I just got my car back from the dealer b/c I had all 4 wheels/tires replaced due to a previous pot hole incident. I got hte 275's all the way around with the 5mm spacer and the results are simply awesome.(see other post)
My car was there for almost two weeks b/c of the insurance company adjuster. Needless to say, the car was a dirty wreck when I got it home so I decided to do the dreaded annual detail and paint clean.
I just wanted to share the very succesfull detailing sequence I used on the car. I am absolutely blown away by the results
I had no idea how amazing carbon black was until this weekend. Once I got all the road grime and old wax off of the paint I saw the true color of the car. Stunning!
O.K. Heres what I did:
1. Thoroughly washed the car with pinnacle car wash and a lambs wool mit. Washed from top down and rinsed both the car and the mit after each panel.
2. Washed wheels and exhaust tips with Sonus wheel cleaner and a brush and soaked towel. This stuff is awesome for any metal surfaces on the car. (I love the brighter finish on the new wheels!)
3. Dried the car well with a water blade and terry hand towels. Blew out cracks with air compressor.
4. Checked air pressure in tires and set tire pressure control.
5. Went over entire car with meguiars clay bar and quick detail spray for lubricant. This took a while because I used a small bit of clay for control.
6. Broke out the orbital buffer (porter cable) with 6 inch foam cutting pad and went over the entire car with Meguiars medallion paint cleaner to rid of the swirls and fine dirt scratches. I did this at 6000 RPMs at medium pressure, one panel at a time and wiped it off. The results from this step alone were astonishing
7. Next I changed pads on the buffer and went to a lighter foam polishing pad. Then I went over the entire car with Meguiars show car glaze. This really added depth to the paint. This product has a lot of oils which gives this depth but it also makes it hard to remove the excess.
8. After I was done with the glaze I gave the car a thorough wipe down with a Viper multi fibre towel. These towels are amazing. I was ready to wax so I didn't want any residue left on the car from the polishes.
9. Next I waxed the car with Xymol carbon wax and a hand waxing pad from meguiars. This wax is a serious pain in the butt to remove but the results are spectacular and it doesnt leave any white residue on your plastics.
10. Finishing, I drove the car up and down the street to get the rust off of the brake rotors from the wash. Then I got back in the garage and sprayed and wiped the wheels with clear pearl detailng spray. This is a cool spray and wipe product that cleans and waxes in one step.
11. Finally I cleaned the windows and headlights with majestic solution glass cleaner foam. Then I put on Meguiars tire dressing gel.
Sorry this is so long but I had to share this with you all because I am so excited about the results. It took me a lot longer than I expected (a day and a half) but thats what you get when you are a perfectionist! I hope this post makes someone as happy as I am with the fruits of their labor
I didnt know what color my car was..until today!
Also, you said "2. Washed wheels and exhaust tips with Sonus wheel cleaner and a brush and soaked towel. This stuff is awesome for any metal surfaces on the car." 
But some wheel cleaners are actually acids designed for unfinished metal wheels (like "mag" wheels") - and these will immediately destroy the paint on the wheels. One unfortunate member used some such stuff a while back and his wheels turned black! 
'08 E86 Z4 M Coupe 