side, 1 for the second

cheers!
josh

Sweet! I've heard that changing the front springs only is a big no-no, but when another option is to use a H.A.S. kit wherein I'd be adjusting the ride height so that the rear is at stock level, then I can't really see the difference unless the new front spring rate is not correct.

About how much did the Eibach euro springs lower the front end? Would you be able to share any photos?

Also, did you use the euro v1 or v2 springs?

[Yuille36]

I went with EMD (Emmanuel Designed) lowering springs, the front dropped 1.3" and the rears advertised as 0.3" with the spacer. I didn't use the spacer, so it's closer to 1.5" although I never measured it. As low as it is, I have no rubbing but it is stiffer than the stock springs. Plus, I have the 666m wheels with a 35 series sidewall, so it's stiff like a race car. And you feel everything, but it handles great. I wouldn't suggest going this route, but I kept the stock springs just in case I wanted to convert back to stock.

[SteveYem]

Originally Posted by Yuille36

I went with EMD (Emmanuel Designed) lowering springs, the front dropped 1.3" and the rears advertised as 0.3" with the spacer. I didn't use the spacer, so it's closer to 1.5" although I never measured it. As low as it is, I have no rubbing but it is stiffer than the stock springs. Plus, I have the 666m wheels with a 35 series sidewall, so it's stiff like a race car. And you feel everything, but it handles great. I wouldn't suggest going this route, but I kept the stock springs just in case I wanted to convert back to stock.

Thanks for the info! It looks sweet, and ten years ago I'd have gone a similar route, but this time around I'm looking to keep it close to stock but with a bit less of that front fender gap. I had my previous car (2015 Audi S4) pretty low on coilovers so I know the tire tucking game : )

[spidy512]

Originally Posted by SteveYem

Sweet! I've heard that changing the front springs only is a big no-no, but when another option is to use a H.A.S. kit wherein I'd be adjusting the ride height so that the rear is at stock level, then I can't really see the difference unless the new front spring rate is not correct.

About how much did the Eibach euro springs lower the front end? Would you be able to share any photos?

Also, did you use the euro v1 or v2 springs?

Crap. I cant remember right now. But I will look it up and get back to ya here. It was the least amount of drop so I think V1?

And yes, 99% of the time just using front or rear springs is a nono. But Eibach uses practically the same spring rate as stock, so I felt it was a safe move. To be honest, I did the install and never had it aligned. I saw no extra tire wear or had any issues with alignment.

Also, many others have done this mod with great success. I took that into consideration. I drove the car for about 8k miles with the springs only in front and the car was oe of the the best handling car I have owned.

good luck whatever you decide to do!

josh