RobD

My recommendation is a Cobb Accessport 3 which is a complete reflash. $1,150 at current exchange rates. Average power gains at the wheels of 30% HP and 38% torque. Don't go for a piggyback.

It is far too subjective and dependent on numerous factors to answer that question with any meaning. The same applies for UK imports, South African imports, and NZ new. People who own a car from each location will defend the provenance, including me. You can find a good car from any country, and you can find a bad car from any country. It depends on how it has been treated and stored in its past lives. Helpful? I thought so too....

Definitely. And working in the industry (though not motor insurance) I can tell you that although there are "raters" they are just guidelines and prices can be amended to a degree. If the broker is well liked by the insurer in question there is often room for movement. Good luck!

No worries. Totally understand the OEM preference. Hopefully a set comes your way soon!

I have a feeling there are conditions in respect of age, so that could be an issue but hopefully not for your sake. My best advice would be to use a broker. Honestly, nearly every motorway journey I make results in aggressive 40-somethings tailgating me.

Try Apex wheels on the Turner Motorsport website. They're hugely popular in the US and offer a more race focused look than the semi-pimp factory M3 rims

Yes sadly there is no distinction between a 25 year old enthusiast who is careful and loves their car and a 25 year old lunatic. All lumped in the same basket unfortunately. Things get cheaper beyond 30. But in my experience there are plenty of incompetent and terrible 30+ year old drivers around to make me question that logic.

Still seems reasonably expensive. My car has an agreed value of $33K and for comprehensive cover with glass extension it's $940 per annum. (I'm 34 with no claims)

Pretty simple. Only an enthusiast is going to buy that car. There are only so many of those around who don't already own one (or want a second one). So as much of an awesome car as it is, your pool of potential buyers is very, very small. Try listing it on the NZ BMW club for sale section perhaps.

Got a full service done on the 335i at Burgers. New air filter element has added some extra zing! Next up is a Cobb, Konis and some new Toyo T1 Sports.

I wish he wasn't always so busy whenever you try to talk to him though. Would love half an hour of his time to pick his brains! Just think how much knowledge he has!

If I'm honest I've always had a soft spot for both the C32 and C55 AMG of the early 2000s! Brawny, and rather nice seats!

Hey guys, I used to do my own oil changes on previous cars, but I guess with the E90 I wanted to have some sort of "official" service history should I ever come to sell it. Plus I don't think I have the right tool to get the oil filter housing off? Qube that's super generous of you, much appreciated. I would definitely take you up on the kind offer otherwise!

Burger has been my go-to. Totally genuine.

Completely understand the concept of a full inspection as compared to a basic oil and filter service, but in this case I specifically just asked for an oil and filter replacement to factory spec for an N54. But as mentioned, the process of replacing the oil and filter is no more than 30 minutes including getting the car up, drained, and down again.

Couldn't agree more. It's really a 30 minute job on a hoist. Maybe 10 minutes to do a general check around under the car while it's up. I don't mind paying the lower price at all as it seems fair, plus of course they do need to make a small profit. But the other crowd who shall remain nameless seem to be adding in an hour extra labour! I HATE the idea of being ripped.

Guess they have the oil available in bulk, but still. This is for an N54 engine so requires 6 litres of Castrol Edge. I figure $125 or oil, I know it's $35 for the filter, and then maybe 30 - 40 minutes labour at their rate of $90 an hour. That seems fair and reasonable. Not sure where the other crowd adds the extra hour plus of labour!

Rang two well known and respected BMW indys to get a quote for a basic oil and oil filter replacement using factory recommended parts. $340 + GST vs. $220 + GST. $120 isn't huge but the percentage difference is. I know where I'll be going and it's north over the bridge.

Ha, so you've had that too then.....

Definitely. I've had it serviced twice in my 18,000 km of ownership but ideally I'd like to keep intervals down to 5,000 - 7,500 km.

Unfortunately the work was done a couple of years back. I was more curious as there was a decent gap between the oil change prior to turbo replacement and the first oil change noted after the turbo replacement. I just hope they didn't bolt new turbos on and keep the old oil on there. Guess things are all okay though because the car literally uses no oil at all, at least according to the electronic dipstick.

May be an odd / stupid question, but when BMW replaced both turbos on my 335i back in the UK, is it likely they would have also replaced the oil? I'm guessing they would have needed to due to the oil feed lines having to be disconnected?

No worries. My thoughts are that for all three to be carried out it would be between 3 and 5 grand, (probably closer to 5) but your best bet would be to run some hypothetical repairs past a few specialists to get some indicative prices.

SMG, Vanos and subframe cracks are the big ones for these cars. If they haven't been done already then as above there is every chance they will need to be done soon. Additionally, being an M car instantly means that maintenance items such as brakes are dearer than cooking model BMWs. If you can afford around a grand a year in servicing and general maintenance (excluding the three big ticket items above) then go for it if it all checks out! Looks nice to me and the wheels can always be replaced. Great colour and a great car.

Just have it scanned and ensure it is all functioning as it should. Give it a good service with the right fluids and filters and then enjoy it. You can always look at subtle exterior modifications too, like black kidney grilles and some larger rims.