2.000km on her and not one problem!

[savage.ulm1]

So...I am back from a very nice trip....As probably you know I needed to make 2.000 km (about 1.200 mph) for the first service up to today afternoon. It was not easy since I collected the car only last Friday evening. Not easy because with an average speed/hour of about 70km/h it took not less than 25hours of driving in 4 full days.I am a little tired , but what a satisfaction....Let me say....these were my holidays since I had not the time this summer to have them. I apologize with one my worker that I know is reading this Forum. I totally didn't work in the last four days
Not so normal for me.....
But what to say about the car....: wonderful...wondeful car! No one problem in 2.000 km. No one. I was expeting bugs or I don't know....general problems (noise, vibrations, electric malfunction etc.). But nothing bad happened. Tomorrow evening I will bring her back from the BMW shop after the service and I will know how much oil it burned. From the point of view of the sensors....I have not feedback of any consumption. So what about the car??I had many many hours to study her from a point of view of an enthusiast that waited for a lot of time to drive her. Reading for months many reviews I was expecting : poor steer feedback and poor brake system feedback. And big fuel consumption.Oil indication failure was also one of my worries...So starting about the steering I have to say that like all the driving enthusiasts I told myself...come on Savage, that normal setup of steering and suspensions are not for you....And in fact my setup was the sportest one for trottle and steering-suspensions....for a long period..And it works really nice...fast and precise....But what happened is that I realized that I didn't want all the time that hard setup, because the roads change and my feeling too. So I started to use the more gentle setup and I discovered that it is a great idea....because after many hours of driving and after that you loose a little the enthusiasm of the enjoying the new toy, YOU NEED a more relaxed setup if you want to survive for a driving day.....What a great difference between the two setups...And all you have to do is to push a button on the steer!!!!GREAT! I started also to know better the car. I was using probably only half of the power (no more than 4.500-5.000 rpm and only for a second) and still the car is so alive...I can't wait for to discover what happens after the 6-7000 rpm....But what was interesting is that I started to enjoy the M Dinamic Mode. This system can be recalled by the M button on the steer if you set up it by M Drive . What happened? try to imagine a normal road with no traffic....The road starts to have some nice turns (for example in mountains) and you start to get excited. So you push the M button and the car change the soul and becomes really aggressive...The turns are now "U" turns (do you understand what I mean? I don't know how to say it in English) and your setup allows you to use the M Dinamic mode....So you increase the trottle (in my case never more than 5.500 rpm) and your back starts incredibly to slip and the control allows you to control the dìrection easily with the steer...WOW...This is the first reaction....WOW!!!!And you say yourself...: did I made it??Nice....and you want to try again...And so you try, left and right...And the system gives you lots of fun!!!and you feel still safe since it will help after that you push too much the trottle calling the oversteer...Can you imagine with a full trottle available (after the 2000 km of engine life, not before...)? I will test it on the track (it is an official event)next week with BMW instructors. I will take some pics. It will be a nice event....and I will not use my car, so.....I will push....:-)
I know I am not telling anything new...But this is what you will do if you buy this car....And I tell you I come from a four year of experience with an Audi
S4. I would say a very good but boring car. Not passion in that driving. This is the difference probably also bewteen an M3 and an RS4.
Beleive me...that M button in combination with the MDRIVE makes the difference. If you drive for many hours in L.A. you don't need the hardest setup, but if like me you will take sometime only for yourself and make a trip........you will appreciate the double personality of this car.
So what else: the exaust note and sound...It could be for someone probably more aggressive (I still don't know what happens after the 5.500 rpm), but let me say that I like that the tone doesn't protude into the cabin more than he makes. After many hours you could have some headake....It is a deep tone with many resounances....
Fuel consumption of my trip today : 7,7 km/lt with hinhway (often more than 150km/h and 150 km in mountains with a pass at 2.240 mt of elevation. I am totally satisfied of this consumption.....wih a new engine, under the first running period.
I made today a trip from Verona into the Alps. I can't forget that the car has a special colour named ALPIN WHITE:-) So I went up to 2.240 mt above sea level. During driving I was concentrated on the panorama and on the snow aside the road. But I was also thinking to so many Posts (Mr. Ruff for example?) about the power at high altitude. What I mean is that this Forum is inside me and my thoughts and I like to share here my experience. And I know why I have chosen this Forum and not for example some Italians ones. BTW, the car is so agile also if you know and you feel that there is the weight....The steering is good. Beleive me. I am not a professional driver but I feel it solid and precise. I made tons of turns. I drove for about 30 km without to see a car. I made my best to enjoy my driving (always with lots of attention). One day (soon ) I will make a little film on board of those 30 km...they are simply fantastic. The turns were one after the other. Very rirtmic. One, two , one two...What a pleasure. The asphalt was great. Sometimes you arrive too fast to that unknown turn, so you push the brakes....Mhhhh...nice decelleration. But you were turning so what happens to your back??just a little control (a little!!) with the steer and all is ok....The chassis helps a lot....And also the optional adjustable seating for you back helps a lot!!!they will keep your body and you will like that sensation!!!
The roll is almost to zero...in the sportest set up.You feel like a pilot also if you don't make a crazy race!!!this is why they will sell probaly those 100.000 cars that they wish to sell. Good job BMW. Last two funny things before to stop this report and to thank you for your attention. During my driving on the top of the mountain (2.240mt) I have seen something very dark to come very fast in the opposite direction....They were 3. The mules. I think they were 3 Mercedes crossovers( my hope was to have seen 3 X6 but It was not) and they were so aggressive, fast and what happened?they sew that I have not the license plate and the said me hello....Probably they were thinking that I am a collegue testing overhere the M3... Funny, and nice..... They were so fast...really good drivers.....!
The second thing happened during my coming back to Verona city by hihgway. One German black RS4 arrived to my back gently. But when he realised that it was an M3 he closed the distance to one mt!!!I was at 150 km/h. I could have seen the colour of the driver's eyes....He became aggressive. What I mean? that probably for that driver that was driving a so nice car, arrived the moment to test himself that the M3 is not so fast....And why this? because he knows that now the crown is not more in his hands...He passed off to the M icona again, and during my looking at that face in my mirror, I understood what "probaly" the Rs4 drivers feel in this period... Anyway, I left him to pass..............For now!!!!
So my friends, beleive the people that are using this car and write here...This is probably the car you are looking for....Enjoy the dream. from my side I am totally satisfied.....

Ps: in one pic you will see what is called "German precision"...Between the front tire and the body of the car, in that point there is not more than 1cm!!!!
incredible....

Bye bye now
Savage

[Sedan_Clan]

Thanks for the wonderful insight bro. It's nice to hear the point of view from an actual owner. I can't wait to drive/own the car myself.

[13eastie]

Thanks for the report and more great pics.
What a trip!

[southlight]

Nice report, Savage!
Happy to see you like the car...

Best regards, south

[Epacy]

Thanks savage. Love the pics and to read about your adventures. Keep them coming. You are filling us NA guys with even more anticipation!

[ILC32]

Thanks for the report. Congratulations again on the car. Also, you photos are fantastic. Really amazing scenery!

[1198r]

OK, thats it - I can't take anymore....

I'm moving to Italy and bringing everything with me in my M3!! It's not that too long a commute to London....

[Hans Delbruck]

Great to hear this. Thank you for your post - sounds wonderful.

[ase2dais]

thanks for the writeup and stunning scenery

.... Im jealous :sad0147:

[UltimateBMW]

Savage,

You mate have utterly spoiled us with all of your awesome pictures. Even when you only had 4 days to do 2000km you still found time to photoshoot! Thanks for all the feedback and I wish your continued good luck with the car.

[dab33d]

great analysis ! nice pics, esp. the one with the goats walking around. Now thats something we wont see here in LA !

[lucid]

We should all move to Italy, make our M3 purchases there, and live M3 intensive lives until money runs out, and Savage can show us around (he clearly can take some more days off from work)!


I must say you have been a great inspiration to this forum Savage.

[MrHarris]

awesome stuff. this continues to convince me to buy this car. great pics too

[PortoM3]

as I sit here in Iraq, celebrating thanks giving, I will be thankfull for the pictures and this awesome write up. I can feel the snow which I miss very much. I can hear the engine scream as it pulls down the highway.. I am thankfull that I will have one of my own soon.. Color is still an issue. Space gray, or SSII. Can you guys who have seen both colors in real life help me decide. Also, has there been any after market pedals and shift levers out in Europe yet? I really don't like the look of it. How did the stock shifter feel anyway? Great pics.

[AK]

Nice pics!

[mesier1111]

GREAT WRITE-UP

Thanks for taking the time

[kdjohn72]

Great write up, thanks for taking the time !! Looks like a wonderful route- any chance you could post up a highlighted map? Could be helpful on my next euro-delivery.

[BMW3R]

Thanks. Awesome report, great car and beautiful scenery!

[JEllis]

Sick Sick Sick Pics! I love them!

Jason

[Niro]

A very enthusiastic report, and superb photos! Congrats and well done for actually pulling-off a cool road-trip.

You mentioned 'German Precision'... you sure have 'Italian Passion' for your M3!

[PIMP "E"]

nice road trip..

[phoenixbmwlife]

Wow those are great pics. Thanx so much for sharing.