F80 m3 owner, ordered a M3P - looking for feedback

[stevehifi]

Hi Guys,

Potential M3P owner here (coming from F80 M3). Test drove the car a couple times and really like it (especially for the value). Wanted to see if anyone else has come from the BMW M platform (F80/F82) and have regrets or quite the opposite for that matter.

Looking to do some autocross/light track (HPDE) events with the car and wondered also if the car holds up well to that kind of abuse.

Thanks,
Steve

 

[scalbert03]

I guess I can't provide feedback then since you isolated to the F8x platform. Last M car I had was an E90 manual.

 

[UncertainTimes]

I did. Much better as a commuter and general car. Way faster in daily driving situations and it just feels guilt free to floor it for short spurts. But yes I do miss the manual, the sound and the handling. Much less rewarding to drive for fun but with young kids now how often is that? Never.

 

[SumOne]

I had an F30 335i (automatic) before my M3P. Had bolt-ons & tune, was faster than F80 in stock form.

The pros of the BMW were its looks inside and out, sounded great, felt sportier from the drivers seat. Cons were it got 18mpg and little things kept needing maintenance. I wasn't enjoying spending on upkeep and fuel month after month essentially.

The M3P is very fast from a dig. Costs nothing to run it. Looks are subjective but I think my old F30 looked cooler. Track mode would probably be fun to play with the settings for the autocross days you mentioned. I just watched a video on it yesterday:

 

[CreoUCLA]

I had a 2016 F80 BMW M3 (and then a 2018 B9 Audi S4). Compared to the F80 (stock), the M3P is a much better/more comfortable daily driver. The acceleration is fantastic (without the traction control light blinking all the time), and if you want to track the car occasionally, many do so.

I will be installing MPP coilovers soon to lower the car a bit;

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[Adam3]

Lets just say my buddy with F80 ordered a P3D shortly after driving mine.

 

[jjrandorin]

Hi Guys,

Potential M3P owner here (coming from F80 M3). Test drove the car a couple times and really like it (especially for the value). Wanted to see if anyone else has come from the BMW M platform (F80/F82) and have regrets or quite the opposite for that matter.

Looking to do some autocross/light track (HPDE) events with the car and wondered also if the car holds up well to that kind of abuse.

Thanks,
Steve

There is a long thread on "from BMW" feedback I will link you to. Its a couple years old at this point, but its the same topic, and the same cars, so its still relevant. This question comes up quite a bit, and of all the brands that tesla is "taking customers from" per se, I believe its BMW that has been hit the hardest.

Said another way, there are a LOOOOOTTTTT of "current or ex" BMW people here on these boards.

Feedback from BMW or other premium brand converts?

Hi all, I'm a BMW owner considering a Model 3. Currently have a 2016 BMW 340i, M-Sport, Track Handling package, 6 speed manual. This is the first car I've ever ordered from the factory, so I got it spec'ed exactly how I want it. I have absolutely loved my car, it's a great daily driver, lots of...

teslamotorsclub.com

 

[tm1v2]

There is a long thread on "from BMW" feedback I will link you to. Its a couple years old at this point, but its the same topic, and the same cars, so its still relevant. This question comes up quite a bit, and of all the brands that tesla is "taking customers from" per se, I believe its BMW that has been hit the hardest.

Said another way, there are a LOOOOOTTTTT of "current or ex" BMW people here on these boards.

Feedback from BMW or other premium brand converts?

Hi all, I'm a BMW owner considering a Model 3. Currently have a 2016 BMW 340i, M-Sport, Track Handling package, 6 speed manual. This is the first car I've ever ordered from the factory, so I got it spec'ed exactly how I want it. I have absolutely loved my car, it's a great daily driver, lots of...

teslamotorsclub.com

@jjrandorin That's an interesting perspective of the Model 3 converting a lot of 3 series owners to EV and it rings true to me. I think at some level the Model 3 is a spiritual successor to the 3-series and what it represents (or used to before the F30 ) - a great balance of sporty driving fun and daily driver friendliness, at a similar price point and reasonably compact size. Definitely feels like I see a lot of Model 3's being driven by people who would've been driving a 3 series in the past.

(Yet somehow it's also a successor to the Prius for many. )

 

[tm1v2]

Track mode would probably be fun to play with the settings for the autocross days you mentioned. I just watched a video on it yesterday:

@SumOne Have you played around with Track Mode in your M3P yet? If you like one pedal driving in general, try Track Mode 100% regen next time you do a fast drive on on a twisty road. It's one of my favorite Track Mode features, and was a surprise to me, I didn't realize it could go stronger than normal regen until after I ordered my car.

(If you're not comfortable turning down stability assist for such driving, you don't have to, can just set it to +10 or close to that.)

 

[MasterC17]

I had an FBO F80 for a year back in 2015/2016. A lot of fun, but expensive, loud, terrible fuel mileage, etc. Ran HPDE with it.

I don't miss it at all.

 

[geometro]

I had an E46 wagon (ok, so not an M3) and I do miss the seats, suspension and manual gearbox. But the Tesla model 3 is better on everything else (and costs nothing to run or maintain).

 

[heavyD]

There is a long thread on "from BMW" feedback I will link you to. Its a couple years old at this point, but its the same topic, and the same cars, so its still relevant. This question comes up quite a bit, and of all the brands that tesla is "taking customers from" per se, I believe its BMW that has been hit the hardest.

Said another way, there are a LOOOOOTTTTT of "current or ex" BMW people here on these boards.

Feedback from BMW or other premium brand converts?

Hi all, I'm a BMW owner considering a Model 3. Currently have a 2016 BMW 340i, M-Sport, Track Handling package, 6 speed manual. This is the first car I've ever ordered from the factory, so I got it spec'ed exactly how I want it. I have absolutely loved my car, it's a great daily driver, lots of...

teslamotorsclub.com

I'm not sure if BMW has been hit the hardest as it's probably spread out all over. BMW has a higher percentage of owners that are enthusiasts that you are likely to see online at sites like this. The reality is that BMW has been the top selling luxury brand in the USA for the last three years and in 2021 was the top selling luxury brand globally so times have never been better for the brand.

 

[tm1v2]

I'm not sure if BMW has been hit the hardest as it's probably spread out all over. BMW has a higher percentage of owners that are enthusiasts that you are likely to see online at sites like this. The reality is that BMW has been the top selling luxury brand in the USA for the last three years and in 2021 was the top selling luxury brand globally so times have never been better for the brand.

That's a fair point but I wasn't basing my comment on forum participation. I see a lower percentage of 3(/4) series on the road these days than in the early 2000s through mid-late 2010s when they were everywhere. Still common but not as much as before, and the TM3 is everywhere, much more of them on the road. Maybe the i4 will bring some back to the BMW fold.

Or maybe the missing 3 series drivers in the US all went to SUVs! Because 'Murica.

 

[EmOne]

Had E90 M3 manual, then 1M (still have) and find the M3P, modded by MPP with upgraded shocks, suspension bits and brake work. Still enjoy the 1M for all the old analog/noise stuff, but this car absolutely smokes it for fast fun driving on street. I'm over my tracking days. I note some critisizing the seats but I think they are perfect for fast street driving as I don't find I need any more bolstering and the ones in the 1M are kinda annoying during in/egress. Costs practically nothing to maintain/drive at 20K; seems tires (summer and winter sets--unless you have smooth roads, unlike Chicago, highly recommend you ditch the stock rig for 18's and 265/40 PS4S) will be the biggest item and wearing as expected.

 

[stevehifi]

thanks guys for the feedback so far.. I guess I feel somewhat guilty leaving the brand (i've had 4 M3s .. all the way back to the e30 m3).
feel like the m3p is a bit vanilla looking but I won't argue that its an absolute bargain for the performance.

I guess if I drove a g80 m3 I would know for sure... if I need to get another M3 but that's hard to do these days.

 

[emotiveeng]

Still have an E90 M3. Have driven the F80 in anger at Thermal with BMW Performance School.

Have taken the Model 3 Performance to the track twice now. The electric torque really helps you dig out of those turns and the low CG and location of the battery makes for a very balanced platform. The brakes and tires you'll obviously want to replace - I blew out a sidewall on the OEM Pirelli's on Uberturbines with an ever so slight off last weekend.

My favorite story is meeting a Model 3 Performance owner at the track when I was running in a club race. He had never been to an HPDE before buying his Tesla, but has now racked up 50+ track days and a class championship in a local time attack series. This car will take the abuse and I am looking forward to not replacing blown engines like I have in other cars.

 

[terranx]

That's a fair point but I wasn't basing my comment on forum participation. I see a lower percentage of 3(/4) series on the road these days than in the early 2000s through mid-late 2010s when they were everywhere. Still common but not as much as before, and the TM3 is everywhere, much more of them on the road. Maybe the i4 will bring some back to the BMW fold.

Or maybe the missing 3 series drivers in the US all went to SUVs! Because 'Murica.

I think there's a lot that goes into it. For enthusiasts, a big part is definitely that BMW no longer really caters to them. If you have to accept turbos and automatic transmissions, no reason not to try a different brand. And at that point the leap to a Tesla doesn't seem as big of a leap - and in fact brings many advantages (hell in my own case, a big reason I'm going electric is they have a throttle response that even naturally aspirated cars cannot come close to, let alone turbo cars).

For non-enthusiasts, a good chunk probably did switch to SUVs/CUVs. And beyond that, I think similar to above, BMW doesn't do a whole lot to differentiate itself from the competition, and there's not a heck of a lot of reason to go with a 3-series over a C-class or A4/S4.

 

[heavyD]

BMW sells more SUV's than cars as the X3 and X5 are their top sellers. Porsche is even more lopsided as they sell more than double the amount of SUV's than cars. Enthusiasts are a niche buyers which is why companies have shifted focus to SUV's because the alternative is going out of business. BMW sold far more F8x M3/M4 than any other generation so it seems enthusiasts have definitely taken to turbocharging and automatic transmissions in far greater numbers than the days of NA inline 6 and manual transmission, however as a company BMW needs to focus on SUV's to ensure they can remain viable as a company and still offer M-cars. If you are noticing less 3 series cars on the roads it's largely because they have been deluded by the X3 which now sells in greater numbers.

 

[JustJohn]

My last pure ICE BMW was a 2016 M6 coupe which I loved. It ate tires like crazy and earned me the biggest speeding ticket of my life (which was reduced to $76 and 2 points). Interior was phenomenal and all of the features worked (cruise, auto high beams, etc). That being said, it really was too much car to legally drive on US roads. My Tesla is fast in a speed range that keeps me out of trouble and will probably cost me less in tires than any of the BMWs I've owned. It's also likely to have fewer service issues.

 

[UncertainTimes]

thanks guys for the feedback so far.. I guess I feel somewhat guilty leaving the brand (i've had 4 M3s .. all the way back to the e30 m3).
feel like the m3p is a bit vanilla looking but I won't argue that its an absolute bargain for the performance.

I guess if I drove a g80 m3 I would know for sure... if I need to get another M3 but that's hard to do these days.

The fact that the G80 Competition is only available with AT only killed it for me. That and the grilles.