Discussion
Thought I d start a proper thread on my F80 M3. I ve had a fair mix of bikes and cars over the years, but at 2 years of ownership this is the longest I ve kept a fun vehicle.
Why the F80?
The brief was something that could handle occasional family duties (when the family car is in use), but still feel genuinely engaging to drive and not lacking in performance.
Before landing on the M3, I owned a C63, FL5 Type R, and B9.5 RS4. Each had its strengths, but none quite nailed the balance.
The M3 sits right in the middle. It s no Lotus Elise, but it s far more involving than the RS4, while still being practical enough to live with day-to-day. Pre OPF, DCT, carbon driveshaft all help bring it to life even on mundane journeys.
F-series cars have now dropped into a price bracket where a lot are being modified, abused, or generally not cherished. Interestingly, that seems to be helping values of clean, standard cars. Mine is a fairly standard, unmodified example, and over the last two years it s actually seen a slight uptick in value. Space permitting, I d like this to be a long-term keeper.
Having owned four F-series cars covering over 200k miles combined, I seem to have developed a weird affinity for the platform. When the F80 M3 launched in my late 20s, it was always a bit of a dream car - so this one feels like a long time coming!
Ownership & Maintenance
It hasn t been completely trouble-free. A mix of minor fixes and one more notable issue:
Driver Seat Bolster Wear
At around 33k miles, the outer bolster was starting to show wear and light cracking - pretty common on these.
I used a Colourlock BMW-matched leather restoration kit, which did a great job bringing back a consistent finish. Definitely worth doing early before it worsens.
Screen Washer Hose Failure
Simple and inexpensive fix - quick replacement and sorted.
Rear Light Wiring Loom Failure
A more unusual one. The rear passage light wiring loom failed, which took some diagnosing. Luckily, a friend who s an auto electrician was able to build a replacement loom. Not the cheapest fix given the time involved, but properly sorted now.
Exhaust Camshaft Issue (Warranty)
This was the big one.
Around 12 months into ownership, I noticed a new ticking noise on startup (the S55 is uncultured at the best of times).
Turns out this is a known issue caused by insufficient torque from factory on the exhaust cam carrier. Over time it becomes misaligned.
Thankfully, mine was caught early and covered under warranty. BMW replaced Exhaust cam, Injectors, and PCV valve.
Thankful the warranty gods were on my side.
Current State & What s Next
I ve recently learned the hard way that leaving a car sitting dirty over summer, especially with sandy rain residue, is not a great idea.
The paint has gone from looking great to being covered in etching, so it s now booked in for a paint correction to try and bring it back. More updates to come on that
Due to a young family, I ve not had the chance to do any track days or a proper road trip. I m hoping to make some time this year. I enjoy each drive, but need to spend some time closer to the limit before drawing any conclusions.
Shiny .
GTS steering wheel, don t enjoy the gurth of standard BMW wheels. This makes a big difference, it s basically a GTS now
Exposed engine on route to exhaust cam replacement.
The poor paint
Why the F80?
The brief was something that could handle occasional family duties (when the family car is in use), but still feel genuinely engaging to drive and not lacking in performance.
Before landing on the M3, I owned a C63, FL5 Type R, and B9.5 RS4. Each had its strengths, but none quite nailed the balance.
The M3 sits right in the middle. It s no Lotus Elise, but it s far more involving than the RS4, while still being practical enough to live with day-to-day. Pre OPF, DCT, carbon driveshaft all help bring it to life even on mundane journeys.
F-series cars have now dropped into a price bracket where a lot are being modified, abused, or generally not cherished. Interestingly, that seems to be helping values of clean, standard cars. Mine is a fairly standard, unmodified example, and over the last two years it s actually seen a slight uptick in value. Space permitting, I d like this to be a long-term keeper.
Having owned four F-series cars covering over 200k miles combined, I seem to have developed a weird affinity for the platform. When the F80 M3 launched in my late 20s, it was always a bit of a dream car - so this one feels like a long time coming!
Ownership & Maintenance
It hasn t been completely trouble-free. A mix of minor fixes and one more notable issue:
Driver Seat Bolster Wear
At around 33k miles, the outer bolster was starting to show wear and light cracking - pretty common on these.
I used a Colourlock BMW-matched leather restoration kit, which did a great job bringing back a consistent finish. Definitely worth doing early before it worsens.
Screen Washer Hose Failure
Simple and inexpensive fix - quick replacement and sorted.
Rear Light Wiring Loom Failure
A more unusual one. The rear passage light wiring loom failed, which took some diagnosing. Luckily, a friend who s an auto electrician was able to build a replacement loom. Not the cheapest fix given the time involved, but properly sorted now.
Exhaust Camshaft Issue (Warranty)
This was the big one.
Around 12 months into ownership, I noticed a new ticking noise on startup (the S55 is uncultured at the best of times).
Turns out this is a known issue caused by insufficient torque from factory on the exhaust cam carrier. Over time it becomes misaligned.
Thankfully, mine was caught early and covered under warranty. BMW replaced Exhaust cam, Injectors, and PCV valve.
Thankful the warranty gods were on my side.
Current State & What s Next
I ve recently learned the hard way that leaving a car sitting dirty over summer, especially with sandy rain residue, is not a great idea.
The paint has gone from looking great to being covered in etching, so it s now booked in for a paint correction to try and bring it back. More updates to come on that
Due to a young family, I ve not had the chance to do any track days or a proper road trip. I m hoping to make some time this year. I enjoy each drive, but need to spend some time closer to the limit before drawing any conclusions.
Shiny .
GTS steering wheel, don t enjoy the gurth of standard BMW wheels. This makes a big difference, it s basically a GTS now
Exposed engine on route to exhaust cam replacement.
The poor paint
Edited by JAMSXR on Tuesday 17th March 21:57
Few more shots after the paint correction.
The small amount of rain we ve had recently justified the work, in particular the PPF. Pollen and rain residue is so bloody visible on this paint.
Front parking sensor has gone, obviously got too wet during the PPF install. Should be covered under warranty.
Car is almost spot on, however, needs a new driver side lens as either there s a small crack or the seal has gone. Water ingress isn t too bad unless the car is drenched with a hose.
I like clear glass but the tint works well against the orange to my eyes…
The rear M badge has gone, much prefer the cleaner look..
The small amount of rain we ve had recently justified the work, in particular the PPF. Pollen and rain residue is so bloody visible on this paint.
Front parking sensor has gone, obviously got too wet during the PPF install. Should be covered under warranty.
Car is almost spot on, however, needs a new driver side lens as either there s a small crack or the seal has gone. Water ingress isn t too bad unless the car is drenched with a hose.
I like clear glass but the tint works well against the orange to my eyes…
The rear M badge has gone, much prefer the cleaner look..
Emptygarage said:
Still a bucket list car for me, love the colour and spec.
How did you find the FL5?
Great steer, but wasn’t special enough as a weekend car and didn’t quite hit the mark as an occasional daily. How did you find the FL5?
Build quality was pretty poor, crap horn, stereo, reversing camera, window seals wouldn’t clear rain water, engine was muted, and mine suffered from the sticky steering issue that Honda have finally addressed.
The chassis and gearbox did a good job of making up for a lot of its shortcomings, but it wasn’t a keeper for me.
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