Offical US M3 Ordering guide for coupe and sedan

[Technic]

Originally Posted by ChitownM3

And this epacy is the reason I'm not happy that the audio upgrade is individual audio. I wouldn't mind paying 700 extra for the logic 700 like in the m5, but I dont know about u but I am not paying over 2K for audio.

Considering that the Logic 7 option is $1200 in both the 3 and 5 Series, I would say $1900 ($1200 + $700) is a pretty good estimate of the option cost of this Enhanced sound system.

If "gone crazy" is the thing, checking all the boxes for audio equipment in this M3 could set you back some $3250 after Sirius, HD Radio and iPod/USB adapter are added. And remember, you need the iDrive to get this Enhanced system... at least $4,000 total, approximately. Damn...

So whoever opt for this system better listen to it before ordering because cheap is not going to be, much less if the plan is to "improve" it later with subs or amps if you are not satisfied for any reason...

[eclipsisNA]

Originally Posted by Smoltz

Probably won't be $2000. I would say in the $1500 neighborhood, but still a pricey upgrade, seeing as I haven't heard the system, it would be hard to assess the value relative to competitors offerings. Maybe someone with an M5 with the Individual Audio can chime in on how it is.

-Adam

I recently purchased an 08 M5 w/ the Individual Audio option. It sounds miles better than the system in my E46 M3. If you have any questions about it I can answer them.

[southlight]

Originally Posted by Epacy

What exactly is Sating Chrome Finish. What was the finish in Europe?
And why would you offer two finishes? Perhaps they heard my cries?
S?

The individual audio does seem to be offered. What are you talking about ChitownM3?

And I guess it is true. Power rear windows in the coupe.

Just looked, but it seems that the finish in Europe doesn't have a description, it's just the style 260 (which is the same number the US guide states, did remember there was another though?). Best description I heard so far for the finish is: "Looks like teflon-coated". But the description satin chrome finish doesn't suit that finish. I'd imagine a matt finish that's not dark just like seen on most of the test cars. Why they'd choose different finishes? No clue, maybe I'm wrong and they're just the same!?

And I still can't believe that you get Power rear windows whereas the Euro cars don't even have opening/tilting rear windows. Does the 335i Coupe have them?

Best regards, south

[Big Windy]

Originally Posted by southlight

And I still can't believe that you get Power rear windows whereas the Euro cars don't even have opening/tilting rear windows. Does the 335i Coupe have them?

335i definitely does not have them...i think that is so weird also.

[Epacy]

Originally Posted by redmtclimber

335i definitely does not have them...i think that is so weird also.

Then I might venture to guess this brochure is still in planning stages and is not final. A couple of options on here don't make sense.

[abhagat]

Originally Posted by redmtclimber

335i definitely does not have them...i think that is so weird also.

Correct me if I'm wrong (I don't have the ordering guide open), but I thought the back seat window shades are only available on the M Sedan, not Coupe?

Of course, the rear shade will be available on both.

[Keto]

Yeah, I think the brochure may get edited. After all, the base stereo in the US 335 = Logic 7. Why go cheaper in the M3? Sure, it cuts the base price a bit, but it's tough to think that the upgraded model would have a cheaper base stereo.

[Smoltz]

Originally Posted by westwest888

I like the way the NA spec is laid out. To be honest, the only important option to me would be a sport package but this is the sport model, so none. This is all me:

Alpine White
Sirius
Bluetooth

People on this board are crazy, but I will get out the door on that car for $54,000.

Side note, I don't believe in factory suspensions even if they have magnets. The best suspension you can buy is coilovers and they're only $1500. That's a scary number for a lot of buyers because you can't amortize it over 60 months. But it's worth it.

That must be why Ferrari uses Magnetic Suspension. There are pros and cons for everything but to dismiss the factory mag suspension and claim that Bilstein PSS9 are the answer to everyones needs is foolish at best.

-Adam

[Big Windy]

Originally Posted by abhagat

Correct me if I'm wrong (I don't have the ordering guide open), but I thought the back seat window shades are only available on the M Sedan, not Coupe?

Of course, the rear shade will be available on both.

yeah we were talking about actual power rear windows, not the shades. but yes, the ordering guide says that the sedan has the option for hand operated pull down shades for the rear side windows and, like the coupe, a power operated shade for the rear window.

[swamp2]

Originally Posted by westwest888

People on this board are crazy, but I will get out the door on that car for $54,000.

Side note, I don't believe in factory suspensions even if they have magnets. The best suspension you can buy is coilovers and they're only $1500. That's a scary number for a lot of buyers because you can't amortize it over 60 months. But it's worth it.

You'll NEVER get one out any door for that price unless you are Military in which case your post is quite misleading.

The EDC system in the M3 is not a suspension system "with magnets". It will likely use a set of electronically controlled valves to regulate oil levels and or flows in the shock absorbers (like PASM). Perhaps you are confusing this system with one using magneto-rheological fluids? Even these systems do not contain magnets in the traditional sense but the magnetic fields are created by electro-magnets (simply coils of wire).

[UltimateBMW]

I agree with what Swamp said about getting out the door at only $54k. Plus the EDC is a great technology that really gives the M3 depth as far as usability and versatility. Would you really want to miss out on that?

However, swamp are you sure about the damper's using oil? I was under the impression that the EDC used the Delphi magnetic dampers. Which would explain how they have variable stiffness that can be changed while driving. This system is also on the Ferrari 599 GTB. It uses iron shavings inside the dampers (shocks) along with current that magnetises the damper. More current would equal a stiffer ride.

[lucid]

Originally Posted by UltimateBMW

I was under the impression that the EDC used the Delphi magnetic dampers. Which would explain how they have variable stiffness that can be changed while driving. This system is also on the Ferrari 599 GTB. It uses iron shavings inside the dampers (shocks) along with current that magnetises the damper. More current would equal a stiffer ride.

I think this might be the case actually. I posted references to an article that stated all this, but the article is no longer available (new issue). Not sure how solid that source is, but that has been the only published info I've been able to uncover on the topic.

[Davo2003]

Originally Posted by westwest888

I like the way the NA spec is laid out. To be honest, the only important option to me would be a sport package but this is the sport model, so none. This is all me:

Alpine White
Sirius
Bluetooth

People on this board are crazy, but I will get out the door on that car for $54,000.

Side note, I don't believe in factory suspensions even if they have magnets. The best suspension you can buy is coilovers and they're only $1500. That's a scary number for a lot of buyers because you can't amortize it over 60 months. But it's worth it.

The term "out the door" includes TT&L...yes MIL price as you have equipped it should be 54K, but how do you escape taxes and reg fees?

[swamp2]

Originally Posted by lucid

I think this might be the case actually. I posted references to an article that stated all this, but the article is no longer available (new issue). Not sure how solid that source is, but that has been the only published info I've been able to uncover on the topic.

Not sure who the EDC supplier is, would like to know. This document seems to imply BMW makes their own system with vendor supplied valves. This seems unlikely though, seems like a part BMW would buy from a supplier.

However, in any case the system works by a valve controlling the oil flow, either a coil or direct electrical type of valve. It is not a magneto-rheological fluid system nor does it contain permanent magnets.

[lucid]

Originally Posted by swamp2

Not sure who the EDC supplier is, would like to know. This document seems to imply BMW makes their own system with vendor supplied valves. This seems unlikely though, seems like a part BMW would buy from a supplier.

However, in any case the system works by a valve controlling the oil flow, either a coil or direct electrical type of valve. It is not a magneto-rheological fluid system nor does it contain permanent magnets.

I've seen this document, but there is no mention of the E92 M3 in there. There are refereces to the 5 and 7 series dating back to 2001. So, the EDC system used in the M3 might be a different design. The article I was referring to was saying that the magnetic shocks were going to be suplied by Delphi, and claimed were already in use in the Corvette and Ferrari. I haven't done the research to find out if that is true.

[southlight]

Originally Posted by swamp2

Not sure who the EDC supplier is, would like to know. This document seems to imply BMW makes their own system with vendor supplied valves. This seems unlikely though, seems like a part BMW would buy from a supplier.

However, in any case the system works by a valve controlling the oil flow, either a coil or direct electrical type of valve. It is not a magneto-rheological fluid system nor does it contain permanent magnets.

If I remember correctly the supplier is ZF-Sachs and the system is called CDC (Continious Damping Control). Here's their description:
http://www.zf.com/content/en/import/...yerContentPage

And yes, you're right, it works via a valve controlling/limiting the oil flow.

Originally Posted by lucid

I've seen this document, but there is no mention of the E92 M3 in there. There are refereces to the 5 and 7 series dating back to 2001. So, the EDC system used in the M3 might be a different design. The article I was referring to was saying that the magnetic shocks were going to be suplied by Delphi, and claimed were already in use in the Corvette and Ferrari. I haven't done the research to find out if that is true.

The "Aftersales Training" PDF says that M3's EDC is based on the E65's EDC system. (p. 101)


Best regards, south

[lucid]

As always, South comes through with his encyclopedic knowledge of "the BMW". It appears the article I read on Delphi sourcing was all BS.

[UltimateBMW]

Man, now I have to eat my hat. I knew I should have bought that straw brimmed hat the other weekend. It would of passed through so much easier.

Just to save face, I've found this article as cached by Google on Oct 31, 2007.

Handling
The M3 responds beautifully when hustled on a mountain road. Here, the car shows a level of balance and grip that belies its mass. The suspension feels tauter and more precise than the previous M3’s, allowing less body roll than its predecessor, yet there’s also a newfound willingness to absorb bumps without deflecting from the charted course. Combined, these attributes give the driver the confidence to plunge harder through corners. This BMW is a truly rewarding and fun car to drive fast.
Part of the M3’s handling prowess is the result of new spring and anti-roll bar rates, but much of it is attributable to the Delphi-sourced magnetic damper technology. Yes, these are the same type of shocks available on the Chevrolet Corvette, but don’t forget, they are also standard issue on Ferrari’s 599 GTB Fiorano.
With the exhaust note inciting more misbehavior than the little devil on Sylvester the cartoon cat’s shoulder, it is easy to press the M3 ever harder. The enthusiastic driver won’t regret succumbing to this temptation, especially on track; the car felt impressively capable around Spain’s Ascari club circuit.
Pressed hard, we discovered the M3 is set up with a bias toward understeer—the front and rear Michelin Pilot Sports have different compounds that promote this, for example—an understandable setting considering the vagaries of real-life driving. This produced some frustration on the tight, twisting road course, but with the M3’s newfound V8 muscle, relief is just a touch of the gas pedal away. And at least BMW, like a handful of other performance-car purveyors, has learned to tune its stability-control system so that, even when fully engaged, it intrudes minimally. That means it indulges a good bit of power or lift-throttle oversteer.
The M3’s front brakes are larger than before, with 14.2-inch rotors instead of 12.9, though they’re still clamped by single-piston calipers. While BMW was willing to let us use street tires on the track, the idea of using street brake pads on such a fast car—BMW claims a 4.8-second 0-60 mph—struck company officials as unwise. So the test cars were fitted with track pads, which will be available from dealers. With them in place, we detected no hints of fade.

Verdict
Instead of causing us to furrow our brows with worry about smacking a guardrail, the new M3 put a smile on our faces. There is a reason that jaded journalists were lined up for hours to get additional laps around the Ascari circuit. Forget any explanations of “needing” to see how the car handles, that only takes a couple of orbits. They wanted to because the M3 made them feel so comfortable exploring its performance limits.
On both track and road, however, there is one caveat: The M3 needs to be in its M mode to really shine. We can understand BMW’s desire to offer a Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hide-From-the-Competition best-of-both-worlds solution with the adjustable settings, but one would think that M buyers are a self-selecting group who have already declared in favor of a balance skewed to the performance side of the equation. Same goes for the new M3’s weight- and cost-adding gadgets. Less is more in our book, so we can only hope that the inevitable stripped-down, lightweight CSL version comes to the States this time around.
Final U.S. pricing won’t be set until shortly before the M3 arrival in the U.S. next spring, but an expected base price in the low-$60,000 range will make it a relative bargain among fast prestige sport coupes, such as the Porsche 911 Carrera or Aston Martin V8 Vantage. With its powerful and soulful new V8, agile handling and pumped-up styling, the new M3 proves that sometimes reinventions can work.

http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache...ient=firefox-a

While the above article is no longer on the actual website, thats pretty much what it said. Their current article posted is this:
http://sci-mag.com/art1/art1p3.html

[SMSgt B]

On page 4, it states there is an optional "additional storage box" that is located in the partition between the 2 rear seats. This is only available for coupes.

1. I don't see this listed as an option
2. Anyone know what it looks like, what it is?

V/r

George

[InJapan]

Originally Posted by Davo2003

The term "out the door" includes TT&L...yes MIL price as you have equipped it should be 54K, but how do you escape taxes and reg fees?

Depends are where the guy is buying. In Japan, I can bypass the two 5% (automobile) +5% (VAT) expensive taxes but I have to get a $2000, two day rolling chassis emissions test. In Korea, you pay almost no taxes. No gas guzzler, no import, no VAT, no sales taxes. I believe the EU and Gulf countries all have their Status of Forces agreements to avoid certain if not all taxes for US military personal vehicles. Essentially you are treated as a diplomat bringing his own car into the country.

If the car is delivered overseas and has xxx miles on it. When the car is shipped into the US after the tour it enters with no taxes and is covered for the duration of the remaining warrantee / service.

I've been overseas so long I can't stand the thought of having to pay taxes on a car. I'm looking at MSRP - Military discount + shipping + $3000 in customs / emissions / recycling / weight / engine size taxes. Much cheaper than the $90,000 that the M3's are sold for here in Japan.

[DarthVader]

DSG?

[LDitty]

Thanks fun for hours