Black interior with Black extended leather.....waste of $$$?

[yahtzee]

Originally Posted by Technic

For me the Extended Leather is what really separates the interior of the M3 from a 328i, regardless of color.

Get it.

That, and a V8.

EDIT: meant to say the "sound" of a V8. :-)

[yahtzee]

Originally Posted by ericld

If getting extended leather is pushing your bank account up against the limits, I highly recommend you not get a $65,000 BMW M3.

Remember, it is wise financial advice to keep enough cash reserves in your bank account for 3-4 months of unemployment. For most of you this should be $30,000 minimum.

If you don't have cash, or liquidatable securities that equal something similar, I would choose another automobile.

That being said I chose NOT to get the extended leather because my interior is Bamboo. I wanted a black console to match my carpet and dash. If I could have gotten black extended and Bamboo seats I would have chosen extended.

I personally don't like a beige center console and dash underbelly.

Thanks, do you do resume critiques as well?

[apw2607]

I have the black extended with Carbon leather trim. Its a great combo. To me it was a must option. When I drove the M3 last year in Germany, the car was configured with extended black and carbon trim, and when I saw it I knew I wanted it.

Most pictures never do it justice.

If BMW had allowed the center console and lower half dash to be speced in Black extended, and then you could pick another seat colour I might have gone for that, but the other colours in extended was just too much colour for me on the dash.

[ersin]

Originally Posted by apw2607

I
If BMW had allowed the center console and lower half dash to be speced in Black extended, and then you could pick another seat colour I might have gone for that, but the other colours in extended was just too much colour for me on the dash.

My thoughts exactly. I was thinking maybe one could get the regular red, beige or silver leather seating and then buy the black extended leather dash and console pieces for replacement. In fact, I would even try to get a custom black leather fitting for the top of the dash too.

It's really a personal choice whether you like the extra leather or not. For me, it's worth the extra grand, especially with Novillo leather. You should try to find an example of extended leather M3 first if you're on the fence.

[synclastica_86]

Verdict: You can't really tell the difference if you have black extended leather. But if you hate yourself for being too opulent, by all means, get it!

[TLud]

Originally Posted by ericld

If getting extended leather is pushing your bank account up against the limits, I highly recommend you not get a $65,000 BMW M3.

It has nothing to do with this for most people. It's the $1k opportunity cost of the extended leather. I can think of many, many better things to spend that $1k on.

[BMW3R]

Originally Posted by J08M3

Most people on here will probably say get the extended leather. But I have a black interior without it and I am happy with it. I don't see spending the extra money on this option worth it. If you had contrasting colors yes. But the interior looks very nice without the extended leather in black.

+1

I opted not to get extended leather in a black interior and I cannot tell the difference.

[ajj]

extended leather all the way...i was just thinking today how good it looks and wished they even did the upper dash and entire door in extended leather like the porsche extended leather package. makes the interior look and feel a bit classier and worth price tag of the car. get it...otherwise you may regret it later. believe me, you will not miss the the grand spent considering you're about to spend 70-80k on this car!

[IWearScrubs]

Originally Posted by TLud

Nope. You need to order the Tech package to get extended leather.

So, wouldn't that be a yes?

[synclastica_86]

Originally Posted by ajj

you will not miss the the grand spent considering you're about to spend 70-80k on this car!

But haven't you heard? If you have to ask, you can't afford it.

[TLud]

Originally Posted by IWearScrubs

Don't you need to order the Extended Leather to get some options on the 09's?

Originally Posted by TLud

Nope. You need to order the Tech package to get extended leather.

Originally Posted by IWearScrubs

So, wouldn't that be a yes?

Nope. Your first post had it backwards. You need to get the tech package to be able to order the extended leather. You don't need to order the extended leather to get another option.

[sayemthree]

yes

[GnokGnik]

I would put it behind Ipod Adapter in priority.

[LittleRocket]

Extended Leather looks awesome with Black interior. The car is not the same with all that plastic. I wouldn't hesitate to get the black extended again if I had to do it all over again.

[IWC Doppel]

After sitting in a car with extended leather and non extended it is DEFINATELY worth it. For me it moves the interior up from Okay to classy. The dash looks superb around the knees and the centre console looks fabulous with the stitched side pieces if you look carefully you can see the ordinary plastic that runs all over the sides of the console in non extended leather.

It really is in the eye of the beholder ! Some think it's great if expensive some don't see the point. I would buy it again and its a £750 option in the UK

You guys have cheap cars in the US my total bill was £56,000.............. Don't quibble over a $500 option

[jamesisel]

Thanks for the Great Pics IWC Doppel! I was already 90% sure I was going to go ahead and get the extended leather but after your pics I am 100%. It would be a huge mistake not to get it!

Thanks everyone else for the Input
and thanks for the Financial Advice ericld!

[sayemthree]

NO one will ever know (or care) you spent the extra money for that - unless you tell them/

[Big Windy]

Originally Posted by Technic

For me the Extended Leather is what really separates the interior of the M3 from a 328i, regardless of color.

Get it.

Originally Posted by TLud

Nope. Your first post had it backwards. You need to get the tech package to be able to order the extended leather. You don't need to order the extended leather to get another option.

nope. don't need tech for extended.

[TLud]

Originally Posted by Big Windy

nope. don't need tech for extended.

What about this post?

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthr...tended+leather

[Big Windy]

Originally Posted by TLud

What about this post?

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthr...tended+leather

hmmm....that is interesting. from what that thread says (and what I just checked on the online configurator) you are correct. what is interesting is that the ordering guide and datasheet both do not say that nav is required for extended. i wonder what a dealer/CA would say.

[ersin]

Originally Posted by Big Windy

hmmm....that is interesting. from what that thread says (and what I just checked on the online configurator) you are correct. what is interesting is that the ordering guide and datasheet both do not say that nav is required for extended. i wonder what a dealer/CA would say.

The online configurator used to let you get extended without nav until recently. My point in that thread was "why would they change that?" What do nav and extended leather have to do with each other? Requiring the tech package to get CA might be reasonable if the tech packaged added something that was really needed for CA to work. (But I don't believe that this is really the case). Perhaps it's just a cost saving measure -- the cars with extended leather and nav go down the same path on the assembly line. I don't know.

[synclastica_86]

Originally Posted by sayemthree

NO one will ever know (or care) you spent the extra money for that - unless you tell them/

If I actually blow a whole grand on some animal skin, I'd make sure that I tell every single one of my passengers.