[W///]

To be honest, I've always loved the way the E39 M5's look, but never preferred them to an E9x M3. I think in terms of replacements though, the G80 might fit the bill pretty well for that car.

I'm very glad we're starting to see more reviews of the F87 vs G80/2. While they're not direct competitors, I still like seeing the differences in steering and S55 vs S58. I don't have a need for a 4 door, but if I did, the G80 kind of stands on its own, which is great as a 6MT is more or less a prerequisite for me. The next car for me will be either be a G87 or F87, but I'll throw the G80 into the mix too.

[frankiebones]

This is an incredible review and is appreciated.

I was very accustomed to PS4S on my base F80. When my CS came with PSS I did my best to burn em off in about 7k miles before making the switch. Even then, they had plenty of tread left.

[frankiebones]

Originally Posted by dgm3

Great review...bar the typical nonsense on the tires

Somewhat rude remark after he took the time to write such an in depth review for our community.

[bri1042]

Originally Posted by frankiebones

Somewhat rude remark after he took the time to write such an in depth review for our community.

Eh, it's OK. He may be right, it may be nonsense. I would have LIKED to have had the PS4S's, but I kinda like testing different tires (I went a bit overboard with it on my M2C), so I'm OK with beating up the Pirelli's for a while.

[frankiebones]

Originally Posted by bri1042

Eh, it's OK. He may be right, it may be nonsense. I would have LIKED to have had the PS4S's, but I kinda like testing different tires (I went a bit overboard with it on my M2C), so I'm OK with beating up the Pirelli's for a while.

A little common courtesy goes along way. We all love this brand, we are all brothers and sisters in that respect.

[dgm3]

Originally Posted by frankiebones

Somewhat rude remark after he took the time to write such an in depth review for our community.

Apologies if this felt rude , my command of English (not my mother language) isn't that good... but imagine the following discussion :

BMW engineer 1 : so proud about our developements, handling of this (heavy) G80 M3 is absolutely outstanding
BMW engineer 2 : you're right, nearly too good... Do our customers deserve that ? Especially our US customers who pay at least 20%less for this car than in any other country ?
BMW engineer 1 : have an idea... let's try to ruin that great handling balance by putting crap tires on 50% of the cars going to this market
BMW engineer 2 : you're a genius... I suggest those miserable Pirelli tires often specified as OE tires on crap Ferrari/Lambo or even used in F1

Does that make any sense ?

[secretariat]

OP How tall are you? Any thoughts on the electric emergency brake instead of the handheld one? Also did you try sitting in the back seat, very tight? Enough room? Thanks very nice write up.

[frankiebones]

Originally Posted by dgm3

Apologies if this felt rude , my command of English (not my mother language) isn't that good... but imagine the following discussion :

BMW engineer 1 : so proud about our developements, handling of this (heavy) G80 M3 is absolutely outstanding
BMW engineer 2 : you're right, nearly too good... Do our customers deserve that ? Especially our US customers who pay at least 20%less for this car than in any other country ?
BMW engineer 1 : have an idea... let's try to ruin that great handling balance by putting crap tires on 50% of the cars going to this market
BMW engineer 2 : you're a genius... I suggest those miserable Pirelli tires often specified as OE tires on crap Ferrari/Lambo or even used in F1

Does that make any sense ?

It does make sense except for the part where you blame us for paying 20% less. That's a function of the relative tax in European countries vs. the US.

You are ignoring any marketing arrangements that would make tire choice something OTHER than a performance-based decision.

I believe taxation in excess of 50% of an individual's income is theft (not to be too political). I appreciate you taking the time to respond. I did not realize English was not your first language.

[bri1042]

Originally Posted by secretariat

OP How tall are you? Any thoughts on the electric emergency brake instead of the handheld one? Also did you try sitting in the back seat, very tight? Enough room? Thanks very nice write up.

I'm 5'11-ish, and not particularly wide. At the moment. Telework hasn't helped in that regard.

I have a weird dislike of electric e-brakes. Even more in this car. Now that I'm back with a manual, it feels utterly strange to not yank the parking brake when I'm turning the car off. Pulling the switch up is just not the same thing. That being said, the likelihood of me ever pulling a hand-brake turn again is pretty low. I'll live.

Back seat room seems just fine, I sat "behind myself" for sec and there was plenty of room.

[phunky_monkey]

Fantastic write up, thanks so much for sharing your experience and going so in depth about what brought you to this point.

[dgm3]

Originally Posted by frankiebones

It does make sense except for the part where you blame us for paying 20% less. That's a function of the relative tax in European countries vs. the US.

You are ignoring any marketing arrangements that would make tire choice something OTHER than a performance-based decision.

I believe taxation in excess of 50% of an individual's income is theft (not to be too political). I appreciate you taking the time to respond. I did not realize English was not your first language.

Was teasing, not blaming, you regarding the price ...You lucky guys ! Please note however that the price for BMW cars in the US are lower than in EU even without any tax consideration. Based on the EU price without any tax a base G80 M3 should be around 83k dollars in the US. EU taxes obviously futher increase the gap, mainly VAT ( typically between 17&25 %) and first registration or equivalent tax. The latter tax however massively differs from country to country, for example 0 Euro in Luxembourg and 30K Euro in France for such a car (will be 50K in France in 2023 )

Back to the tires...people need to differentiate an OE tire and a replacement tire. The PS4S specified as OE tire on the M3/M4 is likely significantly different than the replacement tire that some have already experience with, even though they look identical. A simple tread compound change can make a massive difference in dry/wet performance or other. At the OE level BMW set the objectives and will only approve manufacturers meeting them. So I am pretty sure that Pirelli (or any other manufacturer they would have approved) will deliver very similar performance to the Michelin tire.
It's funny that despite legitimate doubts due to the weight/auto transmission (for the comp.) many were saying don't judge the new car until you have tested it ... while for the tires without any reason (other than I guess past bad experience) and without any test drive many are claiming that anything other than Michelin will be crap.

By the way on the replacement tire side EU car magazines, especially German, which are running extensive tire testing comparisons often declare Conti or Goodyear as test winner for winter tires. For summer tires it tends to be the latest release of one of the major manufacturer which is crowned.

[Scorp!on]

Originally Posted by dgm3

Back to the tires...people need to differentiate an OE tire and a replacement tire. The PS4S specified as OE tire on the M3/M4 is likely significantly different than the replacement tire that some have already experience with, even though they look identical. A simple tread compound change can make a massive difference in dry/wet performance or other. At the OE level BMW set the objectives and will only approve manufacturers meeting them. So I am pretty sure that Pirelli (or any other manufacturer they would have approved) will deliver very similar performance to the Michelin tire.
It's funny that despite legitimate doubts due to the weight/auto transmission (for the comp.) many were saying don't judge the new car until you have tested it ... while for the tires without any reason (other than I guess past bad experience) and without any test drive many are claiming that anything other than Michelin will be crap.

By the way on the replacement tire side EU car magazines, especially German, which are running extensive tire testing comparisons often declare Conti or Goodyear as test winner for winter tires. For summer tires it tends to be the latest release of one of the major manufacturer which is crowned.

While you sure are right with what you write ask yourself following question:
how come EVERY press car has fitted the Michelin?

[bri1042]

Originally Posted by Scorp!on

While you sure are right with what you write ask yourself following question:
how come EVERY press car has fitted the Michelin?

Might not be remotely intentional. Car companies have supplies delivered from vendors CONSTANTLY and it's very complicated. They may have specified x-number of cars as press vehicles and set them to be built between x and y dates...and the tires that were delivered to the factory for THAT batch happened to be Michelins. If they had chosen the next week for the press batch, they might have been all on Pirelli's.

Or they did it on purpose. Hard to say.

[admranger]

Originally Posted by bri1042

Or they did it on purpose. Hard to say.

This is the internet. I thought it was standard to have the "assign nefarious intent" button super glued down.

[bri1042]

Originally Posted by admranger

This is the internet. I thought it was standard to have the "assign nefarious intent" button super glued down.

I spilled coffee on mine. It's malfunctioning.

[Sedan_Clan]

Great review! Enjoy the car. It's gonna be great.

[JWG80M3]

Thank you. I read your whole post with a lot of curiosity and excitement. I'm scheduled to receive a M3 6MT in July, and I am both excited for it and nervous. This is my first ever BMW.

Like you I grew up with a manual transmission, and have only gone with an AT in my own cars when I couldn't avoid it. I've wanted a BMW M3 since I was a kid. I had an opportunity to buy a BMW 3-Series in 2004 but opted for a Volvo S60 R because I could afford the S60 R while I couldn't afford anything other than the base 3-Series at the time. I loved the S60 R while I had it, but sold it when I had to move to up-state NY for work and opted for a Dodge 1500.

Since the Dodge, I've owned a mix of Subarus and Jeeps. I currently own a 2018 Jeep Rubicon 6MT as my daily driver, and my weekend adventure vehicle. I'm not an "off-roader" but I do take it out for camping and hiking, occasionally towing a tear-drop camper. As my Rubicon is a great vehicle, I'm not parting with it; and, when I finally settle down a bit, I plan to use it for "over landing" trips to get away.

I'm fortunate enough that in acquiring the BMW M3, I get to do so while living in Germany for the next two years. I'm greatly looking forward to the opportunity to get back to driving a sports sedan and am even more connected to it as a result of my extended family being from Germany. My great uncle retired after 30+ years and achieving "foreman" status at one of the BMW auto plants.

That all said, I'd being lying if I didn't say I'm nervous to transition from a series of Jeeps and Subarus to such a powerful and different platform. Thank you again for sharing your thoughts and impressions of this car.

[PhJ]

bri1042,
Thanks a lot for this very nice and informative write up.

[Pantagathus]

Originally Posted by bri1042

I'm 5'11-ish, and not particularly wide. At the moment. Telework hasn't helped in that regard.

I have a weird dislike of electric e-brakes. Even more in this car. Now that I'm back with a manual, it feels utterly strange to not yank the parking brake when I'm turning the car off. Pulling the switch up is just not the same thing. That being said, the likelihood of me ever pulling a hand-brake turn again is pretty low. I'll live.

Back seat room seems just fine, I sat "behind myself" for sec and there was plenty of room.

I totally agree with this. There are a couple of times I've actually forgotten to put the electric brake on after stopping the car. I get why they did it and I don't mind, I'm just not used to it with a manual

[dgm3]

Originally Posted by Scorp!on

While you sure are right with what you write ask yourself following question:
how come EVERY press car has fitted the Michelin?

I believe that Michelin has been approved first and is the main supplier for the 19/20 combo. First batches of cars which include press cars have all been fitted with Michelin tires. Alternate supplier (Pirelli here) only come in a second phase when car production is ramping up.

[jonahk]

Excellent write-up. This is the first post I read on the G80 forums and coming from an OG M2 it really hits the sweet spot. I think my only difference is that I LOVE the DCT in the OG M2 (I have't driven an M2C). The ZF8 in the G80 was my biggest concern before the test drive.

Having spent a little over an hour in the G80 on all types of roads I will say it doesn't feel as "connected" as the DCT did. It's not longer "manual with a computer controlled left pedal" it's definitely an automatic. However I got used it pretty fast and learning the rpm range to keep the car in for max torque on demand was easy.

When my wife and I got back in my M2 I was extra conscious of her head bouncing off the headrest on shifts with the DCT. That didn't happen at all with the ZF8 and is part of the reason she wants me to upgrade.

I feel ya on the r/bmw anxiety tho... that place is brutal

[Moflow]

Yeah, this is a great writeup for any of us that have an F87 who are kind of curious about the G80.

I think i'm used to the nose at this point. I'll never like it, but "looks" are REALLY low down on the list of things I care about in a car. I'm happy to drive something (i find) mildly ugly if it drives awesome and has a nice interior.