Well, here it is.... 
So, I had a plan that I would start saving a couple of years ago so that for my 40th birthday I could go a bit epic on a suitable car - something round about the £30k mark. Well, without going into some of the crazy things that have happened this past year, it has meant I just thought "Make the most of every moment" and so things escalated slightly.
Went out on the hunt for a car that combined performance, daily-ness, toys, looks, affordability...
RS3 was ruled out as it wasn't quite special enough for the optioned price.
RS4 was too pricey for the spec I wanted.
RS5 ruled out as getting into the back was near impossible, and wasn't sure on the looks
C63s was too pricey ... £300 a month more than the BMW
Alfa Guilia QF ... was a very very very close call, decided it could be the next car.
Most hot hatches didnt have an interior that had the je ne sais quoi I was after.
Porsche 991... I'm not that minted, and I needed a decent boot.
Once I'd decided on the BMW M3 / M4, my choice was made easier by the fact the M3 had finished production, and as much as there is love for the new M3 on RMS, the coupe shape just appeals to me, having had a e92 335i.
I was going to put an order in with Tony Lewis in Berry BMW, but had chatted to a friend who has bought several cars from Bavarian and mentioned the salesman he had dealt with on his M140i had mentioned he didn't like losing NI sales. So I sent an email off to Paul Gillooly who is now one of Bavarians M-specialist salesmen, asking about matching TRL's deal. He came in close enough to cancel out the travel expenses and hassle of going to London and back, so off we went.
We went through some different spec changes during the order process. Originally I thought i'd end up with mineral white or grey, but once San Marino blue became a £900 option as opposed to a full individual colour at ££££s it was a no brainer for me. Full leather was a must have also, but I was fairly open with my other choices, was thinking of fitting carbon CS model parts, but decided against a replica-wannabe...
So what did I end up with..
2019 Model BMW M4 Competition Package
San Marino Blue
Full Leather with Silverstone grey / Black
Black Accented 666m alloys
Carbon Exterior Pack - spoiler / 3 piece front splitter / rear diffuser
Carbon Interior Pack
DCT
HUD
Harman Kardon Audio
Comfort Access
Sun Protection Glass
Active Safety Driving Pack
Park Assist
Surround View / Reversing cameras
Heated Steering
Extended Storage
Icon Adaptive Led headlights
It was organised that it would head off to PMG Autocare for a new car prep, Gtechniq Crystal Serum Ultra ceramic coating, wheels and interior protection too. I'll post up his pics later, as the finish is unbelievable, and my pics don't do it justice and its been raining all day today!
@big_pete also kindly fitted 12mm front and 10mm rear spacers for me, but there just wasn't time to get the carbon side skirts fitted... soon soon!
Right, enough typing, some pics before part 2
So, I had a plan that I would start saving a couple of years ago so that for my 40th birthday I could go a bit epic on a suitable car - something round about the £30k mark. Well, without going into some of the crazy things that have happened this past year, it has meant I just thought "Make the most of every moment" and so things escalated slightly.
Went out on the hunt for a car that combined performance, daily-ness, toys, looks, affordability...
RS3 was ruled out as it wasn't quite special enough for the optioned price.
RS4 was too pricey for the spec I wanted.
RS5 ruled out as getting into the back was near impossible, and wasn't sure on the looks
C63s was too pricey ... £300 a month more than the BMW
Alfa Guilia QF ... was a very very very close call, decided it could be the next car.
Most hot hatches didnt have an interior that had the je ne sais quoi I was after.
Porsche 991... I'm not that minted, and I needed a decent boot.
Once I'd decided on the BMW M3 / M4, my choice was made easier by the fact the M3 had finished production, and as much as there is love for the new M3 on RMS, the coupe shape just appeals to me, having had a e92 335i.
I was going to put an order in with Tony Lewis in Berry BMW, but had chatted to a friend who has bought several cars from Bavarian and mentioned the salesman he had dealt with on his M140i had mentioned he didn't like losing NI sales. So I sent an email off to Paul Gillooly who is now one of Bavarians M-specialist salesmen, asking about matching TRL's deal. He came in close enough to cancel out the travel expenses and hassle of going to London and back, so off we went.
We went through some different spec changes during the order process. Originally I thought i'd end up with mineral white or grey, but once San Marino blue became a £900 option as opposed to a full individual colour at ££££s it was a no brainer for me. Full leather was a must have also, but I was fairly open with my other choices, was thinking of fitting carbon CS model parts, but decided against a replica-wannabe...
So what did I end up with..
2019 Model BMW M4 Competition Package
San Marino Blue
Full Leather with Silverstone grey / Black
Black Accented 666m alloys
Carbon Exterior Pack - spoiler / 3 piece front splitter / rear diffuser
Carbon Interior Pack
DCT
HUD
Harman Kardon Audio
Comfort Access
Sun Protection Glass
Active Safety Driving Pack
Park Assist
Surround View / Reversing cameras
Heated Steering
Extended Storage
Icon Adaptive Led headlights
It was organised that it would head off to PMG Autocare for a new car prep, Gtechniq Crystal Serum Ultra ceramic coating, wheels and interior protection too. I'll post up his pics later, as the finish is unbelievable, and my pics don't do it justice and its been raining all day today!
@big_pete also kindly fitted 12mm front and 10mm rear spacers for me, but there just wasn't time to get the carbon side skirts fitted... soon soon!
Right, enough typing, some pics before part 2
Last edited:
