Upgrade Over Trade?

Joined
Jul 21, 2002
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KY
I was browsing the Autoweek and Car and Driver sites checking out their favorite coupes and sports/sporty cars, and the M240i is still at or near the top of the rankings. Ditto for the Brit magazines CAR and EVO.The primary difference between a new M240i and my 2014 M235i is the new car's modular B58 motor- and of course my car also lacks the LCI exterior and interior tweaks. So I'm thinking more and more that I should just add the M Performance interior, M Performance LSD, and Dinan flash tune to my 2er; the bottom line is that I'd end up spending 80% less than what almost any of the cars I've looked at would cost(Mustang Bullitt, CPO M2, Supra). I also won't have a car payment and it should serve me well for another four years or so.
Thoughts?
 
Seems like a lot of money, 80% of what a new car is or not, for incremental and possibly marginal performance upgrades.

Adding an interior to me seems silly. Im just too cheap to do that. YMMV. The other things would depend upon perceived performance gaps...
 
Originally Posted by JHZR2
Seems like a lot of money, 80% of what a new car is or not, for incremental and possibly marginal performance upgrades.

Adding an interior to me seems silly. Im just too cheap to do that. YMMV. The other things would depend upon perceived performance gaps...


I just like the M Performance trim; it's different and in my opinion suits the car perfectly. The LSD is something the car should have had from the beginning, and it's a necessity with the Dinan 93 Octane tune adding 68 hp and 108 lb-ft of torque.
And to clarify, my upgrades would amount to no more than @20% of what any car I'm considering would cost me- minus the current value of the 2er.
 
Depends.

Are you willing to do most/all the work yourself?
If so, sure, go for it!

If not, I'd highly suggest finding reputable help from shops who have experience in doing the high end level of work you are looking for.
If you can't find shops who you are happy to work with and do it at the price you want, then maybe you should consider that new(er) BMW.

The great thing about your idea is you can upgrade at your own pace-there's no need to go hog-wild all at once.
You can do the interior upgrade one year, take a break, then resume again once you have the time/extra money available.
 
Originally Posted by MCompact
Originally Posted by JHZR2
Seems like a lot of money, 80% of what a new car is or not, for incremental and possibly marginal performance upgrades.

Adding an interior to me seems silly. Im just too cheap to do that. YMMV. The other things would depend upon perceived performance gaps...


I just like the M Performance trim; it's different and in my opinion suits the car perfectly. The LSD is something the car should have had from the beginning, and it's a necessity with the Dinan 93 Octane tune adding 68 hp and 108 lb-ft of torque.
And to clarify, my upgrades would amount to no more than @20% of what any car I'm considering would cost me- minus the current value of the 2er.


That's what I meant to say...

68 hp/108 ft-lb sounds like a worthy flash.

Does it include an upgraded intercooler and/or oil cooler?

Agree on LSD.

If you like the interior upgrades and are willing to pay for them, then I think you answered your own question!
 
Originally Posted by Lolvoguy
Depends.

Are you willing to do most/all the work yourself?
If so, sure, go for it!

If not, I'd highly suggest finding reputable help from shops who have experience in doing the high end level of work you are looking for.
If you can't find shops who you are happy to work with and do it at the price you want, then maybe you should consider that new(er) BMW.

The great thing about your idea is you can upgrade at your own pace-there's no need to go hog-wild all at once.
You can do the interior upgrade one year, take a break, then resume again once you have the time/extra money available.


The interior is very simple- maybe 90 minutes tops accounting for my being overly careful.
I'd have my dealer install the LSD- they charge @$400. Your comment on waiting is part of the plan; about a year before the new 3 Series came out BMW cut the price of the LSD for that car by 50%. With a new 2 Series on the horizon I'm hoping that the price for the 2 Series diff is also slashed. Both cars use the same diff with different ratios, or else I would have installed the 3 Series piece.
My Dealer will also install the tune as they are also a Dinan dealer.
 
Originally Posted by JHZR2


68 hp/108 ft-lb sounds like a worthy flash.

Does it include an upgraded intercooler and/or oil cooler?


No, but fortunately I can add an upgraded IC and charge pipes for a reasonable cost.
 
Mod Money is Gone Money. When i was hunting for a fun car i almost automatically skipped modified stuff. It's a major turn off unless somebody does exactly what you want to do.

If you can upgrade what you have and be happy that could work. I did try to upgrade my fwd golf but it still didn't end up being all i wanted, so it got sold, and i got exactly zero for the turbo, tune, nice wheels, ect. The guy who bought it was sure happy about it though. In the end i'm happy having upgraded to the alltrack golf.

Get what you want. If you worry about the expense, find a way to make more money and get that car you really want.
 
Originally Posted by dareo
Get what you want. If you worry about the expense, find a way to make more money and get that car you really want.

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I can buy any of the cars I'm considering. The thing is, none of those cars are significantly quicker(if at all) than my 2er. Ditto for handling.
The M Performance parts are BMW accessories- you can have them port installed on a new car. The might not add value, but they won't detract from it either.
There aren't a lot of choices when you are looking at smaller coupes.
 
Originally Posted by MCompact
There aren't a lot of choices when you are looking at smaller coupes.

So true. My favorite small coupe, Nissan 240sx, but those are so rare/expensive today. All the coupes today are very heavy.
 
I vote for the modding; it will be exactly what you want and the project is part of the enjoyment. At least it is for me, but considering my taste for needy cars, I may not be the best source of guidance:) Have fun!
 
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