Some quick shout outs for everyone who helped me survive the 300+ day wait for this car.
- Josh Wilson, my CA at Hendrick BMW in Charlotte. He legitimately loves cars and knows what he is doing. Worked with him from the 1st day the G8x were available for test drives through delivery. A++ will buy from again.
- Nick Parks and his crew at Parks Detailing in Charlotte. They are the reason the car looks phenomenal and why I was able to quickly get back on the road after applying PPF and ceramic coating.
- Everyone who shared the misery of waiting for their cars to be delivered in the QC purgatory thread.
- The Performance Center crew in Spartanburg, especially Rafael. The fun they helped bring to the delivery experience helped swallow the bitter pill associated with the long delivery wait.
Simply put, the car is worth the wait.
Picking up this car was my second trip to the Performance Center for a M3. While I wish I could have experienced the European Delivery + PCD combo again, I feel like the PCD experience alone is still VERY worth it for anyone picking up a new M car.
For anyone curious, the Performance Center does not currently have xDrive M3/M4s available, only RWD. That said, the RWD feels incredibly powerful and planted on their small track. I loved my F80 but the G80 really feels like an upgrade to a whole new tier of car.
A piece of advice for anyone who is like me and just wants to get in and drive the car. If you don't have experience with iDrive 7 and are coming from a much older generation like iDrive 4, do pay attention to what the delivery expert is telling you or at least ask key questions about features you intend to rely on when you drive off. This generation infotainment is a bit of a leap from ID4. Now that I'm acquainted with ID7 though, I don't think I could ever go back. I also like the overall aesthetics in how it is implemented when compared to what is coming with ID8. The wide screen bar mounted across a dashboard looks terrible to me.
Overall, I'm absolutely loving the car. While waiting for break in service I've been getting acquainted to all of the features and comforts that the G80 has that my F80 did not. (yes, some of these are common on most new 2021+ model cars).
- Finally having a backup camera and sensors!
- Driver profiles, key linking, and everything that comes with it.
- Auto hold. Very nice for a daily driven M3 with a child seat in the back.
- Lighting. From the doors through the interior, it is well done.
- Wireless Android Auto.
- USB-C ports in the back. The kiddo will be very happy for this.
- Voice command improvement. I actually use it now.
- Vented seats! How did I not have these before?
Finally, some photos. I love the color. My wife and I both agree we still like Estoril Blue as the preferred BMW blue for our family, but we wanted a change and this color is excellent.
Photos (except 1) courtesy of Parks Detailing. I appreciate they offered their photos because I have not been able to get many good shots of my own. I'll say again, Nick and his team are excellent. Great communication, no bullshit, and top quality work. If you are in the region and are looking for someone who can PPF and ceramic coat your new car, I recommend giving give them a call.
