[Burnt Reynolds]

I own free and clear the above vehicle. While not the fire breathing sports car I want it does a lot of things really, really well as it relates to my uses.

It's a business use vehicle and the tax benefits are dwindling. The thought of replacing it has been pretty heavy on my mind. Last week I drove two different '16 911's, a '17 MB amg 63s coupe and a 2022 m4. All totally awesome and I'd be happy to daily drive except for a few key needs that aren't addressed. I've opted not to purchase - I would if I had adequate storage for both cars but I don't, not to mention the creature comforts that are absent (useful rear seats - I have a 6 and 8 year old that often find themselves in the back seat enjoying "batman" mode) and of all things to be irritated about, no cup holders for my morning coffee and 5 year old porsche interior tech is kind of lacking compared to the 440i. Given the premium prices for these cars there's just not enough net gain to fork over the dough given the negatives and lack of storage. But damn those 911's would make a wicked good occasional ripper.

I've narrowed my choices to continue the search for a sport sedan (like an m3) or make investments in the 440i (mppsk, m performance coil overs, new wheels, and m performance red brakes. My car is alpine white with the red interior. Have to admit, keeping my 440i and knowing its history since I'm the first owner is appealing, but I'm also ready to drop coin on a car that dare I say it, might become an heirloom car for one of my kids. I'm not certain the 440i is "it" despite the fact that I really like it.

The tax benefits are better if I buy something else...That said spending about $10k on the 440i might make it the 10/10 perfect car for my needs and enable additional sums to be saved for a future shop I want to build on my property - then I'll have storage for a 911 and my dd 440i. Sounds good right? Business has been particularly good this year and I'm looking at almost $100k in fed/state income taxes. The notion that I leave a big deduction on the table and have a sum of tax dollars roughly equal to a new car expense and reduced taxes going to the government just frosts my cookies.

I need internet help!

Only mods so far are Dinan sway bars and I was absolutely stunned at the improvement, and a muffler delete which gets a solid B for the outcome. I've been a lurker on this site for a few years now and know there are some thoughtful opinions out there...keep the 440i and mod or buy something else?

[thejeremyman9]

AA downpipe (or another that guarantees no CEL), MHD or BM3 tune. It will be a totally different car. Literally the only two mods needed on the B58, and i bet you will no longer feel like M3 or M4 is worth the money. The DP is expensive now (COVID impacted price) and the tunes are similar prices to eachother, but looking at about 2k DP+tune.

[njdangelo]

Ditto all of the above. I have this setup (albeit a different downpipe) on my 340i and I slay f80 m3's all the time on the freeway… like a gentlemen of course

If that money is really burning a hole in your pocket then get some coilovers and add the xHP transmission tune and you'll be a happy camper. Super solid DD.
That being said, if keeping the 440i is really going to net you a lose because of federal taxes then there is a lot for to consider, but as someone who is in the process of putting an additional 2 car garage/workshop on my property I must say the thoughts of adding a dedicated sports car to my fleet as well as a place to work on it, keeps me up at night with excitement.

[Desertnate]

I'll be the dissenting opinion and say go with an AMG C63S sedan or the M3.

Last winter I got an F80 M3 Competition as a service loaner. It was at that point I realized how the F80 is so much more than just the power. The car drove totally differently from my M Sport 435 with MPPK and Shockware. The steering was much better, the body control was better, the handling was better, the body felt stiffer, it was more powerful. Just a better car in every measurable way.

You could probably put a lot of money into your car to improve it, but I don't know if you would still get a cohesive package that feels as well sorted compared to a car designed from the ground up with all the components matched to work together in a single package.

[njdangelo]

Originally Posted by Desertnate

I'll be the dissenting opinion and say go with an AMG C63S sedan or the M3.

Last winter I got an F80 M3 Competition as a service loaner. It was at that point I realized how the F80 is so much more than just the power. The car drove totally differently from my M Sport 435 with MPPK and Shockware. The steering was much better, the body control was better, the handling was better, the body felt stiffer, it was more powerful. Just a better car in every measurable way.

You could probably put a lot of money into your car to improve it, but I don't know if you would still get a cohesive package that feels as well sorted compared to a car designed from the ground up with all the components matched to work together in a single package.

Wait a second, your dealer gave you an M3 as a loaner? I don't think I have ever heard of that happening before. Best I ever got was a x3 m40i.

[Desertnate]

Originally Posted by njdangelo

Wait a second, your dealer gave you an M3 as a loaner? I don't think I have ever heard of that happening before. Best I ever got was a x3 m40i.

Yep, not only was it an M3 Competition, but it was a Heritage Edition in Laguna Seca Blue with the white interior.

My local dealership has a wide variety of service loaners. They use it as marketing tool. The service advisor even told me they like to give a customer the "upgrade" model to what they are driving currently, if they are available. I've had a 540 M Sport, 530, and the M3. On one visit I was offered an X3M, but the guy dropping off an X4 in front of me got that one.

They also use them as test drive vehicles. When I was looking at RWD F30s/F32s the only RWD car within 500 miles was the 340 M Sport in their loaner fleet. I had a great test drive with the salesman.

This has all been in past years. With the shortage of cars, there is no telling what I'd get now.

[Burnt Reynolds]

Ironically, my car was a service loaner. Bought in Feb of 2020, had 3k miles on it and most of the bells and whistles. I was there to look at a different vehicle and "upgraded" to my 440i.

While it pains me to give all that money to the government when I could have roughly the same out of pocket with less to the state/feds and the balance going to a new car, after sleeping on it I'm right now thinking I'll keep rocking the 440i, build it into a sleeper and enjoy it for what it is. I'll then double my efforts to building my shop and keep hunting for the right 911. I just can't stomach paying $80k + for a 5-7 year old car right now. Then I have the best of both worlds, 440i commuter & a 911 for everything else.

While the m3 is absolutely baller and the benz is too. I want a coupe, purpose built for carving up my local roads.

Desertnate's point of the purpose built machine is something I'd been giving serious thought to. Going back to my sportbike days, it was the same then. purpose built track bike and a regular street bike.

[thejeremyman9]

+1 for XHP trans flash as well, forgot to mention that. So downpipe, tune, and XHP.

[tturedraider]

I’m not as much of a modder as others on here. And I would choose to do things that are very safe as far as maintaining the warranty. I would consider the MPPSK, the limited slip differential and the M Performance brakes. And maybe the coil overs. Those ought to come in significantly under $10k and still maintain the daily driver character and comfort.

[Burnt Reynolds]

Originally Posted by thejeremyman9

+1 for XHP trans flash as well, forgot to mention that. So downpipe, tune, and XHP.

What exactly are the pros/cons of the trans flash?

[thejeremyman9]

Originally Posted by Burnt Reynolds

What exactly are the pros/cons of the trans flash?

Pros: everything

Cons: nothing

But seriously, there's no cons really. You can run OTS maps (Stage 1/2/3) and you have endless customization to change the behavior to your liking should you want to go that route. From power limits per gear to changing shift points, max rpm per gear, launch control etc. Also increases transmission line pressure (i.e., to prevent clutch slip) and removes torque limits so pairs well with power mods (DP/tune). For example i run stage 3 XHP with max RPM set to 6100 per gear (lower rpm shifts).

[njdangelo]

Originally Posted by Burnt Reynolds

What exactly are the pros/cons of the trans flash?

If you get the down pipe and do the stage2 tune you'll start hitting the pre programmed torque limits of the zf transmission. the tune removes these limits, and alters the shift timing to a neck breaking speed you didn't even know was possible from an automatic transmission ( in sport+ that is.) it really is an amazing mod. You'd think this would put more strain on the transmission but it has been explained to me that the shorter shift times actually cause less wear on the internal clutches. When I first got it I was like "meh, a little pricey for what it does" but within 2 days I realized how inaccurate that statement was and i now think it is one of my favorite mods to date.

In regards to the post above about "safer mods" all OTS tunes are safe for the b58 engine and have literally hundreds of thousands of hours worth of driving data at this point and very few, if any, tune related engine issues AFAIK.

[hooligan_G01]

If you're not overly concerned about warranty, there are better performance upgrades for less $$$ than the MPPSK, no?

Red M Sport brakes are cool, but are just jewelry for a DD. The Brembo 4 pots up front you currently have are plenty good, paint 'em if you want red calipers. Spend that $2K+ elsewhere.

[johnung]

Originally Posted by Burnt Reynolds

I own free and clear the above vehicle. While not the fire breathing sports car I want it does a lot of things really, really well as it relates to my uses.

It's a business use vehicle and the tax benefits are dwindling. The thought of replacing it has been pretty heavy on my mind. Last week I drove two different '16 911's, a '17 MB amg 63s coupe and a 2022 m4. All totally awesome and I'd be happy to daily drive except for a few key needs that aren't addressed. I've opted not to purchase - I would if I had adequate storage for both cars but I don't, not to mention the creature comforts that are absent (useful rear seats - I have a 6 and 8 year old that often find themselves in the back seat enjoying "batman" mode) and of all things to be irritated about, no cup holders for my morning coffee and 5 year old porsche interior tech is kind of lacking compared to the 440i. Given the premium prices for these cars there's just not enough net gain to fork over the dough given the negatives and lack of storage. But damn those 911's would make a wicked good occasional ripper.

I've narrowed my choices to continue the search for a sport sedan (like an m3) or make investments in the 440i (mppsk, m performance coil overs, new wheels, and m performance red brakes. My car is alpine white with the red interior. Have to admit, keeping my 440i and knowing its history since I'm the first owner is appealing, but I'm also ready to drop coin on a car that dare I say it, might become an heirloom car for one of my kids. I'm not certain the 440i is "it" despite the fact that I really like it.

The tax benefits are better if I buy something else...That said spending about $10k on the 440i might make it the 10/10 perfect car for my needs and enable additional sums to be saved for a future shop I want to build on my property - then I'll have storage for a 911 and my dd 440i. Sounds good right? Business has been particularly good this year and I'm looking at almost $100k in fed/state income taxes. The notion that I leave a big deduction on the table and have a sum of tax dollars roughly equal to a new car expense and reduced taxes going to the government just frosts my cookies.

I need internet help!

Only mods so far are Dinan sway bars and I was absolutely stunned at the improvement, and a muffler delete which gets a solid B for the outcome. I've been a lurker on this site for a few years now and know there are some thoughtful opinions out there...keep the 440i and mod or buy something else?

Bootmod3 Stage1
KWv3 coilovers
MP Brake Kit but sell the rotors and pads and install StopTech's full Crossdrilled rotors, Hawk 5.0 pads and stainless steel brake lines.
Oversized Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires
AWE axle-back exhaust
Front control arms (see link below) for a huge steering improvement

https://www.kiesmotorsports.com/prod...8;_ss=r?aff=22

[Burnt Reynolds]

Originally Posted by hooligan_F36

If you're not overly concerned about warranty, there are better performance upgrades for less $$$ than the MPPSK, no?

Red M Sport brakes are cool, but are just jewelry for a DD. The Brembo 4 pots up front you currently have are plenty good, paint 'em if you want red calipers. Spend that $2K+ elsewhere.

Totally agree that they are purely a cosmetic upgrade, my gray brembo's are indeed excellent. Problem is I have yet to see a set of painted calipers that don't look like shit after several thousand miles.
I don't know what the deal is but whenever I see a higher end car with red calipers it's like "shiny metal object me want!" lol. A terrible weakness on my part. Dealing with brakes would be the last thing I'd take care of as I only have a basic plan of what I would be doing to the car. This thread and all the others I've been reading over the past year have me prioritizing like this:

1) Handling - suspension
2) Wheels - 18x9 square setup with 255/40's at each corner
3) Exhaust - mppsk so I get a smidge more power but can turn the noise off
4) Looks - red brakes

Clearly there's some overlap but that's more or less how I'm looking at things. Additionally, the thought of getting the car tuned certainly has its appeal but I don't even use 100% of what I've got now.

[thejeremyman9]

Originally Posted by Burnt Reynolds

Totally agree that they are purely a cosmetic upgrade, my gray brembo's are indeed excellent. Problem is I have yet to see a set of painted calipers that don't look like shit after several thousand miles.
I don't know what the deal is but whenever I see a higher end car with red calipers it's like "shiny metal object me want!" lol. A terrible weakness on my part. Dealing with brakes would be the last thing I'd take care of as I only have a basic plan of what I would be doing to the car. This thread and all the others I've been reading over the past year have me prioritizing like this:

1) Handling - suspension
2) Wheels - 18x9 square setup with 255/40's at each corner
3) Exhaust - mppsk so I get a smidge more power but can turn the noise off
4) Looks - red brakes

Clearly there's some overlap but that's more or less how I'm looking at things. Additionally, the thought of getting the car tuned certainly has its appeal but I don't even use 100% of what I've got now.

MPPSK is a warranty friendly exhaust/tune but is extremely expensive in terms of $/HP. Johnung has great suggestions focused on handling/braking, great if you want to do canyon carving/autoX/track days. My recommendations for DP+tune+XHP are more for the maximum HP/$ and putting a smile on your face everything you drive away from a stoplight. It just depends on how you want to use/drive the car and what you want to get out of your mods. You will probably feel the different with the MPPSK tune (the exhaust doesn't add any power btw), but it is nothing compared to adding a DP and going with a stage 2 tune.

If your stock wheels are 8in front and 8.5 rear you can just go up to 245 front from the 225s and keep the 255s rear and save yourself the money of a set of wheels (very common and I did this). And of course, get good tires.

I personally think msport suspension is fine for a DD/street car. I have autoX on 100% stock suspension, done hard canyon runs, and driven over 175MPH - all completely fine. I may look into changes when it starts to show signs of wear, but don't feel the need to fix what isnt broken.

[AllaVodka]

Do you have the track pack which comes with the adaptive suspension? If so, suspension improvements are a lot easier and cheaper

[Burnt Reynolds]

Well...problem solved...

440i is off to a new life. Replaced with a 911.

[Desertnate]

That will do it! Congrats! What type of 911?