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      01-02-2022, 11:21 AM   #23
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I read your post with great interest. We have similar situations and car backgrounds.

I love that you got the manual for a winter car despite the unavailability of AWD! I am a die-hard manual guy, and I am not sure even I would have done that, especially with a 718 GTS available. Gentian blue with black wheels - gorgeous!

I had a '99 540 6MT back in the day, and loved it. My least favorite thing about it was the transmission, particularly the clutch engagement. The throws were long and a little vague, but the clutch uptake was fuzzy and a bit unpredictable (even with CDV delete), and that made that 1-2 upshift difficult to pull off smoothly. How would you compare that the troubles you're having with the G80?

Love the spec too. M Drive Professional on a winter car? Cheeky! You are set up very well to enjoy your empty nester status!
Cool that we have a similar history, with that killer E39 540i 6-Speed! What a great car that was. When the E39 M5 came out, I had a deposit on one, but passed after I test drove it - as great as it was I didn't feel like I was getting THAT much more than my 540i, and it would have cost a ton to upgrade. I do remember that the 540i had long throws, I had thought of doing a SSK, but never did. I do remember that it wasn't as smooth to shift as my M Roadster I had at the time.

I was close to ordering the XDrive Competition to get AWD with the Automatic, but I feel like the Manuals are all going away soon, might as well enjoy them while we have them! As much as I am having issues getting used to the 1-2 shift, right now I am glad I did that, I am finding driving the Manual very engaging.

Thanks with regards to the Cayman! It is actually PTS (Paint to Sample, meaning Porsche Special Color) Albert Blue, a non-metallic Blue from the 70's 911s. I didn't spec the car, someone else did and canceled, and I was able to grab it. That was great, as it was a pretty killer spec. The stock wheels were Silver, which made it look very classic, I upgraded to the Black ones, HRE P101SC's. Expensive, but they look amazing and are very lightweight. I also have a Titanium JCR Valved Exhaust and Cargraphic High Flow Over Axle Pipes, it adds some HP and Torque and sounds amazing.

The M3 sort of transforms my view of the 718, whereas for 9 months it was my only car and daily driver, the M3 takes over the DD role, and the 718 becomes more so the "special car" and will get taken out more so on sunny days for country road drives. Given that, I am upgrading the 718 in the spring to the 718 Spyder, Silver with the Red and Black interior. Same engine, but 200 more RPM (8000 versus 7800) and 20 more HP (414 versus 394). The cool thing is I can take all of my mods with me, the Exhaust and Overall Pipes, and the wheels and tires.
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      01-02-2022, 11:27 AM   #24
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Originally Posted by IL Pete View Post
Cool that we have a similar history, with that killer E39 540i 6-Speed! What a great car that was. When the E39 M5 came out, I had a deposit on one, but passed after I test drove it - as great as it was I didn't feel like I was getting THAT much more than my 540i, and it would have cost a ton to upgrade. I do remember that the 540i had long throws, I had thought of doing a SSK, but never did. I do remember that it wasn't as smooth to shift as my M Roadster I had at the time.

I was close to ordering the XDrive Competition to get AWD with the Automatic, but I feel like the Manuals are all going away soon, might as well enjoy them while we have them! As much as I am having issues getting used to the 1-2 shift, right now I am glad I did that, I am finding driving the Manual very engaging.

Thanks with regards to the Cayman! It is actually PTS (Paint to Sample, meaning Porsche Special Color) Albert Blue, a non-metallic Blue from the 70's 911s. I didn't spec the car, someone else did and canceled, and I was able to grab it. That was great, as it was a pretty killer spec. The stock wheels were Silver, which made it look very classic, I upgraded to the Black ones, HRE P101SC's. Expensive, but they look amazing and are very lightweight. I also have a Titanium JCR Valved Exhaust and Cargraphic High Flow Over Axle Pipes, it adds some HP and Torque and sounds amazing.

The M3 sort of transforms my view of the 718, whereas for 9 months it was my only car and daily driver, the M3 takes over the DD role, and the 718 becomes more so the "special car" and will get taken out more so on sunny days for country road drives. Given that, I am upgrading the 718 in the spring to the 718 Spyder, Silver with the Red and Black interior. Same engine, but 200 more RPM (8000 versus 7800) and 20 more HP (414 versus 394). The cool thing is I can take all of my mods with me, the Exhaust and Overall Pipes, and the wheels and tires.
1-2 shifts in BMW manuals has always been clunky/notchy in all models I have had (323,M5,330,335,M3)...it does break in after time but shifting in lower RPMs helps as does staying on the clutch a bit longer than you might want...but after all this you are only one gloriously easy shift away from 3rd...the holy grail of gears! I don't get manuals to be fast I get them for the engagement/experience and the good feelings of up/down shifts done well!
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      01-02-2022, 11:28 AM   #25
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Originally Posted by gohawks23 View Post
Patching looks crappy so it depends on panel size but usually in the hundreds if not several hundreds of dollars.
And I'm imagining because of the cost one might have the internal battle of, there is only that one little ding. Should I pay a few hundred t have that fixed now or maybe wait for a few more dings? And when do you finally decide there are enough to spend the money
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      01-02-2022, 11:34 AM   #26
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One other thing I forgot to mention that I really dig about the car - I got the Moonroof instead of the CF Roof. It is great! With the cover closed it is kind of dark inside the cabin, especially with the Black interior. With the cover open, it really brightens it up with Sunlight inside the cabin, and makes it feel much less claustrophobic.

My 718 is like a cave of darkness inside, it also has a Black interior. Part of the reason for the 718 Spyder upgrade - to a brighter Red and Black interior, and a roof that disappears!
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      01-02-2022, 11:36 AM   #27
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Originally Posted by snareman View Post
And I'm imagining because of the cost one might have the internal battle of, there is only that one little ding. Should I pay a few hundred t have that fixed now or maybe wait for a few more dings? And when do you finally decide there are enough to spend the money
Yeah I have done and not done PPF...it does make you feel better when driving and things hitting front of car...but you really are just protecting the paint for the next owner, haha!

Just driving and not worrying about and repainting if desired could be more cost effective than PPF and its maintenance.
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      01-02-2022, 11:43 AM   #28
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Originally Posted by IL Pete View Post
One other thing I forgot to mention that I really dig about the car - I got the Moonroof instead of the CF Roof. It is great! With the cover closed it is kind of dark inside the cabin, especially with the Black interior. With the cover open, it really brightens it up with Sunlight inside the cabin, and makes it feel much less claustrophobic.

My 718 is like a cave of darkness inside, it also has a Black interior. Part of the reason for the 718 Spyder upgrade - to a brighter Red and Black interior, and a roof that disappears!
Yeah I bought/sold my black 17 M3 with Bill Jacobs BMW...Mike there is great! I had the red in my 21 C2S cab and it looked great with GT silver...but I didn't really care for the car and sold earlier this year.

I lived in the city and the M3 with snows was great fun in weather...no issues at all driving and I'd go thru the N IN and SW MI snow belt a lot!
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      01-02-2022, 11:47 AM   #29
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Originally Posted by gohawks23 View Post
Yeah I have done and not done PPF...it does make you feel better when driving and things hitting front of car...but you really are just protecting the paint for the next owner, haha!

Just driving and not worrying about and repainting if desired could be more cost effective than PPF and its maintenance.
Right. Kind of like a Patek.

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      01-02-2022, 11:59 AM   #30
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Originally Posted by BMWRacer523 View Post
More pics of the 718 please!
Okay, sure!

Here it is with the Stock Silver Wheels:



And then here with Satin Black HREs - it totally transformed the car IMO from Classic/Classy to modern and sporty!







The CF Ducktail is aftermarket, I feel like the standard spoiler on the GTS 4.0 is kind of wimpy.

Here is the Spyder, in almost identical spec to what I have ordered, mine is like this but a Black Roof instead of a Red one, and of course mine is a Manual:









These pics of the Spyder were taken at the Porsche Experience Center in Atlanta, where I did two days of 90 minute sessions with the Spyder, the GT4, the 911 Carrera S Manual and the 992 GT3, just about a month ago. It was a killer time! I was pleased that the Spyder ended up being almost the exact same spec as what I ordered, it gave me the opportunity to really validate the spec and be 100% happy with what I selected, no regrets.

Like I said, I think the M3 plus the 718 is a GREAT combination for DD and "Special Car" for sunny weekend spirited drives, for a near empty nester like me, wanting one last hoorah with sporty gas cars before they take them all away and make us go electric.

Last edited by IL Pete; 01-02-2022 at 12:34 PM..
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      01-02-2022, 12:32 PM   #31
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Originally Posted by gohawks23 View Post
Yeah I bought/sold my black 17 M3 with Bill Jacobs BMW...Mike there is great! I had the red in my 21 C2S cab and it looked great with GT silver...but I didn't really care for the car and sold earlier this year.

I lived in the city and the M3 with snows was great fun in weather...no issues at all driving and I'd go thru the N IN and SW MI snow belt a lot!
I figured by your username that you were a local Chicagoland guy!

Yes, the GT Silver and Red is a great combo. I had a 1997 Boxster (the first year) and a 1999 996 C2 Cab, both in Silver with Red.

Since you mentioned it about your C2S, let me expand here with my thoughts on the 911 versus 718, and tie it back to the M3. As many people rant about on Rennlist, the 911 is dead, it is a myth. The new ones are not the same car as the older ones, not even up through the water-cooled 996/997's. My 1999 996 911 was amazing. As I got back into the sporty cars here in the last year with both the Porsches and the BMWs, I was *SHOCKED* at what the 911 had become. It is a very sporty GT car. Its limits are very high on a track, I will give it that. But it has become very big, and almost numb as a street car and legalish speeds - with the exception of the GT3, which is more amazing than ever.

To me the 718 has replaced the 911 as the small sporty nimble car, at least in the special package of the 4.0L naturally aspirated engine, which is 4 cars, the Boxster GTS 4.0, the Cayman GTS 4.0, the GT 4 and the Spyder. Especially in the Manual. I would take any of those four cars over ANY 911, short of the GT3. Chris Harris has said the exact same thing.

Let me tie it back to the M3 - I was thinking of getting the new 992 GTS Coupe Manual as an upgrade to my Cayman. After driving several 992's, I came to the conclusion above. That was reinforced by my trip to the Porsche Experience Center in December. The 992 Carrera S Manual that I drove was a proxy for the GTS Manual. Because of the rear engine placement and the wide rear stance and tires, the grip limits were insane on the track at full tilt. But driving a 992 on the street has not been inspiring for me, that 7 speed manual has long throws and is more rubbery than the 718 4.0's and the clutch/flywheel feel is not as good. The engine note is not nearly as good. It is not exciting to drive on the street at legal speeds, IMO - and I have driven several, including renting a 992 for an entire weekend on Turo and putting it through the paces on country roads for a couple hundred miles. The 718 4.0's on the other hand are great fun on the street and particularly on the country roads with spirited driving at reasonable speeds.

The GT3 is AMAZING, especially the 992 with the new front end, it is other-worldly on the track, it blows away even the GT4, by a mile. And that exhaust note at 9K RPMs, to die for.

But let me give you my thoughts that have lead me to where I am here and now - the 992 911 GTS I almost ordered was about $180K. A GT3 optioned out is about $200K, before the ADMs you pay. For not much more than the 992 GTS and for less than the GT3, you can get a 718 4.0 of some sort *AND* an M3 or M4 Base Manual. Thus my dream garage shot with the 2 cars on the lift! Nirvana, for me.

That seemed to be the much better play for me than any sort of 911. Still very expensive (for the 718 + the M3), but more sane for me than trying to stretch for a $180K-$200K car that I would be afraid to take out for a drive. Sure, if I won the lottery I would get a GT3 for a dedicated track car, but I don't think that is happening anytime soon.

If I were to just do one car, I would probably do an M3 or M4 over a 911 GTS, reinforced after my first few days of M3 ownership. It has a lot more practicality to drive all year round and carry 4 people plus some luggage, and probably would be just about as much fun. Both coincidentally have exactly 473 HP, and the M3/M4 has more torque.

(My apologies if I offended any 992 911 owners/lovers. That was not my intent. It is a great sporty modern GT car with a great history. They are insanely well engineered cars with very high limits. Just offering a perspective that ties into my decision to get an M3, and why I am very happy with that decision after experiencing my M3 so far...)

Last edited by IL Pete; 01-02-2022 at 12:45 PM..
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      01-02-2022, 12:39 PM   #32
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Quote:
Originally Posted by IL Pete View Post
I figured by your username that you were a local Chicagoland guy!

Yes, the GT Silver and Red is a great combo. I had a 1997 Boxster (the first year) and a 1999 996 C2 Cab, both in Silver with Red.

Since you mentioned it about your C2S, let me expand here with my thoughts on the 911 versus 718, and tie it back to the M3. As many people rant about on Rennlist, the 911 is dead, it is a myth. The new ones are not the same car as the older ones, not even up through the water-cooled 996/997's. My 1999 996 911 was amazing. As I got back into the sporty cars here in the last year with both the Porsches and the BMWs, I was *SHOCKED* at what the 911 had become. It is a very sporty GT car. Its limits are very high on a track, I will give it that. But it has become very big, and almost numb as a street car and legalish speeds - with the exception of the GT3, which is more amazing than ever.

To me the 718 has replaced the 911 as the small sporty nimble car, at least in the special package of the 4.0L naturally aspirated engine, which is 4 cars, the Boxster GTS 4.0, the Cayman GTS 4.0, the GT 4 and the Spyder. Especially in the Manual. I would take any of those four cars over ANY 911, short of the GT3. Chris Harris has said the exact same thing.

Let me tie it back to the M3 - I was thinking of getting the new 992 GTS Coupe Manual as an upgrade to my Cayman. After driving several 992's, I came to the conclusion above. That was reinforced by my trip to the Porsche Experience Center in December. The 992 Carrera S Manual that I drove was a proxy for the GTS Manual. Because of the rear engine placement and the wide rear stance and tires, the grip limits were insane on the track at full tilt. But driving a 992 on the street has not been inspiring for me, that 7 speed manual has long throws and is more rubbery than the 718 4.0's and the clutch/flywheel feel is not as good. The engine note is not nearly as good. It is not exciting to drive on the street at legal speeds, IMO - and I have driven several, including renting a 992 for an entire weekend on Turo and putting it through the paces on country roads for a couple hundred miles. The 718 4.0's on the other hand are great fun on the street and particularly on the country roads with spirited driving at reasonable speeds.

The GT3 is AMAZING, especially the 992 with the new front end, it is other-worldly on the track, it blows away even the GT4, by a mile. And that exhaust note at 9K RPMs, to die for.

But let me give you my thoughts that have lead me to where I am here and now - the 992 911 GTS I almost ordered was about $180K. A GT3 optioned out is about $200K, before the ADMs you pay. For not much more than the 992 GTS and for less than the GT3, you can get a 718 4.0 of some sort *AND* an M3 or M4 Base Manual. Thus my dream garage shot with the 2 cars on the lift! Nirvana, for me.

That seemed to be the much better play for me than any sort of 911. Still very expensive (for the 718 + the M3), but more sane for me than trying to stretch for a $180K-$200K car that I would be afraid to take out for a drive. Sure, if I won the lottery I would get a GT3 for a dedicated track car, but I don't think that is happening anytime soon.

If I were to just do one car, I would probably do an M3 or M4 over a 911 GTS, reinforced after my first few days of M3 ownership. It has a lot more practicality to drive all year round and carry 4 people plus some luggage, and probably would be just about as much fun. Both coincidentally have exactly 473 HP, and the M3/M4 has more torque.
I agree with all your points! Actually left the city recently and moved back to SoCal...living downtown the MT C2S was a liability with carjacking, potholes, no real storage...at $150K I was afraid to drive it and nowhere to really do so while stretching legs other than LSD...great handling and super fast but not for me...more impractical than I thought beforehand...I realized I am truly a sporty sedan guy! I miss my 17 MT M3 so bad...
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      01-02-2022, 12:48 PM   #33
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Pulling this thread back to more M3-centric content.

A week ago I don't think would have been pleased looking at this photo:




Why is it that I now think this looks AMAZING?!?

So sexy and aggressive...

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      01-02-2022, 02:10 PM   #34
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Love the 718 pics! Thanks. I agree, the 718 and M3 is a perfect combo of cars.
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      01-02-2022, 04:20 PM   #35
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Quote:
Originally Posted by snareman View Post
Yea, that was going to be my question. What does it cost for that? I suppose it depends based on the part of the car. If you had a large enough ding in the hood or other large body panel I imagine it could get expensive.
I think you need to ask your installer. Mine will charge only for the material and not labor.
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      01-03-2022, 12:35 PM   #36
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Originally Posted by bri1042 View Post
OP - this 6MT has more of a "break-in" than any manual I'd had in the past. Hold off on any judgements on it until you give it time. While I don't think it wins any awards, I was much happier with it at 2500 miles than I was the first month.

Congrats on the car!
There is a lot of hate on the BMW manual transmission, but I think with every generation it gets just a little better, a little less sloppy, more direct, yes it still has its faults, but as @bri1042 wrote, it really does seem to get better with miles (I'm at 6K now and it's not so bad). Not much of a Japanese car fan am I, but comparing it to a Porsche 6-speed transmission is a lost cause, as that is by far, hands-down, the best shifter ever made.

Quote:
Originally Posted by IL Pete View Post
Why is it that I now think this looks AMAZING?!?
Kind of like the transmission, you get broken-in.

Congrats on the new car.

AFAIK the CDV delete is actually a slave cylinder replacement using the E90 part. I've not done it because a) I'm lazy and 2) I hate doing stuff like that laying on my back with fluid pouring all over me and iii) I'm too cheap to pay someone else to do it and D) I've just about gotten used to it now. Just a bit more clutch slip than you'd normally do, and a bit slower, and you'll be fine.

Those gunshot-fast shifts are for kids on the dragstrip. You ain't gonna win any races (these days) with our manual, so why worry about it?
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      01-04-2022, 08:23 AM   #37
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LuvMyE92 View Post
There is a lot of hate on the BMW manual transmission, but I think with every generation it gets just a little better, a little less sloppy, more direct, yes it still has its faults, but as @bri1042 wrote, it really does seem to get better with miles (I'm at 6K now and it's not so bad). Not much of a Japanese car fan am I, but comparing it to a Porsche 6-speed transmission is a lost cause, as that is by far, hands-down, the best shifter ever made.



Kind of like the transmission, you get broken-in.

Congrats on the new car.

AFAIK the CDV delete is actually a slave cylinder replacement using the E90 part. I've not done it because a) I'm lazy and 2) I hate doing stuff like that laying on my back with fluid pouring all over me and iii) I'm too cheap to pay someone else to do it and D) I've just about gotten used to it now. Just a bit more clutch slip than you'd normally do, and a bit slower, and you'll be fine.

Those gunshot-fast shifts are for kids on the dragstrip. You ain't gonna win any races (these days) with our manual, so why worry about it?
I am getting used to the shifting a bit more already.

No doubt on it being a lost cause to compare to the Porsche 6 Speed, that is indeed the best one I have ever experienced. I think it also has to do with the 718 4.0 cars having the Flywheel from the 991.2 GT3 - there is no rev hang whatsoever. It is so clean and crisp! Also I have the Numeric Racing SSK on my car, which is really good. (The GTS 4.0 has a longer shift through than the GT4. The Numeric Kit makes if feel more like a GT4/Spyder, with even slightly shorter and crisper throws, I have A/B'ed back to back with a friend with a GT4.)

I have altered my shifting technique for the M3 - but then I took the 718 out on Sunday and then my new altered technique didn't work quite right on the 718, LOL! The early throttle and slower clutch engagement wasn't necessary, and messed me up. But I got used to it again and adapted. Then I took the M3 out again and was able to quickly readjust back to that. So I think over time I will learn to go back and forth just fine.

I will still do the CDV Delete, soon. My E90 Clutch Slave Cylinder arrives tomorrow.

I am hoping that makes it easier to go back and forth between the M3 and 718 more easily without having to alter technique as much.

I agree with the notion above that this shifter in the M3 is not bad with regards to feel. It is less rubbery and more mechanical feeling than I expected it to be. Honestly it seems very similar to the 992 Carrera Manual 7 Speed in feel (as well as throw length), which I just spent 90 minutes in at the Porsche Experience Center last month. The Carrera S Manual 7 Speed is nearly as good as the 718 4.0 6 Speed (or the GT3 6 Speed, from what I hear, haven't driven the GT3 in a 6 Speed yet).

I still will likely get a SSK for the M3 when a good one becomes available (hopefully Auto Solutions by the Spring?), but I am not too unhappy with the feel and throw length in the meantime.

I will report back after I get the CDV Delete done.
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      01-04-2022, 08:43 AM   #38
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Congrats on your new G80!
Hope you work out the quirks of the manual and enjoy the car even more.

Regarding the 3rd gripe; Lane Keep assist, you better have it checked out.
The steering intervention was the first thing I noticed when bringing home my G82 and a quick setting change turned it off completely.
Your driver assist button/light should light up orange as opposed to green, which means it's turned on.
If all the assists are in fact turned off and it's still doing the same thing, something's not right.
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      01-15-2022, 03:24 PM   #39
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nearwater4me View Post
Regarding the 3rd gripe; Lane Keep assist, you better have it checked out.
The steering intervention was the first thing I noticed when bringing home my G82 and a quick setting change turned it off completely.
Your driver assist button/light should light up orange as opposed to green, which means it's turned on.
If all the assists are in fact turned off and it's still doing the same thing, something's not right.
Thanks for the comment!

To clarify, when I turn ALL the assists of (with M-Mode) and the Driver Assist goes from Green to Orange, it turns off. But there is a place in Settings also to turn it off. When turned off there, it is still on. Others have commented on that as well.

You should be able to turn just the LKA off, annoying. But I do now put it in M Mode now every time I drive it to ensure it is off.
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      01-15-2022, 04:42 PM   #40
IL Pete
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Update here after 844 miles:

I got the CDV Delete done! I like the clutch feel much better now. It seems more direct and natural now, less "different" than the 718. But still fairly different, the difference is more tolerable now. I did the method of just swapping the Clutch Slave Cylinder with an E9x one, versus taking the stock one apart and removing the CDV. (I didn't do it, I had a local shop do it.)

It helps with the 1-2 shift under moderate throttle and at lower RPMs (less than 3500-4000), but the 1-2 shift at higher throttle and higher RPMs is still difficult IMO. I think it is a Rev Hang thing? Sometimes I nail it, but sometimes I botch it. When I do botch it is still very frustrating, but it does not happen now NEARLY as much as it did before the CDV Delete. Before the CDV Delete I was considering selling the car and getting something different, quite honestly. Now I find it much tolerable and I am hopeful I get even more used to it and it will be fine.

I may still "upgrade" later (next Winter?) to an M3 Competition with XDrive, but I am more confident now that I will be happy with this car for the foreseeable future.

Beyond the 1-2 shift that still annoys me a little, the car is pretty darn great! I took it for a spirited country road drive today, and it was a blast. This car is a beast when you are hustling it. The shifts from 2nd through 5th are great, and fun when driving in a spirited fashion. Going through turns in second gear and pushing it the rear end moves around quite a bit, in a great way, but with the nannies on it still stays completely in control. Great fun!

The front end looks have REALLY grown on me. I love it now, looks wise. I really like that the M3 is completely different than the 3 Series, that is really cool that they did that. It gives the M3 its own identity, more so than previously. At least that's the way I experience it. I really like the M4 looks now too. Heck, I even like the i4 M50 looks now!

The interior is terrific. Very "high end" in feel and vibe, especially with the upgraded leather dash.

The standard Sport Seats are great, very comfortable. The driving position is fantastic. I can get nice and low, which I particularly like being used to that in the Cayman.

I like the Heads Up Display, especially with the Tach in M-Mode, but with my seat low the geometry doesn't work well for me, the Display is too high and interferes with where you typically look ahead at the road, so I turned it off for now. Also, it disappears almost completely when you wear polarized sunglasses, which I do often.

Those BMW Winter Wheels look awesome - quite frankly I like them better than any of the stock wheels, especially on my Black/Black car. (I got the standard 18/19" wheels, but I have never seen them on the car. They are Orbit Grey, I may get them powder coated to Satin Black to keep the all-Black look.)

Now that I am more comfortable that I am keeping it - let the mods begin!

First on my list is:
-Spacers (thanks everyone for posting all your pics of those - very helpful), I haven't decided which sizes yet
-Intake
-Exhaust - Not sure what yet, lots of options! It sounds okay stock, but it certainly could use a little more mojo

Of course also a SSK, once someone comes out with one...
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      01-15-2022, 05:28 PM   #41
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I have the identical M3 and plan on picking up something from the GT boys this spring.
Really want a 997 GT2 RS but @ current market value, it's just not possible.
Haven't driven a 718 but have driven a 911R and GT3 and can imagine a 4.0 must also be a terrific choice -with a manual of course.

The manual in my M3 started off badly and got worse. It took some work but BMW finally agreed to replace it. I think seeing copper sparkles in the trans fluid helped.
I'm happy to report that while not perfect the new transmission is miles better than it was. I jumped on a car that was in stock and was delivered to me with roughly 90 miles. Who knows what happened during this time.
I'm hopeful that after some use it smoothes out a bit. And I'm confident given past experiences that a clutch stop, delay valve delete, ssk, and a weighted shift knob will further improve the feel.

One thing I should mention is the factory BMW tech that approved the replacement wants the transmission fluid changed at 1,200 miles.
I don't know if this is done for reference, preventative maintenance, or both.
I believe this was at one point in time part of the break-in service for BMW but can't recall for certain. In any case, I've done this in the past with my other manual cars to satisfy my own obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Enjoy the car and maybe I'll bump into at Bill Jacobs
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      01-16-2022, 01:25 AM   #42
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Quote:
Originally Posted by IL Pete View Post
Update here after 844 miles:

I got the CDV Delete done! I like the clutch feel much better now. It seems more direct and natural now, less "different" than the 718. But still fairly different, the difference is more tolerable now. I did the method of just swapping the Clutch Slave Cylinder with an E9x one, versus taking the stock one apart and removing the CDV. (I didn't do it, I had a local shop do it.)

It helps with the 1-2 shift under moderate throttle and at lower RPMs (less than 3500-4000), but the 1-2 shift at higher throttle and higher RPMs is still difficult IMO. I think it is a Rev Hang thing? Sometimes I nail it, but sometimes I botch it. When I do botch it is still very frustrating, but it does not happen now NEARLY as much as it did before the CDV Delete. Before the CDV Delete I was considering selling the car and getting something different, quite honestly. Now I find it much tolerable and I am hopeful I get even more used to it and it will be fine.

I may still "upgrade" later (next Winter?) to an M3 Competition with XDrive, but I am more confident now that I will be happy with this car for the foreseeable future.

Beyond the 1-2 shift that still annoys me a little, the car is pretty darn great! I took it for a spirited country road drive today, and it was a blast. This car is a beast when you are hustling it. The shifts from 2nd through 5th are great, and fun when driving in a spirited fashion. Going through turns in second gear and pushing it the rear end moves around quite a bit, in a great way, but with the nannies on it still stays completely in control. Great fun!

The front end looks have REALLY grown on me. I love it now, looks wise. I really like that the M3 is completely different than the 3 Series, that is really cool that they did that. It gives the M3 its own identity, more so than previously. At least that's the way I experience it. I really like the M4 looks now too. Heck, I even like the i4 M50 looks now!

The interior is terrific. Very "high end" in feel and vibe, especially with the upgraded leather dash.

The standard Sport Seats are great, very comfortable. The driving position is fantastic. I can get nice and low, which I particularly like being used to that in the Cayman.

I like the Heads Up Display, especially with the Tach in M-Mode, but with my seat low the geometry doesn't work well for me, the Display is too high and interferes with where you typically look ahead at the road, so I turned it off for now. Also, it disappears almost completely when you wear polarized sunglasses, which I do often.

Those BMW Winter Wheels look awesome - quite frankly I like them better than any of the stock wheels, especially on my Black/Black car. (I got the standard 18/19" wheels, but I have never seen them on the car. They are Orbit Grey, I may get them powder coated to Satin Black to keep the all-Black look.)

Now that I am more comfortable that I am keeping it - let the mods begin!

First on my list is:
-Spacers (thanks everyone for posting all your pics of those - very helpful), I haven't decided which sizes yet
-Intake
-Exhaust - Not sure what yet, lots of options! It sounds okay stock, but it certainly could use a little more mojo

Of course also a SSK, once someone comes out with one...
May I ask who did the CDV work?
Also I'm sure you know this but you can adjust several perimeters of HUD including heigh and rotation.
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      01-16-2022, 09:36 AM   #43
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Quote:
Originally Posted by translux View Post
May I ask who did the CDV work?
Also I'm sure you know this but you can adjust several perimeters of HUD including heigh and rotation.
PKW in Naperville, on Rte 59 at 127th. That is the first time I used them for anything, I was happy with the experience.

Yes with regards to the HUD height being adjustable, I did try that quite a bit. I will continue to mess around with that. If my seat is higher I can get it dialed in to a good spot, but if I put my seat pretty low I have a tougher time. I am keeping memory position #1 for the low seat setting and memory #2 for the higher seat setting and continuing to dial those in, so that I have easy access to hitting the #2 setting and turning on the HUD, if I want the HUD.

That said, I really like the low seating position right now, so I am using that more often, without the HUD. Need to get a radar detector, as without the HUD it is less apparent how fast I am going!

Thanks for letting me know about the notion of maybe doing the transmission fluid along with the 1200 mile service - I am doing that this Friday, and will ask them about that.
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      01-16-2022, 09:47 AM   #44
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This thread makes me a little nervous for my first MT vehicle… maybe it's a good thing since I don't have the habits from a different MT?

I had motorcycles for many years and driven a couple MT vehicles with very little seat time.

The 600 mile drop from PCD should be fun.
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