I hear you. Just seems like these cars only have two main issues. Best fix for these issues. Usually just as soon as you get it swop out the parts for the better ones. You'll save money doing them together. Then most of what I read. The manual at least don't have many problems after that. I know I feel in love with the convertible e93. No one ever thinks about when they get old. Will they be able to drive a sports/muscle car. Most you can't. To hard to get into steer and all that. This car. Not only last a long time. But you can drive it at any age. To the store. Or as a daily. Cause I don't have enough money to buy a weekend car won't car and daily driver. So it's grate to have this option. Plus most don't think of the poeple in the back seat. The convertible has two inch more room then the sedan. But still not to big on the out side. Mean but gentle look. Never really been into BMW. After I got my 2002 z28 I wanted to get the last firebird made. But I think they changed my mind.
In the US we did not have the TV option but did have Sat radio instead. The other options were the Premium Sound pack which was not branded at that time, the DCT, the EDC, 19" wheels, folding mirrors, sunroof (replacing carbon roof), seat heating, park distance, trim options, and comfort access. The most expensive option however was the extended Novillo leather, which added more leather to doors and center console and dash, it is rare to see this option but it was a cool one.
Thought that, if anyone, would know the options list it'd be you. Should have just asked you in the first place! Interesting no TV option though, I guess there's no standardised over-the-air TV broadcasts in the US?
Yes interestingly the TV module was alway there I believe and you could get access to it via coding but I never had that done in my E92 so I can not confirm if that is true. I will send you a copy of the Sales booklet from my 2008 E92
Sounds weird but I love your videos as well as Nick’s...would love to hear a conversation between the two of you hearing your British accents haha, also heard the incoming G series M3 debuting sometime this year will finally offer XDrive (it would be great for you Nick being in CT)
I really enjoyed this video, not least because of the "M3 Theme" - but also because of the quality and the [long] shelf life of the content. The advice provided by this video is pure gold and really hits the nail on the head when it comes to buying a performance car.
I've been researching these cars. On the topic of the bearings. When they were designed. BMW made a mistake on the math and made them the wrong size. They spent a lot of money trying to figure out a work around but failed. So they recommend to swop them out. With the rite size. I've even seen a lot of people recommend rebuilding the engine just to fix that and the other issue this plat form has. After doing that should last for ever.
I've stuck with you even though I'm a Boxster guy and have no intention of buying a BMW..... the reason? You make very good, clear and informative videos and I like your easy going manner; no ego or pretence involved. Well done!
One thing I'd add to your list is that when I see 4 or 5 previous owners on an 8 yr. old car no one "owned it" they were all renters, no long term commitment to care. I bought one a month after this vid posted, thanks for perspective and info~!....2011 comp., 42k m., white, carbon roof, manual, comfort, ONE OWNER from temperate UNSALTED road state . Put 5k miles on it mostly medium to long road trips with no issues except diff started acting up *after I changed oil* (1st used Mobile 1, it started halfway engaging in low spd. tight turns like in a parking lot, NOT GOOD, so dumped Mobile 1 and went to Royal Purple which seemed to correct the problem after 50 miles of sliding around in the rain --working the R.P. oil into LSD, but the Mobile 1 came out dirty!...after a few hundred miles only, WTH?? The original oil came out with only traces of visible clutch grit on the bottom, otherwise clean like all the fluids I changed, good omen when all fluids come out looking clean-ish. Likely I'll dump diff again shortly just to clean it out, expensive oil is dirt cheap compared to machinery and labor) I have spectacular low traffic canyon/mountain roads in 'far' North California, many with great surface and design, once I almost got tired of turning after 3 hr.s straight 20 to 30 mph curves....only got busted twice in 9 months, lol. It seemed the DCT accounted for 80% of West Coast for sale which I thought about "settling for", I know it's great and better in every way but I *HAD to have the manny* which eliminated most options.
I found your channel while I was researching Boxsters. Then I started to realize that with 3 kids, I would need more than two seats. So I started looking at E92 M3s. Shortly afterwards, you started posting Season 3. It must be fate! HAHA! Great videos, lots of good information, and entertaining! Can't wait for the next video!
Nice video! I like your videos style and tone and since I am planning to change to an E92 M3 myself am now a subscriber! I am only half way through the video yet, and arrived at the part where you question if piston rod bearings fail or not. I know quite a few people regularily buying E46 M3 and E92 M3, and also servicing a few customers M3s around the Nürburgring here. And they always, always replace the bearings if they are not sure how many kilometers the bearings have already run. When I got my E46 M3, the first thing we did was replaicing these bearings. It was only about 1.000 EUR including parts and labor. I could see that the old bearings where still more or less okay after about 120.000 km but you could definitely see the beginning wear there. If you plan to keep your car longer, consider replacing the bearings. Anyway, I like the idea of the oil analysis, I have always wanted to to that, it is less than 100 EUR if you contact a professional laboratory for it. I might do it with the E92 once I get one. There is a special way to take the sample though that has to be followed. Oil should be warm, and let the first litre or so run out of the engine so you do not get sludge and particles collected in the oil pan into your sample because that would lead to bad results.
Use 5w50 engine oil for it, redline, elf, Mobil 1 10w60 is way too thick for this car on cold start. When using 5w50 you’ll eliminate the rod bearings issues. Also look up Troyjeup on Instagram “no affiliation”. He’s an S65 and s85 engine builder. He recommends, thermostat motorad 880090 for it. I have done so on my own e92 m3 competition package and noticed a big difference, smoother idle, revs faster, easier cold start. I hope this comment is helpful.
In colder climates If rod bearings are known to be good, Mobil 1 0w50 racing oil is a great option, very high in zddp, however it’s bad for catalyst due to its high zddp content 1850 ppm. if you look at Nissan GTR which recommend 5w50, Chevy LS7 recommends 5w30, Chevy corvette LS7 has even tighter rod bearing tolerance than S65M3 S85 M5.. where BMW recommends 10w60 (beats me) 10w60 is gear lube, goo in cold start which fail to lubricate the bearings on cold start...there is nothing wrong with BMW bearings, the 10w60 is what’s causing the premature failure.. best oil for S65 S85 is redline 5w50 AMSOIL 5w50.. I have used 0w50 Mobil 1 racing oil without issues on my S65 M3, cranks very smoothly on cold start.. I currently use redline 5w50... AMSOIL 5w50 is also very good and they’re safe for catalyst unlike Mobil 1 0w50 racing oil.. I think elf 5w50 is the best oil out there but in the US we can’t get the elf 5w50 under $25 a quart. So I am personally sticking with redline 5w50.. that’s my personal opinion and experience with this.. Also I have a built 2.5L S14 e30 m3 strocker and I used to use Mobil 1 15w50 for yearssss, which used to have a rough cold start.. I switched to redline 5w50 in my e30 m3 S14B25 and now it idles so smoothly and quieter on cold start with the redline 5w50.
Master Of Dizaster I still think the 10w60 is way too thick for the S65/S85 even in Cali due to tight tolerances.. the BMW 10cylinder F1 which shares the same block with S85 had it oil and coolant preheated up to temp by a machine... 10w60 is just took thick for cold start or room temp start.. when engine is cold in the morning, you crank it you want oil to flow through asap, 5w50 is thin enough for cold start and has enough shear for hot temp.. for S65 you can even get away with good 5w40 or 0w40.. but I prefer 5w50 redline or 0w50 Mobil 1.. If you look at LS7 from corvette it has even tighter tolerances than S65 and LS7 recommends 5w30, Nissan GT-R recommends 5w50... both LS7 and GT-R Nismo dont suffer from premature rod bearing failure.. rods aren’t getting oil with 10w on the cold start..
Bloody great series of videos sir. I would love one of these outstanding M3 beemers because they are the last non PC Mcar. Money will always be an issue so to be taken step by step through purchase and ownership in the UK has been extremely useful. Thanks for taking the time to put this series of no “BS” films together.
Nice video. For a British you are very fluent and easy to follow and understand. You also sound like a father who is reading a night Time story. Just lovely. Too Bad in Finland these m3s go for approx. €35k due to a high tax.
I have been meaning to comment on a video for a while but finally getting around to it. First love the videos keep it up. I have always wanted an E92 m3 (but in Alpine White with CF roof) maybe one day I can. But the first time I came over to your channel on a recommendation from Nick Murray your voice reminds me of another RU-vidr that I used to watch Ahoy (or XboxAhoy) named Stuart Brown that is from England that does a lot of gaming guides and tips. He must be from the same area as you. He also is very research driven and structured like your videos are. At first I thought that your channel might be his and just a different one he did for cars instead of video games
Thanks Phillip! Good old Nick Murray being nice there. You are right, the Ahoy bloke does have a similar style to me - i think he's a bit posher though?
+SEANJOHN 92663 Cool purchase! Nice vlog, I too now have the black grille now, much better in my opinion. I've had two convertibles and you barely get to use them in the UK so didn't look at the E93. Also I track my M3 and the E93 is heavier.
the bearing problem is because of people not warming the car up properly. the car needs 10w60 castrol oil, which takes forever to get to operatingtemperature. this thing is going to die if used for short distance commute in winter.
it's worth noting that driving in too low gear at too low speed will also wreck big end bearings on any car. it puts added load on the bearing and physically squeezes oil out... so considering these big thirsty engines it's likely some drivers try improve economy, particularly on town driving, by staying in as high gear as possible at low speeds where possible.
Videos like yours really highlight that I don't understand how RU-vid works. You should have 100K+ subscribers and 10K views per video with quality like this! May need to sprinkle in some half naked ladies into the thumbnails.
Hi - I'm just in the market looking for an M3. I went and saw a e93 the convertible (...) to get an idea on performance etc. 139,000 km's and they wanted 39,999 Aussie dollars. It had full-service history at BMW but the service book was incredibly minimal. Just checks or crosses on the appropriate icon like oil or if it was hoisted up. Nothing specific at all. Very hard to get an understanding of what was done.
Great car. Did you have it independently inspected prior to purchase or just go for it? I'd be interested in your views, do you get your cars inspected generally? I followed you because I have a 986 S myself so keen to see how this compares!
I’ll be buying through a dealer as I will need PX facility. The most excruciating frustration for me has been enquiring over 6 cars it seems a service book with stamps is more than satisfactory for a dealer to prove any service or maintenance. No receipts, no nothing! What do I do🤷♂️I’m tearing my hair out with it!! Do I just accept it!?
I wouldn’t. A car like this needs a history to demonstrate how it’s been maintained and also for resale value. Sell you car privately and buy from a private seller who is an enthusiast. Look on M3 forums for one.
Do the CSLs have a BMW stamp under above the m sticker? If not they are replicas. Theres a pic of mine on my Z4M below. It's not the end of the world but the car is worth more with the originals rather than reps. Also reps generally aren't as strong as the BBS alternatives and there are some horror stories of track days where the wheels buckle obviously depending on what brand of replicas they are. flic.kr/p/emRau5
nice, i like it have you made a full length song out of it? Loving the videos , no interest in boxters especially but watched your videos for a while now.. keep it up
How the fuck is an m3 with 60k miles 20k pounds, In france you are looking for at least 30K € to find a decent one with 100 k kilometers. How come that british used car are so cheap ?
Good review! Now, for the bad... What a POS BMWs are. Actuators that last either 10k or 60k miles? What a joke. Then there's all the plastics parts everywhere else that break or disintegrate within a decade, plus the horrible electronics, constant maintenance and upkeep and general poor engineering design... Oh Lord.... Lol
