[TJR_///M3]

Attended the event in Tampa yesterday.
Frankly, a disappointment.
Support people were friendly but not super knowledgeable.
Drive route was hopeless - less than 4 miles and only involved right turns at stop lights and straight road in a high traffic area.
Multiple XM’s were available, a single i4M50 and a 23 M3 Comp. (Another i4 may have been on charge but I didn’t see one).
It was a Friday, but there were very few people attending. No lines, no waits.

XM Impression
It’s big!
There were some interesting color combo’s, most of which looked gaudy given the grill treatment, but the white and black one looked pretty good - much better than the photos I had seen.
Given the drive route, it really woudn’t be fair to offer anything other than a cursory performance assessment. For such a heavy vehicle, however, the chassis control and responsiveness was amazing. It did not drive like a heavy, high CoG vehicle at all. The few acceleration events I was able to perform (not from a standing start due to traffic) were good but not exceptional.
Bottom line - OK, but really not sure why it exists as the only dedicated ‘M’ product…. why not do a true M1 successor if you want halo???

i4M50
I had previously driven one on the autocross at a UDE event, but not on the road.
Straight line performance was very impressive.
Brakes way too over assisted - much too easy to invoke ABS.
If you think the steering is numb on G8x, this is another notch down.
For me, it was not a stimulating experience - the car felt like it had no soul, just clinically efficient.
The worst part? The piped in sound (which I couldn’t find how to turn off) was cringeworthy.

I didn’t drive the M3 as I was driving mine home.

The most interesting takeaway?
I was OK with the iD8 in both vehicles (and they both had HUD), not offended but not a ‘wow’ moment. But… when I got back into my car (with iD7) my immediate impression was ‘oh! - this looks old’. This genuinely surprised me.

[LuckyBrand]

I am really interested in how many of these XM's there going to sell? Especially at the price point there at and the competition you can cross shop.

[kjx]

Originally Posted by TJR_///M3

Brakes way too over assisted - much too easy to invoke ABS.

It being too easy to invoke ABS is a sign of the weight of the car overpowering the tires too. The brakes are probably set up to try and hide the weight as much as possible.

It's over 1000 lbs heavier than the M3 - nearly 30% heavier, and people consider the M3 a heavy car. About 42% more than the F80.

[hubbahubba]

I attended the event in Chandler AZ a couple weeks ago. My drive order was XM, I4, M3. I really only cared to drive the M3, but the wait was long. My slot was following a nice fellow, and we chatted a bit between rides. When he got out of the M3, he said "Don't get in." I got in. New order awaiting production was the result. Marketing works.

I will agree with the OP, the event did not appear very well organized.

[BGM-M3COMP]

I guess i won't be going to the tour next month. Sounds shitty.

Really wanted to drive the I4 M50.

[hubbahubba]

Originally Posted by BGM-M3COMP

I guess i won't be going to the tour next month. Sounds shitty.

Really wanted to drive the I4 M50.

If it goes as it did for me, and if that's what you want to drive, you will get right in and then you can leave. They will ask you what you want to drive. If that's all I wanted to drive I could have been done in half an hour, or maybe less.