1M is gone but got new wheels!

[mPlasticDesign]

So it was with a heavy heart that I had to part with the 1M but it went to a good home/great guy who is a forum member here. Last year our insurance denied 2 pieces of equipment my son needed before he could go to school where he would receive physical therapy for his cerebral palsy. The total equipment cost.....over $16,000USD! Faced with the choice of dipping into our savings or selling some of my stocks I decided to sell the 1M which had equity and was almost paid off. I got several PM/emails inquiring as to the reason for the sale. Why sell a car with only 4k miles and after 13mos of ownership? A car so many people would give there left kidney for. Did I not like the car anymore? etc.

The fact of the matter is, the car is awesome, but my son is more awesome! He and his identical twin brother are more important than any inanimate object! One was born perfectly healthy, the other with mild CP. So I wanted to share pictures of my son with his new wheels! Here he is with his new shocker green gait trainer. It's kinda like a wheel chair but he is in a standing position with no seat and an impact suspension to absorb bumps and help make his walking more fluid. It ultimately helps build strength in his weak legs.



I knew I was going to get back into another car within the first few months of 2013, just didn't know what. I came VERY, VERY close to a used Panamera GTS. It was the only Porsche that could seat 4 comfortably and still retain some level of sportiness/performance, but I have been driving BMW's for so many years and just couldn't stay away. This car is would be our third car(household) so it doesn't need to be multi-purpose, four-door or "practical", just needs to be a four seater. The only BMW that still excited me was the M3. I had a 2008 sedan for 3yrs and really liked it. The coupe made it feel like I wasn't getting the same exact car.

So the coupe it was! CF roof, Speed Cloth, Carbon Leather dash, spoiler delete and SAT radio. That's it! I know what the next question is, which do you like more? The 1M or M3?

First off, the 1M is the biggest paradox! This car is so limited (only 740 in the US), so special that one doesn't want to drive it in the rain, you want to keep the miles as low as possible. It's been praised by dozens of journalists as the second coming of ///M! But damn, this car is really good as a daily driver. It feels quite comfortable in the daily grind. Much more so than the M3. It is so easy to maneuver in traffic with the gobs of torque on hand, you can effortlessly overtake someone and most importantly do it without announcing it to everyone within a 1/4mile radius while your engine is screaming at 8400rpm.

The M3 on the other hand, is so common(at least in CA), with production numbers in the tens of thousands+, that there really is no point in trying to "save" it as any sort of collectible. This car however however feels a little more underwhelming than the 1M in daily traffic. Don't get me wrong, you can go just as fast, but not without looking like a lunatic as you wind the car out like it was meant to be. What makes the M3 special and a reason to keep the miles low and you want to save it for "yourself" to enjoy for many years to come, is the engine. This engine is the last of it's kind. Going from my daily driver(Lexus LS) to the M3(which I drive a couple times a week) it really is a treat. I could'nt nor would I want to drive it everyday. It loses the special-ness, you get used to the "in traffic" power quickly.

To summarize, I'm glad to be back in a BMW, too bad it's not a 1M but the M3, even though it's been around since '08 is still not too shabby!

Mods on the car before I even get my plates from DMV:

-BMW Inconel® M Performance Exhaust
-OEM F10 lighted shift knob
-DINAN Stage2 Suspension
-DINAN CF Intake
-Expel Clear Bra

Here is a few pics:







Gone but not forgotten:

[Artemis]

[mPlasticDesign]

A couple pics I took last weekend on the way home from EuroSunday.

[NPVPositive]

Well done, you've got your priorities right.

New car looks great and will keep a smile on your face!

[IndyMike]

Best reason EVERRRRRRRRRR for giving up a 1 M.

Heartwarming story to go along with it.

Your son is absolutely adorable.

Both of your golden boys will be in my prayers in their struggle against CP.

Be sure to hang around and post from time to time, and tell us how you all are getting along.

[mPlasticDesign]

Thanks guys. I don't normally like to share such personal subject matter online but it just seemed appropriate....


Some day my son and I might be having this talk.....



For the Breaking Bad fans. Did you know that Walt Jr.(RJ Mitte plays son with CP) actually has CP and is a spokesperson for his disability in real life? I imagine my kid at that age sometimes when I watch the show.

[BMW86]

Congrats. Hot car!

[ilikebmxbikes]

Welcome back. I was one of the puzzled members when you left. You made the right choice to sell to take care of your son and it seems everything has worked out and you are back in an equally amazing car.

[oystero]

Thanks for sharing your story. +1

[Maranello455]

+2. The Lord always provides. Family always first.

[EINSER M]

Noble heart. Your kids are priceless, the rest can be replaced.

[sparoz]

Many many thanks for sharing your story!

[MDORPHN]

Sounds like you have it together.

Your family is lucky to have such wonderful father and husband!

Neil

[e82m_van]

amazing.

[greensto]

Keep those priorities right where they are! Things will always fall in place.

[uberschnell]

You nailed it on the head with the "paradox" of the 1M. At the end of the day most of those will end up in some collectors garage, collecting dust.

And it's not like you settled for Sentra or anything

[Black Gold]

Cool m3, but best of luck with your son.

I wish you and your family the best. That is far more important than any car, even a 1M!

[Robin_NL]

Man. This is some special thread. Thanks for sharing. And give those kids(I have 2 as well) a big hug from me from over the pond

Cheers
Robin

[Smiley1175]

Thank you for sharing such a heartfelt story, all the best to you and your family.

[FIRSTM]

Nice to know that there are still good parents out there. Family always first.
Happy to see you back and mod again. Very clean M3.

[1swift1]

Lucky kid to have a great dad that takes such good care of him (also lucky to have an M3 to take him to school!). I like your choice of green for the trainer, too.
It was great meeting you for the Eisenmann exhaust sale. Look forward to seeing you at a future EuroSunday event. We should both bring our special boys with us sometime, I know they would love the cars.
The M3 looks just like your 1M's older brother. Looks great!!!

[Dackelone]

Metak - Thanks for sharing your personal story with all of us. It really shows the kind of person you are.


And congrats on your new car. I see this one comes with an ActiveE hood too! :lol"


Dack