So had the 60K service (ouch), needed new battery (ouch) and then had the Conti ExtremeContact DWS tires put on the ZHP.

Wow, quite a difference. The car feels like a different vehicle. The ride is more comfortable but has as much grip as the previous tires (Falkens) and braking seems more efficient and less noisy. Acceleration is much improved and smoother.

Despite dropping over 2K today, I feel it was well spent and my car feels refreshed. I keep on prodding my wife to let me buy an M3, but that seems a lot lower on my list of to-dos after driving the ZHP home tonight.