Steph and I have a 10 day tour coming up and in preparation we've been getting the M ready. I've had Michelin Pilot Super Sports fitted and the M checked over by our specialist. It's booked in for new front discs and pads and anything else needed in preventative maintenance. Also, after lots of deliberation and heartache and after eventually getting to drive a mates' Z4M with OE exhaust, I've gone ahead and reinstated my rear muffler and rear boxes.
My M is fitted with a bespoke stainless rear muffler delete and mild sport rear boxes - it looks (and sounds) brilliant but I couldn't help feeling that the smoothness of the 6 cylinder might be enhanced by returning mine to OE as well. The sports exhaust has been fabulous for blasting around and say a day's hooning over Hartside - but 10 days and thousands of miles?
Luckily I had the original exhaust which came with the M and it was with some trepidation that I returned and collected the M from the specialist, fired it up and drove it home. Initial feelings were like driving my old 3.0si - up to 3/4000 revs it was smooth and quiet - it was a true transformation and yet as I was able to collect Steph and go out for a run on our back roads, it was great to find that, as the revs rise the OE exhaust gives a lovely noise and of course the engine noise takes over with associated performance. It reminded Steph of the smoothness of the 3 litre as well in that we could cruise about quietly and then let the revs rise to unleash the wail and banshee and the explosion of speed - marvellous! We still had a muted bass tone and a few muted pops and coughs on the over run as well - magic
We'd been asked to meet for a run with a Porsche Cayman GTS on Monday and it was a waste of time cleaning the M as it was filthy when we turned up. What a sports car the GTS is - brilliant looks and sounds with all sorts of technology - it looked fabulous in Red. The roads were dry and we had an absolutely fabulous run on the Brough roads, North Pennines, Hartside and Derwent Water. 240 miles spirited (but safe) driving on brilliant roads - what a day.
As well as the exhaust, the Michelins were excellent and despite the bitterly cold day never let go, bar once, on a hairpin under power at high revs (I was mightily relieved and a little surprised but after comments made by our Scottish M drivers (who must surely face real contrasts of weather) decided that the 'summer' sports tyres made sense - and indeed so far, so brilliant.
(It was difficult to source sizes for the M and much more expensive than the GoodYears F1s I had initially ordered, but as a matching set couldn't be found, I had gone with the MPSS and now, I'm very pleased I did )
Hmm - looks like parts (far right) of the photos are not showing :? is this since the update of the site?
My M is fitted with a bespoke stainless rear muffler delete and mild sport rear boxes - it looks (and sounds) brilliant but I couldn't help feeling that the smoothness of the 6 cylinder might be enhanced by returning mine to OE as well. The sports exhaust has been fabulous for blasting around and say a day's hooning over Hartside - but 10 days and thousands of miles?
Luckily I had the original exhaust which came with the M and it was with some trepidation that I returned and collected the M from the specialist, fired it up and drove it home. Initial feelings were like driving my old 3.0si - up to 3/4000 revs it was smooth and quiet - it was a true transformation and yet as I was able to collect Steph and go out for a run on our back roads, it was great to find that, as the revs rise the OE exhaust gives a lovely noise and of course the engine noise takes over with associated performance. It reminded Steph of the smoothness of the 3 litre as well in that we could cruise about quietly and then let the revs rise to unleash the wail and banshee and the explosion of speed - marvellous! We still had a muted bass tone and a few muted pops and coughs on the over run as well - magic
We'd been asked to meet for a run with a Porsche Cayman GTS on Monday and it was a waste of time cleaning the M as it was filthy when we turned up. What a sports car the GTS is - brilliant looks and sounds with all sorts of technology - it looked fabulous in Red. The roads were dry and we had an absolutely fabulous run on the Brough roads, North Pennines, Hartside and Derwent Water. 240 miles spirited (but safe) driving on brilliant roads - what a day.
As well as the exhaust, the Michelins were excellent and despite the bitterly cold day never let go, bar once, on a hairpin under power at high revs (I was mightily relieved and a little surprised but after comments made by our Scottish M drivers (who must surely face real contrasts of weather) decided that the 'summer' sports tyres made sense - and indeed so far, so brilliant.
(It was difficult to source sizes for the M and much more expensive than the GoodYears F1s I had initially ordered, but as a matching set couldn't be found, I had gone with the MPSS and now, I'm very pleased I did )Hmm - looks like parts (far right) of the photos are not showing :? is this since the update of the site?
)
