[in_d_haus]

So I've been thinking (ya, I know...not a good thing for me) Since I'm planning to keep the M3 a long time maybe I should look at Titanium Silver, why, longevity and ease of maint.

While many of the other colors look great Silver is the easiest to maintain. It looks great on the car and will still look great 10 years from now.

Dark colors would require lots of work to keep nice especially with my anal tendencies.

What do you guys think?

 

[Dr. Phil]

The silver is definately classic but I think coming from Red it might be a little bit of a disappointment. TV might be a little to far from the norm but IMO something a little less common the TiAg would suit both you and the //M better.

Points on maintenance and longevity are well taken, but you already have the know how to maintain your car. My bottom line vote SG (unless you get back on the TV train and have 2k to drop).

 

[in_d_haus]

The silver is definately classic but I think coming from Red it might be a little bit of a disappointment. TV might be a little to far from the norm but IMO something a little less common the TiAg would suit both you and the //M better.

Points on maintenance and longevity are well taken, but you already have the know how to maintain your car. My bottom line vote SG (unless you get back on the TV train and have 2k to drop).

I'm pretty convinced on SG, but my practical side kicked in and said " Do you really want to be maintaining the car like you have been for the next 10+ years"? Yes, it's a labor of love and I do enjoy it but will I feel the same way years from now.

I guess I'm thinking too much, like I said not a good thing for me

 

[Chris330Ci]

Just last night I was watching some of my videos from the PC and out of the three M3's out there with me, I decided I like the TiSilver the best. The others were topaz blue and carbon black. Something about the silver really brings out all the lines and the sheer mass of the car. I love black, but damn did that silver look good! Not to mention it would be the easiest to keep clean...

 

[Dr. Phil]

After some deep thought (that's 2 minutes for me) I think you should opt for one of the cartoon colors Smurf or Barney take your pick:dunno: :bigpimp: Different is good:thumb:

 

[in_d_haus]

After some deep thought (that's 2 minutes for me) I think you should opt for one of the cartoon colors Smurf or Barney take your pick:dunno: :bigpimp: Different is good:thumb:

Different IS good but not Port-a-potty (smurf) blue!!!

The reason I'm picking SG is because it's one of the factory colors. I can afford (what's $2000 when you are spending 60K?) a special color, I just can't decide on which one with that many choices, seems silly but it's the truth.

My head was spinning and I was switching colors daily or more. that's when I told myself "stick with the minimum color set".

SG stands out for me.... except the Ti maint issue.

 

[Guest84]

Silver is a good "generic" color, what I mean by that is, its easy to resell the car to a larger market of people..matter of fact, as popular as it is, its my opinion that it shouldn't be an optional color, it should be free like Black or red, white.

Pluses: Easy maintenance
Cons: When you detail it, you shake your head because it looks almost the same as when you started.

 

[Imola Ed]

I have to disagree with the comment above about Ti Silver bringing out the lines of the M. I think it actually does the opposite. It makes the car look too washed out, IMHO. I think a darker color works better. This is interesting, because I think that silver looked really good on the e36. One of the best.

Personally, I think the best color for the car in terms of demostrating its lines is Estoril Blue (even though it's not dark, but for some reason it does).

I would stick with SG. It's not super dark like CB or anything so it should be easier to maintain, and being gray, it's still easier to resell later, I would think.

 

[Dr. Phil]

Different IS good but not Port-a-potty (smurf) blue!!!

I was just kidding with you SG is a great choice and it falls in the middle as far as PITA to clean.

 

[Sean]

Cons: When you detail it, you shake your head because it looks almost the same as when you started.

This is so true. You really do just stand back and shake your head. :dunno:

 

[PropellerHead]

Stand back, shake yer head and say, "Yeah Bayybee!"

There is a LSB M3 in the building next door. You know, after driving by a few hundred times, I kinda like it. Sorty sporty. Hell, I'd drive one. But that Phoenix Yellow? Yeah, can't do that.

 

[ObD]

Pluses: Easy maintenance

Depends on your definition of easy. TiAg does get dirty. It's just that you don't notice it as much. :angel: If one is really anal, it does show black brake dust soot , and it is a light color so any dark color like dirt or road grime is gonna be visible.

My last car was black, and it looked good for about 2 days after a detailing. :lmao: The TiAg looks good for about 10 days. I washed my car about ten days ago. It's dirty. I can see it from inside the car. It's just looks cleaner till you get close. :thumb:

 

[ALEX325i]

So I've been thinking (ya, I know...not a good thing for me) Since I'm planning to keep the M3 a long time maybe I should look at Titanium Silver, why, longevity and ease of maint.

While many of the other colors look great Silver is the easiest to maintain. It looks great on the car and will still look great 10 years from now.

Dark colors would require lots of work to keep nice especially with my anal tendencies.

What do you guys think?

In_d_haus,

The TiAg/IR M3 looks great too. However, trust me, SG is not that hard to maintain... It takes at least 2 months until I start noticing swirl marks, etc. Dirt doesn't show as easily either. I wish my CB M3 was that easy to maintain...

 

[___lk___]

So I've been thinking (ya, I know...not a good thing for me) Since I'm planning to keep the M3 a long time maybe I should look at Titanium Silver, why, longevity and ease of maint.

While many of the other colors look great Silver is the easiest to maintain. It looks great on the car and will still look great 10 years from now.

Dark colors would require lots of work to keep nice especially with my anal tendencies.

What do you guys think?

silver is hard to color match, a big issue if u need body work 5 years from now...fading, etc

best color for long term is probably alpine weiss.

 

[in_d_haus]

Re: Re: Ti Silver

... However, trust me, SG is not that hard to maintain... It takes at least 2 months until I start noticing swirl marks, etc. Dirt doesn't show as easily either. I wish my CB M3 was that easy to maintain...

Thanks Alex, that's all I needed to know!!! Oh and I've decided to get aftermarket 19" wheels instead of factory.

 

[Imola Ed]

Re: Re: Re: Ti Silver

Thanks Alex, that's all I needed to know!!! Oh and I've decided to get aftermarket 19" wheels instead of factory.

Ooh! Ooh! What kind?

 

[ALEX325i]

Re: Re: Re: Ti Silver

Thanks Alex, that's all I needed to know!!! Oh and I've decided to get aftermarket 19" wheels instead of factory.

Cool! :thumb: Really? Good savings? I want 19"s bad... If you don't mind me asking, how much are you spending on aftermarket wheels/tires?

 

[in_d_haus]

I'm thinking BBS, Fikse, or ACS wheels and, of course, S-03s. Haven't decided which style wheel but I have a year to decide.

 

[Imola Ed]

I'm thinking BBS, Fikse, or ACS wheels and, of course, S-03s. Haven't decided which style wheel but I have a year to decide.

You might be outta luck on S-03s unless they start to finally make the 235s for the front. I think the 245s might be kinda tight. I'm getting Yokos because of this actually.

 

[in_d_haus]

You might be outta luck on S-03s unless they start to finally make the 235s for the front. I think the 245s might be kinda tight. I'm getting Yokos because of this actually.

Hey Ed,
Did you see this? (reprinted from a link on "Loki's M3 FAQ" site)

The widths of BMW OEM 19" wheels are 8" in front and 9.5" in the rear. These measurements have very specific implications when choosing tires (more on this in a bit).

I chose the Bridgestone S-03 over the Michelin Pilot Sport, based on the Tire Rack's test results, which showed the S-03 to be superior in almost every way. Additionally, from my personal experience with the Pilot Sports, both on the track and on the street, I know that they are not quite as good as their predecessor (the Pilot MXX3) for dry-weather handling and steering response. It appears that the S-03 promises to bring some of these characteristics back...

Now that BMW is offering the OEM 19" wheels as a factory option in the US (beginning with March 2002 production), the question of tire size for these wheels has begun to pop up more frequently.

Prior to this offering, the collective wisdom of the aftermarket industry in the US was that the following front and rear tire sizes were "correct":

Front
235/35-19
or
245/35-19

Rear
275/30-19
or
285/30-19

So, just by glancing at the numbers, you can see two things:

1. there are two widths to choose from
2. there are two overall diameters to choose from (derived from the aspect ratio)

What you can't see just be glancing at the numbers is that one of these "correct" options is INCORRECT. According to Bridgestone and Michelin, that 285/xx-19 tire needs a minimum wheel width of 10", but the OEM 19" rear wheel is 9.5" wide.

So, it turns out that the best combination is:
245/35-19 front
275/30-19 rear

The reason I say this is the best combination is:

1. These dimensions produce an overall diameter which most-closely matches the overall diameter of the factory 18" setup (closest "without going-over", see #2).

2. These dimensions are as wide as you can go, given the 8" and 9.5" wheel widths we're working with on the OEM 19" wheel.

For more information on tire sizing, particularly as pertains to the BMW OEM 19" wheel, the Michelin Pilot Sports, and the Bridgestone S-03s, see the following references:
My Tire Research Tool (Excel spreadsheet)
Bridgestone's Specs on the S-03
Michelin's Pilot Sport Spec Sheet (.pdf)
Yokohama's Tire Tech