M3_Power

About f**ken time ...

Will NEVER be buying one nor going for a test drive in one (long story but am pissed with BMW NZ so won't be buying any more cars from them) Ironically wife works for BMW NZ Group LOL and has driven it and said it was boring and lacked excitment when compared to the E46 M3 and the CSL.

buy me

Not a M3 ... but a 330ci

As for installation - do it yourself .. it's not that hard - I installed mine all by myself with the help of two trolley jacks when I took the factory item off (it's a heavy f**ken thing ... ) Also I noticed that you have an 02 ... check that the big end bearing recall has been done on yours by BMW NZ if it's a NZ new car ... otherwise it WILL fail - it's not an if or but ... but a question of when. (there have been 4 different big end bearing designs since the car's inception and they have cured the problem with better tolerances and a better oil pump )

okay .. I am going to self proclaim to be an expert with the E46 M3s .. seeing I've had one and still own one since 2001, and have just about read everything there is to read about them on the internet and having worked on a few myself. Facts: The factory system is very good and correct, inline six engines need proper back pressure to run properly, so exhaust diameter and length play a great role in power and torque. It's torque that you don't want to lose, because that's what you'll feel. The factory system can't be improved upon - false. Initially when the m3 came out there weren't that many choices and not many tuners knew how to get the best out of the S54. So a lot of the aftermarket back boxes actually caused the cars to lose huge amounts of mid range torque and sometimes little to no gain top end power = NO GOOD. But its been 7 odd years since the car first appeared on the market and there have been some excellent results from aftermarket tuners and different exhaust combos. More facts: Supersprint is rubbish don't buy it - it's a waste of money, makes minor power gains and are very poorly built - just google broken welds and supersprint on the internet for photos and long write ups. The race versions are also way too loud for the road so there's no point running them in New Zealand. Best there is out there with proven dyno gains: 1. Gruppe M Titanium - one of the first back boxes with proven no mid range torque loss and top end gain - but freaking loud. 2. Borla - gains throughout the rev range and good top end power 3. Dixis - like the Gruppe M - but again freaking loud 4. New design Miltek - nice tone and guaranteed to be the only exhaust on the market for the E46 M3 not to drone in part throttle operation - expensive but quality product and with a remap is proven to make very good power gains throughout the rev range 5. Dinan - Ugly 2 outlet with 2 fake tips - sounds funny but good gains. 6. Eisemann range - all very good but VERY Dronny also expensive. Best upgrades for the stock E46 M3 ... set of CSL headers, Borla X pipe (or supersprint mid section (the mid sections are better built than their mufflers) with 100 cell cat), and any of the above back boxes will definitely give the car a sporty tone and good power gain with no loss of mid range torque. I personally recommend the Miltek if you can get your hands on a set - especially the newly designed one - they have been shown to give really good torque and power gains and are not ridiculously loud or dronny. I have the Borla on the CSL you are more than welcome to listen to it - it's not dronny and isn't ridiculously loud and gives the car a sporty sound. Although you've yet to ask ... but if you are thinking about upgrading the intake - simple answer - DON"T bother ... you won't gain anything, you'll most likely lose power once again. Especially don't do K&N - these will stuff up your MAF sensor with the filter oil. If you really want to upgrade import an aFe Intake kit from the US for the E46 M3 - proven to make the best power gains out of all aftermarket intake upgrades (short of a CSL style airbox) Hope that helps.

BUY ME !!!

Subtle : ) WHy hasn't it got the M3 bonnet? And for some reason I think they've made the front look "cute" rather than agressive.

PRICE DROP ... NEW LISTING

relisted

It's the Vauxhuall(Opel, Holden whatever you want to call it) Astra DTM Racecar ... I believe it was this one ..

That's a dealer car .... there's one red and one white ... I've seen the white one up close and personal at the BMW headquarters ...

Actually 18 are coming into the country and all are spoken for - except when I spoke with the sales person he said he did have one spot left due to a buyer pulling out this morning (kinda of makes me suspicious when a sales comes up with stories like this ... wife sells minis ... so I get told of all the tricks of the trade) Funnily enough when I gave him my view on the R8 (pretty much an extended version of what I posted above) he had absolutely no come back or defence for it ... simply asked me if I wanted to look at the RS4 instead ... LOL ...(I went next door instead to look at the GT3) I agree that if you can afford a R8 it wouldn't likely to be a daily - although nothing wrong with using it as one( as shown by the other white one running around remuera) As a total package it just doesn't do it for me ... if the Porsche Boxter is the poor man's 911 .. then the Audi R8 is the poor man's Lamborghini ... p.s. the 997 GT3 is stunning by the way .... softer yes ... but very refined.

You can always have your guards rolled Auction ends Wednesday ....

I must be the only person on this planet that doesn't like the R8 ... nor think it's anything special : P honestly ... $280,000 for a base and easily $320,000 with few toys ... I'd rather buy the 997 GT3 without even a test drive .... soo much better value for money ... and more accomplished as a driver's car. And 1500+kg for an all alloy body??? What's going on here?? Give me a NSX please .... And $280,000 for what is basically a RS4 engine .... sorry I'd rather spend $160,000 and buy a RS4 and mod the crap out of it with the spare $120,000 ... The R8 does nothing in terms of value for money for me ... nor is the alloy chassis anything significant in the days and ages of composite materials ... the NSX did it in 1989 (and to much better standards) .... sorry Audi, but you are 18 years too late ... Nice test drive by the way ... looked fun regardless of my dislike for the R8 ... Another thing ... everytime I look at it I think the front end looks weird ... almost like a Dolphin with it long sharp nose ...(and yes I've sat in one and viewed it up close ... didn't take it for a drive though)

BRAND NEW START = RESERVE TRADEME LISTING !!!!!!!!!

Hmm. strange .. worked fine for me .. Anyway it's now on youtube ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPog4SU67yY

True the normal M3s ride better on the 18s ... but the 19s are forged ... whereas the 18s are cast alloy. Both rims are very heavy though .... the CSL BBSs on the other hand are pretty light for a 19 ....

*Power Steering fluid black and burnt - replace power steering fluid ... not hard to do and reasonably cheap ... although if it's black then perhaps there's a leak in the system somewhere? *Right hand engine damper leaking - engine mount I presume? new mount time ... *Rear control arm inner bushes inner and outer perished, both sides - Common replacement item ... I am surprised the trailing arm bush isn't perished. *Oil leak at rear of gearbox - could be a rear main seal ... gearbox out job if it is ... could be expensive *Signs of coolant weep at heater hose connections at rear of cylinder head. - new coolant hose I presume ... or might just need to be tightened.

Plausible ... although the original E46 M3 CSL 'prototype' also had stick on boot spoilers ... in fact all the press cars had stick on boot spoilers (I've got the EVO magazine to prove it)

I've owned both (one in 2001 and one in 2003) ... so I can tell you .... Facelift started in late 2003 (all post Jun 03 production is facelift) Differences to the 2000 - May 2003 model year: - Longer tail light trunk handle - LED rear lights and different reverse light arrangement - Larger 16:9 navigation screen - Standard titanium shadow trim (was a cost option in 2001) - Headlight washer standard if you have Xenon lights (BMW stuffed up and didn't fit headlight washers to xenon equiped cars between 2000 and 2002 and a lot of them have burned lenses) - Front Strut Brace - Different centre storage box (rather than an empty compartment you get one with a sliding lid - still no cupholder though, but some came with cupholders ordered ($328 option) - Lot more came through with Michelin tyres rather than Continental ... but it was a luck of the draw - Auto headlights - Auto wipers (standard with auto headlights) In terms of the engine ... the rod bearing recall was done to all 2000 to May 2003 production cars (ie. all prefacelift models) .... Personally I'd stay away from all 2002 cars .. these were the WORST affected (BMW came out with a total of 3 different rod bearings before they fixed the issue along with a better oil pump gear) In 2005 the M3 also got new suspension upgrades ... similar to the M3 CS package ... uprated springs and damper rates. Anything else you want to know just ask ....

Link to video ... http://www.petrolhead.nl/2007/08/video_bmw_m3_vs_m3_csl.php

I can't link the pics ... so just click on the link below http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=82051

Oh by the way I believe that speedware motorsports is the recaro supplier for Retro Products in NZ ... I once emailed speedware asking if they could ship me a seat or two and they told me to talk to Retro ... Here's their link .. you could try them again and see if they'd ship a seat out to you.. http://www.speedwaremotorsports.com/seat/rec.asp

From what I am told (and my wife works at Team Mcmillan) ... they are doing a special launch thing for a few special clients at Pukekohe for the new M3 (I presume those would be the launch cars) ... haven't got my invite yet But they probably won't seeing I've been emailing them scans of magazine reviews that bag the new M3 ... hehe