Need some advice after car was stolen

[TurbodTurtle]

Hi all, I haven't really posted much as I don't know an awful lot about the car so can't really help but was hoping I could get some opinions from people as of what to do?

I have a 2014 M4 which has just ticked over 26k and had it's service yesterday. However last Thursday the car was stolen, I heard it start up and managed to call the police while watching it pull off my drive and down the road, they found it after 20 minutes and arrested one of the team, in that time he managed to badly kurb an alloy which needs repairing.

Since this I have struggled to 'love' the car as I keep thinking about it driving off and some complete scum being inside it. I have done maybe 3 miles since it happened which was the drive to the dealer to drop my keys off so they could collect it and check it over. Its hard to explain how it makes you feel.

I have had a top immobiliser fitted and keep my keys in high quality faraday bags now but I'm not sure what I can do to get the feeling back, I am exploring a few options and wondered in similar situations what other people have done? Also I wonder if next time they will enter my house and threaten me for the keys which are now hidden, but I'm hopefully moving in the next year or so.

1. Get over it, it was gone for 20 mins stop being dramatic. Fix the wheel and tidy her back up. They won't try and take it twice!

2. Mod it, screw the warranty, if anything was going to go wrong it would have by now, crank seems fine and drive shafts were checked yesterday, turbo seals are the most likely but not the end of the world if they go wrong. BM3 and full decat, maybe that will help?

3. Trade in for a new m2 competition, I'll never be able to get over it so may as well cut my losses now.

[pokerface]

I'm in for #2. M2C probably going to remain hot for awhile so I feel like you're just going to make it a target.

Did you figure out how they managed to steal your car? Not sure from your post if you meant they broke in to steal your key or if they managed to capture the signal (before the faraday bags).

[yocubed]

Originally Posted by TurbodTurtle

Hi all, I haven't really posted much as I don't know an awful lot about the car so can't really help but was hoping I could get some opinions from people as of what to do?

I have a 2014 M4 which has just ticked over 26k and had it's service yesterday. However last Thursday the car was stolen, I heard it start up and managed to call the police while watching it pull off my drive and down the road, they found it after 20 minutes and arrested one of the team, in that time he managed to badly kurb an alloy which needs repairing.

Since this I have struggled to 'love' the car as I keep thinking about it driving off and some complete scum being inside it. I have done maybe 3 miles since it happened which was the drive to the dealer to drop my keys off so they could collect it and check it over. Its hard to explain how it makes you feel.

I have had a top immobiliser fitted and keep my keys in high quality faraday bags now but I'm not sure what I can do to get the feeling back, I am exploring a few options and wondered in similar situations what other people have done? Also I wonder if next time they will enter my house and threaten me for the keys which are now hidden, but I'm hopefully moving in the next year or so.

1. Get over it, it was gone for 20 mins stop being dramatic. Fix the wheel and tidy her back up. They won't try and take it twice!

2. Mod it, screw the warranty, if anything was going to go wrong it would have by now, crank seems fine and drive shafts were checked yesterday, turbo seals are the most likely but not the end of the world if they go wrong. BM3 and full decat, maybe that will help?

3. Trade in for a new m2 competition, I'll never be able to get over it so may as well cut my losses now.

My take on this is as follows:
I'd go with option 1. 20 minutes wouldn't be long enough to do any real harm to your car. As long as the wheel is fixed and the dealer goes over it well you should be good to go. You still put 24k miles on it before the incident so you must have really loved it before (I know I love mine). That being said I've already done number 2 to mine. Cars are material things, drive it like you did before then turn it in for the G series M3 when you're ready.

[Aapparition90]

I heard of something similiar happen here. This seems like a bmw flaw with security ?

[minn19]

Originally Posted by Aapparition90

I heard of something similiar happen here. This seems like a bmw flaw with security ?

Not just them.

Only you can decide OP what you really feel or want to do. I like the M2 comp idea. There is one at my dealer and it looks like it would be a ton of fun.

[Alvinized52]

I added dash cam for this very reason. Also added a cam outside in my garage that alerts me with any movement.
This is more of a preventative measure and peace of mind. Good idea with faraday. At the end of the day, its just a car. Just mod the shit out of it and enjoy it! Or put bags on the car and drop it to the ground when parked... hide the lift switch so not easy found. That car is going nowhere. Lol.

[TurbodTurtle]

Cheers all, I like the bagged idea lol especially as I park it where the kurb is raised!

Originally Posted by pokerface

I'm in for #2. M2C probably going to remain hot for awhile so I feel like you're just going to make it a target.

Did you figure out how they managed to steal your car? Not sure from your post if you meant they broke in to steal your key or if they managed to capture the signal (before the faraday bags).

They got the signal before I used the faraday bags, boosted it from my house to the car. Pretty common and annoyed I thought it wouldn't happen to me! Partly my fault too I suppose

Originally Posted by minn19

Not just them.

Only you can decide OP what you really feel or want to do. I like the M2 comp idea. There is one at my dealer and it looks like it would be a ton of fun.

It looks good, it would be brand new and has the same engine now as the M4/M3 but smaller body. I've asked BMW for some quotes as to the cost to change but I think the M4 is still a better car.

[GitToDeChoppah]

I had a Grand Cherokee SRT that I absolutely loved. Fast, sounded amazing, comfortable... one of the best vehicles I've ever owned. In December it was rear ended at a stop light by some kid on their phone. It was fixed, and most people would've never known it was in an accident, but I knew. Every time I looked at it its all I could think of. I didn't enjoy it anymore. I decided to trade it for the F80 I have now. I am glad I did. People thought I was crazy, but I couldn't stop thinking about it... I am not going to continue making payments on something I can't enjoy anymore... Just not worth it. My 2 cents, trade it.

[stormlv]

Is your car a manual?

If it's not, then I'd probably try to just forget about it.

I doubt that in 20 minutes, they're able to put as much stress on the car as the M4 can take during a single track session. And some people track it regularly...

Option 2 also sounds nice. Gives you a nice excuse to mod it and could help to get some lost love back.

In any case TBH, I'd avoid doing anything while you're still this upset.
Especially if it involves taking a potentially big financial hit.

Try to cool down for a bit and take a decision in a month or two, when you're in a much better mood.

I haven't had my car broken into, but I did have my home broken into, so I think I can understand the feelings you might be going through. We felt violated, angry and frustrated but in the end of the day, we're only talking about things ... And in your case, you got yours back

How I'd wish I'd have all of the tiny trinkets back, trinkets that I gave my wife when we were in highschool...

[Hachima]

I'd go with 1. I had a car stolen once that required repairs as the sway bar was bend as they curbed it. I think I was hurt emotionally more than the car was damaged=/

After reading up on latest techniques it sounds like thieves can relay attack up to 100 yards away now...

[NYBulldog]

Option 1 no doubt

[TurbodTurtle]

Originally Posted by stormlv

Is your car a manual?

If it's not, then I'd probably try to just forget about it.

I doubt that in 20 minutes, they're able to put as much stress on the car as the M4 can take during a single track session. And some people track it regularly...

Option 2 also sounds nice. Gives you a nice excuse to mod it and could help to get some lost love back.

In any case TBH, I'd avoid doing anything while you're still this upset.
Especially if it involves taking a potentially big financial hit.

Try to cool down for a bit and take a decision in a month or two, when you're in a much better mood.

I haven't had my car broken into, but I did have my home broken into, so I think I can understand the feelings you might be going through. We felt violated, angry and frustrated but in the end of the day, we're only talking about things ... And in your case, you got yours back

How I'd wish I'd have all of the tiny trinkets back, trinkets that I gave my wife when we were in highschool...

This sounds like some good advice! Maybe a cooling off period is a good plan.

M2 I wouldn't be taking a big hit, the interest rate is much lower so I'd only be going for it if the monthlies remained very similar.

[jmg]

I love my car, but like someone else said, it's just a car. Fix the wheel and enjoy driving it.

[G35POPPEDMYCHERRY]

damn in USA they steal honda accords. in UK they steal high end sports cars

[Rewted]

I can understand the psychology behind the event, however, at the end of the day it is just a car. You said so yourself that "I'll never be able to get over it", so perhaps that is your answer. Sell it, get rid of the visual reminder and into something new if it bothers you this much.

Personally, I'd keep it. Besides, the porter at your dealership most likely drives her hard too when ya drop it off for servicing.

[bringbacklsb]

Originally Posted by GitToDeChoppah

I had a Grand Cherokee SRT that I absolutely loved. Fast, sounded amazing, comfortable... one of the best vehicles I've ever owned. In December it was rear ended at a stop light by some kid on their phone. It was fixed, and most people would've never known it was in an accident, but I knew. Every time I looked at it its all I could think of. I didn't enjoy it anymore. I decided to trade it for the F80 I have now. I am glad I did. People thought I was crazy, but I couldn't stop thinking about it... I am not going to continue making payments on something I can't enjoy anymore... Just not worth it. My 2 cents, trade it.

I am selling my F80 M3 due to OCD feelings unrelated to this thread, and you made the right choice to move on. If something bothers you that much and takes away the enjoyment of a discretionary purchase, then fix that feeling however you can!

[bmrwrld]

I bet he shit himself when it started up and didn't expect to hear it roar, LOL! What time of the day did it get stolen?

[TurbodTurtle]

Originally Posted by bmrwrld

I bet he shit himself when it started up and didn't expect to hear it roar, LOL! What time of the day did it get stolen?

00:08 it started and at 00:09 the police were despatched, and they didn't hang about!

[SD ///M4]

My 1988 Honda Prelude was stolen from a hotel parking lot in 1994 while we were staying overnight and attending the Long Beach Grand Prix. This was on our first wedding anniversary!

The car was discovered in someone's driveway the next morning with the interior completely stripped. It was literally uninstalled and done without cutting or ripping anything, and included the seats, upholstery, and head unit. Apparently the Recaro seats in the '98 Prelude were highly desirable. They didn't take the aftermarket wheels or exhaust, just the interior.

The insurance company was able to locate a used interior, and reinstalled it, and the seats were in better than the ones that were stolen (an ash from a doobie burned a tiny spot in the original driver seat). I took a credit for the head unit and installed a much better aftermarket head unit myself. Overall, I was better off, except for the shock and trauma of having the car stolen, which quickly faded.

I drove that car for another two years before selling it for a different new car. Once the car was whole again, I never thought about it having been stolen. The same will happen for you and it won't affect your enjoyment of the car, especially since the thieves had it for such a short time.

That said,

2.) Getting your car stolen isn't a prerequisite for modding your car. Do it anyway!

3.) The M2 CS would be a nice replacement!

[bimmerfrk]

Like some other guy banging your girlfriend without your permission...... Shitty story bro,

[farg]

Originally Posted by bimmerfrk

Like some other guy banging your girlfriend without your permission...... Shitty story bro,

Exactly! You might try to forgive her, but it just ain't the same. To me cars are about passion. If not, I'd be driving a Camry.

BTW (not to hijack), just took delivery last week of new BSM, Sakhir Orange, 6MT, M3 last week. Pictures or it didn't happen, I know. But how many of those have you all seen on here in the past few years?

[Aaaaaaaaa]

Originally Posted by G35POPPEDMYCHERRY

damn in USA they steal honda accords. in UK they steal high end sports cars

Probably more of a function of less people have dedicated car garages in their homes and homes are smaller. Easier to boost the signal from outside, one person standing by car. Once signal is boosted the car is gone in seconds.

Here's a video I found of an actual M4 being stolen