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      04-29-2021, 08:05 PM   #45
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pantagathus View Post
The 911 comparisons are such crap. They're comparing an absolutely loaded spanking new M3/4 to a pretty old, bare as bones base 911. Never mind that a 911 is fundamentally a different car. I have 2 kids a dog, and haul a lot of stuff around, I'm not cross shopping a 911, even if they were the same price. The people who are supposedly cross-shopping an M3/4 and used 911 never actually seem to get the 911.
Absolutely agree one thousand percent. It's always comical every time.

btw op congrats.
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      04-29-2021, 08:29 PM   #46
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Wow, u should be a salesman. Makes me want one now, despite the nose. Nice pix!
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      04-29-2021, 08:49 PM   #47
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I must say, I've commented on a few post regarding the looks of this generation M3/M4 - mostly negative

Positives - specs, options/ features!!!

However, I have to appreciate your honesty related to your own experience. Now I'm afraid to swing by the dealership near me for a test drive - like you, I may fall in love despite the hideous looks.

Congrats BTW - enjoy your new toy!
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      04-29-2021, 09:43 PM   #48
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Congratulations...I am happy with TR as well.
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      04-29-2021, 09:52 PM   #49
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Quote:
Originally Posted by utsavized View Post
I grew up loving the M3, the E46 being my dream car. It still is. However, I spent a good portion of 2020 livid at BMW for ruining my favorite car – obnoxious grills, ridiculous amounts of sharp edges and those tacky fake side vents. When I initially bought my RS5 in early 2020, I wanted to try something different. But I felt like I had broken my long-kept allegiance with the ///M brand. There was always this hint of guilt lurking somewhere behind, especially every time I saw the RS5 parked right under the giant ///M flag I had so proudly adorned over my garage door. However, with the crazy direction BMW took with its design language, I started feeling good about the Audi – it was safe, stable, and unsuspectingly fast – no drama whatsoever.

Then on a fateful Saturday about a month ago, I was bored and decided to kill time trying out the new M3. “Let’s take a look at how much air those nostrils can breathe in,” I joked with my wife on my way to the dealership. I pulled over my RS5 and there it was, parked front and center, an M3 Competition. It took all of 5 seconds to realize just how gorgeous this car looks in person, and just as quickly, I also realized what this car has what the RS5 simply did not – drama.

Say what you will about the grill, it is not there to look pretty. It does not even try to. This car’s entire jam is theatre. Eye-popping colors, angled headlights, sharp edges, fire-breathing nostrils, over accentuated and very pronounced splitter, side skirts, diffuser, and rear arches … and let me stress that again, it is really not there to look pretty, the whole damn thing is an event, a pantomime! We wanted a car that James Bond would drive, but BMW gave us one that Duke Nukem would, you know, the kind that you drive when you want to kick ass and chew bubble gum? And that I think is pure badassery. *SLOW CLAP FOR BMW*

And that intention shows everywhere. Let us start with the interior. Audis have amazing interiors, and I thought no different of my RS5. It was pretty, with thsse horizontal lines running across the entire dash. It was seamless. It was perfect, almost clinical. All that is a good thing, right? Yes… until you hop inside the M3, esp. one with the carbon pack with those insane bucket seats. It immediately makes “perfect” and “clinical” sound boring. While the RS5 felt like it was carefully crafted by engineers using their precise rulers, the M3’s interior feels like it was molded with play dough, by 5-year-olds with only one thing in mind – making you feel like a 5-year-old as well. It wraps around you, even the instrument cluster is angled up perfectly so that no matter where you sit, the steering wheel never blocks it. The gauges are crazy, too. Even though I do prefer the classic round dials, I understand why it is the way it is. The bucket seats look aggressive, they yell at you, “Hey look, this is a serious bit of kit this car!” But for some reason, it does not feel over-the-top in this car. I am 5’8” 165 lbs. I have the side bolsters at their widest setting, and I just about fit. “But what about the taller, larger, wider folks,” you ask? Zero F’s given. One could literally imagine designers at BMW replying, “Do people taller than 6 feet fit into a Formula 1 car? Nope. So, deal with it.” And I love it! It almost feels like they got tired of trying to please everyone and finally built the car they really wanted to build!

The story continues in the performance department. Like I said before, the Audi felt safe and stable even though it was ridiculously fast. When you smashed the throttle, it happily obliged, safely pushing your head back to the seat. But you were always left missing something, yearning back for something more. I finally figured out what that was when I got into this M3. And yet again, it is that drama! The RS5 felt like a regular human that had a secret superpower of going fast, and it tried its best to hide that superpower. It wanted to be safe and stable. It felt most at home in comfort mode but was occasionally happy to take you on thrill rides. The M3 on the other hand feels most at home when it is revving hard, turning fast, and making crazy exhaust noises. You try to drive it slowly and the gearbox gets all moody on you. It wants to go, all the time. You feel like the car mocks you every time you press anything that reads “comfort.” It’s edgier, stiffer, sharper and way faster! If the RS5 was a wolf in sheep’s clothing, the M3 is a wolf, forget any clothing to disguise anything – it is a wolf and wants to be a wolf, all the freaking time! I had the F82 M4 and it gave me sort of a similar feeling. But it also wanted to kill me all the time, esp. when it was wet. The G80 has grip for days. You must push hard to get the tail out. It will happily do it, but you will have to really tell it that you want it to do it. Even then, you always feel in control. But regardless of how you drive it, you just cannot stop smiling in this car. I have gone from the 2015 M4 to 2018 C63S to 2015 M6 to 2019 RS5 on to this one. And this is the best of one of the lot, by a VERY LONG WAY!

Many years ago, I wrote a review of my M235i. That review did fairly well and made it to the front page of Bimmerpost. I compared that car to my one-year-old German Shepherd, saying how raw and puppy-like it was. My guy is 8 years old now, but I think it is still fitting to make that comparison – he is loyal and sweet, but should you underestimate him, he is 100 pounds pure mischief raring to go! And that is exactly what this car is!

Say whatever you may about the design, I think BMW wanted this car to stand out in every aspect – looks, luxury, technology, and performance – and in that sense, I think they have knocked it out of the park! So, if you are one of those sitting and complaining about the grill, I hear you, I have been there. But just do yourself a favor and take one for a spin. I cannot guarantee that you will change your mind, but I will promise you that you will have one hell of a test drive… and maybe you will get the philosophy behind what this car wants to be. I did, so much so, that I bought it in the brightest color out of any car I have ever owned – Toronto Red. I think it fits this gem of a hooligan pretty well.

Cheers and thank you for reading. Hope you enjoy the dynamic shades of Toronto Red under various lighting conditions.









Nice writeup. Would love to meet up sometime and see this thing in person!
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      04-29-2021, 10:26 PM   #50
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Gorgeous and love the color!
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      04-29-2021, 10:31 PM   #51
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AllaVodka View Post
Great review.

I just have a hard time swallowing the price. I'm a huge Porche fan, and I just find it too close to used 911 territory.
You can get a good M3 Comp build without any extra unnecessary package for around 75K. I think that's decent price, and way below a new 911.
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      04-29-2021, 10:32 PM   #52
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Great post...very entertaining and love the analogies. Congrats on the car!
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      04-29-2021, 10:32 PM   #53
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Peertwelve View Post
Thanks for the great review. I was turned off by the styling initially, but will head downtown for a peek soon. Great photos! Is that the MS Commons?
RedWest parking and in front of 87 (I think).
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      04-29-2021, 10:35 PM   #54
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan View Post
Let me just say that this is one of my favorite reviews on the car........not because the review is in favor of the G8X, but because of the theater and drama of the story telling. I think you hit the nail on the head.

Beautiful car BTW!
Thank you! Looks are always subjective. My decision to buy or not buy a car has always been 75% dependent on how it makes me feel.
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      04-29-2021, 10:36 PM   #55
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cfm56d7b View Post
Great review, written from a driver's perspective - the most important perspective.

"they have knocked it out of the park!" is conclusive enough.

PS. Your car in Toronto Red warrants a certificate of appreciation from Canadian government. Looks fantastic.
This color fits the car's personality so well. Believe it or not, every car I've owned before this has been black, white or some shade of grey.
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      04-29-2021, 10:40 PM   #56
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Quote:
Originally Posted by M2PDX View Post
Beautiful color!

The proof about how people feel will be reflected in sales #s. Many U.S. dealers have a dozen or more unsold M3/4s sitting on their lots gathering dust. I've gotten calls from 3 different dealers offering a "smoking" deal. Remember: this is a brand new, high performance car. It should be SOLD OUT and have a waiting list. But the front end design is driving a lot of BMW owners away.
That's crazy! I had the opposite experience in the Seattle area. Dealers at a bunch of cars on their website, you'd show up and they were all either sold or pre-sold and they weren't even too keen on taking orders. PDX area had it marked up a few % over MSRP. I was lucky to get a few grand off this one, likely because TR isn't a very popular color and mins has all the options that perhaps makes this build a little too expensive for an M3.

Maybe it's a different story in places like California?
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      04-29-2021, 10:41 PM   #57
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Quote:
Originally Posted by f32_027 View Post
obviously OP is a pro at writing.
English minor
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      04-29-2021, 10:43 PM   #58
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bullish657 View Post
What about the torque converter automatic gearbox? Is that good? 😆
It's actually pretty good. Maybe I've gotten a bit used to it coming from the RS5, but it's very linear and sifts very fast. I remember how jerky and frantic (and even brutal) my F82 used to be, so much so, that it upset the car's poise. Not on this one.
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      04-29-2021, 10:46 PM   #59
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SYT_Shadow View Post
Great writeup, thank you for posting it!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Germanauto View Post
Congrats. Yours looks great.

M3s, on top of that M3s in loud colours, are extremely rare in the Seattle area. I'm sure I'll spot yours at some point.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ShockArrival View Post
Great read man and thanks for sharing! The TR looks friggin goooood!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Anderw View Post
Congrats! Great write up, Pictures don't do the G80 justice, definitely has a presence in person
Quote:
Originally Posted by F80DK View Post
Thx for sharing this. I am glad to hear many folks are changing their minds about this model. I wish BMW much success, so they will continue pushing boundaries - technically as aestetically.

Cheers from Denmark.

PS: June 14th at Nürburgring BMW driving lesson - in the exact same car. Excited!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Takumi587 View Post
Congrats and I felt the same way seeing it in person. When they had the UDE here in SoCal I got to see the new M3 and M4.

Can’t wait to hop inside one to drive though.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan View Post
Let me just say that this is one of my favorite reviews on the car........not because the review is in favor of the G8X, but because of the theater and drama of the story telling. I think you hit the nail on the head.

Beautiful car BTW!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jason60051 View Post
Brilliant write up…things like this keep me coming back to this site/app. Thank you for posting and enjoy that gorgeous car!
Quote:
Originally Posted by NewDirection View Post
I really appreciated this post. I recently had to choose between which of my two cars, a 2018 A4 6MT and a 2008 135i 6MT Vert to keep and which to sell. I sold the BMW partially because a 6MT A4 of this generation is becoming very rare.

But although the A4 is a "better" car in every measurable way, including acceleration, it lacks the DRAMA the 1 had. It was simply more enjoyable to drive, and although I feel like I "should" like the A4 better, I do wonder whether I sold the right car...

Well, now waiting for the M3 facelift or the M4 convertible if it comes in manual.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MHF30 View Post
Looks Great! Grille included.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JRock80 View Post
I must say, I've commented on a few post regarding the looks of this generation M3/M4 - mostly negative

Positives - specs, options/ features!!!

However, I have to appreciate your honesty related to your own experience. Now I'm afraid to swing by the dealership near me for a test drive - like you, I may fall in love despite the hideous looks.

Congrats BTW - enjoy your new toy!
Quote:
Originally Posted by TigahRouge View Post
Congratulations...I am happy with TR as well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by roho3323 View Post
Great post...very entertaining and love the analogies. Congrats on the car!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
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      04-29-2021, 10:47 PM   #60
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Quote:
Originally Posted by floating.spirit View Post
Wow, u should be a salesman. Makes me want one now, despite the nose. Nice pix!
Plot twist: I am a BMW salesman. JK
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      04-30-2021, 12:03 AM   #61
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Congratulations, but that grill... I saw in person but still not used to it.
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      04-30-2021, 05:05 AM   #62
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What a great write up with some real perspective, particularly given your ability to compare and contrast with recent ownership experiences of other models including direct competitors.

I also have just seen both the new M3 and M4 in person for the first time last weekend and I have to say, although I didn't drive it, it defintely left me itchy for when my F82 lease is up! I saw an IOMG M3 Comp and TB II M4 Comp and really liked both colours, although I have to say that TR is really growing on me.

As for the grills, I for one was in the postitive camp from day one and having seen them in person now, they really work for me. It definitely makes my F82 look a bit old hat, even though I do still enjoy the lines of it.

I'm now in a position where I'm considering do I spend a roughly equivalent amount of money on monthly payments for a G82 or do I go M8 Comp (which fall into the same monthly price bracket on a BMW lease). What to do?
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      04-30-2021, 06:15 AM   #63
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Quote:
Originally Posted by naywa01 View Post

I'm now in a position where I'm considering do I spend a roughly equivalent amount of money on monthly payments for a G82 or do I go M8 Comp (which fall into the same monthly price bracket on a BMW lease). What to do?
Drive both, the answer should come.
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      04-30-2021, 07:34 AM   #64
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Appreciate your perspective, especially as I've been very tempted by the RS5 recently. The Toronto red looks absolutely fantastic!
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      04-30-2021, 09:08 AM   #65
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Quote:
Originally Posted by utsavized View Post
I grew up loving the M3, the E46 being my dream car. It still is. However, I spent a good portion of 2020 livid at BMW for ruining my favorite car – obnoxious grills, ridiculous amounts of sharp edges and those tacky fake side vents. When I initially bought my RS5 in early 2020, I wanted to try something different. But I felt like I had broken my long-kept allegiance with the ///M brand. There was always this hint of guilt lurking somewhere behind, especially every time I saw the RS5 parked right under the giant ///M flag I had so proudly adorned over my garage door. However, with the crazy direction BMW took with its design language, I started feeling good about the Audi – it was safe, stable, and unsuspectingly fast – no drama whatsoever.

Then on a fateful Saturday about a month ago, I was bored and decided to kill time trying out the new M3. “Let’s take a look at how much air those nostrils can breathe in,” I joked with my wife on my way to the dealership. I pulled over my RS5 and there it was, parked front and center, an M3 Competition. It took all of 5 seconds to realize just how gorgeous this car looks in person, and just as quickly, I also realized what this car has what the RS5 simply did not – drama.

Say what you will about the grill, it is not there to look pretty. It does not even try to. This car’s entire jam is theatre. Eye-popping colors, angled headlights, sharp edges, fire-breathing nostrils, over accentuated and very pronounced splitter, side skirts, diffuser, and rear arches … and let me stress that again, it is really not there to look pretty, the whole damn thing is an event, a pantomime! We wanted a car that James Bond would drive, but BMW gave us one that Duke Nukem would, you know, the kind that you drive when you want to kick ass and chew bubble gum? And that I think is pure badassery. *SLOW CLAP FOR BMW*

And that intention shows everywhere. Let us start with the interior. Audis have amazing interiors, and I thought no different of my RS5. It was pretty, with thsse horizontal lines running across the entire dash. It was seamless. It was perfect, almost clinical. All that is a good thing, right? Yes… until you hop inside the M3, esp. one with the carbon pack with those insane bucket seats. It immediately makes “perfect” and “clinical” sound boring. While the RS5 felt like it was carefully crafted by engineers using their precise rulers, the M3’s interior feels like it was molded with play dough, by 5-year-olds with only one thing in mind – making you feel like a 5-year-old as well. It wraps around you, even the instrument cluster is angled up perfectly so that no matter where you sit, the steering wheel never blocks it. The gauges are crazy, too. Even though I do prefer the classic round dials, I understand why it is the way it is. The bucket seats look aggressive, they yell at you, “Hey look, this is a serious bit of kit this car!” But for some reason, it does not feel over-the-top in this car. I am 5’8” 165 lbs. I have the side bolsters at their widest setting, and I just about fit. “But what about the taller, larger, wider folks,” you ask? Zero F’s given. One could literally imagine designers at BMW replying, “Do people taller than 6 feet fit into a Formula 1 car? Nope. So, deal with it.” And I love it! It almost feels like they got tired of trying to please everyone and finally built the car they really wanted to build!

The story continues in the performance department. Like I said before, the Audi felt safe and stable even though it was ridiculously fast. When you smashed the throttle, it happily obliged, safely pushing your head back to the seat. But you were always left missing something, yearning back for something more. I finally figured out what that was when I got into this M3. And yet again, it is that drama! The RS5 felt like a regular human that had a secret superpower of going fast, and it tried its best to hide that superpower. It wanted to be safe and stable. It felt most at home in comfort mode but was occasionally happy to take you on thrill rides. The M3 on the other hand feels most at home when it is revving hard, turning fast, and making crazy exhaust noises. You try to drive it slowly and the gearbox gets all moody on you. It wants to go, all the time. You feel like the car mocks you every time you press anything that reads “comfort.” It’s edgier, stiffer, sharper and way faster! If the RS5 was a wolf in sheep’s clothing, the M3 is a wolf, forget any clothing to disguise anything – it is a wolf and wants to be a wolf, all the freaking time! I had the F82 M4 and it gave me sort of a similar feeling. But it also wanted to kill me all the time, esp. when it was wet. The G80 has grip for days. You must push hard to get the tail out. It will happily do it, but you will have to really tell it that you want it to do it. Even then, you always feel in control. But regardless of how you drive it, you just cannot stop smiling in this car. I have gone from the 2015 M4 to 2018 C63S to 2015 M6 to 2019 RS5 on to this one. And this is the best of one of the lot, by a VERY LONG WAY!

Many years ago, I wrote a review of my M235i. That review did fairly well and made it to the front page of Bimmerpost. I compared that car to my one-year-old German Shepherd, saying how raw and puppy-like it was. My guy is 8 years old now, but I think it is still fitting to make that comparison – he is loyal and sweet, but should you underestimate him, he is 100 pounds pure mischief raring to go! And that is exactly what this car is!

Say whatever you may about the design, I think BMW wanted this car to stand out in every aspect – looks, luxury, technology, and performance – and in that sense, I think they have knocked it out of the park! So, if you are one of those sitting and complaining about the grill, I hear you, I have been there. But just do yourself a favor and take one for a spin. I cannot guarantee that you will change your mind, but I will promise you that you will have one hell of a test drive… and maybe you will get the philosophy behind what this car wants to be. I did, so much so, that I bought it in the brightest color out of any car I have ever owned – Toronto Red. I think it fits this gem of a hooligan pretty well.

Cheers and thank you for reading. Hope you enjoy the dynamic shades of Toronto Red under various lighting conditions.









Couldn't have said it any better. I love mine and although mine is IOMG (green is my favorite color), that TR is a beast also. When people ask me how is it to drive, I'll gladly copy and paste your post because you summed it up perfectly. The car is not for everyone, and that is okay, but there is no denying, it turns heads, good or bad. And, that's what I love about it. Whether you hate it or love, you looked! GREAT WRITE UP!
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      04-30-2021, 10:02 AM   #66
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It's a wolf no disguise 👏🏾
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