Upgrades and modification recommendations 08 Z4 M coupe
 

I'm the proud new father of a 2008 black sapphire m coupe, and I was wondering what you all might suggest for initial upgrades (interior, exterior, and everything else). What would be the most effective and useful but not necessarily break the bank?

Thanks

Active Autowerke Tune- $500 with GREAT results.

New tires, stock ones aren't too great. PS-PS3's just announced

Intake-AFE is under $500, Gruppe M= Sex, pricey though.

Exhaust- up to you, can get pricey.

Strong Strut brace.

ZHP shift knob, best mod ever.

1. Stubby antenna
2. Cupholder Delete
3. Lock valve replacement
4. ESS software (I would do only if you are in a 91 octane area, not sure about Texas)

If you don't have this already... I would do the black-carbon fiber leather dash. http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?p=8250790

You are in TX so start off by investing in some HPDE time :)

Opinions differ, so here are mine in no particular order (except the first one):

• Tires. Best bang for the buck seems to be the Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec in 245f and 265r. The stock sizes reduce the overall wheel height a little more that 1/4". Sticky tires transform the car. *edit* The links on "tires" are not mine. Bimmerfest is hijacking my post to pimp their sponsors.
• UUC Clutch stop. Shorten the bolt as needed to avoid ignition lock out. You can make one out of Home Depot bolts yourself, but for about $20, the UUC is a nice piece.
• Stubby antenna is nice aesthetically. Winner for $30-ish bucks.
• Intakes may actually reduce performance while adding sexy-noise. No one has rigorously tested these that I know of.
• Airbox scoops were all the rage for a while. Lots of butt-dyno claims, but no conclusive testing, and tough to dyno something that relies on a ram-air effect.
• Exhausts are criminally priced. Of course you can get one custom made for much less than what some are asking, but the secret sauce is which muffler can to use to get a nice rumbly and not raspy sound. Someone needs to have a look at one of the massively overpriced kits that didn't sell and dish on what cans were used - as a benefit to the community at large. Supersprint also makes one with the customary Supersprint price and roll-of-the-dice on quality. Overall, exhausts may or may not improve performance. Less exhaust weight helps, but so does a driver on a diet. Again, the appeal is sexy-noise.
• Not a fan of tunes where you have to physically remove the ECU. E85/6 S54 has a different ECU than the E46, so we're closed off to much of the E46 upgrade market.
• As mentioned above, the valve lock/CDV elimination. Don't bother buying the drilled out fake one. You won't be fooling anyone that matters.
• I like the BMW strut brace. It looks better than the others, and performs the same function.
• iPod interface. The BMW one sucks balls, and I think it is unavailable now. The DICE unit sucks too, but not as much. Its what I have, and it mostly gets the job done. There's a full featured one out now, but is fairly involved and it is relatively expensive. You'll have to search, as I forget the name.
• You can get black strut tower caps on EBay for something like $6. Nice little cosmetic touch so you don't have to look at those ugly strut tops any more.
• Some people add a real roundel over the embossed one on the fan shroud under the hood. I had an extra that I stuck on with double-sided tape so it's reversible.
• Hard-wired V1. It is often connected from the front dome light. I got a 9" clear phone (power) cord at Radio Shack to make it less obtrusive than the black cord.

That's all I can think of for now.

Thanks!
 

Wow. Thanks for all the help. So far I'm buying the shorter antenna, ZHP illuminated shift knob, and the ipod interface. I plan on transforming this baby into more of a track car than it already is throughout the next few years.

For bang-for-the-buck I'd look into:
-RPI scoop. It really works, speaking from firsthand observation of the dyno runs vs. stock, same day/conditions/dyno.
-Leather Z MkIV center console
-Ultimate cupholders
-CDV delete.

Other good mods:
-Bimmian's shorty antenna and roundel stickers are very good quality.
-BMW's strut brace is attractive, not too expensive and designed to collapse under a corner impact to not transfer damage to the rest of the vehicle.
-MRTM's pedals. I LOVE them. Very rigid, easy to install, great grip wet or dry.

More expensive, but very beneficial:
-Replace the stock tires. I'm been impressed with Hankook's Ventis V12s and an alternative to the PS2. Just as good, 1/2 the price. The Direzza is a very sticky tire, as it is nearly an r-comp, so it will out perform most HP street tires but wear out much faster. If you are considering the Direzza you might also want to look at the NT05 and NT01.
-Valentine 1. Must have. Period.
-ESS software

Avoid:
-Aftermarket intakes. I know of none that actually improve performance beyond what the new filter provides, and several of them reduce power because of additional heat soak. AFE's was tested by Eloy at RPI and lost an average of 2hp vs. stock.
-Clutch stops. They can cause premature wear as the clutch can still be engaged slightly past the point where it feels disengaged. For the extra millisecond off you shift time why risk it?
-Any DME tune that sounds too good to be true, or is priced below its competitors while also offering more HP. There is no free lunch.
-Any BBK until you are already tracking to the point where you stock brakes with track pads are not sufficient.


Before modding it for the track...TRACK IT. A lot. Make sure you are a competent enough driver that you end up tuning the car, not your driving, with mods.

Yup.

My list of "MUSTS":

CDV delete
RPI Scoops
AA ECU tune - FANTASTIC!
Whalen Shift Machine knob
Ulimate Pedals
Z4 front strut brace