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BMW hasn't built an M2 "CS," which looks fantastic in M3/4 version in San Marino with 763 wheels, so I decided to build one myself. Since I love the N55 engine, that was my starting point!
Some background . . .
I’ve been driving BMWs since 1996. My first was a mineral white 328iS that I picked up via European Delivery from the old Munich (dealership based) delivery center (long before BMW Welt). LOVED that car!
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Black 1997 and 1998 M3s followed, then a 2002 E46 M3 (6MT) in LeMans Blue that I kept and drove for 8 years (I bought it used, and it must have been one of the first individual orders, since that wasn't a standard color in that year). I’d seen San Marino Blue on an M5 in the local showroom and had to figure away to get a BMW in that color. Bimmerpost was my resource as I discovered the BMW individual program! I decided to repeat my earlier adventure to Europe. The European Delivery program is one of the real gems offered by BMW, and if you haven’t taken advantage of it….DO IT! It’s amazing. Here’s my post from that 2015 trip ...
(
https://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1193280 )
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The 2016 M3 was a great car. The modern M3 is, in dimension, almost identical to the prior generation 5 series, so a bit bigger than what I was used to. I have a feeling that the competition package (which wasn't available when I placed my order) would have made it a bit more nimble. Then, my neighbor rolled up one day in an M2. Sized like my E36 M3s, it seemed like a perfect car for me.
So, a little more than 2 and a half years after the purchase, I sold the M3 to a forum member in Kansas City, although I must admit that I was a bit ambivalent as I watched it drive away in a transport on a drizzly March day.
After searching high and low, I suddenly received a message from a Bimmerpost member in Medford, Oregon (four hours south of me) saying that he was putting his M2 up for sale (and at a great price). 2 Days later, I was the owner of a Saphire Black, 2017 BMW M2 (6MT of course).
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The problem was, individual colors aren’t available on the M2. The paint shop in Leipzig is not set up to switch colors, so we’re left with a limited palate of options. I’d seen them all, liked each of them, but really down deep wanted San Marino.
At first I thought, “I will repaint the car!” But that’s a hefty expense if you want to do it right, and not one my bank account was willing or able to absorb. Next I looked into a wrap. 3M has a “Blue Raspberry” wrap, and I quickly ordered a sample roll on Amazon, eagerly awaiting its arrival. Unfortunately, in person it wasn’t as close as I’d hoped, was kind of flat, and a good wrap job still is expensive because it’s very labor intensive.
A few days later, something caught my eye on Facebook: a new product called Auto Flex Gloss, essentially a sprayable wrap. This brand new product looked intriguing. I chatted with Dom, the local professional at Rose City Dip (
http://rosecitydip.com/), and we worked together to get the color right. The beauty of Auto Flex is that it looks just like paint, is easier to apply than a wrap, can be waxed and polished just like a regular paint job, absorbs impacts like a 3M clear bra, and is totally peelable. Plus, it’s less than a wrap, and FAR less than a paint job.
The process is pretty straightforward, four or so coats of a gray undercoating, four coats of the “paint” with a flex agent, and two coats of a clearcoat. The result is gorgeous. Initially it looks thick and has a bit of orange peel, not dissimilar to the old oil based BMW paint jobs (like the one I had on my 1996 328). The paint is buffable, so all of that can be “corrected,” just like regular paint. I haven’t done that yet, but will in the next few weeks. And as I said, if at some point, I want to go back to black, I can just peel it all off, to reveal essentially a brand new paint job!
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The painting process took 3 days, and the results were amazing. For comparison, I took a visit to my local BMW dealer, who happened to have a 2017 M5 in San Marino Blue on the lot.
The Auto Flex seems to have a deeper look, but the color is almost a perfect match.
[SIDENOTE: There are a handful of authorized applicators on the AutoFlex website (
www.autoflexcoatings.com). This is a brand new product. Not all states have authorized applicators yet (
http://<b><i>http://www.autoflexcoat...cators</i></b>). I was fortunate to find someone who had been working with this product. It's not a wrap, and it's not paint, so it takes some skill to apply correctly, as well as a really good paint booth and a really good paint gun. Make sure that you find a professional who's done this before, and ask to see some examples.]
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Here it is with a Fire Orange M4 (actually an Alpine White BMW Auto Flexed in Fire Orange):
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Like a lot of us on this forum, I have trouble just doing one thing to a car, so I’ve made a few additional mods:
Burger Clutch Stop (the best mod for any BMW M car)
TechnicPNP ASD harness (the second best mod for any M Car. It’s incredible how much better it is to drive a car when you can actually hear what the engine and tires are doing!)
Dinan Intake (I was shocked how much of a difference this made, and how incredible the intake sounds under hard acceleration)
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Dinan Coilovers (gives the car a great stance, and it STICKS TO THE ROAD! A bit harsh on rough roads, but well worth it for the incredible performance improvements)
Wagner Catted Downpipe (EU 200 cell version). (A huge performance gain, and sounds incredible during hard driving and track days, but a bit “droney” under hard acceleration in daily driving)
ANTIGRAVITY lithium battery (13.2 lbs! The stock battery was 48.4 lbls. That’s a weight savings of 35.2 lbs! Be aware that you have to get a local BMW shop to "code" the battery.)
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Lightweight front lip (harder to install than I expected, as the directions provided are not very clear at all! I had to rent time at a local do-it-yourself garage to get the car up on a lift to finally get it installed).
CarbonWorks rear spoiler (inexpensive off of Ebay, an M4 copy, probably made in China, but it looks fantastic and saved me a lot of cash!)
And finally,
BMW 763 wheels (got them on sale from BMWparts pros). Wow are these things light! I spent several months looking for replica copies, but they all weighed 8-10 lbs MORE than stock, or weren't available. So I bit the bullet and bought the real deal! I weighed the fronts at 20.1 and the rears at 20.3. That’s a savings of approximately 14 lbs over the stock 437 wheels. To help defray the cost I sold my stock 437s to a forum member.
Upcoming (not yet downloaded) is the
Bootmod3. I’m curious to play around with this system, which allows you to code not only the performance, but also other elements like lighting.
Thanks to
Mike at ExtremePower - - a forum supporter - - for help on several of these mods!
Total weight savings is in the range of 56 lbs.
I’ve racked up quite a few miles so far . . . because this car is so much fun to drive!
My first excursion was the annual BMW CCA of Oregon “Maryhill Loops” road drive. The day began with a few of us getting some pictures and a drone video or two at the replica of Stonehenge (as it would have been hundreds of years ago) which also makes a great backdrop for pictures overlooking the Columbia River.
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https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=ESVtZNWv0VA
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Then on to the “Loops," a now private road which twists and turns up the side of the Columbia River gorge.
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Here are a couple videos:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXG...LwhXGICEv7JEVw
https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=7m1gimdt914
https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=cTbR4AkLe80
And a couple more:
https://www.youtube.com/my_videos?o=U
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Since the Maryhill Loop Road adventure, I’ve added the 763 wheels. I love the look, and the car feels just a bit more nimble and responsive with the lighter wheels and battery. Not a huge difference, but certainly enough to tell.
This past weekend, I took a spin out to the Oregon coast, stopping at the fabulous Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville on the way (
), or
). It’s the home of the Spruce Goose (which you can see inside in the background of the picture below). This is another must see for any aviation or automotive enthusiast, or anyone interested in history, science, technology or progress in general!
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And now that the mods were all done, I got
James Wiklund, of
Team Tamoshinu Racing, to shoot a few awesome shots under the lights.
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So where does the road lead next? Fortunately, the BMW CCA Oregon/Southwest Washington chapter is constantly offering us a series of fun, exiting road tours, covered bridge drives, track days etc. And the fall is beautiful in the Pacific NW, so maybe I’ll get a few pictures as the leaves start changing colors. But for now, I’ve got the perfect pocket rocket, in the world’s best color, and a lot of asphalt to explore. Stay tuned!