[TargaM2]

Nice spec. Good wheel choice too.

[sugammadex]

Nice man!

[Lady Jane]

Originally Posted by spicoli024

Here are some pictures of the original spec in the showroom and the day of delivery as a reference.

[spicoli024]

Hope everyone enjoyed the holidays. I feel blessed that my wife appreciates my interests and supports my ridiculous hobbies. Check out the wrapping paper and gift from her this Christmas. What a babe!

[spicoli024]

Originally Posted by Alarmin

Looks sick! How is the clearance with just the lip? I always love a lip on my car and this looks nice and low profile

At stock ride height measured on level ground with zero load (bucket seats), the M Performance Front Lip measures 6.0" (152.4mm) from the ground to the bottom of the lip beneath the center pillar between the two kidney grills.

[325/528]

Originally Posted by sugammadex

Nice man!

Well, I know what you do for a living based on your sugammadex name

[SnowBob]

Have you had a good experience in the service department at BMW Midtown on your precious cars? My wheels are not as expensive as yours but unfortunately I had to replace two tires in the first six months. First one I went to BMW Momentum towards Sugar Land since they claimed to have the most state-of-the-art service center in Houston. The car had 3k miles on it at the time and I expressed how it’s my first expensive car and I’m really trying to keep it in factory condition. The service tech took a screw driver to the wheel weights on the gloss black paint and put a scratch into the outer edge. Second tire I try to go to BMW Midtown, told the story of the first tire and ask the service advisor if he thinks he has techs that could change a tire without damaging the wheel. He was like a deer in the headlights and couldn’t even figure out the replacement tire to order so I left and went to BMW of North America in Katy. There they take a screw driver to pop off the BMW roundel from the wheel cap and ding the outer edge of the wheel and to top it off run the car through the was after I mentioned a couple times to make sure they don’t.

Im curious how you plan to go about service since you’re putting a lot of custom touches into it so I figure you would care if they gouged the wheels. Do you know anywhere in Houston to get it serviced with care? I had service nightmares like this on my VWs previously but I thought that’s just all I could expect from a more economy-oriented brand even though it’s also well loved by some of its owners. I figured on the 3 series there would be a little more attention given during service but not much experience so far.

Anyways, I have my on year service due in Jan and overall I’m new to Houston and BMW so I finally registered to see if you may offer some advice.

[spicoli024]

Originally Posted by SnowBob

Have you had a good experience in the service department at BMW Midtown on your precious cars? My wheels are not as expensive as yours but unfortunately I had to replace two tires in the first six months. First one I went to BMW Momentum towards Sugar Land since they claimed to have the most state-of-the-art service center in Houston. The car had 3k miles on it at the time and I expressed how it’s my first expensive car and I’m really trying to keep it in factory condition. The service tech took a screw driver to the wheel weights on the gloss black paint and put a scratch into the outer edge. Second tire I try to go to BMW Midtown, told the story of the first tire and ask the service advisor if he thinks he has techs that could change a tire without damaging the wheel. He was like a deer in the headlights and couldn’t even figure out the replacement tire to order so I left and went to BMW of North America in Katy. There they take a screw driver to pop off the BMW roundel from the wheel cap and ding the outer edge of the wheel and to top it off run the car through the was after I mentioned a couple times to make sure they don’t.

Im curious how you plan to go about service since you’re putting a lot of custom touches into it so I figure you would care if they gouged the wheels. Do you know anywhere in Houston to get it serviced with care? I had service nightmares like this on my VWs previously but I thought that’s just all I could expect from a more economy-oriented brand even though it’s also well loved by some of its owners. I figured on the 3 series there would be a little more attention given during service but not much experience so far.

Anyways, I have my on year service due in Jan and overall I’m new to Houston and BMW so I finally registered to see if you may offer some advice.

Sorry to hear you are having such a hard time finding a quality service department at all these dealerships. Overall, I have had a good experience at Advantage BMW Houston Midtown. I would not say it has been great by any stretch of the imagination; however, they have been undergoing construction to improve their facilities for years now and the whole process has made it difficult on the client to say the least.

The only issue I ever had with Advantage’s service department was when my current car (G80 M3C) sat in their shop for 3 days during the break-in service because they couldn’t figure out which oil to use or how to service it. They said they needed to contact BMW in Germany directly because my car was the first G80 M3 in the city and nobody had serviced one locally before so there was no frame of reference. It seems a little concerning and a bit scary to think their techs are not trained well enough to service their own new vehicles, but whatever the reason or excuse, that was a very avoidable situation.

On the bright side, I’ve never experienced any damage to any of my cars while in their service department but that’s also not to say it’s never happened. I had a friend whose car was wrecked during service at Advantage, so accidents certainly can happen. I guess my point is that scratches and mishaps are inevitable, but if it occurs while in the care of someone else it is important to call them out on the spot to have it documented and corrected. I will continue to use Advantage for service, mostly because it’s covered under warranty and it’s location is super convenient.

Good luck and congrats on the new BMW!

[WATCHMY6]

Love the build… I built almost same for my wife, just the red interior different

[SnowBob]

Originally Posted by spicoli024

Sorry to hear you are having such a hard time finding a quality service department at all these dealerships. Overall, I have had a good experience at Advantage BMW Houston Midtown. I would not say it has been great by any stretch of the imagination; however, they have been undergoing construction to improve their facilities for years now and the whole process has made it difficult on the client to say the least.

The only issue I ever had with Advantage’s service department was when my current car (G80 M3C) sat in their shop for 3 days during the break-in service because they couldn’t figure out which oil to use or how to service it. They said they needed to contact BMW in Germany directly because my car was the first G80 M3 in the city and nobody had serviced one locally before so there was no frame of reference. It seems a little concerning and a bit scary to think their techs are not trained well enough to service their own new vehicles, but whatever the reason or excuse, that was a very avoidable situation.

On the bright side, I’ve never experienced any damage to any of my cars while in their service department but that’s also not to say it’s never happened. I had a friend whose car was wrecked during service at Advantage, so accidents certainly can happen. I guess my point is that scratches and mishaps are inevitable, but if it occurs while in the care of someone else it is important to call them out on the spot to have it documented and corrected. I will continue to use Advantage for service, mostly because it’s covered under warranty and it’s location is super convenient.

Good luck and congrats on the new BMW!

I can understand there is a ramp up in knowledgeability when a new vehicle is release but I would expect that to happened before it goes on sale. They advertise themselves as an M-certified center and I actually looked for this when I was choosing a service department expecting them to have the most skilled technicians. Although I would prefer that they say they don’t know than try to learn on your car. Although three weeks of the M3C is probably $1000 of payments if not more.

I ended up going to Clear Lake yesterday and Greg over there was understanding on my concerns and as as I can tell I got the car back in the condition I dropped it off but I’m purposefully avoiding a through inspection. For example with the black gloss wheels with machined edges — there’s no brining then back to the original condition after they’re scratched.

Here’s a shot of my G20 in front of Nassau Bay in Seabrook when I got it. Yours is cooler though!

[spicoli024]

Received these just in time for the KW install on Monday.
Went with 15mm(F) / 12mm(R) setup and will post before, after and install pics next week.

[spicoli024]

Update after installation of the KW HAS and spacers.

All work was performed locally in Houston by European Motor Gruppe (EMG)--great group of guys with reasonable prices who specialize in M vehicles. If you live in Houston I highly recommend working with Mike and Josh.


KW HAS: A rougher ride than stock is to be expected when the the suspension is set in Comfort, but I do not find much of a difference at all in the Sport Plus setting. If anything, I find the ride to be more comfortable than stock in the Sport Plus setting. Despite only a small drop, the car feels noticeably lower and more responsive. It does settle quite a bit (~0.5") so keep that in mind if you plan to install this kit. I have adjusted the height a couple times since these photos were taken but thought best to show the setup at KW's recommended height for reference. The adjustable settings let you dial in your preferred ride height which is a huge advantage over regular springs, especially when you live in a city with horrible roads. I ultimately set the front to one full turn from the lowest setting and the rear to one full turn from the highest setting.

Spacers: The car came with the Pirelli PZeros, which I absolutely hated (slow to get to temperature, no grip, bulging sidewalls, just awful) and I eventually swapped to a set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4S (massive difference in performance and flexibility with the less protruding sidewall). Despite the wealth of information on the forum about spacers, pictures simply do not tell the whole story so I ended up trying multiple different setups on both sets of tires and at both the stock and lowered ride heights (0f/0r, 12f/10r, 15f/12r, 15f/10r). Feel free to DM me if you have specific questions as to what setup will fit your needs. The pictures here show the 15f/12r setup, but I'm currently running 15f/10r as I found the amount of road debris splashing on the side of the car too much to handle with the 12mm setup in the rear. For me, the 10mm spacers in the rear with Michelins sits perfectly within the wheel well, but the 15mm in the front is still a little too inset so I'll likely bump it up to 18mm--it has been a never-ending pursuit of perfection to say the least, but I've learned a lot.

[DRKNESSAudiDad]

I totally agree about those Pirelli which is why I swapped to Michelins asap, your car is coming along great.

[spicoli024]

Update after installation of the Active Autowerke Signature Single Mid-Pipe for the G80 M3.

Shoutout to Mike (mike@x-ph.com) at Extreme Power House for the hookup on this new addition. Waited a little over 2 months for delivery and had it installed locally in Houston, again by European Motor Gruppe (EMG).

AA Single Mid-Pipe: I was looking for a simple exhaust that was not obnoxiously loud but offered a sportier sound and more burbles similar to the previous F8x generation--this system delivered. Not only was the price very economical for an aftermarket solution, the note is much deeper and keeps the primary set of cats and resonators; therefore, it does not throw any CELs and will still pass state emissions inspection. With the valves closed in Economic mode, the car is quiet and refined. Adjust the settings to Sport Plus with the valves open, however, and Henry Jekyll instantly transforms into Edward Hyde. The exhaust note is noticeably deeper than stock at idle. Driving around 4,200rpm the note begins to spike as it approaches red line and becomes more high pitched and a tad raspy, but definitely not overwhelming (at least to me). Backing off the throttle, gurgles and pops grab the attention of bystanders and turn heads. Gear changes, although obviously not quicker, sound more responsive with an added pop at higher end limits. Overall, I could not be happier with this setup. It is just right for me, and depending on my mood or the occasion, I now have the option to control Jekyll and Hyde. However, the latter persona has proven dominant and everyone else will just have to deal with it.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIbHpc1DrCU

[thekevchung]

This thread is awesome - thanks for putting this together! Found your AA Midpipe video on Youtube. Will be going with it when my car arrives

[spicoli024]

Update after installation of all engine mods on the G80 M3.

Burger Motorsports (BMS) Elite Performance Intake: First impression? Wow. The BMS intake offers a dramatic difference in the overall sound of the engine pronouncing the swoosh of the air as it passes through the filters during acceleration (especially around 3k-4k rpm) and the hissing from the turbos as they blow off excess air when releasing the throttle. Installation is super easy and this system allows you to retain the stock air box as a heat shield helping to channel air more directly through the lower intakes in the front bumper. I suspect this is why the BMS intake sounds so much louder than other intakes such as the MST. Aside from the subjectively improved sound and easy installation, BMS claims gains of up to 17hp and improved throttle response through the increase 3.5" lightweight aluminum tubing. While I have not dyno tested the car after installation to confirm or deny any horsepower gains, I would agree with the claim of slightly improved throttle response.

Turner Carbon Fiber Strut Brace: Aesthetics and performance are what it's all about. After installation the first thing I noticed was the improved ride quality, which I suspect is due to the fact energy is being transferred through carbon fiber versus metal. Everyday street driving is more enjoyable even with an aftermarket HAS system. The improved ride quality is not a perk I ever saw advertised alongside this product, but certainly a nice surprise. Cornering at high speeds on the track is also noticeably smoother. The car feels slightly tighter and more stable. And, although there is not a huge difference in weight, the Turner carbon fiber strut brace is 4.4lbs lighter than the stock steel brace (7.71lbs vs 3.31lbs), so there's that.

Blackline Engine Cover Caps: I just think they look cool and match my blue brake calipers. There is some talk online about metal caps offering improved thermal conduction or some bullshit, but these covers are just applied over the factory plastic caps using double-sided 3M tape so do not pay attention to that crap--it's all about what looks good under the hood.

[spicoli024]

Update after installation of MHC Ducktail Spoiler and AutoTecknic Grill

MHC (R44) Ducktail Spoiler What have I done? Shit's getting out of control. That was my initial reaction. I always thought the G8X needed a slightly more aggressive spoiler from the factory but I couldn't help compare the rear end to a Dodge Charger at first glance. This was always my fear going into this mod and probably what I primed myself to immediately conclude without much consideration. However, I grew used to it overnight and actually like the more aggressive look. I like that this spoiler mounts directly to the top of the trunk and does not drape over the rear deck lid like other versions, which look out of place IMO. Overall, I think the MHC spoiler looks clean from most angles, especially the rear, but from the sides it looks a little heavy resting on the trunk. This visual weight is likely because of the stark contrast between the white paint and I imagine it would look much cleaner and less noticeable on a darker body color. Ultimately, I still think the tail is probably 1-1/2" too long/tall for my taste but I am happy with the flair (pun intended) for now.

[spicoli024]

AutoTecknic Dry Carbon Motorsport V1 Front Grille
Overall, I am pretty disappointed with the cost of this product relative to the quality and fitment. I trusted AutoTecknic as I have purchased several parts from them for various M cars over the years and they have always produced high quality products. However, this grill is definitely an exception and it is no better than a cheap knockoff you might purchase off eBay. The carbon fiber quality was ok, not great as expected. There was a small, but noticeable imperfection within the weave on the main cross bar when it arrived so I decided to go with a custom paint job, which includes high gloss black paint everywhere except the small top cross bar. I actually like the paint job as I think it provides a darker, deeper look that makes the grill look more aggressive, but also subtly incorporate the carbon fiber element that matches other details throughout the car. The fitment, however, is not as advertised or expected and leaves two foam pads behind the front bumper very noticeably exposed, especially when it collects dust, which ultimately looks really cheap. Moreover, the cuts on the backside of the grill itself are not straight so it all just feels and looks cheap like a Chinese snap on product. I am looking into temporary solutions including painting the foam pads in a high gloss, high temp resistant paint and adding a black mesh screen behind the grill but if that doesn't improve the aesthetic I will just revert back to the stock grill until a manufacturer can release a product that lives up to the advertised expectations. Buyer beware here! You can read more about the catfish advertising tactics and others' similar experiences in the thread Catfish: Carbon Fiber Grill Warning.

[spicoli024]

Finally found a solution and some time to install a grill mesh to cover the exposed foam bumper that was such an eyesore after installing the AutoTecknic front grill. This is a simple black metal mesh by AggAuto sourced from Amazon. I went with the 6x12mm rhombus option as I thought the 4x8mm pattern was too small and seemed too flexible. I think this turned out nicely. It checks all the boxes for me.

1) Hides the foam bumper
2) Protects the radiator and oil cooler
3) Gives the grill section a deeper, darker look

[DriveWithDray]

That mesh looks pretty cool actually

[forumlurker]

build is coming out nicely

alpha n hood will be a game changer