frandaman

Dark blue 'Rado, possibly a Mystic Storm on 17s coming down the A57 towards Aston fire station today. Raised a hand as I crossed but I think I was too far away for them to spot it.

Cams, exhaust, shrick and a decent (but discreet and OEM-esque) sound system. I'm just about to throw a bunch of cash at my 'Rado so will be undertaking most of these soon, can't wait :dance:

'Rat look' Golfs, Polos and Caddys maybe, but it doesn't suit a Rado IMO. Each to their own ofc.

The woman at the front desk of the local garage called it a "Karrando" and a girl I was dating called it a "gangster car"...... :2gunfire:

Yeah the 1500 mile service is to drain out the highly abrasive oil the car is filled with at the factory. Ensures a faster running in time but can cause major damage if it's left in longer than the recommended mileage. Driving an M3 every day would undoubtedly make it feel far less special, they're too good at feeling like ordinary 3 Series Coupés when they're not on the limit. However, as a weekend B road blaster and occasional track day car...... :notworthy:

Saw a 'Rado with a rather.....interesting matt black paint scheme in Rotherham today ;)

They tend to just burn through rear bushes at an accelerated rate from what I can gather, although this can be pretty much solved with a decent poly set. Guessing it's just the industrial strength rear axle and stiff setup putting lots of load in them, the same reason that the subframes can go. Recalls were for big end bearing shells and only affected early cars (Pre 03). The VANOS on the E46 is controlled by solenoid packs and it's a good idea to make sure these are replaced at some point in the car's lifetime. LOL! Another reason to hold on to the 'Rado :cheers:

The M3 is an amazing car, without a shadow of a doubt; a real everyday supercar. The engines last forever, they handle like almost no other FR car out there and they are one of those few machines which can pull a low 8 minute lap of the 'ring with a week's worth of shopping in the boot. However, I work for BMW and I've seen how ridiculously expensive they can be to run, especially when a rear subframe issue rears its head. They devour tyres and fuel (and rear suspension bushes), the servicing costs are sky high and they have a reputation as a bit of a cock's car. The Corrado is just a simple, amazingly involving drivers' car, which has that rare quality of a real personality. I'm looking for an E46 M3 Coupé at the moment, but only as a weekend plaything. I wouldn't want the expense of running it day to day and I just enjoy the Corrado far too much! If it was me in that situation, I'd find a way of squeezing the family into the M3, or just SORN the Corrado and squirrel it away somewhere until you can afford to run both :bonk: BTW, is it a manual or an SMG? Never driven the E46 SMG and would be interested to hear what it's like. If you want any insider info just drop me a PM

Did they update the physics for the MP4-12C in the last update? It suddenly went from doing steady 7:20s round the 'ring with SS tyres to a 7:14! Great thread btw :thumbleft:

Yep, and I have no idea why it happened....twice :-( It's like filling up with oil gives you a momentary brain fade. Could definitely go for a sticker!

Drove my first one down the M1 on the way back from uni at high speed with no oil cap on, complete with James Bond style smokescreen out the back. Spent ages cleaning the engine bay and replacing downed electrical components..... only to do it again a few months later :epicfail: Drove round a roundabout a little to quickly in the wet with worn rear tyres, resulting in a lary Tokyo Drift round the outside of a 206. While driving the Storm back home for the first time, the Sat Nav took me down a lovely twisty country road. I duly applied the noisy peddle, only to fly over a massive jump, knocking off the sump plug. On a similar although much more satisfying note; I saw a VXR Astra come hooning up behind me on a nice twisty peak district road a while ago. I nailed it for a couple of corners, resulting in the Astra understeering onto a grass verge whist trying to follow. :awesome:

Not been on the forum in ages, so these come from a few weeks back, but I saw a blue (Aqua?) VR6 on standard ride height and 15's at Whiston Bottom on the way our of Rotherham. Gave a wave and a light flash and got one back in return. Also seen a Blackberry VR6 with a debadged grille bombing around Centenary Way and near Park Gate in Rotherham.

Just got the verdict today that the Storm needs a bunch of new suspension parts including new springs and dampers. :pale: Damn you Sheffield roads! Will be going for a Koni kit I think, going by the verdict of most on here and my mechanic. EDIT: Konis are fitted and JESUS CHRIST are they good!

@kevhaywire Yeah my friend (fanjita) thought as much, but I have a £620 bill in my service history for '312mm brakes and fitment' ... Just thinking that some previous owner got had at some point :epicfail:

Me and a friend are just having a discussion over what brakes might be fitted to my car. They are much bigger than factory standard and have holes and grooves drilled into them. I was told by a garage that they are from an R32, but my friend assures me that to fit these would be impossible with the wheels that I have on. Could you turn your expert eyes onto them and give us a verdict?