2007 E92 BMW M3 - A slight upgrade.
Discussion
So for those who know me, I have been banging on about how great my little GT86 is since I bought it back in September 2015. So why then have I I just traded it in for this? (Apologies for s
tty iPhone pics)
Untitled by Jason.Easton, on Flickr
Well, there are about 414 good reasons laying under that bulge in the bonnet. But to put it bluntly, I've changed jobs this year and I'm lucky enough to be earning enough to justify something a bit sillier. I also bought that comedy Volvo TDI as my daily, so fuel economy and such things are no longer a consideration. The Mrs and I arent quite ready to buy a house right now, and most of the stuff on the market is garbage anyway. So what you're looking at here is probably the fastest house deposit you've ever seen.
Untitled by Jason.Easton, on Flickr
So the car itself is a 2007 car in "Melbourne Red Metallic". It has the options of 19" wheels, "Pro" Navigation, Heated seats, High Beam assist, PDC and a few other nice little bits like the carbon splitter things on the front. It's done 53,000 miles and is genuinely in better condition than my Toyota was at 25k. The previous owner has clearly cherished it, even doing little jobs like retrimming the steering wheel. It was also at a Main Dealer, so I get a years warranty which is nice.
Untitled by Jason.Easton, on Flickr
How does it drive? Well compared to the GT86, like a f**king rocket ship. The engine is incredible, I finally get what people were talking about with these things. And the noise, my god. It's obviously had the rear silencer "Mod" done as its bloody loud, but quiet enough inside the cabin as to not give me ear ache. I'll just apologise to the neighbours in advance before I start appearing as a menace on the local residents facebook page.
Untitled by Jason.Easton, on Flickr
Plans for it? Well me and the Mrs are going to Lake Como for a week in August. Can't wait to drive it there via the Nurburgring, its home at Munich and a few other choice stops! I see myself keeping it for a year or so before I either sell it for a house, or just try and buy a house and run this and work out how to avoid debt collectors.
Untitled by Jason.Easton, on Flickr
In before "Lives at home wker" comments. But so far, so pleasing. Trip down to Bournemouth next weekend to stretch its legs and then I'll decide whether to make changes. I will take some proper pictures soon, but I'm a very busy boy!
tty iPhone pics)Untitled by Jason.Easton, on FlickrWell, there are about 414 good reasons laying under that bulge in the bonnet. But to put it bluntly, I've changed jobs this year and I'm lucky enough to be earning enough to justify something a bit sillier. I also bought that comedy Volvo TDI as my daily, so fuel economy and such things are no longer a consideration. The Mrs and I arent quite ready to buy a house right now, and most of the stuff on the market is garbage anyway. So what you're looking at here is probably the fastest house deposit you've ever seen.
Untitled by Jason.Easton, on FlickrSo the car itself is a 2007 car in "Melbourne Red Metallic". It has the options of 19" wheels, "Pro" Navigation, Heated seats, High Beam assist, PDC and a few other nice little bits like the carbon splitter things on the front. It's done 53,000 miles and is genuinely in better condition than my Toyota was at 25k. The previous owner has clearly cherished it, even doing little jobs like retrimming the steering wheel. It was also at a Main Dealer, so I get a years warranty which is nice.
Untitled by Jason.Easton, on FlickrHow does it drive? Well compared to the GT86, like a f**king rocket ship. The engine is incredible, I finally get what people were talking about with these things. And the noise, my god. It's obviously had the rear silencer "Mod" done as its bloody loud, but quiet enough inside the cabin as to not give me ear ache. I'll just apologise to the neighbours in advance before I start appearing as a menace on the local residents facebook page.
Untitled by Jason.Easton, on FlickrPlans for it? Well me and the Mrs are going to Lake Como for a week in August. Can't wait to drive it there via the Nurburgring, its home at Munich and a few other choice stops! I see myself keeping it for a year or so before I either sell it for a house, or just try and buy a house and run this and work out how to avoid debt collectors.
Untitled by Jason.Easton, on FlickrIn before "Lives at home w
ker" comments. But so far, so pleasing. Trip down to Bournemouth next weekend to stretch its legs and then I'll decide whether to make changes. I will take some proper pictures soon, but I'm a very busy boy!daemon said:
Lovely car - health and strength to enjoy!
Quite bemusing though that a GT86 owner (no, no, its not underpowered, really. Its perfectly balanced) realises that more power is more fun!
Cheers Quite bemusing though that a GT86 owner (no, no, its not underpowered, really. Its perfectly balanced) realises that more power is more fun!
Well I do still love the GT86. I just did the man maths to afford something really, really dumb. Will miss the Toyota, no really! Was a cracker.
economicpygmy said:
you only live once and its not like interest rates are at 6%... reality can wait a year 
Whats the driving position and general feel like in comparion to the GT86? Despite the power do they both have that special feel?
The GT86 has much better driving position, and overall feel compared. The M3 did feel a little bit like a boat to start with, but anything does after the '86. However the steering is bloody good, very direct in both "Normal" and "Sport" mode with lots of feel. The M3 feels like a point and squirt muscle car in some situations, and others it feels like an agile little sports car. They are complete worlds apart though, and it's going to take some time for me to get used to the change. However, so far I'm adoring it!
Thanks people The colour is stunning in the day, and at night under streetlighting it goes very dark and metallic looking! I'm in love.
You're probably right! But I've never done sensible, and nothing ventured nothing gained etc.
The colour is stunning in the day, and at night under streetlighting it goes very dark and metallic looking! I'm in love.MikeGoodwin said:
Lovely. Lovely color. I really really want one just to say Ive experienced that V8.
Dont think theres any reason to justify your purchase as you have Jason, just enjoy the car
Kind of you to say so Sir! It seems I often have to unfortunately, a lot of people just dont "get" car guys. Dont think theres any reason to justify your purchase as you have Jason, just enjoy the car
kayzee said:
Very nice, and great colour! Been in one of these and although they owner didn't plant it, it sounded wonderful... and my missus loved the interior.
Mind you, if there's one thing I wish I'd done in hindsight in my life, it was to get on the property market as soon as I could!
It's a nice mix of BMW 3 Series comfort and luxury, with growling V8 performance. I don't think I'll ever get near its full potential, which may prove a tad frustrating in comparison with the Toyota, but so far it's the happiest I've been with a car purchase.Mind you, if there's one thing I wish I'd done in hindsight in my life, it was to get on the property market as soon as I could!
You're probably right! But I've never done sensible, and nothing ventured nothing gained etc.
The DCT is a great box but no matter how good modern auto/paddle boxes are I struggle to get on with them. Plus I get a lot of satisfaction out of the manual!
Nunga said:
Best E92 colour? I think so. Especially with the carbon splitters. Buying it as a manual is as authentic an experience as BMW M can offer, well done.
I'm more or less on the way from Nürburg to Como in Karlsruhe; feel free to drop me a line and I can let you in on a few routes worth taking.
I certainly ageee, but I'm biased! I'm more or less on the way from Nürburg to Como in Karlsruhe; feel free to drop me a line and I can let you in on a few routes worth taking.
Oh yes, do let me know! I'll be doing Nurburg > Munich > Como. A route I've done a couple of times via stelvio pass, but never deviated and would love to know of some cool roads around the way.
Thanks all! It's a real struggle not to take it to work every day. I think I may tomorrow as a treat! Will be driving it down to Bournemouth for the weekend too.
Inverted said:
Get the 4 pipe mod done to the exhaust. Cheap and makes it sound like it should have from the factory. You wont regret it.
Miss mine now.
I believe it's already been done. It's much louder than standard and the system looks standard underneith, so must have had the back box done. Miss mine now.
So yesterday morning I helped organise the first event for a business I'm involved with called "La Chasse". We decided to run a Cars & Coffee event to get our name out there a bit and it was a big success!
The M3 didn't look too bad amongst all the supercars either.
Untitled by Jason.Easton, on Flickr
Untitled by Jason.Easton, on Flickr
Untitled by Jason.Easton, on Flickr
Untitled by Jason.Easton, on Flickr
Untitled by Jason.Easton, on Flickr
Untitled by Jason.Easton, on Flickr
Untitled by Jason.Easton, on Flickr
Even got a chance to get a snap of it all alone at the end of the day!
Untitled by Jason.Easton, on Flickr
Before finally getting home and having time to put my plate on it.
Untitled by Jason.Easton, on Flickr
I went to the Sunday Service today in the rain, if anyone got any pictures of videos of it do let me know! I'd love to know what it sounds like from the outside haha.
The M3 didn't look too bad amongst all the supercars either.
Untitled by Jason.Easton, on FlickrUntitled by Jason.Easton, on FlickrUntitled by Jason.Easton, on FlickrUntitled by Jason.Easton, on FlickrUntitled by Jason.Easton, on FlickrUntitled by Jason.Easton, on FlickrUntitled by Jason.Easton, on FlickrEven got a chance to get a snap of it all alone at the end of the day!
Untitled by Jason.Easton, on FlickrBefore finally getting home and having time to put my plate on it.
Untitled by Jason.Easton, on FlickrI went to the Sunday Service today in the rain, if anyone got any pictures of videos of it do let me know! I'd love to know what it sounds like from the outside haha.
Thanks
And glad you warmed up yonex!
The day later I was papped on film, sounds alright from outside so pleased with that haha.
https://youtu.be/LrLxVcbtf_4?t=4m29s
And glad you warmed up yonex!
The day later I was papped on film, sounds alright from outside so pleased with that haha.
https://youtu.be/LrLxVcbtf_4?t=4m29s
I was invited by a couple of friends to their yearly Wales trip. I've never been into Wales properly, had no idea the roads really were so spectacular. By Sunday afternoon there were just two of us, and it was an interesting comparison between my friends Mini Cooper GP2 and the M3. They're both worth around the same money but offer something quite different. On the right road, I struggled to keep pace on the Mini. Specifically on tight twisty turns with broken road, the Mini can just hook up and go, whereas the BMW struggles to put any power down. Overall though, as youd imagine, the M3 was absolutely ballistic. And my confidence with it is growing too!
Anyway, I took minimal pictures and they're all pretty crap. I am a tad rusty!
E92 M3 by Jason.Easton, on Flickr
Team £20k hooners. by Jason.Easton, on Flickr
Team £20k hooners. by Jason.Easton, on Flickr
Anyway, I took minimal pictures and they're all pretty crap. I am a tad rusty!
E92 M3 by Jason.Easton, on FlickrTeam £20k hooners. by Jason.Easton, on FlickrTeam £20k hooners. by Jason.Easton, on Flickr
Thanks all people!
Took it to Amsterdam for the weekend, it was an absolute dream the whole way there. Averaged 25mpg cruising at around 80-90potatoes, and provided much entertainment (For me, not the GF so much) through any tunnels I had to go through.
When I got back I took the day off to "recover" and ended up spending nearly 4 hours detailing the thing, it has come up very well. Two stage machine polish with a rotary has got rid of 80% of the swirls, I did contemplate getting it fully detailed and G-Techniq sealed but I'm not so sure. I drive it and enjoy it, and if it gets the odd stone chip or scuff because of that then so be it. I can fix them as I go along!
Anyway, so far it's a great weekend/fun car. I wanted something that feels a bit "Special", could be taken on weekend blasts but still be enjoyable on long eurotrips. It's ticking all the boxes, and I'm a very happy chappy. Thats all really!
Took it to Amsterdam for the weekend, it was an absolute dream the whole way there. Averaged 25mpg cruising at around 80-90potatoes, and provided much entertainment (For me, not the GF so much) through any tunnels I had to go through.
When I got back I took the day off to "recover" and ended up spending nearly 4 hours detailing the thing, it has come up very well. Two stage machine polish with a rotary has got rid of 80% of the swirls, I did contemplate getting it fully detailed and G-Techniq sealed but I'm not so sure. I drive it and enjoy it, and if it gets the odd stone chip or scuff because of that then so be it. I can fix them as I go along!
Anyway, so far it's a great weekend/fun car. I wanted something that feels a bit "Special", could be taken on weekend blasts but still be enjoyable on long eurotrips. It's ticking all the boxes, and I'm a very happy chappy. Thats all really!
Managed to get some time with my beloved the other weekend. After a recent event I used the excuse to go for a good blast around the Cotswolds in the sun. Managed to get some of it on film!
https://youtu.be/Ao97t1XYjW8
Absolutely love the way this thing goes. There's just so much grip and so much power! It really is a masterpiece, absolutely chuffed with it so far. My plan to sell it at the end of the year to buy property is going to change... Any recommendations on explaining that one to the Mrs?
Obviously when I write stuff like this I have to find negatives, I'd be foolish to admit there's none. I had to commute in it earlier this week due to the Volvo having a wee, and I've always said that commutes make you realise the little niggles.
One thing is the noise, it's bloody loud. It's in no way too intrusive in the cabin, BMW have always been good at interior refinement. However, on cold start, anyone within a mile can hear it. This is particularly embarrassing when you start it in front of your office and see everyone coming to the window to have a look at the burk in his bright red M3. Given that there are about 5 of these things at work, it's an achievement that they come to look at mine in many ways, albeit for the wrong reasons. On the flipside I adore the racket it makes, and I would never change it. Screw them all!
Awkward pedals - they've taken a while to get used to, they're a bit too off centre and close together. And with that, the flywheel noises have taken a lot of getting used to! For months I've been on/off convinced that the clutch is dying, or at least the release bearing. Every time I look it up it seems to be a common noise, and apparently its the flywheel. If not I just hope it explodes within warranty.
BMW Paint - If you've owned a BMW I dont have to explain this, if you havent, you've probably heard. They cant paint cars for toffee, and its rather frustrating knowing it'll never be quite perfect without a respray. For 95% of people its more than adequate, but I'm picky.
But, other than those minor niggles, its a fantastic car. Out of the three (RS4, C63 and this) there is no competition for me, the others are big cruisers and tilted more towards "Family muscle car" whereas this is the "Purer" drivers car. Feel free to flame me for that...
Anyway, onwards with ownership! And fuel bills....
https://youtu.be/Ao97t1XYjW8
Absolutely love the way this thing goes. There's just so much grip and so much power! It really is a masterpiece, absolutely chuffed with it so far. My plan to sell it at the end of the year to buy property is going to change... Any recommendations on explaining that one to the Mrs?
Obviously when I write stuff like this I have to find negatives, I'd be foolish to admit there's none. I had to commute in it earlier this week due to the Volvo having a wee, and I've always said that commutes make you realise the little niggles.
One thing is the noise, it's bloody loud. It's in no way too intrusive in the cabin, BMW have always been good at interior refinement. However, on cold start, anyone within a mile can hear it. This is particularly embarrassing when you start it in front of your office and see everyone coming to the window to have a look at the burk in his bright red M3. Given that there are about 5 of these things at work, it's an achievement that they come to look at mine in many ways, albeit for the wrong reasons. On the flipside I adore the racket it makes, and I would never change it. Screw them all!
Awkward pedals - they've taken a while to get used to, they're a bit too off centre and close together. And with that, the flywheel noises have taken a lot of getting used to! For months I've been on/off convinced that the clutch is dying, or at least the release bearing. Every time I look it up it seems to be a common noise, and apparently its the flywheel. If not I just hope it explodes within warranty.
BMW Paint - If you've owned a BMW I dont have to explain this, if you havent, you've probably heard. They cant paint cars for toffee, and its rather frustrating knowing it'll never be quite perfect without a respray. For 95% of people its more than adequate, but I'm picky.
But, other than those minor niggles, its a fantastic car. Out of the three (RS4, C63 and this) there is no competition for me, the others are big cruisers and tilted more towards "Family muscle car" whereas this is the "Purer" drivers car. Feel free to flame me for that...
Anyway, onwards with ownership! And fuel bills....
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