[AhsanU]

The G80 M3 is arguably the jack of all trades but master of none. My aim after purchasing the car was to dial down the luxury aspect of the car in favour of a more driver focused experience while retaining reliability and everyday usability. In order to do this, a laundry list of modifications were planned and I think I've achieved the best blend of comfort and sportiness based on my personal tastes. After nearly 15,000 miles and 17 months of ownership, I'd love to share with you all the cocktail of mods I've put together and what they've done to add to the overall joy and experience of ownership. I've split my mods into 3 sections: mods to feel more connected to the car, mods to enhance the experience, and mods that are superfluous.

Note: Any URL's found in this thread are absolutely not affiliate links. I make no money, zilch, nada, for clicks or purchases. I just believe in good parts at a fair price. Shop and buy parts from whichever vendor you want

Also, this post is loooong and detailed. This is meant to serve as a journal for myself and in a small way, a love letter to my car that has brought me so much joy and many memories with my now 2 year old daughter that enjoys being in it. It is for those that care to read to about how I've nearly achieved the driver's G80 M3 after many trials and tribulation, and way too much money spent in mods and labour Maybe this will serve as a map for someone seeking something similar in their car, and it'll be worth it for them.

Connection to the car
Monoball conversion
The first modification we should all do is the monoball conversion. The G8X is quite lacking in steering feel and doesn't weigh up as nicely as it should, but the replacement of the rubber bushing with spherical bearings, a.k.a. the monoball conversion, means you get more feeling/feedback from the steering wheel. The monoball conversion also eliminates the dead center steering feel you get and makes the steering feel much more organically heavy. I cannot imagine a single person experiencing this mod and regretting it. I must say that it isn’t as the level of Porsche’s EPS feel but it’s a damned sight better than the stock M3. A friend of mine drove my G80 M3 after all my mods and went home and immediately ordered a set for his car. Here's a link to his review on these forums. He's provided much more in depth feedback towards his experience that I'm sure everyone will agree with and experience should they do the mod themselves.

Here's a link to the DINAN version, here's a link to the Fall Line version, and here's a link to the Millway version. I have the Fall Line version, but personally, if I could redo it again I'd do either the DINAN or the Millway since they're enclosed and protected from outside elements vs. the Fall Line, which is not.



KW V3 coilover kit
The G8X looks like a damned SUV from the factory with the ride height. While the OEM dampers are actually decent in terms of performance and comfort, they no longer felt as nicely damped after the KW HAS kit was installed. I was lowered on the KW HAS for about 10k miles and while it drove fine, it eventually caused my dampers to blow as I drove over extremely awful roads. Enter: KW V3. The KW V3 was an immediate improvement over the KW HAS. On the HAS, the ride was decently compliant but pushing the car on the streets was a different story. The OE dampers, regardless of what mode you found yourself in, felt lacking and never provided comfort in comfort suspension nor confidence when pushing it hard in sports+ mode. Having a true coilover setup meant having spring rates that match the KW specific dampers. Driving around town felt more or less the same on the HAS, but the night I came home after installing the V3's, I found love for twisties again as the M3 felt much more planted and not all over the place around what I consider a B road in N.Y.. Again, roads here are truly woefully bad, so when the OE dampers’ rebound/compression rates couldn't keep up with the added load of the lowered springs, it meant for a not so fun time with the HAS. The V3's solved this and provided confidence in spades.

Though I did not track on the HAS or the OEM springs/dampers, I can say that the weight of the G80 M3 on track was not really noticeable. Trail braking into a corner at first made me scared that the weight of the G8X platform would be felt, but much to my delight the car was very stable under hard braking and left almost nothing to be desired. There were times I had to lean on the ABS as I braked too late, but that's just from the confidence I had in the car The weight transfer on corners was a bit noticeable since you can't completely mask the weight, but the G80 M3 felt perfectly stable and neutral at corner entry, apex, and track out. How much of this is due to the KW V3's - I'm not 100% certain. But I am itching to get back to the track as I had so much fun in the M3 and have so much more to learn about its handling dynamics and capabilities. I ran out of skill before the car ran out of mechanical grip, and I'm eager to explore the limits further on my next track day.

Pictures courtesy of AutoCouture.

The end result:



The process:








Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar 3
My daily tyre was a set of MPS4S, non-star spec 275/30/20 & 295/30/20. For daily comfort, aquaplaning resistance, tread life, etc. they are just like the G80 in stock form - amazing at everything, but not the best at anything. I've tracked on the MPS4S before on a different car and did not enjoy the experience overall, so the search for some 220~180tw tyres began. I knew I was headed to the track a few times this year and I wanted a set of track tyres but really didn't want to foot the bill for another set of wheels since I already had an extra winter set (the convo with my wife and rationalising 3 sets of wheels would've been an uphill battle I'd lose). After much research and feedback from owners, I landed on the Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar 3's. Many would consider the Pilot Sport Cup 2's, Nitto’s, the R888R's, etc. but watching this video from Tyre Reviews, and seeing the cost of the Eagle F1 SC3's - it was a no brainer.

The SC3's have a significantly stiffer sidewall for a slightly better steering feel (especially with the monoball conversion), they add heft to the steering feel (something I enjoy since the monoball conversion means the weighing up of the steering wheel feels much more natural), have excellent grip, heat up relatively quick, and look very promising for a 200tw tyre. The tyre introduces tramlining and a bit of immediacy to the steering as steering input is very quickly translated into directional change. The SC3's were engineered by Goodyear with Chevrolet for the Camaro SS 1LE, but they work perfectly fine on our cars. The only issue is that Goodyear is constantly out of stock with the sizes I'd prefer (275 up front, 295 out back) so I'm on 285/30/20 and 305/30/20. There's rubbing all around, but it's perfectly liveable IMO. $1100 for a set of 4 all in vs nearly $2k for a set of MPSC2's means I'm a very happy camper. I've even gone so far as to not put back the MPS4S because I'm enjoying the experience with the Goodyears so much. The increase in steering heft alongside the monoball conversion makes for a steering experience that leaves me always wanting to drive more.

No real pics to be had of the tyres so here are a few shots on track








Experience.
The next few modifications involve having a 6MT. IMO, you cannot have a driver's car without a manual transmission. Though BMW really didn't care about how well the 6MT felt/drove with their ZF procured 6MT, there are a few steps we can take to improve the transmission experience and feel better connected to the car. It'll never feel like a Porsche 6MT or an old Honda S2K (S2K ranks #1 on my list of raw 6MT feel), but there are things we can do to get closer.

CDV delete & BMS clutch stop
First and foremost is the CDV delete. The CDV (clutch delay valve) was put in by BMW for different reasons, but it also means you cannot bang through the gears without delay after each upshift. Removing the CDV makes for a lighter clutch pedal feel, helps smoothen out the 1-2 shift a bit, and means you can absolutely bang through gears at full speed with no delays. Here's a small clip of me going 2nd -> 3rd -> 4th with no delays whatsoever:

Secondly, the clutch pedal: the actual clutch pedal travel is oddly long - typical BMW. The BMS clutch stop, though small and inexpensive, is important to get rid of that extra unnecessary pedal length. Here's a link to BMS' clutch stop. I've had to buy two because the first one somehow got damaged, but being a $20 part (after shipping) means it's a relatively inexpensive mod. I've left all the rings on and can't imagine going back to driving without it.. I've gotten so used to it. I’ve experienced no auto rev match issues with the clutch stop in place.

Rogue Engineering SSK, Rogue Engineering Rear Carrier Bushing Mount
Thirdly: the shifter itself. The shift throws aren't too long, but shortening them certainly helps. The Rogue Engineering SSK was designed to shorten the throws and it does that. While it isn't a complete night and day difference between throws, the added mechanical force necessary to get into gear, alongside making the shifter feel way more notchy meant for a more fun experience with each shift. I also very recently had Rogue Engineering's rear carrier bushing installed. It's tough to explain how it changed the feel, but the best way to put it is like this: when I get the shifter into the shift gate, it takes a bit more mechanical force to get into that specific gear and makes each gear change feel more pronounced. These shifter mods coupled with Rogue's Delrin shift knob made for a 6MT experience I genuinely could never give up for any type of automatic. There are better 6MT experiences out there by a long shot, but this is as good as it's going to get on a BMW.. except for maybe a CAE shifter



Here's a small clip of just going through the gears with the engine off and windows down to get an idea of the throws and sound:

https://youtube.com/shorts/VvGmWh5lwNw?feature=share

Sound
The S58 does not sound good in stock guise. For some reason, BMW simply doesn't know how to make their twin turbo straight 6's sound as good as their single turbo’d straight 6, but that's where the aftermarket world comes in! The thing that compelled me to buy a G80 was hearing Sumith's car. I knew that VT used a single midpipe, so I bought an AA midpipe thinking it was mostly the same and a Remus race axle back, then coupled it with MAD’s catless downpipes and holy hell - it sounded awful. The Remus race was too droney and I couldn't live with the car in the slightest. I was 100% ready to go back to stock midpipe and axle back until I reached out to Sumith and learned that his midpipe is a bit of a special case as it was an extremely early version that only fits 6MT's and is no longer produced because it could not be fabricated to fit ZF8 cars. I was able to procure their prototype version of the midpipe and can somewhat sadly say that I own a 1 of 2 VT single midpipe.

Here's my current setup! MAD catless downpipes, VT's "Soomtronic" midpipe, and a GTHaus Meisterschaft GT axle back:

https://youtube.com/shorts/AZdvLg8JnR8?feature=share

Aesthetically, the stock axle back looks like a diaper as was pointed out by a friend. The Meisterschaft GT tips are iconic and look amazing:



The section after the downpipe is different and is nearly equal length which is why it sounds the way it does, but VT now offer a fully equal length single midpipe, so everyone can rejoice and get a very similar sound Just remember to pick up some sort of valve controller so you can fully open the valves as BMW, for some inane reason, doesn't actually fully open the valves in any mode and only does it under 100% throttle. I'm personally using the dAHLer valve controller, but it is pricey. Since I purchased it, there are a few other brands on market that are kinder to the wallet, so I suggest you do a bit of research there if you're wanting more sound out of your G8X.

Power
Another issue with the base G80 M3 is the power. So many early reviewers did not like the 6MT version simply because of how much better the ZF8 versions felt in comparison, and it’s all due to power and gearing. As such, I thought a bump in power was necessary to at least feel like I could keep up with a stock competition model My previous BMW was an F80 M3 that was FBO running a Fuel-It! PI kit on full E85.. it was just a bit much and it made my F80 unreliable as I was experiencing some awful fueling issues. I didn't want to make the same mistake on the G80 which is why I opted for more driver focused and cosmetic mods. A friend of mine (thank you again James!) offered to give me his RaceChip for free and on map 7, there's a good amount of added power that, in retrospect, made the base M3’s power levels feel lethargic. I'm not the biggest fan of piggybacks as AFR's are always a concern, and I will be eventually running a flash tune as I do not want to do track days with iffy AFR's on high temperature days. A solid 93 tune with no E85 will be excellent for a daily driver that’s tracked sometimes. Removing annoyances like the cold start will also be nice

Here's before the RaceChip on map 7 (mind my wife’s reaction at the end):

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/JEOGZN_e-14

And I'll reference the same video as before as an after:

https://youtube.com/shorts/VvGmWh5lwNw?feature=share

Definite noticeable difference in power to me!
Superfluous
Superfluous - a word that I like to use to describe so much of what I've done to my car. The truth is, most of what I've done to the cars’ exterior/cosmetics are superfluous and genuinely not needed. Things like the Vorsteiner grille, the R44 ducktail spoiler, Carismo Designs steering wheel, etc. all give the car some added aggression and some special flare vs. a base 3 series. While eye candy is always nice, it seriously isn't needed to truly enjoy the car from a driving standpoint. However, we all enjoy our cars for different reasons.. some of us enjoy looking at our cars after washing it (definitely not me) and some of us enjoy leaving the hood open at C&C meets to show off sweet engine bay bling - it's all relative. If I could redo everything, I'd probably skimp out on a few things here and there cosmetically, but if anything - I'd do the driver’s mods first and then enjoy the cosmetic bits later since this G80 M3 is first and foremost - meant to be driven.

Here's a list of all the mods currently on the car!

Exterior/Cosmetic:
ANRKY S1-X1 20" non-staggered
Michelin Pilot Sport 4S in 275/30/20 and 295/30/20
iND painted front & rear reflectors and painted carbon fiber side markers
iND custom white stitched leather boot
R44 ducktail spoiler
Vorsteiner CF grille
NW CarbonHaus Vorsteiner front lip replica
RW Carbon inlets
Carismo Designs carbon fiber/leather steering wheel

Performance
Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar 3 in 285/30/20 and 305/30/20
KW V3
MAD catless downpipes with mini cats
Valvetronic "Soomtronic" single midpipe
GTHaus Meisterschaft GT axle back
dAHLer exhaust valve controller
RK Tunes front mounted intake
Rogue Engineering SSK
Rogue Engineering rear carrier bushing mount
Rogue Engineering Delrin knob
RaceChip piggyback

There are a few more performance mods left such as the flash tune, camber plates, maybe a few more suspension bits, upgraded brake pads, etc. all in due time. Cosmetically, a set of painted CF mirror caps (iND are experts at thinning my wallet), a rear diffuser of some sort, etc. is all that's really left. I don't think I'll ever be completely done modding her, but I think my quest to mod her for pure driving pleasure has reached the endgame If you've read this far, I thank you!

Allow me to end this with a huge shout out to AutoCouture in Fair Lawn, N.J. They've handled nearly 95% of all the modifications done to the car and have been amazing in sorting me out and making sure my car is as reliable as when I first got it, even after all these mods and nearly 15k miles. Thanks Jeff for the communication, Matt for awesome pictures, and the rest of the ACM team - you guys rock.

Enjoy some pics! More can be found on my flickr if you’d like https://flic.kr/ps/3p46Xe

[BBM9515]

Sweet write up and confirmation of 6MT is the only drivers car!

[somer]

Great writeup!

You thought about getting the CSL steering coded in?

[carswithdonuts]

Loved this. Amazing car. Amazing build!

[AhsanU]

Originally Posted by BBM9515

Sweet write up and confirmation of 6MT is the only drivers car!

Absolutely! If there aren't three pedals then it just can't be a true driver's car. The ZF8 is stupidly fast though, I'll absolutely give it that.

Originally Posted by somer

Great writeup!

You thought about getting the CSL steering coded in?

Thank you! The CSL coding is actually on the list right after the bm3 flash tune. I'm not sure if the DME unlock process clears out any coding done so I'll wait.

Originally Posted by OperationGarage

Loved this. Amazing car. Amazing build!

Thank you!

[gc.g80brg]

I hope to see this car at Mpact this year. Insane build sir!!

[AhsanU]

Originally Posted by gc.g80brg

I hope to see this car at Mpact this year. Insane build sir!!

Just saw this - I’ll definitely be there this years lineup is looking sweet.

[OEM3]

Love this write up and pics. Next time my car is up on the lift I will be doing the CDV delete myself.

[gc.g80brg]

Originally Posted by AhsanU

Just saw this - I’ll definitely be there this years lineup is looking sweet.

Yess ! I'll be in the purple lot !