Stuck between these two: F82 M4 vs F83 M4

[behindthen0thing]

f82. If you want a convertible get the z4

[jdgamble]

Originally Posted by RickFLM4

Seats in F83 are far more comfortable than an F82. Having had both, it’s really no comparison. If you are referring to aesthetics of seat appearance, that is personal preference, or if referring to support for track driving, it is not the right comparison. Anyone who wants to track should get the F80 or F82 rather than the F83.

Yeah I'm talking looks. They def look more comfortable, but I think they also look goofy. I love the M3/M4 coupe seats. I rarely drive more than an hour, so I don't have a problem with the M3 seats, but they aren't super comfortable.

[SMGCFP]

Originally Posted by SD ///M4

I live in San Diego and have owned an S2000 and also currently have a Z4 M Roadster in addition to my M4. I"ve owned a roadster for 20 years.

Ideal temps range from the 50s (with jacket on, windows up, seat heater on, and heater going) to upper 70's. When I first got my S2000, I never drove with the top up except when it was raining (rare). I've driven in the upper 30's/lower 40's with a heavy jacket, hat, scarf and gloves, but don't do that anymore. 80's get's hot in the middle of the day if you're sitting at a light.

That said, I'd never own a F83. If you want a convertible, buy a proper convertible, and that's a roadster!

320+ days of sunshine in SD. Gotta love that. I agree that there's a temp in the 80 range where it's too hot. And sure, I could probably be fine driving a vert in the 50's. We just don't get enough of those days up here.

[RickFLM4]

Originally Posted by SMGCFP

320+ days of sunshine in SD. Gotta love that. I agree that there's a temp in the 80 range where it's too hot. And sure, I could probably be fine driving a vert in the 50's. We just don't get enough of those days up here.

It’s around 90 degrees if the car is moving, less than that I presume if sitting in stop and go traffic. It’s great in South Florida October - May. June - September top is up noon - around sunset.

[snareman]

I accidentally clicked F83. I choose F82. I just don't care for the look of BMW convertibles other than maybe the Z4

[gixxerboy63]

Originally Posted by JPOWER

Yes the F83 is slower then both the F80 and F82 but it is a very fun car and looks great too. I personally like it better then the F82 so if i didn't get a Vert i would've gone for the M3 since the Rear hips give it a really aggressive stance. Here is some pictures of mine

Originally Posted by desertfox73

FWIW, the weight penalty of the convertible (vs stock coupe) can be easily overcome with a BM3 tune. I drove my F83 for about a month before adding the tune and it's night and day...faster than my previous F80 by a lot.

Mine doesn't feel slow at all.... In fact, it can be quite scary at times.

I've added OEM Carbon Fiber GTS Hood and the car has Carbon Ceramic brakes (much lighter than steel brakes) and lighter HRE P101 wheels (which equate for less unsprung weight and less rotational mass) + I've added Velos Tune, good for 120 more ponies and 160 lb/ft torque and a GTHaus electronically controlled exhaust, so I don't notice the added weight of convertible top.

Yes, I have tracked mine (as a former Motorcycle roadracer, it was bound to happen sooner or later... lol!) I wasn't sure about how well I would do with a sled, but as it turned out, the f83 proved to be very trackable and more importantly; FUN! I got waived by every car in the group including a new Turbo 911, a track prepped c6, an AMGC63 and a few more formidable cars; I even lapped the AMG in one 20 minute session! I never felt like the convertible top hindered my lap times at all and I was very pleased with how well it did.... maybe if an F82 were available to compare side by side or if I were Randy Pobst, I could discern the difference, but I seriously doubt it would have decreased MY lap times enough to matter. As it stands, I had the 9th fastest lap of the day out of ALL cars and ALL run groups (I'm sure that Randy Pobst nor any of his crew were there)!

*Disclaimer; A racetrack and a professional driver will humble anyone; I had a race kitted R6 and still got my butt handed to me by Lee Acree on a STOCK SV650; Its more about what the driver/rider can get out of the equipment vs. the equipment itself.

As far as looks, I'm with Jpower on this one.... M3 Sedan with hips beats the the f82 and f83, hands down.

But... the real reason I ended up with f83 is that my wife and I both have daily drivers and we decided to pare down to one fun car, since we have limited garage space. She wanted a convertible and I wanted an M3, so the f83 was an excellent compromise.

[JPOWER]

Originally Posted by gixxerboy63

Mine doesn't feel slow at all.... In fact, it can be quite scary at times.

I've added OEM Carbon Fiber GTS Hood and the car has Carbon Ceramic brakes (much lighter than steel brakes) and lighter HRE P101 wheels (which equate for less unsprung weight and less rotational mass) + I've added Velos Tune, good for 120 more ponies and 160 lb/ft torque and a GTHaus electronically controlled exhaust, so I don't notice the added weight of convertible top.

Yes, I have tracked mine (as a former Motorcycle roadracer, it was bound to happen sooner or later... lol!) I wasn't sure about how well I would do with a sled, but as it turned out, the f83 proved to be very trackable and more importantly; FUN! I got waived by every car in the group including a new Turbo 911, a track prepped c6, an AMGC63 and a few more formidable cars; I even lapped the AMG in one 20 minute session! I never felt like the convertible top hindered my lap times at all and I was very pleased with how well it did.... maybe if an F82 were available to compare side by side or if I were Randy Pobst, I could discern the difference, but I seriously doubt it would have decreased MY lap times enough to matter. As it stands, I had the 9th fastest lap of the day out of ALL cars and ALL run groups (I'm sure that Randy Pobst nor any of his crew were there)!

*Disclaimer; A racetrack and a professional driver will humble anyone; I had a race kitted R6 and still got my butt handed to me by Lee Acree on a STOCK SV650; Its more about what the driver/rider can get out of the equipment vs. the equipment itself.

As far as looks, I'm with Jpower on this one.... M3 Sedan with hips beats the the f82 and f83, hands down.

But the real reason I ended up with f83 is that my wife and I both have daily drivers and we decided to pair down to one fun car, since we have limited garage space. She wanted a convertible and I wanted an M3, so the f83 was an excellent compromise.

Your set up looks great BTW

I hang out with a group of friends that all have M3 and M4's. My car is not slow by any Means as i am Tune with DME STAGE 3 but in comparison to the M3 or M4 with the same Mods as us we will be slower ( Added weight difference). i have beat alot of other Ms if they are OTS Stage 1 or 2. unless they are on FULL E85 then we just have no chance. Either way i would not trade my Vert as it is indeed a really fun car and Looks Amazing specially with the top down. I get compliments all the time on my set

[Germanauto]

Convertibles are fun. For me personally, the day-to-day joy of having the top down outweighs the weight penalty.

Depends where you live too. London seems to have a very similar climate to the American Northwest, where it's constantly drizzling and 40s-50s for 8 months of the year. But those several good months could make it worthwhile.

[SD ///M4]

Originally Posted by RickFLM4

It’s around 90 degrees if the car is moving, less than that I presume if sitting in stop and go traffic. It’s great in South Florida October - May. June - September top is up noon - around sunset.

I definitely think one of the best times for a convertible is just after the sun has set on a warm day and the temperature has started to drop. Or any warm evening in the mid to upper 70s.

[RickFLM4]

Originally Posted by SD ///M4

I definitely think one of the best times for a convertible is just after the sun has set on a warm day and the temperature has started to drop. Or any warm evening in the mid to upper 70s.

Agreed. Sunset, later at night after dining out and early morning are really ideal. Of course, a 70 degree winter day with bright sunshine isn't so bad either.

[gixxerboy63]

Originally Posted by JPOWER

Your set up looks great BTW

I hang out with a group of friends that all have M3 and M4's. My car is not slow by any Means as i am Tune with DME STAGE 3 but in comparison to the M3 or M4 with the same Mods as us we will be slower ( Added weight difference). i have beat alot of other Ms if they are OTS Stage 1 or 2. unless they are on FULL E85 then we just have no chance. Either way i would not trade my Vert as it is indeed a really fun car and Looks Amazing specially with the top down. I get compliments all the time on my set

Thanks buddy!
My light weight and performance mods have also helped level the playing field... Alot! Mine is noticeably faster than a regular f80/f82 out of the box. If I were to drive a stock M3/M4 now, it would feel more a 328 instead an M when compared to the power and feel that mine has. Yes, given the same mods to an f80/f82 and everything changes once again and we would be the ones catching up! There will always be someone to one-up you, but I'm extremely happy with my setup as-is.

[tict]

I would want the performance. Coupe is the ticket....

[e30m3fan]

I went with the f83. the F82 wins right up until you push the button to fold the top into the trunk. Seriously its no contest with the top down.

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by gixxerboy63

Mine doesn't feel slow at all.... In fact, it can be quite scary at times.

I've added OEM Carbon Fiber GTS Hood and the car has Carbon Ceramic brakes (much lighter than steel brakes) and lighter HRE P101 wheels (which equate for less unsprung weight and less rotational mass) + I've added Velos Tune, good for 120 more ponies and 160 lb/ft torque and a GTHaus electronically controlled exhaust, so I don't notice the added weight of convertible top.

Yes, I have tracked mine (as a former Motorcycle roadracer, it was bound to happen sooner or later... lol!) I wasn't sure about how well I would do with a sled, but as it turned out, the f83 proved to be very trackable and more importantly; FUN! I got waived by every car in the group including a new Turbo 911, a track prepped c6, an AMGC63 and a few more formidable cars; I even lapped the AMG in one 20 minute session! I never felt like the convertible top hindered my lap times at all and I was very pleased with how well it did.... maybe if an F82 were available to compare side by side or if I were Randy Pobst, I could discern the difference, but I seriously doubt it would have decreased MY lap times enough to matter. As it stands, I had the 9th fastest lap of the day out of ALL cars and ALL run groups (I'm sure that Randy Pobst nor any of his crew were there)!

[SIZE="1"]*Disclaimer; A racetrack and a professional driver will humble anyone; I had a race kitted R6 and still got my butt handed to me by Lee Acree on a STOCK SV650; Its more about what the driver/rider can get out of the equipment vs. the equipment itself.
[/SIZE]
As far as looks, I'm with Jpower on this one.... M3 Sedan with hips beats the the f82 and f83, hands down.

But... the real reason I ended up with f83 is that my wife and I both have daily drivers and we decided to pare down to one fun car, since we have limited garage space. She wanted a convertible and I wanted an M3, so the f83 was an excellent compromise.

Good looking car!

[oneknightr]

Depends on a couple of things. London weather and whether you're into tracking the car or street racing.

For me, it was a no-brainer. We live in the San Francisco Bay Area with the mildest weather. We've had the car for two months and have driven with the top down as much as the top up. The hardtop is an engineering masterpiece. People are in awe watching it come down. I have friends (who aren't BMW people) that never realized the car was a convertible until I told them. Our two kids love driving with the top down. It's a great experience and the car is gorgeous with the top down. I know others have mentioned they don't like the roof lines with the top up, but I don't mind them at all.

The other big reason we got the F83 was because I don't track the car or street race. With that said, the car is PLENTY fast for us, even with the extra weight. I'm also in my 40's with two young kids, so racing is out of the equation for me. I used to ride motorcyles but my wife won't let me get another until the kids are 18. I kind of agree with her. I'm at a different stage of my life now.

In the end, you can't go wrong with either car. Good luck!

[RichardGM4]

I live in the UK so the decision was an easy one and I didn't even really give much consideration to the F83 as we don't have the weather to get the real benefits of a convertable - therefore bought the F82 CP.

[GP87]

I originally had an F83, but certainly felt the slightest twist of the chassis quite often on the non-compliant back roads we have here in the UK. Was great for the few months of sunshine we get, and the sound of opening up the engine was so much more visceral.

However I was quite surprised at how quickly dust and dirt built up in the interior. If you're in London (like me), the air quality is crap, especially when sitting around in traffic as in most cities, thus would somewhat further diminish the convertible experience.

Regarding some comments about the difference in seats - thinking back the F83 were more comfortable, but less adept in keeping you in place when really pushing it, whether on track or on the road.

Ended up taking an F82 for an extended test drive, which felt so much more solid and planted on the road. Slight noticeable difference in power, but ultimately the additional rigidity of the chassis was the contributing factor- I made the switch just over a year after purchasing the F83, and haven't looked back ever since!

Originally Posted by mowgli_sms

Looking at ordering a new car next few weeks.

Decided on the spec and colour for both interior and exterior.

Looking at Laguna seca blue with Golden Brown interior.

Question i have is: Which one would you choose between a F82 M4 Coupe vs F83 M4 convertible.

Take note that i have a E46 M3 in Laguna Seca Blue with extended Cinnamon interior. Can see why i have gone for the spec above.

From what i know not seen one in Uk, how about one in the rest of the world. I mean the Convertible.

[nicknaz]

not sure where you live or if you even care to track the car but you won’t be allowed to do track days with some clubs if you get the vert. And even if you were allowed, it’s a risk if you can’t pass the “broomstick test” (driver head below plane formed by top of front suspension and rear roll protection).

Also, the rear seat angle is kind of uncomfortable in f83/f33

Lastly, you can’t take the car into touchless car washes.

Random stuffs to consider!

[mjposner]

Seats aside (I prefer F83 seats), it all comes down to whether you will really use it as a vert. I see verts every day with the top up, and I scream, why??? why buy if you won't use it?? (I live in sunny South Florida). My top is down 90%, if its cold I have heated seats, neck warmer and a heated steering wheel. If its hot I turn on the a/c. Except rain, top is down regardless of whether its 40 or 100.

[PhatLyfe]

Originally Posted by gixxerboy63

Mine doesn't feel slow at all.... In fact, it can be quite scary at times.

I've added OEM Carbon Fiber GTS Hood and the car has Carbon Ceramic brakes (much lighter than steel brakes) and lighter HRE P101 wheels (which equate for less unsprung weight and less rotational mass) + I've added Velos Tune, good for 120 more ponies and 160 lb/ft torque and a GTHaus electronically controlled exhaust, so I don't notice the added weight of convertible top.

Yes, I have tracked mine (as a former Motorcycle roadracer, it was bound to happen sooner or later... lol!) I wasn't sure about how well I would do with a sled, but as it turned out, the f83 proved to be very trackable and more importantly; FUN! I got waived by every car in the group including a new Turbo 911, a track prepped c6, an AMGC63 and a few more formidable cars; I even lapped the AMG in one 20 minute session! I never felt like the convertible top hindered my lap times at all and I was very pleased with how well it did.... maybe if an F82 were available to compare side by side or if I were Randy Pobst, I could discern the difference, but I seriously doubt it would have decreased MY lap times enough to matter. As it stands, I had the 9th fastest lap of the day out of ALL cars and ALL run groups (I'm sure that Randy Pobst nor any of his crew were there)!

*Disclaimer; A racetrack and a professional driver will humble anyone; I had a race kitted R6 and still got my butt handed to me by Lee Acree on a STOCK SV650; Its more about what the driver/rider can get out of the equipment vs. the equipment itself.

As far as looks, I'm with Jpower on this one.... M3 Sedan with hips beats the the f82 and f83, hands down.

But... the real reason I ended up with f83 is that my wife and I both have daily drivers and we decided to pare down to one fun car, since we have limited garage space. She wanted a convertible and I wanted an M3, so the f83 was an excellent compromise.

Sweet color and love the gold shoes..

[PhatLyfe]

Originally Posted by PhatLyfe

Sweet color and love the gold shoes..

Get the F83 and no regrets.. I picked up mine 2 weeks ago. I love it .

[sna66]

I'm probably the only one that likes the f83 with the roof up and down. In fact I prefer the look of the f83 with the roof up than the f82, I don't really like the rear of the f82, I'd get the f80 instead. For me a 500lb roof is nothing with 400+hp and bm3. I drove the f82 (not spirited) and really there was not much of a difference. Having the option to drop the top and a hard top to me is perfect.