[doughboy]

Hey guys,

Despite not having the BM any more, I feel compelled to write here as the audience is a whole lot better than elsewhere

After 2 months of ownership (http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=931398), I thought its time to look into a few tweaks for the new fire breathing 557bhp family wagon.

Yes, it is already very fast (scary even) and handles like you wouldn't believe...but it badly lacks an LSD, something which transformed the 335i.

The factory LSD option was £2,400+VAT, which is a lot, so I didn't have it. (worked out at over £100/month extra on the lease)

So i've got a Quaife LSD on the way (£850all in group buy on MB forum, loads less than a 335i unit, no messy welded crown wheels). So with £400 fitting that's my (maintenance free) LSD all in for £1,250, saving nearly £1,800, and that is before any returns made by removing it and selling it later on.

I've looked at some remap options, but they are whole-day-ECU-out-jobs at over £2000 a pop, 680BHP not withstanding!

A firm down south is just about to realease (this month) a piggy back plug in option, much more appealing and it will give 620+BHP (up 60) and an extra 100lbft (up to 69lbft)

Unfortunately all the power in the world won't make up for one critical defect with the car.

It's a bloody stupid auto. Only two pedals, you know like a twist and go moped. Who on earth thinks two pedals is the future for drivers cars (except when stuck in traffic).

The world's gone mad.

The world's gone mad.

[kayfaz]

It's a bloody stupid auto. Only two pedals, you know like a twist and go moped. Who on earth thinks two pedals is the future for drivers cars (except when stuck in traffic).

The world's gone mad.

exactly my thoughts as well.

btw thats ALOTT of power

[doughboy]

Thanks, I'd love to get it on a dyno, god knows what it would sound like....

[gangzoom]

Spending £1.2k to justify a potential 'saving' of £1.8k. That's the kind of financial logic I fully endorse with when it comes to cars

Bet your loving the power!!!

[Rudz]

Originally Posted by gangzoom

Spending £1.2k to justify a potential 'saving' of £1.8k. That's the kind of financial logic I fully endorse with when it comes to cars

Bet your loving the power!!!

lol, that's an enthusiast doin his man math for u, makes perfect sense to me..

[dobbo99]

Originally Posted by doughboy

Thanks, I'd love to get it on a dyno, god knows what it would sound like....

would it not pull the building over?

[briers]

Why chip it, it is already bonkers fast so much so i bet you can't even use half the power in this colder and damp weather.

I know the roads you drive and its flipping hard to drive on the limit out there. I regularly do eccleshall to nantwich / market drayton and back and its edgy without using all the power.

Assume you have no turbo lag etc ?

What about enhancing the sound. Andrew Palmers c63 had modified cats probably like 100 / 200 cell and possibly headers and it sounded flipping amazing.

As the power is bonkers what about suspension tweaks from birds?

[Kerr]

Sounds like the modding bug will never go.

A bit braver on such an expensive lease car. Hopefully it won't cause issues.

I was reading the AMG forum last night about the guys C63 that caught fire(minor)and it was comedy gold.

A new guy offered simple consumer advice why Merc were unlikely to refund a 6 month old car. He was picked on right away and asked what rights he had to give that opinion.

6 years law study was the answer. He was then mocked as "he must have failed a lot".

His come back was great. Explaining it was 4 years for degree before doing advanced courses. 4+2=6.

But yeah, the AMG forum seemed to have too many confrontational members.

[AlanYoro35i]

Originally Posted by Kerr

Sounds like the modding bug will never go.

A bit braver on such an expensive lease car. Hopefully it won't cause issues.

I was reading the AMG forum last night about the guys C63 that caught fire(minor)and it was comedy gold.

A new guy offered simple consumer advice why Merc were unlikely to refund a 6 month old car. He was picked on right away and asked what rights he had to give that opinion.

6 years law study was the answer. He was then mocked as "he must have failed a lot".

His come back was great. Explaining it was 4 years for degree before doing advanced courses. 4+2=6.

But yeah, the AMG forum seemed to have too many confrontational members.

I guess i was very lucky my car didn't went up on flames as BMW battersea replaced my turbo and one of the oil feedback was spraying oil on to the exhaust causing lots of smoke....

[zltm089]

Glad to see you're still here Mike!

Nothing will ever beat a proper manual for control and driving enjoyment!

Don't break the dyno! ;-)

[doughboy]

Originally Posted by Kerr

Sounds like the modding bug will never go.

A bit braver on such an expensive lease car. Hopefully it won't cause issues.

I was reading the AMG forum last night about the guys C63 that caught fire(minor)and it was comedy gold.

But yeah, the AMG forum seemed to have too many confrontational members.

Yeah, read that. Trying to keep mods sensible and undetectable. Plug in tune is a bit iffy as I don't have any diagnostic software for MB yet.

Originally Posted by briers

Why chip it, it is already bonkers fast so much so i bet you can't even use half the power in this colder and damp weather.

I know the roads you drive and its flipping hard to drive on the limit out there. I regularly do eccleshall to nantwich / market drayton and back and its edgy without using all the power.

Assume you have no turbo lag etc ?

What about enhancing the sound. Andrew Palmers c63 had modified cats probably like 100 / 200 cell and possibly headers and it sounded flipping amazing.

As the power is bonkers what about suspension tweaks from birds?

The summer will be here soon. you can never have too much power though, always room for abit more.

I don't want to change the sound, it is loud already for a mass production car.

Suspension and steering are outstanding, I really couldn't see it being any better without spending serious money. It has variable damping and rear air suspension already and it steers, handles and rides much better than the 335 ever did even with the birds suspension.

It really is that good.

[rogerxp]

Does sounds like a mental motor. You know my feelings on autos

[AlwynMike]

I feel (some) of your pain, Mike.
Still yearn for a proper manual 'box on the 335.

Rejoice in the power though - us mortals are jealous!

Mike

[doughboy]

Mike, if I could I'd rather have a lesser car plus a trail bike and weekend toy car, but things as they are I get the all important nod from the missus for the AMG as its a "family car". No she hasn't driven it yet.


I ought to wash the damn thing, it's completely filthy, but it looks so mean with it's matt coating of grime all over.

It's that big it takes ages to clean plus you need steps to reach the middle of the roof.

Still it's Thursday tomorrow - take-the-AMG-to-work days are Thursday & Fridays, take the longer A road route at 6.30am.

[briers]

You should take it to that place in stone on Newcastle road to get it washed if you still go to stone

They spray a degreaser on and wash then snow foam and wash then more snow foam and use mitt this time. Jetting off in between each step.

I think they have been trained because they are pretty good, contacless until most of the dirt is gone and they rinse and keep mitts off floor between cars.

Good results for interim washes for £5

[doughboy]

Thanks Briers, I do go to Stone pretty often.

Sounds better than the usual dirty sponge and old-wiper-as-a-squeegy horror. Not forgetting the used-engine-oil-for-tyre-shine of course.

Is that the one just on the corner where Newcastle Road meets the one way loop? (near the Crown & Anchor)

[briers]

Yes that's it

I was apprehensive at first but decided to give them a try after seeing all the snow foam on the ground.

It was refreshing to have 2 rounds of contacless washing before they got the mitt.

They do use a chamois to dry but I guess in a commercial operation it's more durable than them waffle towels.

Beats the dirty water and sponge in a bucket. Everything done with lances

[russdx]

I love autos and would never touch a manual again!
But im a lazy bastard haha

[briers]

Wafting around it's nice yea put pushing on it's horrid, lazy, electronic, stubborn and disconnected

[AlwynMike]

Originally Posted by briers

You should take it to that place in stone on Newcastle road to get it washed if you still go to stone

They spray a degreaser on and wash then snow foam and wash then more snow foam and use mitt this time. Jetting off in between each step.

I think they have been trained because they are pretty good, contacless until most of the dirt is gone and they rinse and keep mitts off floor between cars.

Good results for interim washes for £5

I'll have to give that one a go when I'm close.

No need for the chamois - I'll "dry it off" on the way home

Mike

[doughboy]

Originally Posted by briers

Wafting around it's nice yea put pushing on it's horrid, lazy, electronic, stubborn and disconnected

In manual mode at least you can preselect a gear for overtaking rather than have horrid kickdown neck-whiplash jerky overtaking, or when it kicksdown as you cross the white lines or a greasy manhole cover.... awful.

But then you forget it's in manual, until you hear the engine screaming - whoops, so you have to keep changing "modes" all the time to suit the road / bends / traffic / passing villages etc.

Whereas a proper manual box is always in the "right mode" as your brain controls each shift exactly how your wanted it. And unlike any auto box in the world, your brain can see the future, it knows what's coming and changes gear in time for it. An auto can NEVER do that and it's always therefore reactive (late) rather than proactive.

Agree on comfort though, in comfort g'box / comfort suspension its fantastic, coffed in hand, wafting through central London traffic the other week was a dream.

The AMG stop/start is the best I have ever come across, it stops as soon as you stop in D, and it starts immediately you let off the brake, picking up the drive seemlessly.

On the way into London with stop/start enabled it did 20mpg across town. (Bottom of M1 to Blackheath, straight through)

Next day on the way out I turned off the stop start and on the same route/traffic it did 12mpg.

So a massive bonus if you do a lot of queueing!

[mob17]

It sounds scary to drive. But i guess you'll get used to the power in time, if you haven't already. Glad you're loving it!

What's the audio like? Does it have any amps or DSPs, and how many speakers?

When you getting the LSD fitted?