Previously Post #1
Introduction
So I’ve had my E90M for about a year now and having just finished some work on it, thought it was finally time to put this thread together.
I had my E46M for 6 years and wanted to be buried in it. Then my wife and I had a son! You’ve heard the story here a million times. I didn’t really need to change cars (we could do with just my wife’s car) but I did want something a little more practical or justifiable, that I could trade with my wife if needed, that I could more easily share with my son, and that wouldn’t be such a “project car” (riiight ...).
I’ll spare you the details of the acquisition, but ultimately after scouring the market for a while, I found it posted here and made a deal within 5 minutes of its listing, pending a perfect PPI. EAS performed the PPI, and I flew down to Los Angeles in June 2018. I drove it home to SF the long way via Highway 33 north of Ojai (
fantastic stretch of tarmac!). It was a CA car since new, 2 enthusiast owners, no stories/clean history, and in really clean condition with 47K miles. I do wish it had the EPS/Individual Audio and heated seats, but its otherwise perfect for me. Clean E90s are hard enough as it is to find these days, only getting harder, and I realized buyer's need to exercise patience and be realistic about musts and wants.
The car was essentially stock when I bought it, and I wanted to enjoy it like that for some time. So for the first year (and 3K miles), I did nothing more than maintenance: BE bearings, motor mounts, 3x oil changes (because of bearing job), DCT top off (GTS fill), differential fluid, coolant, PS fluid, brake fluid, spark plugs, air filter, cabin filters, wiper blades, Techron concentrate, floor mats, etc. (and more Sonax/Griots than it deserved).
With a decent feel for the car and a complete inspection/service done, it was time to turn it up a notch. The purpose of this car was its dual personality, so straight pipes and unsealed ball joints were not happening. My goal for the car is to make what I think an E90 CS could or should have been. I will draw inspiration from the M Performance catalog, the E92 GTS, the F80 ZCP and CS, and the E46 M3 CSL, ultimately trying to increase performance and fun by few clicks without compromising on factory reliability, practicality, ride quality, or really anything else.
Specifications:
• 2011.75 E90 M3
• Alpine White w/ Black Novillo and Carbon Leather
• Competition, DCT, Slicktop
• Tech, Comfort, and Premium Packages
Upgrades as of 7/2019:
• Dinan Carbon Intake
• Dinan Underdrive Pulleys
• Eisenmann Black Series Sport Exhaust
• Alpine Stage 1 Tune
• Alpine GTS DCT Software
• Dinan Sway Bar Kit
• Factory camber pins removed
• Alpine Euro MDM and Servotronics
• Anthracite 359Ms (powder coated)
• M Performance and iND Gloss Black Package (grills, gills, vents, trunk badge)
• Huper Optik 35% Ceramic Tint
• OE M Performance Steering Wheel
• Dinan Aluminum Pedals
• Aluminum DCT Paddles
• OE Performance AS Mats, OE Cargo Net
• BE Bearings, BE/ARP Bolts
• Nuna Rava
What's Next?
I don’t have a lot more planned, and most of it will be timed around maintenance work. Okay, we've all seen how that goes, the mod bug bites. But I’m really liking the car, and the changes to it so far. It should last me a while since I only drive it about ~3K/yr, and fortunately nothing else out there really interests me that I will be able to afford or justify anytime soon.
• When the tires are done, I will go with 255/275 PS4S’ (and maybe 10/5mm spacers).
• When the brakes are due, I will likely upgrade at least the fronts.
• When the shocks wear out, I may try Bilstein B16s (though I really like the ZCP hardware).
• I’m interested in solid subframe mounts and monoball FCABs.
• My passenger headlight gets condensation when I wash the car, so I will have them refreshed/resealed with ZKW projector lenses and Osram CBIs.
• I am no audiophile, but I think the HiFi needs at least an amplifier upgrade.
• I’ll mix it up a little bit cosmetically, but it'll stay pretty close to OEM.
E9xM versus ... E46
It seems many of us have owned or spent significant time with many different M3 generations, so I figured I'd offer my thoughts. Probably nothing that hasn’t already been said, but here's the E9X compared to the E46:
Pros
- Versatility: It is so much more comfortable and relaxing to drive than my E46, while offering nearly identical outright performance and maybe 90% of the "feel." Granted, my E46 was far from stock (thus, it could keep up), but when I had it I loved it and had no desire to change the suspension any more in either direction. Now feeling this, I appreciate its wider range of usability (both in normal mode and with EDC in general).
- DCT: It's just a damn good box and is way more fun than I expected. Sure, I'll own more 6MTs in my life and I will always respect and love them, but I am not a paddle hater. I liked it when I drove DCT for the first time, but was worried I would grow tired of it. Nope. FWIW I only drove in D mode once to make sure it worked, and rarely shift from the stick - I almost exclusively shift from the paddles. I'm not pretending to be Lewis Hamilton going down the boulevard, but I find the paddles satisfying and comfortable.
- Sound: The S65, especially with the Dinan intake and Eisenmann Sport, sounds nearly as good as anything out there. I
love S54s at WOT redline, but around town they they only make you tingle if you know what they are.
- Reliability, tech, build quality: Not much more needed to say here. Sure these cars have their issues as any M model or performance car will, but compared to the Swiss cheese rear floor and VANOS issues on the E46, these cars seem pretty stout and tight. I'm hoping most of the bugs have been identified by this age but we'll see what more comes up over time, though I think we can conclude now the E9x wins here.
- Modifications: I don't think the E9XMs need much in terms of mods. Sure there's always stuff that I think needs to be done (e.g, everybody with a DCT should get the GTS flash) but overall, the car is damn good and fun in stock form, versatile, fast, sounds good with OEM intake/muffler, etc. I think it would be easier for me to keep an E9X stock than an E46. Not that a stock E46 is bad at all, I just think there's more that I'd really want to sort out. I would choose an E46 for a true project car.
- Value: With clean, 50K mile E92s at $30K, that's a lot of car for the money. Especially considering a clean, 50K mile E46 could be the same price and needs a lot more to bulletproof and sort out. You have to really love E46s to pick up a clean one at current prices (and IMO, be looking for a weekend canyon or project car).
Cons
- Special feeling: Something about the E46 just tickled my nuggets a bit more, even with the engine off. It just fit like a glove, had a little more old school German solidity to it, and had a sense of occasion. The E90 is far more utilitarian, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I am not really sure how to explain this, but the E46 pulls at my heart strings a little more, and always will. The E9X doesn't until I hit the Start button. Whereas the E46 felt special and sensational from the moment you unlocked the doors.
- Looks: I think sorted out E9Xs look GREAT, but a sorted out E46 (even a stock ZCP) looks better. I think E46s will continue to age as well as anything out there and the E9x will also age well. Unpopular opinion among E90 owners: the E92 looks a little cooler than the E90. There, I said it.
- Playfulness: The E46 just feels more alive and playful. While close in size and weight on paper, the E46 feels smaller and more nimble. Surely part of this is due to the upgrades I had on mine, but I think the platform in general just provides more feel and makes for a more exciting drive when you're on the boil. You feel the speed, the car, and the road more, which matters when you're just out having fun and not racing. The E9X is far from numb, but its added comfort does come a little bit at the expense of feedback and precision (again, this can be good in some situations or depending on use).
vs. F80:
I'll keep this one short. A close friend of mine has a base spec, 2016 6MT F80 that I've put many miles on over many fun stretches of pavement. It's a great chassis, and the car covers ground far faster than any E46 or E9X can, but I just can’t love the S55 (or the interior). It's a beast, but the feel and sound will forever keep me from loving the whole car, and there's more to a car than brute force, which anybody will get used to. For that reason alone there's a good chance it's a generation I skip (unless a ZCP or CS is surprisingly different in this regard, which I haven't driven yet). They do look fantastic (not an F82 fan), though!