M4 Convertible

[jamesbilluk]

Since we’ve been having some slightly better weather recently, I decided to purchase a convertible! but don’t have room for 2 cars,

I’ve only recently purchased an M2, which I’ve enjoyed, but decided to go for an M4 convertible, so I can fit the baby seat in too! The M2 is a manual, which I enjoy, so wanted a manual M4, there doesn’t seem to be many manual convertibles for sale, but found a lovely Sakhir orange one in Bristol not far from me, it really suites the car nicely.

It was interesting comparing the two from the drive to the dealership to the drive home, the M2 did feel more agile, but the M4 feels much more stable on the motorway, and much more comfortable too, the interior is much better quality wise. I’m not sure about the front splitter, so will be changing that for the M performance one at some point. The M2 did have great spec for the money though.

Sound wise, the N55 in the M2 was more of a characterful lump, but the S55 sounds more angry, still sounds great, I don't think it deserved the bad press sound wise that it received.

Here are some pics

[SiT]

Love the M4 convertible, what a lovely pair you have now and probably a great combo too.

Sakhir is a great colour, seems to change in the light from an orange to red to a bronzey colour.

Any plans? Litchfield do some wicked tuning for these!

Si

[jamesbilluk]

SiT said:

Love the M4 convertible, what a lovely pair you have now and probably a great combo too.

Sakhir is a great colour, seems to change in the light from an orange to red to a bronzey colour.

Any plans? Litchfield do some wicked tuning for these!

Si

Thanks Si

The M2 has to go unfortunately

Really like the colour, seems to look different in some lights, seems to get a fair bit of attention which I didn’t expect!

Ah yes, I have seen some of the stages they do, over 500hp rwd could be fun! Certainly some new wheels at some point, maybe gun metal grey, and the m performance carbon splitter.

James

[jamesbilluk]

Just a small update with the M4,

I really didn’t like the Active sound system, didn’t sound quite right, even with the roof down, I heard that more than the exhaust! I’ve now coded it out using ‘BimmerCode’ Much better inside now, a more natural sound, and much less drone on the motorway.

I’ve also disconnected the exhaust valves so they’re open all the time... Again, massive improvement, even in sports + mode you can here them opening and closing, it sounds much better now, a nice growl under acceleration.

Also a lovely couple of drives with the roof down with the sun we’ve been having!

I’ve got a new set of alloy wheels that were going to be fitted on Friday (not now though..) But at some point! They’re black Bmw 763m’s (wanted the gun metal but they’re CS only, and £7000 a set!) I’m not usually a fan of black wheels, but this could look good with the orange. I’m going to remove the rear lip as I’m not a fan of it, and looks much neater without. I’ve also got some 10mm front and 12mm rear Eibach spacers to go on to fill the arches out more, I’ve read there’s no harm with the handling.



Here some more pictures,





Best of all is the illuminated manual knob!!

Edited by jamesbilluk on Monday 23 March 20:46

[Macron]

Who wouldn't like an illuminated knob?!

Lovely car OP. You don't see them around often enough.

[jamesbilluk]

I was pleasantly surprised when I saw it!

Thank you Really pleased with it, not seen too many of them around here.

[Andrew D]

Lovely car OP. Agree about the wheels; I don't normally like black but I think it'll go with the orange pretty well.

jamesbilluk said:

decided to go for an M4 convertible, so I can fit the baby seat in too!

I've got an F33 435i, which I chose over an F23 M235i partly on the basis of easier/possible use of a child seat (also removable towbar + bike rack!). The baby seat fits in fine (Recaro, obvs), although I sometimes get some funny looks parking up in the parent-and-child spots, and it's a bit of a core workout lifting him out with the roof up. It's currently rearward facing so passenger seat is well forward, but should be no issue once he's forward facing. Looks the business too.

[jamesbilluk]

Andrew D said:

Lovely car OP. Agree about the wheels; I don't normally like black but I think it'll go with the orange pretty well.

jamesbilluk said:

decided to go for an M4 convertible, so I can fit the baby seat in too!

I've got an F33 435i, which I chose over an F23 M235i partly on the basis of easier/possible use of a child seat (also removable towbar + bike rack!). The baby seat fits in fine (Recaro, obvs), although I sometimes get some funny looks parking up in the parent-and-child spots, and it's a bit of a core workout lifting him out with the roof up. It's currently rearward facing so passenger seat is well forward, but should be no issue once he's forward facing. Looks the business too.

Thank you Yeah, they should be a good contrast, hopefully getting more carbon parts to brake it up a bit too.

Nice, love the 435i, they sound great too, Yeah, the rear space is pretty good, we have a rear facing in at the moment also, even that doesn’t fit in too badly (luckily me and the OH are not the tallest) agree there though, it’s a bit of a squeeze trying to clip it in, we have a belt system, and find my self getting in bald to do it.. Still better than the M2 before this, that was very tight!!

I also find that too, getting some funny looks in the parent and child bays!

[jamesbilluk]

Hmm, whilst at home today, I decided to remove the rear lip, looks much neater to me with out, although I’m not left with lots of residue to remove....
I’ve tried ‘sticky stuff remover’ and some heat, but it won’t budge..

[TheJimi]

That's karma's way of saying that it looked better with the lip.

Which it did

[jamesbilluk]

Starting to wish I had left it on now....

It wasn’t the best quality to be honest, I may change it for a carbon item like this-

But more toned down

[SiT]

It has been troubling me why I recognise your driveway - did you used to have a lovely RS6 in an unusual red colour?? What happened to that out of interest??

Si

[jamesbilluk]

SiT said:

It has been troubling me why I recognise your driveway - did you used to have a lovely RS6 in an unusual red colour?? What happened to that out of interest??

Si

Hi Si

I did indeed, always take a few pics when I’m home with a new car on the drive,

Really did like the RS6, it was stage 1 when I sold it with 675 hp, it was an animal (not slow when standard to be honest! ) I just found it overkill for what I needed really though.

James

[cerb4.5lee]

Very nice and I've always really liked these and I loved the test drive I had in one.

Kudos for going for the manual and I'd do the same.

Enjoy it.

[jamesbilluk]

cerb4.5lee said:

Very nice and I've always really liked these and I loved the test drive I had in one.

Kudos for going for the manual and I'd do the same.

Enjoy it.

Thank you

Loved the manual in the M2 I had so on the hunt for the M4, I knew I wanted a manual one, I was lucky to find this one local to me, wasn’t sure about the colour to start with, but it seems to change in various lights.

[jamesbilluk]

Just another small update, I’ve purchased the BMW carbon fibre trim for the dash, drivers air vent surround, and the center console, it does seem to have made it slightly less grey in the cabin...



And before


I’ve also purchased and fitted some Eibach hubcentric spacers for the front and rear, only 15mm rear and 12mm front, but the wheels fill the arches more now, the handling doesn’t seem to have been affected either which is good!