Spuddy, my BMW M-Coupe. There are others like it but this is mine.

Seems my cars all spend a little time at Simply Clean in Lafayette CO. Tyler, the owner applied a full hood PPF as well as a ceramic coat.

My S52 powered M-Coupe is the slowest variant of the M-Coupe. It cost less than the faster versions, but It has other great qualities.  So I spent less coin, comparatively, and still achieved total immortality and dominance at Colorado Cars and Coffee.   

 Simply Clean applied  "temporary tattoos" that have sufficiently offended so many enthusiasts.  These helped distinguish my car from the hundreds of other silver M-Coupes in town. 

I always wanted a Dinan-badged car, probably due to something I saw or read in my youth.  Glen Shelly found me an excellent example locally with 40,000 mi.  It had a history of being an EAG car (Enthusiasts Auto Group, a prestigious broker).  So, it was a relative a cream puff but was not so perfect I could still enjoy the shit out of it.  

Perhaps it's only flaw is the clear coat is imperfect on the hood.   I'll repaint when opportunity presents itself, but that could be while since it's covered in PPF as well a ceramic coatings. 

So you kind of want one now don't you?  I understand.  It's ugly, but you can't look away.

  

 

I put wheel lugs on the car.  I hate the bolts used in European cars.  They make tire changes so difficult.

Why want the slower example of the M-Coupe?  I didn’t, but I did rationalize it pretty well once I pulled the trigger.  It was probably $15,000 less money, and much more reliable/low maintenance.

 

The US 1999-2000 M-Coupe had the S52 motor.  If you’ve enjoyed any second generation E36 M3 then you know this 240hp motor is still very entertaining. While the power’s not mathematically impressive, the intoxicating crescendo of its acceleration certainly is.  Moreover, the reliability has come to be legendary.

 

I did need some data points to trash talk about faster S50 or S54 M-Coupes.  So I started my Googling.  

The S50 Powered cars were in Europe and the magazines worshiped them.  Rated at 321hp they are quite impressive.  A “Euro spec” car requires parts, knowledge and experience not common in the USA.  So, unless you "know a guy" you can rationalize leaving these alone.  

Those individual runners make power, and complexity.  Sexy shit, I know..

 

S54 Powered cars available 2001-2002. This is the model everyone talks about. It’s going to be hard to find something negative to say but I’ll try.  These motors are more complex, more money, more rare, more powerful and simply too cool and too fast and fun.

Shit, I was supposed to be trash talking.  I’ll try again.

 

 I like the stares I  get on drives. Many 6- figure cars get stares. In an M-Coupe you accomplish them for under $100,000. Why do people stare? Because nobody knows what the hell the car is.

The S54 M-Coupe is incredible but doesn’t scream like a raped ape as you’d expect. I know because I’ve raped an ape or two. That’s figuratively of course you perverts. Sad gearing and detuning done by BMW have neutered them somewhat. Perhaps BMW did this to avoid hurting M3 sales. These motors are an amazing powerplant for sure but require diligence to avoid catastrophic engine failure due to rod bearing design issues. So, I don't miss having one much except for my ego, which is wounded considerably.  But hindsight is 20/20.  

Seriously, if you want a perfect car for your purposes, you have to be honest with yourself about how you plan on using it.   Everyone says they want to drive to the track, beat the hell out of their car, then drive it home.   I knew that less was more for me, and it's proven to be wonderful.

 

I'll be honest,  I love fast cars and I hate the track. There I said it.  I don't need to win any races,  I don't enjoy hunting for rare European parts either.  I do like shifting,  I like redline acceleration, I like aggressively approaching on-ramps and I want to do it all going slow enough to keep out of prison.  I have always felt the VW GTI, Miata and the S2000 were all almost cool cars. But I'm also quite shallow so an m-car suites me pretty well.

Stuff I've done

I did get 3.46 LSD gears and that exceeded my expectations.  Then I was quite satisfied with my acceleration even compared to the S54 cars I'd driven.  I feel all variants of the M-Coupe were geared too high.   But keep in mind I'm at a very high elevation in Colorado, so perhaps stock gearing feels fine at sea level.

3.46 Torsion Limited slip.  Certainly not a track differential, but excellent choice for spirited street use. This allows burnouts or donuts to entertain my son, but it’s still long legged enough for interstates. 

It's small thing, but I replaced the rubber gasket trim around the door handles.  Pay no mind to that scuff, I had it polished out.  

A/C Overhaul.   A lot the of the air conditioning system mine is new since it had a leak that was hard to find.  This is not a common problem, but it isn’t cheap. 

    Subframe enhancement.  My subframe was perfect which is a big worry with these cars.  I  couldn’t stand the thought of finding a crack one day after driving down one too many cobblestone roads.  So I had a the Randy Forbes reinforcement kit installed by Glen Shelly with a dual ear differential mount to stiffen things up.  

      Also this was an ideal time to install new bushings everywhere . Meaning  front bushings, motor mounts and trans mounts in addition to subframe mounts.   I figured, a 25 yr. old car should have rubber with the same level of wear everyplace. Otherwise, you can’t really call it the Ultimate Driving Machine anymore, can you?

     Radio mods are horrible value detractors to me. Buy a car with a stock radio and you won’t have to worry about the wiring massacre that may be behind the dash.   Reversal of the hideousness for me was done with a new OEM wiring harness connector and a Blaupunkt unit that is a classic style, but blue tooth compatible.

The Condor shift knob is tall, but once you try it you'll like it too.  Don't worry I still have the stock M-Shifter.

Clutch pedal upgrade.  These warp/bend because they are plastic and then look ugly. This really bothered me,  

Tuner Motorsports adjustable Aluminum pedal permanently fixes the shortcoming of the factory clutch pedal while also making pedal stiffness and position adjustable.  This proved good for my ankle arthritis.  Also more Dinan bits in the form of fancy pedal covers. Hehe. 

Interior Door handles  were fragile and break so I replaced them.  Don't laugh or yours will break next.  

 Both of mine are 3-D printed replacements from 3DBimmer which are amazing.

I was mortified my car had a Dinan badge, but no Dinan mufflers.  So I rectified it ASAP

I suspect Stromung exhaust is the best value in exhaust. It is nice.
I prefer the exorbitantly expensive Dinan exhaust,  Aka Potato shooters.

Cocomats, Just like all the classic German cars had in the 60's./

 

Stuff my car already had done that I appreciate 

 

**My car has a Dinan Stage 3 tune with the various enhancements to make it happen.  Thermostat, cold air intake, larger throttle body.  What tune your car has matters more these days because some states are checking for aftermarket tuning and failing your inspection. 

 

Cooling system upgrades.   This is not surprise it was done,  most BMW savvy folks address the water pump and/or radiator in the BMWs from this period of time.

Glove compartment sag repair.  This is a common 90’s BMW problem.  US models have steel reinforcement that adds weight leading to plastic fatigue.  Many companies sell  reinforcements which mine has had done.

To augment that effort I removed the sheet metal crash panel in the glovebox that makes it so heavy. This is how the European cars were sold. That will add longevity to the glovebox fix. 

A previous owner sorted out the seat tracks for me. 
The side bolsters on this car were so good too.  

 

It has the proper a Dinan shifter, and the OEM lighted M-Shiftknob.
The taller Condor brand shifter was a worthwhile upgrade that I use occasionally too.

I liked the silly stickers, but if It's going to be sold, I figured it
would be best to remove them.

Yep, M-Coupe is the perfect car for me. So I'm celebrating and buying myself something special. 

A 2009 Carrera S in Macadamia metallic