When did you buy your car and what sort of condition was it in when you bought it?
I bought it 1.5 years ago. It took me a long time to find it. I’m very picky with my cars and it had to be really clean and have low kilometres. It only had 19,000 km’s when I picked it up. It was really clean and had a few nice modifications already and some nice factory extras. Best of all, the carbon ceramic brakes and BMW M Performance steering wheel.
Did you look at any other types of cars before you bought this car, how did it compare to the others? What made you pick this one? Yes, coming from a mostly Volkswagen & Audi background I’ve had over 20 cars. I had originally planned on getting an Audi RS4/RS5/RS3. After driving them and comparing them, the M4 felt a lot more raw and not as popular as the others on the road. The “Yas Marina Blue” paint with the “Silverstone” leather had me sold with the M4.
What inspired you to start modifying your car, did you always plan to modify it from the get go? How did you decide on the specific changes you’ve made?
I wouldn’t call it a build just improving it to my taste. And maybe not to everyone else’s. The most rewarding thing is taking the engine bay apart and hand polishing parts.
What modifications have been done to the car?
Engine:
- Akrapovic Catless Downpipes & Full Titanium Exhaust
- AWE Carbon Intakes
- PAW Charge Pipes
- Mosselman Oil Thermostat
- Blackline Caps
- Downstar Hardware
- All Aluminium Parts Polished
- Bm3 Custom Tune by Eurowerke
- XHP Dual Clutch Transmission Tune
- HRE FlowForm (FF01) Rims
- Michelin Pilot Sport 4S Tyres
- KW Suspensions Height Adjustable Spring Kit
- Carbon Fibre Side Mirrors, Kidney Grilles, Side Skirts, Front Lip, Bonnet, Diffuser & Spoiler
- Macht Schnell Front Air Intakes Painted White
- Front V Brace Painted White
- LCI2 Icon Headlights
- Smooth front bumper
- M Performance Steering Wheel, Arm Rest, Hand Brake & DCT Shifter
- Kap Industries Fire Extinguisher Mount With Blue Painted Fire Extinguisher
- Custom Floor Mats
How much power and torque does the car make?
No not yet. The standard parts are very capable.
Do you run different tunes for certain situations? How does it cope with traction?
I run just the one map. A couple of close calls, M4s are known to be tail happy. It’s hard to put the power down.
How do you manage the balance between power and reliability?
It’s only a weekend car if even. It might not come out for a month sometimes. If you service it well and keep up with the maintenance it shouldn’t have many issues.
You said you upgraded the suspension, why and how has it changed the way the car handles?
Shaving the front bumper with a quick release plate holder. The plate, M4 IRL a lot of people ask does it mean M4 in real life? No it means M4 Ireland. I’m Irish ha. The paint, there’s a lot of hours that have gone into polishing the paint. It looks great when the sun’s out.
How do the wheels and tires complement the modifications you’ve made? Did you opt for any specific brands or types for performance reasons?
Do you take the car to the track or car shows? How does it perform or get received in those environments?
If you could start over and modify another car, which one would it be and why?
Thanks for your time Chris and thank you for giving us the opportunity to do a car story on your pride and joy.
Note for readers: If you or someone you know owns a cool or unique car that you would like to have a car story done on please email us at contact@fuelics.com.au to get started.
