Picked up this car in 2023. Started building this car bit by bit by saving up. At first it was going to be a cheap and simple build. But I did not realize how hard it was to find aftermarket parts for the C43 compared to the M340i. I really struggled, because parts were very expensive compared to other models and availability of both new and used parts were quite rare. But I already bought the car and I loved it for what it was. The handling is great the power is great (390 hp from factory). So might as well build it. Some people might ask, why didn't you just get the C63? Well this was the best I could do with the 300% import tax on cars in my country (Thailand). At first I wanted to keep the build simple with wheels, tires and just basic suspension upgrades. This led to that, I started feeling that I needed more. It started with the sound, my car did not come with the AMG performance exhaust. So I got the iPE valvetronic exhaust, so I would be loud when I want and silent when I need to be. When I started noticing that I was getting too comfortable with the power, I wanted more! Also gotta keep up with my buddy's F80 M3, so I decided to go with a stage 2 Tune. I didn't want to go straight pipe due to the excessive noise, so I thought 200cel downpipes were the best balance. Little did I know it barely made any difference whent he valves are open, its almost as loud as a straight pipe. The reasoning being that when valves are open in the iPE it just bypasses the rear muffler and this exhaust doesn't have a mid section resonator. But I am very happy with the power I got, it kinda exceeded my expectations HP wise 450WHp. But I was told that the facelifted version of the C43 has a CPC module that limits both the torque numbers and the top speed. So might look into doing that. Then after the tune the car felt really fast compared to stock. The stock brakes were fine, but for my own safety and looks I decided to upgrade to the C63 big brakes. Feel like this should have been the first few mods that I started with. Wheels, tires, suspension and brakes. In the future I do wish to get the KW V3 though, because I still feel like the stock suspension isn't great even though its electronic controlled dampers. The ride is just very rough and at high speeds its not super stable. Going over the road connecting sections the rear would bounce a bit, which is super skethcy at speeds. The KW HAS in my opinion did not do much except just for lowing center of gravity.
