Looking to Buy '08 M3

Besides having a permanent smile on my face, what do I need to know when buying an '08 M3 Convertible, manual transmission with 80k + miles? How about 100k +? Obviously looking at the maintenance records and making sure the vehicle was maintained correctly, but is there any huge problems/issues I should look for prior to buying?

This is a good start. I suggest you read his whole opening post, then read through all of the comments after.

For New Owners - What I wish I knew when I first bought my E9X M3: http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1418410

Brink231 wrote

Besides having a permanent smile on my face, what do I need to know when buying an '08 M3 Convertible, manual transmission with 80k + miles? How about 100k +? Obviously looking at the maintenance records and making sure the vehicle was maintained correctly, but is there any huge problems/issues I should look for prior to buying?

Unless you're getting a killer deal, have a healthy maintenance budget or can wrench yourself, or know the original owner who can tell you everything about the car, the maintenance history, and how s/he drove it, I'd shy away from an '08 M3 with that many miles. These are pretty complicated cars that need somewhat special care. While they can be reliable in higher mileage, when things do go wrong, it can get quite expensive.

Regardless, having bought and sold 14 cars in the past 10 years (yes, I've got the car disease), the very first thing I'd do is have a PPI done by a mechanic you trust, or at least the BMW dealer. That should surface the most critical issues you'd need to address. CarFax reports aren't that detailed, so I always try to pull the service records using the VIN by calling the BMW dealerships where it's been serviced. If you buy in a private sale, you can usually get the owner to do it for you. The more info you have, the better.

For E93 M3 specific stuff, I'd first check the clutch. I've been told that the '08 M3's used a different clutch than the 09' + versions and it can be quite costly to replace - one of the main reasons why I picked up an '09 E90 M3 over an '08 (plus, '08 iDrive UI was overhauled from '09 onwards). If you plan on keeping the car for a while, or drive it often, I'd also budget about $5-6k for the usual suspects (throttle actuators, rod bearings, and possibly valve cover gaskets) as these are known to fail at some point, regardless of mileage. I've owned several BMW convertibles and never had an issue with the power top, but they were all soft-tops.

A lot really depends on how the prior owner(s) drove and cared for the car. With a convertible, it's less likely that the car was tracked since most tracks don't allow convertibles. Still, you can have a car that's seen a few track days, but as long as the owner knew what they were doing (e.g., no mis-shifts) and stayed on top of a more aggressive maintenance schedule, I wouldn't be too concerned. I think you can tell a lot from the test drive - if it's tight, or if something feels "off."

Good luck!

I couldn't disagree with the prior post more on the 2008 cars. Although one could easily argue that the 2011 -2013 cars are superior due to the life cycle updates. However the prior poster did provide you with some excellent information in all areas and he is a great asset to the forum. Shout out to KPop.

This is an excellent example right here of an enthusiasts 2008 M3.

2008 dct coupe for sale Alpine white http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1435021

BOOF-M3 wrote

I couldn't disagree with the prior post more on the 2008 cars. Although one could easily argue that the 2011 -2013 cars are superior due to the life cycle updates. However the prior poster did provide you with some excellent information in all areas and he is a great asset to the forum. Shout out to KPop.

This is an excellent example right here of an enthusiasts 2008 M3.

2008 dct coupe for sale Alpine white http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1435021

+1.

Thanks all, especially KPop. Great information to have!

Brink231 wrote

Thanks all, especially KPop. Great information to have!

Let us know what you end up getting!

KPop wrote

Unless you're getting a killer deal, have a healthy maintenance budget or can wrench yourself, or know the original owner who can tell you everything about the car, the maintenance history, and how s/he drove it, I'd shy away from an '08 M3 with that many miles. These are pretty complicated cars that need somewhat special care. While they can be reliable in higher mileage, when things do go wrong, it can get quite expensive.

A 2008 with 80k miles is low in my opinion.
8k miles per year isn't much especially if the car has lived in a warm climate.

Maintenance wise, the 08s are as robust as the 13s (assuming similar care throughout ownership). They are subject to the same platform issues. Depending on service history, an '08 could be in much better shape than a '13.


OP: send me a PM if you wish. I'm currently in the middle of selling my '08 vert (its spoken for) but i can provide some insight as to what the real market for these cars is lately.

Thanks Lat77. I might take you up on that offer. I will let you know.

DOOO it for the simple and sweet, aluminum iDrive knob. it's the only year model that has it.


GM

GMCHEM83 wrote

DOOO it for the simple and sweet, aluminum iDrive knob. it's the only year model that has it.


GM

The one that comes off...

All, Broke down and pulled the trigger!! 2008 M3 out of Florida. 2 owners, all the maintenance records. Car Fax good. 87k miles. Did a PPI, nothing of note, just had it to my mechanic, everything's looking good. I now have that smile on my face!!!

Post some pictures when you get a chance. Welcome!

It's a 6 speed Manual, 2008 M3 Convertible Jerezschwarz Metallic with Silver interior. How do you attached photos to this post? I tried and it's asking for a URL?

Would get RBs done on 08 for sure.

Brink231 wrote

All, Broke down and pulled the trigger!! 2008 M3 out of Florida. 2 owners, all the maintenance records. Car Fax good. 87k miles. Did a PPI, nothing of note, just had it to my mechanic, everything's looking good. I now have that smile on my face!!!

Where in Florida? Just make sure it wasn't a water-logged car from this year's Hurricane Irma.

Jacksonville area. And I made sure there was no flood/water damage. I had a PPI done prior to buying and just had it in with my mechanic. All good. But thanks for the note!

Anyway, how do you post pictures to this post?

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1444227

SDPLV wrote

Would get RBs done on 08 for sure.

Would do rod bearings on any e9x M3 regardless of year 08-13......

Id do TA's and rod bearings, fluids and belts. Then drive the piss out of it. Have a blast!

Check out this article on how to keep the top in good working order.
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=609222

Does anyone know the percentage of e9x's that have had the RB's replaced? Is it 10 %, 20% or is it over 50%?

I think like 10 or so folks have replaced the bearings- they just keep posting over and over again so that it seems it's 50%...