When I bought my newest M3, I decided that I was going to do the stereo the right way (solder connections, dynamat and sound deaden the kicks, run wiring the correct way, etc) and keep it looking stock (or close to it).

The stereo consists of the following:
-BMW Traffic Pro
-XM Commander
-Arc Audio Kar 230 Comps
-Arc Audio Kar 12" Sub in 1 Cu. Ft. box
-Profile HA1000 4 channel amp
-KnuKonceptz wiring

With the exception of the BMW Traffic Pro, this is a pretty budget set-up. XM Commander was $125, Arc Comps were $80 of eBay new, Arc 12" was $160 retail :rolleyes , Profile amp was $100.

I must say that the sound is quite impressive. Very, very musical. The sub can be overpowering if you want it that way, but I prefer a subtle sound. I am still tuning the stereo, but none the less it sounds pretty damn good considering money spent.

I would like to have 6.5" in the kicks, but I chose not to cut the kicks, like I did before in my '98 Sedan. There is quite a difference, but not enough to take away from the overall sound.

I was using a Zed Audio ESX amp to power everything, but because of its size and weight, I was not able to mount it like I wanted to. Besides that, I also chose to not go with an active front stage like I was planning on. The ESX is an amazing amp, but the Profile has got to be one of the best cheap amps out there. Puts out tremendous power, and sounds clean. I have the gains set very low on both the front and sub channels.

Now, I needed a "stealth" way to mount the amp and crossovers. I am sure like many people on here, I don't need to or want to "show" off the gear. Besides, who wants to see a Profile amp? :stickoutt

I decided to build a bracket or rack, that would attach to the metal bracket used for the stock amp. I painted it a flat black to match better than wood. I mounted the amp and crossovers directly to the MDF rack, and that got mounted in the stock bracket locations.

I was able to collapse the carpet back around amp, and it there is little signs of anything non-oem going on. I still need to play around with how the carpet sits, but for the most part, I am very happy.

I don't really like the sealed box just sitting there, but it is easy enough to remove if I need the space, or want to drop the weight. I might look into some subs for the rear deck. I have had the JL Stealths, but they didnt really do it for me in the end.

Now for some photos...

Here is the rest of the pics. I hope this helps anyone who may want to do something similar. I have seen other ideas close to this before, this was just my way of doing it.

Joe

Do a completely stealth wheel well install. that would be soooo sick :)

BTW, great job with the amp rack!

Thanks for the compliments. Not sure if I want to lose the spare or not, but that's a good thought.

Thanks for the compliments. Not sure if I want to lose the spare or not, but that's a good thought.
AAA and a can of fix a flat is just as good. dont you get 3 free tows a year with AAA? I probably wouldnt even bother to put my spare on if i got a flat. lol. AAA is just so much easier.