RE: BMW M3 Competition (G80) | PH Used Buying Guide
Discussion
I’m an absolute BMW nut, and this is the first generation that (price aside) I haven’t rushed out to get one of. My dad actually has a G82 M4 in Toronto red and even though I can use it when I want to, I just don’t really grab the opertunity.
I’ve had 4 of the F8x generation, and I still think they are brilliant machines. Dare I say under appreciated. Their current problem is they are into the eBay carbon and remap phase of their depreciation curve.
Here’s mine, all OEM, including the suspension kit. Individual inside and out. I adore it.
No I’m not parked in a disabled bay before anyways says.
I’ve had 4 of the F8x generation, and I still think they are brilliant machines. Dare I say under appreciated. Their current problem is they are into the eBay carbon and remap phase of their depreciation curve.
Here’s mine, all OEM, including the suspension kit. Individual inside and out. I adore it.
No I’m not parked in a disabled bay before anyways says.
cerb4.5lee said:
DB77 said:
cerb4.5lee said:
I'd take my Caterham over this all day long for sure, all day everyday.
The point of M3s and similar cars is that you get a balance between practicality and enjoyment. It doesn’t excel at either the way a more dedicated car would, but there is an argument to be made for the combination.
I have a ‘fun’ car which also can be used for daily duties. But - when I travel to our house in the Yorkshire Dales I have to take 3 people, plus dog, plus luggage. I can’t do that in a 2 seater, which means I have a large, very heavy, un-fun car when I am near some great driving roads. I am considering an m3 Touring as a good compromise - from my testing it is the best handling / most enjoyable estate car and it will allow me to transport all I need to and then have some fun while I am there.
BlackandWhite said:
Saloon cars are not boring because they are saloon cars.
They kind of are. The things that make them good family transport are the things that make them bad drivers cars.Weight, weight distribution, centre of gravity, suspension type and geometry, choice of engine and layout, materials used, steering system etc.
I loved my M3 but it was a PoS to drive on track compared to a Caterfield or similar.
BlackandWhite said:
cerb4.5lee said:
DB77 said:
cerb4.5lee said:
I'd take my Caterham over this all day long for sure, all day everyday.
The point of M3s and similar cars is that you get a balance between practicality and enjoyment. It doesn’t excel at either the way a more dedicated car would, but there is an argument to be made for the combination.
I have a ‘fun’ car which also can be used for daily duties. But - when I travel to our house in the Yorkshire Dales I have to take 3 people, plus dog, plus luggage. I can’t do that in a 2 seater, which means I have a large, very heavy, un-fun car when I am near some great driving roads. I am considering an m3 Touring as a good compromise - from my testing it is the best handling / most enjoyable estate car and it will allow me to transport all I need to and then have some fun while I am there.
That is just the way I see it anyway, and other folk will see it differently to me for sure.
BlackandWhite said:
cerb4.5lee said:
DB77 said:
cerb4.5lee said:
I'd take my Caterham over this all day long for sure, all day everyday.
The point of M3s and similar cars is that you get a balance between practicality and enjoyment. It doesn’t excel at either the way a more dedicated car would, but there is an argument to be made for the combination.
I have a ‘fun’ car which also can be used for daily duties. But - when I travel to our house in the Yorkshire Dales I have to take 3 people, plus dog, plus luggage. I can’t do that in a 2 seater, which means I have a large, very heavy, un-fun car when I am near some great driving roads. I am considering an m3 Touring as a good compromise - from my testing it is the best handling / most enjoyable estate car and it will allow me to transport all I need to and then have some fun while I am there.
cerb4.5lee said:
BlackandWhite said:
cerb4.5lee said:
DB77 said:
cerb4.5lee said:
I'd take my Caterham over this all day long for sure, all day everyday.
The point of M3s and similar cars is that you get a balance between practicality and enjoyment. It doesn’t excel at either the way a more dedicated car would, but there is an argument to be made for the combination.
I have a ‘fun’ car which also can be used for daily duties. But - when I travel to our house in the Yorkshire Dales I have to take 3 people, plus dog, plus luggage. I can’t do that in a 2 seater, which means I have a large, very heavy, un-fun car when I am near some great driving roads. I am considering an m3 Touring as a good compromise - from my testing it is the best handling / most enjoyable estate car and it will allow me to transport all I need to and then have some fun while I am there.
That is just the way I see it anyway, and other folk will see it differently to me for sure.
LNot everyone can afford or wants to run more than one car. Not everyone wants a weekend you either. There is something for everyone.
I get where you’re coming from re your M4. I have an Audi TTS (I know you’re familiar with those) and a 981 GT4. I always wanted a from the ground up N/A mid engineer sports car. If I didn’t have the Porsche, I wouldn’t have the Audi as my only car.
pheonix478 said:
CG2020UK said:
I’m sorry I’ve no idea who you are.
Why would you? On the other hand your PH alias is quite memorable from all the cars you claim to have driven but know nothing about...
I might need some context here because I’m completely lost about what has got your panties in a twist as you’re coming across like a bit of a loon.
Time has done nothing for those looks, in fact they’ve made them worse for me and I’m positive this generation M3 will age worse than the even the Bangle era stuff.
Parked next to a touring last week in full drug dealer spec of gloss black wheels with metallic black pain, even that couldn’t hide that the car looked flabby and like it had been styled by a child.
Parked next to a touring last week in full drug dealer spec of gloss black wheels with metallic black pain, even that couldn’t hide that the car looked flabby and like it had been styled by a child.
samjlevy said:
I also drove the M4 there and hated it so much I cancelled the order on an M3 Touring. I then drove the M3 Touring and ended up buying one, that I’ve also used on track and it’s great. I think maybe at Palmer you are coming out of a Ginetta or something similar and then making that comparison.
I actually think we went JP-LM > F3000 > Karts > M4 Comp. So yes, quite a stark contrast. Me and the blokes I was with slated the M4 Comp in the waiting area for quite some time after driving it. "At least they're a bright colour, not boring resale grey", someone commented. "Feels like a car for people who can't really drive but want to go fast", said someone else. We then got talking about the cars we own and asked another guest what he drove. "M4 Competition. Grey". An awkward silence ensued.HardtopManual said:
samjlevy said:
I also drove the M4 there and hated it so much I cancelled the order on an M3 Touring. I then drove the M3 Touring and ended up buying one, that I’ve also used on track and it’s great. I think maybe at Palmer you are coming out of a Ginetta or something similar and then making that comparison.
I actually think we went JP-LM > F3000 > Karts > M4 Comp. So yes, quite a stark contrast. Me and the blokes I was with slated the M4 Comp in the waiting area for quite some time after driving it. "At least they're a bright colour, not boring resale grey", someone commented. "Feels like a car for people who can't really drive but want to go fast", said someone else. We then got talking about the cars we own and asked another guest what he drove. "M4 Competition. Grey". An awkward silence ensued.Seen quite a few of these with the front plate moved to be on partial display on the dashboard. Because it looks amazing like that.
All this talk of Caterham Vs M3, maybe we should be comparing the M3 to a superbike? A Caterham is just a s
t motorcycle, it has all of the drawbacks of a car and hardly any of the benefits.
I think we all tend to forget that everyone has a different use case, but the Caterham comparison is somewhat outlandish…
Fast saloon/estate cars are what they are, I certainly don’t get in an M3, C63 or RS4 and feel letdown because I’ve spent years riding motorcycles. I massively appreciate the luxury, practicality, drivability, and performance on tap.
Anyway, back to M3 ascetics, there’s plenty to pick at, but this is what offends me the most. I know it’s down to cost but if Honda can build a door specifically for the FL5 Type R arches, surely BMW could have gone the extra mile for the M3.
t motorcycle, it has all of the drawbacks of a car and hardly any of the benefits. I think we all tend to forget that everyone has a different use case, but the Caterham comparison is somewhat outlandish…
Fast saloon/estate cars are what they are, I certainly don’t get in an M3, C63 or RS4 and feel letdown because I’ve spent years riding motorcycles. I massively appreciate the luxury, practicality, drivability, and performance on tap.
Anyway, back to M3 ascetics, there’s plenty to pick at, but this is what offends me the most. I know it’s down to cost but if Honda can build a door specifically for the FL5 Type R arches, surely BMW could have gone the extra mile for the M3.
JAMSXR said:
Anyway, back to M3 ascetics, there’s plenty to pick at, but this is what offends me the most. I know it’s down to cost but if Honda can build a door specifically for the FL5 Type R arches, surely BMW could have gone the extra mile for the M3.
Yeah, I really liked the rear arches on the previous M3. Those on the current one along with the rear 'diffuser' are real put-offs, for me at least. Ironically I actually quite like the front end.
JAMSXR said:
All this talk of Caterham Vs M3, maybe we should be comparing the M3 to a superbike? A Caterham is just a st motorcycle, it has all of the drawbacks of a car and hardly any of the benefits.
I think we all tend to forget that everyone has a different use case, but the Caterham comparison is somewhat outlandish…
Fast saloon/estate cars are what they are, I certainly don’t get in an M3, C63 or RS4 and feel letdown because I’ve spent years riding motorcycles. I massively appreciate the luxury, practicality, drivability, and performance on tap.
In fairness the Caterham isn’t trying to be a motorbike is it? It has 4 wheels for a start. t motorcycle, it has all of the drawbacks of a car and hardly any of the benefits. I think we all tend to forget that everyone has a different use case, but the Caterham comparison is somewhat outlandish…
Fast saloon/estate cars are what they are, I certainly don’t get in an M3, C63 or RS4 and feel letdown because I’ve spent years riding motorcycles. I massively appreciate the luxury, practicality, drivability, and performance on tap.
Anyway...I'm in your camp regarding the really nice all round performance car aspect of the M3/M4 though, and if I didn't I wouldn't have had my F82 M4 for 3 years/25k miles up to yet. Plus all being well I hope to swap it for a G82 M4 xDrive next year as well.
All I'm saying is that I've always preferred something that is built from the ground up as a sporty car, rather than a car that is based on something that is steady Eddie like a 318d, and then modified to the inch of its life to make it faster/better if you know what I mean?
Edited by cerb4.5lee on Tuesday 23 April 14:33
cerb4.5lee said:
All I'm saying is that I've always preferred something that is built from the ground up as a sporty car, rather than a car that is based on something that is steady Eddie like a 318d, and then modified to the inch of its life to make it faster/better if you know what I mean?
I do get this like ultimately an M3/M4 is just a tuned saloon. Also no denying its humble beginnings in this case the level of performance these cars offer is astounding. Edited by cerb4.5lee on Tuesday 23 April 14:33
Like in my head I find it pretty cool I can buy just one car like the M3 and go just as fast as cars that cost £100k more but can also do all the daily driver stuff and carry my mates or family. Probably why I love hot hatches so much as well as these are the only cars you need.
Sometimes I have a strong suspicion a little bit of snobbery probably comes into as well as a lot of sports cars suddenly look a bit over priced, impractical and slow.
CG2020UK said:
I do get this like ultimately an M3/M4 is just a tuned saloon. Also no denying its humble beginnings in this case the level of performance these cars offer is astounding.
Like in my head I find it pretty cool I can buy just one car like the M3 and go just as fast as cars that cost £100k more but can also do all the daily driver stuff and carry my mates or family. Probably why I love hot hatches so much as well as these are the only cars you need.
Sometimes I have a strong suspicion a little bit of snobbery probably comes into as well as a lot of sports cars suddenly look a bit over priced, impractical and slow.
Yes and I always enjoy the chat when it comes to purpose built sporty cars versus hotted up Saloons/Hatches etc. As a "one car do it all" it is difficult to argue against an M3 etc or a Hot Hatch etc for sure, and I can understand why so many folk love them for that. Like in my head I find it pretty cool I can buy just one car like the M3 and go just as fast as cars that cost £100k more but can also do all the daily driver stuff and carry my mates or family. Probably why I love hot hatches so much as well as these are the only cars you need.
Sometimes I have a strong suspicion a little bit of snobbery probably comes into as well as a lot of sports cars suddenly look a bit over priced, impractical and slow.
I'm generally quite obsessive about stuff though, so I arguably look into stuff a bit too much to be honest. I've always been fascinated with the performance stats etc with cars for example, so I always end up comparing the cars I've had/have to each other I think.
What's with the move back to small iron brake calipers at the back? Heaven forbid BMW have finally ditched the drum parking brake?!?!!
GreatScott2016 said:
Enjoyed that read. I hate to say it, but even the grill is growing on me. Time is indeed a healer!
It's still disgusting and will always be disgusting. The rather lovely paint just makes it slightly less offensive than it is on some other colours.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff