[L555BAT]

Model Description 4H72
Development Code F36 (MUE)
Production Date 2017-11-**

The photo that comes from the VIN decoding has circular headlights.

On realoem, the last month of pre-LCI production is Feb 2017 with type code 4D92. My type code is under LCI from Nov 2016 onwards.

[AllaVodka]

I'll echo the sentiment of LCI + Adaptive making a massive difference.

Someone in my family has a 2013 328i, with basic suspension, and it handles like a fuckin nissan maxima. Its awful, feels like a boat.

I have a 2016 LCI 340I with thp (adaptive suspension), and my car handles significantly better. Some easy dinan suspension mods, and my car handles basically flat now.

Huge difference.

[skinnyroots]

Your tires are trash--particularly the run flats. The Michelin PS4 on your E90 are some of the best rated street tires out there for traction and corner stability. It sounds obvious but they're literally the only part of your car touching the road.

[alohasurftoad]

regarding the suspension, the most obvious LCI indication is the 5 bolt front strut mount. however i feel whether you have LCI or not is somewhat irrelevant. what matters is that you're unhappy/unsatisfied how it currently performs and handles.

if you keep your car and desire to improve it, imo the least costly resolution for your situation is to swap the major susp components, specifically springs/dampers/bumpstops. consider these

Eibach Pro-Kit springs, Koni Special active dampers, F80 bumpstops

Koni also has Sport(Yellow) dampers and even a Spring/Damper combo Kit

OEM M-Performance Suspension

any of these will definitely improve and one might even say "transform" the handling you presently have. can advise part# if you proceed forward with this.

2ndly those tires are rubbish. budget permitting, consider 245/40/18 front, 255/40/18 rear, decent quality uhpsummer or uhpall-season. non run-flat.

Lastly, if there's any remaining $$$, swap out your front upper control arm bushings to a monoball. this will improve steering feel approaching but not quite as good as E90/old skool steering.
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[L555BAT]

Thanks. Didn't get an email for the last couple of posts, hence the delay in responding.

the most obvious LCI indication is the 5 bolt front strut mount

It has this. I've also seen a few other cars like mine (LCI but older headlights) around since posting.

swap the major susp components

The only modification I'd even consider is the official M-Performance suspension. Here in the UK a lot of insurers won't cover you with any modifications, or will quote an unreasonable price to make you go away.

consider 245/40/18 front, 255/40/18 rear

Those fronts are 20 wider and 5 shorter than mine, and are not on the tyre pressures sticker, so likely not standard. My front tyres do look a bit narrow for the rim, but I thought (and confirmed by what I found online) that this is just the rounded shoulders of these particular Pirellis.

I was wrong earlier when I said my E90 was on 17s; it too was on 18s. The widths on both cars are the same front (225) and rear (255). The aspect ratios are however different - old car 40 fronts 35 rears, new car 45 fronts 40 rears. An online calculator tells me the fronts are therefore 22mm taller, and the rears 25mm taller.

I've not decided what to do with the car yet. I think I'll test drive a few things before spending on replacing a set of tyres that have plenty of life left in them. 4 with adaptive, 230i, something VAG DSG, possibly other makes too.

[WDE82]

Originally Posted by floridaorange

BMW realized they could sell their cars to anyone who just wanted to drive around in a car that had the perception of the ultimate driving machine, while saving money by cutting quality driving dynamics. They passed that cost to the buyer (hence these forums) to modify their car if they wanted more performance.

The M series became the cars from the factory that inspired confidence only. Unfortunately that's the way of the world now.

They didn't save money by making the front ends more compliant than past cars. It's literally just some bushings that contribute to the vague feel.

It wasn't a decision based on cost of production. It was a decision on making the cars more comfortable for a larger buying audience.

What will contribute most to handling feel is new spherical front tension arms and control arms. This will do FAR more than some dampers/springs others have suggested.