That orange thread on the steering wheel gets you the same HP increase as a cold air intake.

 

That orange thread on the steering wheel gets you the same HP increase as a bolt on cold air intake system.

 

Hey N80...........I know you!! How the hell've you been? Fine, I hope, the family as well.

The points you make - M3 obssessed as I am - have had me wondering over the last year or so.

For instance, is BMWs 4 year/50,000 mile (I think) no cost maintenance plan actually a cover-up of the (seemingly) way too expensive parts and/or frequency of maintenance one will incur about 2 days after warranty expiration?

Not to mention, I get nothing but OUTSTANDING service @ Infiniti @ very reasonable cost.

For instance #2: Over the weekend Sawgrass Infiniti's super service technician Harley - remember that name S. Florida owners - was able to quickly reverse the direction on the 5AT manumatic to:

PULL - Upshift
PUSH - Downshift

As a task I lack the technical expertise to do - STOP LAUGHING - it was done in 20 minutes, at little or no cost, a dollar figure not even worth mentioning.

I will leave how sweet it is, that road racing-type (GT3, DTM, etc.) sequential manual setup............for another post. All I know is I'm one happy camper.

So, if I can't find that bada$$ V8 requiring little or no BS maintenance (aka Lexus IS-F), I may exercise my manufacturer or dealer loyalty option and just "settle" for a G35X Coupe.

Broke-d**k frickin BMWs. There, I said i.

Later days, dude.

 

Now look what I done started. Dayum!

Anyway, Tofu.........I forgot I had RAS, too, homie!!

For a mere 750 beans? No way. To include 15.1:1 Vehicle-speed-sensitive power steering ratio?

What a bargain.

My question to you: How do you like it?

I think it's fabulous.

Like Nissan's ATTESSA all-wheel system, it allows me to be somewhat of a hooligan around corners and/or changing lates WITHOUT breaking Road Rule #1: Safety first; no tickets.

Last, but not least, does that mean I'm a crappy driver that needs a bunch of mechanical trickery to keep 'er out of a ditch?

Don't answer.

He gone!

 

You know that my family was killed in a freak circus accident 10 years ago. I still can't even look at a clown.

I think that's all very nice. But look at the maintenance 'services' involved in the first 50k miles. Its mostly stuff like "inspect glove box alignment" and "inspect wiper blade speeds". Mostly fluff. Not much real work. In that regard I think most of the maintenance recommended in the first 50k miles is useless and don't waste my money on it. BMW is simply foregoing the shameless profiteering of fleecing the gullable. Nice sentiment but not of much value for those who have neurons above the brainstem.

 

Dude, are you serious.........freak circus accident?!!

I'm hope not, 'cause while I may be someone that first learned how to take it (quite well) and can thereby dish it out (just as well), a heartless bum I am not.

If you are serious, I did not know, and truly apologize. My bad.......and I'll take what more I've got coming.........

Regarding BMW's alleged freebie "maintenance plan", you've scientifically broken down the cover-up I alluded to.

So much for owning an M3.

 

Well, an M3 is quite a different thing from a 335i or a G. I mean, I wouldn't kick one out of bed for eating crackers.

 

Nuff said (for the most part).......on both counts. I think I get it overall, and about the M3, an analogy that hopefully hits the mark:

Like someone I know that's near & dear to my heart, who's very cool, fun, and ALWAYS a blast to hang out with.

Is a very athletic, yet super-hot girly girl - I'd say 80% hot mama.

She's lean, fit, somewhat muscular for a lady, but still has a beautiful shape, albeit unable to shake the 20% rough-housing tomboy in her (you'd never notice) that's always trying to kick my butt.

And failing. I wish you'd grow up, already!!!........is what I keep telling her.

(THINK: Angie from Full Throttle Saloon. A cross between her & Pink, the singer; Corey Hart's wife.)

But she's got ugly feet. Not that oogly, but they don't quite go with the bod.

YYYYYYYeah! You know where I'm coming from!

Next time she gets kicked outta bed will be the first.

Crackers, pizza, whatever. Drop the dadgum pepperonis on the comforter. Like I care.

And I'll deny I posted this to my grave. "Wuddn me! I don't know no Bozo."

Later days, dude.

 

I considered the sport package a bargain when I bought new based on what it came with and I had no plans to do any modding to it so it was a must have. An aftermarket LSD alone would have pretty much equalled the cost of the entire package. The factory 19" wheels are also dead sexy looking.

Since you are buying used, the price of the package probably isn't as much of a factor and if you plan on swapping out the wheels and the suspension anyways, then it may not be worth it. The LSD would be the only really difficult and costly aftermarket thing to do. I would still go for the sport pkg even if I planned on changing out the wheels and suspension as I would probably get back a nice chunk of change by selling the factory 19"s.

 

I have an 06 with sport package. Its rough and loud. I like it, but my wife misses our Maxima. I replaced the stock 19" wheels with 18". The ride is better and quieter, but I can feel the difference in the cornering. I like my combo, sport package with 18's.

 

Here's what I can say about this. I know from years of experience in modifying suspensions on all my cars and being all about performance handling and ride quality. Not about aesthetics and big rims with low profile tires and being slammed. When it comes to suspension and handling, suspension travel is key (along with lots of other things). If you dont have suspension travel than you are just riding on bump stops. With replacement lowering springs, most of the time you just have a spring that is made of a stiffer or thicker coil which allows for a higher spring rate and lower stance. Some have a variable thickness and vary their coil styles to allow for a controlled progression of resistance (progressive springs) as opposed to a others which have a linear resistance throughout their entire range of motion. Anyway, the point is that all they do is lower the car and add stiffness to the ride. Even when replacing the OEM shock with a performance one. You still reduce your suspension travel significantly. The cars ride height is now in the upper part of the suspension's range of motion thus not allowing for much compression when driving over a raised imperfection in the road or when taking a corner at high speed causing the car to lean and compress the shock on that side. When an imperfection is driven over during a high speed corner your car will just be thrown up over the imperfection since it is already riding on the bump stop (which is a very stiff object). This throws the car off balance and can cause a loss of control and/or worse.

With an Aftermarket coilover, the range of motion of the suspension is changed to a higher position so that the ride height is in the middle of the range of motion and there is ample amount of rebound and compression to give the suspension an opportunity to do what it is designed to do which is suspend the car and ABSORB any road imperfections and resist body role and so on and so forth.

OEM Factory sport packages may be sufficient in providing a SLIGHT improvement in performance and handling but only lower the car conservatively and are limited in there level of performance since they have civility and ride comfort in mind when being designed. After all it is a LUXURY sport car. So ride comfort is a significant factor in the final design. In the end you spend lots of money for something that is sub-par and can use improvement anyway. Of course this all depends on preference and what each individual plans on doing with his or her own car.

Im no expert, Im only speaking from experience and I may have mentioned somethings that may be in accurate or false, but this is just my opinion.