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I initially bought into the "don't buy an 08 M3" argument, then a guy whose opinion on BMWs I respect said "the 08s are fine" so I bought one. Paid $26K last June for an IB (great color) coupe with DCT. Car had 77K miles, clean Carfax, and a decent history.
I worked a deal with the dealer to have the rod bearings done as part of the purchase. The bearings looked fine when he got them out, btw, but I needed the peace of mind. I then decided to pre-emptively install the gears in the TBA's with aftermarket, and discovered the TBAs were date stamped 2014, so they had obviously been replaced. Popped the aftermarket gears in them. The car, soon after I got it, developed an oil leak from the crank snout seal, so I had the guy who had replaced the bearings do that, as well as change out the DCT fluid and replace the leak-prone DCT pan and seal. All this was done in the first month or so of ownership, and all included things I had planned for, except for the crank snout seal oil leak. Thus, the total price, all in, was under $30 for me.
Fast forward, and I'm 10 months in, at just over 90K. I use it as both a daily driver, in deadly Seattle area stop and go, and as a trip car, blasting across the Great Northwest. Since the initial maintenance/repairs, the car has been flawless. I don't mind the iDrive interface particularly, and, since I don't really use most of the other gadgets that much (would be happy with a straight dash car), I don't see much that I care about vs the later models. I do understand, though, that the manual on the 08s was a problem child. My DCT has been fine--I installed the Euro tune.
So--my humble 08 has so far, been great. I love the car so much I drive it every day, in all kinds of horrible weather, and it has treated me well. As we head into track season, I have a set of StopTech brakes that will go on, as well as some sticky tires. I suspect it will be a blast on track as well.
Terry
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