Boom boom pow!! Submitted my order today..

atolius · 06-06-2010, 01:33 AM

Folks
After loosing sleep and daydreaming for last 3-4 days I decided to kill the pain and pulled the trigger. My first M3. Hooray..Here it is :

E92 AW FR M-DCT ZCP ZTP
ED delivery in early July

Few things i am still on the fence and would appreciate input based on your experiences:

Trim:
Initially I thought blue-gray brushed aluminium trip would add great contrast with fox red leather. However i changed my mind soon after and went with standard titanium shadow. Carbon leather seems to be a popular option here but i am not sure if am feeling the patterned texture of this trim. Probably not it doesn't make justice without seeing actual material. I would like to hear trim suggestions/opinions from others who ordered with fox red interior.

Premium sound:
After reading both positive and negative reviews i decided NOT to get premium sound. By all means i am not a audiophile. I prefer to stay OEM and not considering upgrading stereo with after market. I would like to hear if standard stereo system is good enough with clean bass/treble and enough power output. Something that you would consider sufficient for a luxury car category - when i say that obviously i am not expecting performance of after market systems selling at >2K USD.

Anti-theft system:
I never had an anti-theft with my previous cars. However when u have 70K USD car parked outside you want the peace of mind. For this I originally added anti-theft but my wife insisted anti-theft had more annoyance than any benefits - this was based on her previous experience with an after market anti theft system. What is your suggestion for getting or not getting anti-theft? My car will be parked in a closed garage both at home and office. But should i go ahead and get anti-theft regardless?

BMW assist with bluetooth & ipod/iphone integration:
Being an engineer I'm generally familiar with audio/video systems . After reading several posts on this forum and looking at cable/cradle pictures I'm still at a loss on what to get for what i want to do in my car. Basically i want to be able to use my ipod as main music source. Also i would like to charge, stream music (Pandora), play mp3, accept/reject/initiate calls using iDrive controls using my iphone. My dealer told me i need BMW assist to be able to use iphone for "phone" functions. Is that the case? I ended up putting BMW assist, ipod and smartphone integration to my order but would like to get rid of BMW assist if possible? Any suggestions here.

19" wheels" from ZTP:
Maybe it is just me but i think optional 19" (style 220M) looks better than the one that comes with ZTP package. I wont sweat about it as i want competition package. Anybody out there agreeing with this ?

Sorry for the long write-up and thank you in advance for suggestions/pointers..

WillC310 · 06-06-2010, 04:45 AM

I'd recommend hearing the 2 stereos in person... Depends on how much of an audiophile you are. The other thing to consider if going aftermarket is, if you ever plan on returning the car back to stock, how much work that would involve. Some aftermarket system integrations will involve tapping into the stock wires/cutting them. Just some food for thought. Also depending on how deep you go, it can get ugly quick.

Re: Anti-theft. It won't stop someone from doing a snatch and grab, but maybe it will cause someone to notice. The other thing to consider is that if you change you mind AFTER you get the car. To retro it, the BMW retro document says on a E92 is 8 hrs of labor since they don't prewire the cars anymore + parts. $400 from the factory is a much cheaper initial investment...

BT: I don't particually care to pair my phone with my car. I have a Jawbone headset that has better voice clarity plus it helps keep my callers conversation private when needed. That said, I do have it on my car and will probably use it from time to time. It's a convienent option to have. Not sure about BMW assist being needed to use the iPhone. It could be true. What's the aversion to it? You get 4 years of protection with it and they can track down your car if it gets stolen. If you don't go with the iPhone, I would atleast get the Sat radio since you get 1 year free.

Slpnbyu · 06-06-2010, 04:59 AM

Re: anti-theft

In my experience (3rd BMW) the alarm does not go off unless someone is messing with the car, unlike a lot of aftermarket options, which can be too sensitive. I have had it on all three of my bimmers; It's a nice piece of mind.

Also, the cars are no longer pre-wired for alarm (changed on MY10 and newer) so if you don't get it from the factory you are S.O.L.

WCH · 06-06-2010, 09:28 AM

I like the premium sound and thought it is a significant upgrade over the stock system. Probably not as good as a custom aftermarket solution but certainly cleaner.

I agree with what others said about the alarm. I like the audible confirmation that the car is locked since I have CA.

I also like the bluetooth interface. It works well and I never have to think about where my phone is.

BMWCadet · 06-07-2010, 10:56 AM

Shame you picked the same boring color combo as everyone else. This was your chance to be unique and you failed. Oh well.

lux · 06-07-2010, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BMWCadet

Shame you picked the same boring color combo as everyone else. This was your chance to be unique and you failed. Oh well.

Don't listen to him. Hopefully you bought the M for yourself. And if you are happy with your color and options then it doesn't matter. Congratulations and enjoy!

BMWCadet · 06-07-2010, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lux

Don't listen to him. Hopefully you bought the M for yourself. And if you are happy with your color and options then it doesn't matter. Congratulations and enjoy!

Oh I was just playing with the guy. As long as he loves his vehicle, thats all that matters.

atolius · 06-07-2010, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BMWCadet

Oh I was just playing with the guy. As long as he loves his vehicle, thats all that matters.

Thanks guys. Really appreciate all feedback that was provided so far.

I plan to keep the car for several years and I am pretty confident this is the color combo i want

i was asking aluminium versus standard trim with FR interior since I haven't seen it in real life and it is hard to make a decision simply looking at pictures or renderings from BMW web site. What is general opinion on standard trim? Does it diminish the interior since it is just plastic.

DefBringer · 06-07-2010, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BMWCadet

Shame you picked the same boring color combo as everyone else. This was your chance to be unique and you failed. Oh well.

I don't think AW with Fox Red is half as boring as silver/black or black/black. Black interiors belong in Jettas and Accords, not M3s. Can you say plaaaaaaaaaaaayed out?

06-06-2010, 01:33 AM	#1
atolius Private 8 Rep 94 Posts Drives: 11 M3 E92 AW/FR DCT ZCP Join Date: May 2010 Location: san diego iTrader: (0)	Boom boom pow!! Submitted my order today.. Folks After loosing sleep and daydreaming for last 3-4 days I decided to kill the pain and pulled the trigger. My first M3. Hooray..Here it is : E92 AW FR M-DCT ZCP ZTP ED delivery in early July Few things i am still on the fence and would appreciate input based on your experiences: Trim: Initially I thought blue-gray brushed aluminium trip would add great contrast with fox red leather. However i changed my mind soon after and went with standard titanium shadow. Carbon leather seems to be a popular option here but i am not sure if am feeling the patterned texture of this trim. Probably not it doesn't make justice without seeing actual material. I would like to hear trim suggestions/opinions from others who ordered with fox red interior. Premium sound: After reading both positive and negative reviews i decided NOT to get premium sound. By all means i am not a audiophile. I prefer to stay OEM and not considering upgrading stereo with after market. I would like to hear if standard stereo system is good enough with clean bass/treble and enough power output. Something that you would consider sufficient for a luxury car category - when i say that obviously i am not expecting performance of after market systems selling at >2K USD. Anti-theft system: I never had an anti-theft with my previous cars. However when u have 70K USD car parked outside you want the peace of mind. For this I originally added anti-theft but my wife insisted anti-theft had more annoyance than any benefits - this was based on her previous experience with an after market anti theft system. What is your suggestion for getting or not getting anti-theft? My car will be parked in a closed garage both at home and office. But should i go ahead and get anti-theft regardless? BMW assist with bluetooth & ipod/iphone integration: Being an engineer I'm generally familiar with audio/video systems . After reading several posts on this forum and looking at cable/cradle pictures I'm still at a loss on what to get for what i want to do in my car. Basically i want to be able to use my ipod as main music source. Also i would like to charge, stream music (Pandora), play mp3, accept/reject/initiate calls using iDrive controls using my iphone. My dealer told me i need BMW assist to be able to use iphone for "phone" functions. Is that the case? I ended up putting BMW assist, ipod and smartphone integration to my order but would like to get rid of BMW assist if possible? Any suggestions here. 19" wheels" from ZTP: Maybe it is just me but i think optional 19" (style 220M) looks better than the one that comes with ZTP package. I wont sweat about it as i want competition package. Anybody out there agreeing with this ? Sorry for the long write-up and thank you in advance for suggestions/pointers..
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06-06-2010, 04:45 AM	#2
WillC310 Lieutenant 44 Rep 506 Posts Drives: A car Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Planet Earth iTrader: (0)	I'd recommend hearing the 2 stereos in person... Depends on how much of an audiophile you are. The other thing to consider if going aftermarket is, if you ever plan on returning the car back to stock, how much work that would involve. Some aftermarket system integrations will involve tapping into the stock wires/cutting them. Just some food for thought. Also depending on how deep you go, it can get ugly quick. Re: Anti-theft. It won't stop someone from doing a snatch and grab, but maybe it will cause someone to notice. The other thing to consider is that if you change you mind AFTER you get the car. To retro it, the BMW retro document says on a E92 is 8 hrs of labor since they don't prewire the cars anymore + parts. $400 from the factory is a much cheaper initial investment... BT: I don't particually care to pair my phone with my car. I have a Jawbone headset that has better voice clarity plus it helps keep my callers conversation private when needed. That said, I do have it on my car and will probably use it from time to time. It's a convienent option to have. Not sure about BMW assist being needed to use the iPhone. It could be true. What's the aversion to it? You get 4 years of protection with it and they can track down your car if it gets stolen. If you don't go with the iPhone, I would atleast get the Sat radio since you get 1 year free.
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06-06-2010, 04:59 AM	#3
Slpnbyu First Lieutenant 11 Rep 305 Posts Drives: BMW Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: NC iTrader: (2) Garage List 2023 BMW X3MC [0.00] 2020 M2 CS [0.00]	Re: anti-theft In my experience (3rd BMW) the alarm does not go off unless someone is messing with the car, unlike a lot of aftermarket options, which can be too sensitive. I have had it on all three of my bimmers; It's a nice piece of mind. Also, the cars are no longer pre-wired for alarm (changed on MY10 and newer) so if you don't get it from the factory you are S.O.L. __________________ /// '23 F97 X3MC : Montego Bay Blue/Black /// /// '20 F87 M2 CS : Misano Blue/Black /// /// '11 E90 M3 : Space Grey/Fox Red /// SOLD /// '04 E46 M3 : Mystic Blue/Black /// SOLD /// '00 E46 323Ci : Titanium Silver/Grey /// SOLD
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06-06-2010, 09:28 AM	#4
WCH Lieutenant Colonel 347 Rep 1,844 Posts Drives: '20 M8C convertible Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Boston iTrader: (8) Garage List 2022 Porsche Cayenn ... [0.00] 2020 BMW M8C [0.00] 2017 Porsche Macan GTS [0.00]	I like the premium sound and thought it is a significant upgrade over the stock system. Probably not as good as a custom aftermarket solution but certainly cleaner. I agree with what others said about the alarm. I like the audible confirmation that the car is locked since I have CA. I also like the bluetooth interface. It works well and I never have to think about where my phone is.
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06-07-2010, 10:56 AM	#5
BMWCadet Lieutenant 6 Rep 402 Posts Drives: BMW E92 MR M3 Join Date: May 2009 Location: Fort Gordon, Georgia iTrader: (0)	Shame you picked the same boring color combo as everyone else. This was your chance to be unique and you failed. Oh well.
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