Advice on possible M3 switch

[MJRM3]

Hey guys, just stumbled on this forum and it's great, ton of info here. I have a question that I hope you guys can help me out with:

About a year ago I purchased a new '11 e92 M3 (July 2010 build date). The car is a true "stripper" with the only installed option being the aluminum interior trim (and the CF roof of course). At the time of purchase, it seemed like an awesome idea, having a more lightweight car with less that can go wrong. But as time has gone on, I find myself missing such things as the Sat radio, the homelink mirror, and more importantly the competition pkg.

Now don't get me wrong, I still love my car, but I have been thinking more and more about ordering a new '12 with all of the above options and trading in my '11. Do you guys think this would be a wise / worthwhile move, especially considering my '11 only has about 6k miles on it? All of your advice would be very helpful.

Thx

[Dgarcia41982]

If you have the cash, do what makes you happy.

[Grail05]

Originally Posted by Dgarcia41982

If you have the cash, do what makes you happy.

the advise you will get is what people want... so decide on what you really want and get it... if money is not an issue why not... practicallity id say keep yours...

[Foodle]

Originally Posted by MJRM3

I find myself missing such things as the Sat radio, the homelink mirror, and more importantly the competition pkg.

You miss sat radio, homelink mirror, and ZCP? These are things you could add to / mod your existing car without too much trouble. Unless there is something more substantial that you want to add, these don't seem like good reasons to switch out your car.

Of course, if the $$$ is no object then just do what you want.

[Mr. ///M3 RD]

I was in the very same boat as you and decided to switch to a full optioned car including the M-DCT love it.

If you long for it do it ... good luck

[MJRM3]

Originally Posted by Foodle

You miss sat radio, homelink mirror, and ZCP? These are things you could add to / mod your existing car without too much trouble. Unless there is something more substantial that you want to add, these don't seem like good reasons to switch out your car.

Of course, if the $$$ is no object then just do what you want.

Yeah those are the only options I really miss. Part of me wants to wait to see what the '13 has to offer too in case they modify the comp pkg.

[mmm def]

You can add all 3 to your car. The $ it will cost you will be FAR less than the depreciation from trading the car in for a new one with those options.

[JulieDriving]

Originally Posted by MJRM3

Yeah those are the only options I really miss. Part of me wants to wait to see what the '13 has to offer too in case they modify the comp pkg.

OP, the 2013 models start production in July. I pushed back my production date to July to get an 2013.

The wait is excruciating but you already have an M3. Wait for the 2013 at least. My 2 cents.

[hieu1004]

I'd add the options separately, which should save you some money. If it's a reason to get a new car...then...I'd wait for the '13

[pharmdphd98]

I have to say that given where gas price is going and the maintenance cost for the M3 you might be better off buying a daily driver with the convenience features you like and keep your M3 for the weekend drives and trips to the track. The most common complaint for this car is how heavy it is compared to past generations; you did the right thing by keeping it as light as possible. In the long run you will have less electronic gadgets that have proven to be the most common reason for trips to the repair shop.

[pharmdphd98]

As for the competition package, there no improvement in performance so the best reason to get it is in case you like the wheels, which can be purchased at a reasonable price. If you have the 220M 19' inches you probably would like to know that they are forged while the ZCP wheels are cast aluminum.

[radiantm3]

The competition package is nice, but you are much better off with a set of coil overs. I have the competition package and ended up getting KW V3 coil overs which is a much better setup and I have wheels on order that are about 7 lbs lighter than the 359m's per corner. You'll save money and be much happier if you just order some coil overs and wheels. I wouldn't have gotten the competition package if I had known better.

[Car54]

Perhaps get a 2010 model optioned how you want vs ANOTHER new M3. Taking two new car depreciations in one year is far outside of my financial sense scale.

[Car54]

Oh and hopefully your state gives you a sales tax credit on trading in.

[Doctor J]

Originally Posted by radiantm3

The competition package is nice, but you are much better off with a set of coil overs. I have the competition package and ended up getting KW V3 coil overs which is a much better setup and I have wheels on order that are about 7 lbs lighter than the 359m's per corner. You'll save money and be much happier if you just order some coil overs and wheels. I wouldn't have gotten the competition package if I had known better.

+1

[mkoesel]

Originally Posted by mmm def

You can add all 3 to your car. The $ it will cost you will be FAR less than the depreciation from trading the car in for a new one with those options.

This.

For certain things, like switching from 6MT to DCT for example, the sane way to go is to switch cars. But at this point in the evolution of the platform, the great minds on this forum have figured out how to retfofit the vast majority of the optional equipment BMW offers from the factory.

At the very least you should find out pricing for all the parts involved and get an estimate for the work.

[jphughan]

Nothing is going to change for 2013, except maybe some option reshuffling, but even that's unlikely since that's already happened for 2012. The Comp Pkg definitely won't be modified.

Sat radio can be retrofitted, and I suspect Homelink could as well, and as others have said you can get better than ZCP results by going aftermarket. I personally don't think the financial hit you'd take on this would be worth just these upgrades, even factoring in installation/coding costs for the retrofits and aftermarket stuff. If you were missing iDrive or wanted to switch transmissions, then maybe, but not just for those 3 components. Get the sat radio retrofit, aftermarket suspension, and then either retrofit Homelink or get a standalone remote, call it a day, and pocket the cash you save.

[C|3R1C]

Honestly, if you have the cash, go for the 2013. Then you get to keep this car much longer (and by car I mean the V8 rather than going to the new i6/V6) and enjoy it completely with all the bells and whistles. A part of me wants to trade in my 2010 for say a 2013 just for this reason. Even if you want the new version coming out, you should still wait another year or 2 so BMW can work out most or all the problems.

[Foodle]

Thank FSM that I've got an e90 and don't have the chance/temptation to switch to a 2013 model.

[cghempel]

Originally Posted by MJRM3

But as time has gone on, I find myself missing such things as the Sat radio, the homelink mirror, and more importantly the competition pkg.

What about the competition package do you really miss? Like others have said, is only consists of wheels, lowered suspension (10 millimeters), and a revised version of MDM mode (which you can now retrofit via coding...I think).

The wheels can be found on the for-sale section of this forum for roughly $1,500-$2,500 depending on the condition and whether they come with tires/TPMS or not.

The suspension drop is minimal and you can always get H&R or Eibach or whatever springs you desire for around $300 that will produce the same look.

As for the MDM mode retrofit possibilities, you will need to contact one of the vendors on this forum for more information.

The homelink mirror and satellite radio are easy and "cheap" things to add to your car. A few hundred dollars for each should do the trick.

Overall, I agree with what most others have said and I think it is a financially stupid idea to get a new car at this point. By retrofitting you will save thousands of dollars and also get exactly what you want.

[Nine]

Buy the wheels, deal with the others (leave it as is), save up for an M4 M3. Sell the older wheels for extra points.

Save your chips for the next hand.

[LarThaL]

If money is no issue for you, then do it. If money is an issue, you will be taking a big financial hit.

ZCP is great for someone not looking to mod the wheels and suspension. if you are going to mod either of those, ZCP will be a waste of money. The only thing gained will be the remapped DSC.

Another thing to consider is that you already went down a path of having a "stripper" car to keep it simple and save weight. Why not use the money just to maximize the car in the direction you chose to go. You will likely take about a $12-15k hit on the trade. Take that money and get some ultralight wheels/tires and a aftermarket suspension or a lighter brake set-up, etc. etc.