Herbmiester

So I just missed out on a 2007 335i motorsport for 14k. I saw it on Turners and it had an estimate of 13-14k. The owner pulled it and sold it privately for 14k which is what I offered him but the other guy offered him the same money but got there first. After a bit of digging I found it had the turbos replaced under warranty last year (wastegate rattle) and a new water pump. It had solid service history in NZ and a JB4 tune, charge pipe and downpipe, pretty tidy car. Best of all dynoed at 370 HP. So now when I look at 20k plus Highline and SE 335i's with hideous wood trim and biscuit wheels I just keep moving on. Gutted to miss out on it. Perhaps I need to have a look at this one. Same colour and similar kms etc but not tuned. http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/bmw/auction-1056921126.htm

Ok I will get off my arse and get the spacers.

I do like these. http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/bmw/auction-1044944189.htm Out of curiosity did any of the cheaper non M Coupes come to NZ?

I think the rear sits too low and I am going to try some 9mm spacers. I did the same on my E36 and it was a simple install. http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/car-parts-accessories/bmw/suspension/auction-1050739828.htm And yes it does have 8,5's all round.

Two Style 68's 7.5w with Pirelli P Zero Rosso tyres 225/45/17 with 3-4mm tread. $250

I think the ride height at the rear is a bit low, I can't get the front any lower but I could raise the rear up to 10mm, what do you think? I have no scraping issues and speed bumps are fine.

Thanks Ron I will pass on them, my Herbs are actual Herbs, Thyme Rosemary etc, all thanks to Mrs Herb and her green thumb. Plus we have enough spare tyres around the place for planting potatoes, retaining walls horse jumps etc.

Short answer is no, your E46 is not setup for it so trying to retrofit would be a very expensive operation.

Don't forget its a good chassis, a bit of money spent on dampers, springs and bushes makes a world of difference and allows you to make up ground on higher horsepower cars in the corners.

Ron I dont get any bottoming out and ground clearance is ok (Just) but to be honest it looks wrong, the front is a low as I can go and the tyres are 1-1.5 cm below the guards while at the rear the tyres are below the guards.

Ron the Ohlins were purchased off this forum along with some Eibach sway bars, all for a very reasonable price. The Ohlins really work, the springs are firm, but as the shocks are adjustable I have been able to find a reasonable compromise for street use. THe E46 is my fun car so I dont care that the ride is on the firm side and as a bonus my wife doesn't even notice, probably because the big bumps get soaked up. No issues at full lock. But as mentioned the Ohlins are smaller in diameter than a stock setup. I haven't measured the gap so I am not sure if this is an issue, but the guys on the US E46 forum seem to run 245's up front without problems. The front end grip increase with the wider tyres is especially noticeable in low to mid speed corners it just points and goes. At higher speed there is a hint of oversteer as the front bites but it's closer to neutral than anything else and can be moderated by the throttle. The front is currently set up to a be fraction softer than the rear. I can use another setting on the sway bar to stiffen it up and I may try that but I have to say that at legal speeds the balance is great. I will probably look to raise the rear a fraction 10-12mm as much for looks but this may make oversteer a bit more so will do it in combination with resetting the front Anti sway bar and perhaps firm up the compression damping. The Re003's seem to work well as street tyre they were nice and predictable in the wet last week and ride quality is decent as I suspect they are not super stiff in the sidewall. Overall I am happy with the tyres, decent tyre for not too much money and with the E46 chassis just about sorted the car is a pleasure to drive in the twisties. All it needs is another 100 or so HP. (and a manual gearbox)

Could be the idle Air Control Valve (possibly in conjunction with other things), at that mileage it could probably use a clean.

No offence taken Olaf, I know you just wanted to have a look

Ok photos to prove 245/40/17 works on an E46 with an 8.5 wheel. However as I run coilovers (Ohlins) they are narrower in DIameter than a stock setup. http://i352.photobucket.com/albums/r336/Herbmiester_photo/4bad53ea-2c88-4dd5-8dbb-03f80088b261_zpsiovuttoz.jpg

As I said in the first sentence of the first post perhaps this should read has BMW lost its way. But really my intention from was more about is that has everyone caught up to BMW? My thoughts are not everyone has caught up but some have and the Cadillac CTSv is a good example. To further qualify this I am really only looking at the 3 Series segment (Maybe the 2 as well). I mean how many times have cars been described as 3 Series competitors because essentially BMW created the segment. Anyway I really hope that BMW stick the M3 Engine in the M2 as the M2 chassis seems to be getting more plaudits than its bigger brother.

245 or perhaps 255

What! isn't the BMW lost its soul thread entertaining enough for you? Its entertaining the hell out of me but this looks like a bit of fun as well.

Perhaps this is what we have been waiting for. http://www.drive.com.au/new-car-reviews/bmw-m2-coupe-first-drive-review-20160225-gn3o2w.html It's the third review I have read that says the car is easier to drive and less twitchy than the M3/4 plus it looks smokin hot! In same ways it reminds me of an E46 M3, probably just the size.

Like the others I have seen it around but not for a while now.

There are no words, it speaks for itself. http://www.trademe.co.nz/a.aspx?id=1046757706

Just fitted some RE003S up front, I fitted some 8.5 inch rims so now I have a square setup running 245 40 17 all round. Very happy so far but I need a few more kms on to really know.

I did pick up on those traits Ron and I understand them as well. The point of all this was to have a bit of a chat about the state of BMW vs the rest of the car world. I personally don't see myself owning a car other than a BMW except maybe a Porsche. It's just that at the turn of the century the E46 M3 was being compared to a 911 now it's Camaro''s and Cadillac's.

Ok Ron as you cant get past OHV V8's what's your take on this comparison: http://www.motortrend.com/news/bmw-m3-vs-cadillac-ats-v-sedan-vs-mercedes-amg-c63-s-comparison/ To me it seems that GM Alpha platform might just be OK. They have the same tyres this time but yet again the BMW runs bigger brakes. I am not panning the M3; again it would be my choice especially in that blue, but it does seem like the facts contradict you. “For better or worse, it seems that Cadillac engineered the ATS-V to be sport sedan first and a luxury car second.”

Stance is just stupid.

A lot of genetalisations there Ron. The GM alpha platform is very well regarded and the LS series of engies is far from clunky, they are light years away from the old small block chevy, light, compact, with a linear power delivery. As already mentioned I would take the m3, but I would not dismiss the Camaro.