just picked up my e92 last night

[zacktown]

I am very happy. the minute I drove away, I knew I bought the right car for me. It was the same feeling that I had when I drove away in my '03 m5. I can't say the engines are entirely dissimilar. I love the sound of the engine. It is exactly what I wanted and expected in a car. Initially, I was out shopping for a new m5 and didn't expect m3s to be in/available. The m5 test drive was, on a scale of 1 to 10, a 6. I understand that the car is de-tuned initially, however, I wasn't convinced that the SMG would make me happy. I think that the salesperson just didn't understand the different settings. He just told me that it shifts slow because it is an automatic.

Fast forward 2 hours and a few phone calls and I made a deal on the m3. The dealership that I was testing the m5 at was asking 20k over sticker. They came down to 12 over, to which I said, "you will probably get it, but not from me". I called my "usual bmw salesman" and got the best deal I could find in los angeles.

If anyone here has any questions, I would be glad to answer.

My main question is, and I couldn't find anyone at the dealer to answer, does it have a break in period. I looked in a thread here and it was almost answered depending on which point of view you take, but I know that there are some gurus here that can answer definitively.

BTW, the other car I test drove was the audi RS4. What a great car with amazing performance! What a great exhuast note. The only reason I didn't buy it is that I am 6'3" and 230 lbs. It just felt a little smaller than the 3 series coupe (I have had 5 in the past).

[UltimateBMW]

Congrats on your awesome purchase!

The e92 M3 DOES infact have a break-in period. You can find more details about it in your Owner's Manual. But just to give you an estimate it should be around the first 1200-1500 miles. You need to keep RPMs below 5.5k, and drive in a mix of all gears at different speeds to get the rings in the engine to seal correctly. Don't just get on the highway and cruise it out, mix it up! There is also a service that the car needs to be put through at the dealership after the 1200-1500 break in (the manual can tell you the exact number in miles). So you should keep in mind to schedule the service once your get the milage close to the target.

I'm surprised, although perhaps i shouldn't be, that the dealership didn't even know if there was a break-in.

Lastly, the most important thing for you to do now is.... POST SOME PICTURES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[moog55]

I've always adhered to the break-in rule, but I've never read a first-hand account of someone that effed their car up by NOT breaking in their car. What are the symptoms of a car that was not broken in properly?

[Los Angeles]

Originally Posted by zacktown

The only reason I didn't buy it is that I am 6'3" and 230 lbs. It just felt a little smaller than the 3 series coupe (I have had 5 in the past).

6'3'' 230lb? That's a small car for such a large guy.

You should've gone w/ the M5 @ MSRP.

[Epacy]

Over MSRP? Wow, guess people just gotta have it. $6-$10k over, I assume.
Please do post some pics and specs.

[Garissimo]

Originally Posted by Epacy

Over MSRP? Wow, guess people just gotta have it. $6-$10k over, I assume.
Please do post some pics and specs.

Paying a dealer markup on a car that bases under $60K is kinda like paying off kidnappers ransom money. It just encourages them

[zacktown]

looking for a place to post now

and, no, I paid just 5 percent over. I figured, it would save me time and money over buying out of town. If I lose a few days work to save a few grand, it doesn't compute. For me, convenience is key. Also, since I deal with the same guy every time, it takes me less than 15 minutes to buy a car. 3 minutes to fill out my app. leave to work, come back @ end of day to sign papers and pick up the car. Total transaction time was less than 15 minutes.

[Epacy]

Originally Posted by zacktown

looking for a place to post now

You can attach them to your post. No need to host them somewhere. Use the paperclip icon in the thread tools when making a post.

[jrb]

Just a note about SMG. Your salesman was pretty clueless. It can be set to just about snap your head with the speed of the shifts. Nevertheless, while the M5 is an attractive, tempting package, it is a large car. I find the M3 just a better size for a GT car. While I'm speaking a little out of school since I haven't driven the M3, I'm going to guess that it will offer both a level of comfort (my E46 did) equivalent to the M5s with more nimbleness and probably a bit more fun than the M5.

[zacktown]

Epacy, don choo assume nuthin . I paid 5k over and can justify it. If the car totals over 80k (tax license, etc), it is roughly 5 percent. My time is very expensive and convenience means everything. I am too busy to go out of town or out of state to see a car, nor do I have time to go dealership to dealership. Furthermore, I don't want to buy a car sight unseen. All in all, I would venture to say that in actual costs to me, I paid maybe 1k over. It took me 3 minutes to drop off a check and fill out the 1/2 page app, left to work, came back 2 hours later to pick up the car. I spent less than 10 minutes signing the paperwork. That is invaluable

Garissimo, "bases under 60k" is true, however, I can pretty much guarantee that you aren't going to see any base model m3s on your showroom floor ever. You would have to special order a car like that. You can count on them being very similar to mine (see window sticker attachement).

Los angeles, don't call me "large". LOL! Honestly, as I mentioned before, I have driven many 3s before. I haven't ever felt cramped like in the rs4. I even took my brother for a ride in the m3 and he is 6'3" and 280. We both fit fine. The back seat even fits me. I don't have to duck my head either

Moog55 and Ultimate BMW, thank you, thank you, thank you

here are some pics

[zacktown]

more pics

[nusevad]

Nice pics! I love the picture of the rear.

[eclipsisNA]

Beautiful car! Hope to see you driving around LA!

[Epacy]

$5k isn't the worst. As long as you are OK with it, that's all that matters.

Car is looking good. How was the drive home?

[asaulo1]

was this the one in the showroom? if it is, I knew it wouldn't take long for someone to snag it... it just looked so good.....

[mhutchins14]

Nice looking car.....love the aluminum!!

[MShift]

sorry if this was already answered but there was a break-in sticker on the window of my test drive car today and it said 1200 miles at 5500 rpm max.

[M2381]

Grats, it looks amazing

[SHADY1]

[WCH]

Nice car!

[spike357]

Congratulations! My M3 is the exact twin of yours. I was lucky enough to get it for sticker price though. I've got 500 miles on the odometer since Friday. It's been very tempting to nail the throttle, but I'm going to be a good boy for the remainder of the break in period.

01 325i
06 330i
08 e92 M3

[GregW / Oregon]

Originally Posted by zacktown

I am very happy. the minute I drove away, I knew I bought the right car for me. It was the same feeling that I had when I drove away in my '03 m5.

Congratulations--I have about a week to wait for my Alpine coupe. I really like the Aluminum trim with the black--lightens it up a bit. Enjoy!