My AY F80 M3 is here! First North American owner on forum, initial impressions

TheWind · 06-03-2014, 10:55 PM

Featured on BIMMERPOST.com

Without getting in too much details into when, where and how I took delivery of the F80 M3, I wanted to share some of my experience with all of you.

Basics specs - DCT, Exec, Driver Assist, Lighting and 19” Black 437M, AY Exterior w/ CF Roof and Full Black Marino Interior with CF Trim.

So now that I had the car for a while and has done over 500miles, I wanted to say that this car is fantastic. I was sitting on the fence over switching over to DCT. I had three, MT bmws over the last 15 years and is a diehard fan of the 3 pedals. But my last F10, 535i was a bit of a disappointment. It always felt like the 5 was designed and developed around the DCT and that MT was an afterthought. The steering also had lack of feedback and feel. Even though I enjoyed the spacious interior with my growing family, i just couldn’t wait to get out of it.

I approached the DCT with some hesitant initially, but I can say that the DCT is probably the way to go. Like Chris Harris said, unless the MT is like the one in the old NSX, it would be hard to beat the satisfaction of shifting through the gears on this DCT. The Shift are fast and instant, and when you are shifting down and engine rev matches with a perfect throttle blip. And when you coming to a complete stop and shifts down to first gear, you can hear the turbo boost release like a whistle. It is kind of cool. No matter what mode you are in the shifts are pretty instantaneous.

There is no hiding the fact that this is a turbo engine. It sounds like no other and cannot be compared to a V8. I like the sound and it is very unique. The power delivery comes up so easily, you do not have to work hard for it. I would say that this is more closer to the old N54 than the N55. When you are cruising at freeway speeds the sound almost disappears into the background, but all you have to do is shift down to the sixth or fifth and give some gas and all hell breaks lose and the car comes alive.

The standard suspension supposedly falls between Sport and Sports plus modes. It feels stiff and reminds you everytime that this is not your ordinary bmw. Once again I have no complaints and you definitely get good feedback on the road surfaces and gives you confidence with minimum body roll. I will be doing my first long road trip up to Montreal this weekend for the GP race and lets see if I will get tired of the constant up and down movement up my spine. Hopefully I won’t regret for opting out of adaptive suspension.

Steering is miles ahead of F10 5 series . It has a lot more weight to it no matter what mode you are in. This is probably by far one of the best E steering systems out there. I also have a feeling that the Michelin Pilot Super Sports are not going to last too long with limited slip and so much power and torque transferred to rears. Oh well, I guess I will have to deal with it.

Overall the car feels super light, and also the firm suspension and weighted steering and the high torque engine gives the perfect balance and a smile every time I get in the car.

Update:

Sorry for not responding any earlier. I was too busy driving :-)... They should build a Bimmerpost app for the idrive. Thank you everyone for the overwhelming response. I really was not expecting this. Hope that BMW is monitoring this thread and is pleased with the response without getting pissed at people who are responsible for making this happen. I would so like to give props to the guy that made this all happen. He makes the impossible a reality time after time. With my previous F10 535i (the only options I wanted was MT, RWD and MSport). A very rare combination in this part of the world. Every car comes with XDrive and DCT as standard. Well this guy came through for me.

So I guess I left enough of a cookie crumb trail for you guys to figure out most of your questions. I am impressed by some of your attention to details.

As for the some of the technical questions..

My impressions on the standard brakes...the first ¼” way down not much of a feel, and after that it grabs real hard. It takes a bit of getting used to. I also read this somewhere else in one of the pro reviews. Not sure if they can adjust this a bit. As for Carbon Ceramics, to me the upcharge was not justifiable. Not planning on tracking the car on a regular basis (Maybe once or twice a season if I am lucky). I figured with the up charge they are asking for CC brakes I can do brake jobs few times over.

As for car seat protection, the booster seat has a flat bottom and do not leave an impression. I do have a foam liner for the other car seat.

My wife and I were both very hesitant about this color at first. Our two previous cars were AW and the E46 was Titanium Silver. So somewhat conservative I would say. With this one we decided to go with an exclusive M Color and so far very pleased. During the day it looks somewhat bright and at night turns into a dark yellow with a green tint. Oh, and the kids call it the bumble bee car..

Some of you also had questions about winter driving and what not. No plans to park it. I will throw in a good set of winters and infact can’t wait for it. It will be a new challenge with the DCT, but looking forward to it. This is going to be a daily driver for us, which means picking up kids, groceries, going to work...etc, etc. I look forward to all these mundane tasks with great anticipation now. Being able to track the car on weekends, when the time comes is a great bonus.

Some of you were also asking for more pictures and videos etc. I do have some, but will have to do some serious editing to take out all the fun parts. As for 0 to 60 runs, that will have to wait for the break in service when they unlock launch control etc.

That’s it for now guys. I know most of you are waiting patiently and that the cars are starting to slowly trickle out. Trust me it's worth the wait! I hope they come out sooner than later and that all you guys get to enjoy the summer in the new M3/4s.

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Wah · 06-03-2014, 10:59 PM

Excellent! You know, you might as well get into the details... you're going to be asked.

Roadkiller · 06-03-2014, 11:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wah

Excellent! You know, you might as well get into the details... you're going to be asked.

Yep, let's hear it. CONGRATS

paddy335 · 06-03-2014, 11:01 PM

Sh*t that AY looks good on the M3. Hate it on the M4.....smokin' on the 3.

Nice little review there by the way OP. Liked your descriptions.

soccer dad · 06-03-2014, 11:06 PM

AWW MAN! Awesome! And yes, AY looks super on the M3, but I wasn't crazy about it on the M4.

Great choice!

jc05e46m3 · 06-03-2014, 11:10 PM

AY does look great on that M3! Congrats!

Lups · 06-03-2014, 11:13 PM

Now I have yet an other person to hate. damn.

Alexander_Valais · 06-03-2014, 11:15 PM

wow car looks great color matches very well, congratulations! Thinking of getting m3/m4 in September

stressdoc · 06-03-2014, 11:34 PM

The ultimate family machine...

You make a good case for DCT; let us know how it goes in the snow this winter.

Congrats & thanks.

solstice · 06-03-2014, 11:43 PM

Looks great! Just like the show car in Vancouver I saw and liked except you got the CF roof. Your passive suspension review is music to my ears!

The DCT is a great tranny, enjoy! Though I wish we had at least one early receiver with an MT. Good job working the dealer and/or BMW NA to get your ride prior to the embargo is lifted

. Hopefully we see more trickle out the next couple of days until the flood gates open.

Quick question. Most pro. reviewers complained about road noise / tire roar. What's your impression?

///M Dream · 06-04-2014, 12:34 AM

Holy hell congrats man. As everyone stated color looks great on M3, wasn't sold on it for the M4.

Love the mini-review, gives lots of hope for future owners on what to expect.

Sedan_Clan · 06-04-2014, 01:35 AM

I have to say, AY does look good on the F80 M3 indeed. Congrats on your purchase!

khanyam4 · 06-04-2014, 01:38 AM

bmw m dont dissapoint I'm not worry about that. congrat and enjoy.

solstice · 06-04-2014, 02:06 AM

Seeing these pictures of the F80 with passive suspension and 19s the wheel gaps are well within my tolerance so I will not be fiddling with the suspension. Seems they might have gotten the tuning just where I want it as with the E90 M3's passive suspension. Cool.

e39>all · 06-04-2014, 03:00 AM

Congrats and your input is greatly appreciated. I didn't really care for this color on the m4, while it's probably my sedan bias but the m3 seems to make every color look great.

And the dual baby seats inside your rocket ship might be my favorite pic ever lol, hope they appreciate the rides in the m3 one day. Enjoy your car good sir

jackkk · 06-04-2014, 03:10 AM

Congrats! You said nothing about the stock breaks. How does it feel?

tisme · 06-04-2014, 04:43 AM

Car looks fabulous. Must admit to liking AY too. I'll be giving my initial impressions in 16 days as mine is in build.

CanAutM3 · 06-04-2014, 05:10 AM

Congrats OP

. Beautiful combo, the car is stunning

.

And, thanks for your review

The speedo seems to be in km/h, so I am guessing you are from Canada. You need to tell us how you convinced your dealer and/or BMW Canada to release your car early

Kief · 06-04-2014, 06:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheWind

The standard suspension supposedly falls between Sport and Sports plus modes. It feels stiff and reminds you everytime that this is not your ordinary bmw. Once again I have no complaints and you definitely get good feedback on the road surfaces and gives you confidence with minimum body roll. I will be doing my first long road trip up to Montreal this weekend for the GP race and lets see if I will get tired of the constant up and down movement up my spine. Hopefully I won’t regret for opting out of adaptive suspension.

Looks great and congratulations!
I feel so much better finally reading a review (and a lay person at that) of the passive suspension. Very glad to read you have no complaints thus far. I was really debating adding the Adaptive M at the 11th hour, but I didn't want someone to take my "man card" away (you reading this Nacho?

)

Quote:

Originally Posted by solstice

Your passive suspension review is music to my ears!

^^^+1

Quote:

Originally Posted by solstice

Seeing these pictures of the F80 with passive suspension and 19s the wheel gaps are well within my tolerance so I will not be fiddling with the suspension.

Yeah, from his pics, the gap doesn't look as massive as many of the auto show pictures. Perhaps the cars at the auto show really did have the shipping blocks still installed?

e39>all · 06-04-2014, 06:05 AM

Yea, the wheel gaps look perfect for my taste and seemingly smaller than I thought especially on the front. There were some complaints in other threads about it. But I think the stance is great as is.

Audio Fan · 06-04-2014, 06:23 AM

How do you like AY in person and after living with it for a bit?

Dawko · 06-04-2014, 06:58 AM

Congrats! This really is a perfect kid hauler.

06-03-2014, 10:55 PM	#1
TheWind Member 4 Rep 18 Posts Drives: F80 M3 Join Date: May 2008 Location: NA iTrader: (0)	My AY F80 M3 is here! First North American owner on forum, initial impressions Featured on BIMMERPOST.com Without getting in too much details into when, where and how I took delivery of the F80 M3, I wanted to share some of my experience with all of you. Basics specs - DCT, Exec, Driver Assist, Lighting and 19” Black 437M, AY Exterior w/ CF Roof and Full Black Marino Interior with CF Trim. So now that I had the car for a while and has done over 500miles, I wanted to say that this car is fantastic. I was sitting on the fence over switching over to DCT. I had three, MT bmws over the last 15 years and is a diehard fan of the 3 pedals. But my last F10, 535i was a bit of a disappointment. It always felt like the 5 was designed and developed around the DCT and that MT was an afterthought. The steering also had lack of feedback and feel. Even though I enjoyed the spacious interior with my growing family, i just couldn’t wait to get out of it. I approached the DCT with some hesitant initially, but I can say that the DCT is probably the way to go. Like Chris Harris said, unless the MT is like the one in the old NSX, it would be hard to beat the satisfaction of shifting through the gears on this DCT. The Shift are fast and instant, and when you are shifting down and engine rev matches with a perfect throttle blip. And when you coming to a complete stop and shifts down to first gear, you can hear the turbo boost release like a whistle. It is kind of cool. No matter what mode you are in the shifts are pretty instantaneous. There is no hiding the fact that this is a turbo engine. It sounds like no other and cannot be compared to a V8. I like the sound and it is very unique. The power delivery comes up so easily, you do not have to work hard for it. I would say that this is more closer to the old N54 than the N55. When you are cruising at freeway speeds the sound almost disappears into the background, but all you have to do is shift down to the sixth or fifth and give some gas and all hell breaks lose and the car comes alive. The standard suspension supposedly falls between Sport and Sports plus modes. It feels stiff and reminds you everytime that this is not your ordinary bmw. Once again I have no complaints and you definitely get good feedback on the road surfaces and gives you confidence with minimum body roll. I will be doing my first long road trip up to Montreal this weekend for the GP race and lets see if I will get tired of the constant up and down movement up my spine. Hopefully I won’t regret for opting out of adaptive suspension. Steering is miles ahead of F10 5 series . It has a lot more weight to it no matter what mode you are in. This is probably by far one of the best E steering systems out there. I also have a feeling that the Michelin Pilot Super Sports are not going to last too long with limited slip and so much power and torque transferred to rears. Oh well, I guess I will have to deal with it. Overall the car feels super light, and also the firm suspension and weighted steering and the high torque engine gives the perfect balance and a smile every time I get in the car. *Update:* Sorry for not responding any earlier. I was too busy driving :-)... They should build a Bimmerpost app for the idrive. Thank you everyone for the overwhelming response. I really was not expecting this. Hope that BMW is monitoring this thread and is pleased with the response without getting pissed at people who are responsible for making this happen. I would so like to give props to the guy that made this all happen. He makes the impossible a reality time after time. With my previous F10 535i (the only options I wanted was MT, RWD and MSport). A very rare combination in this part of the world. Every car comes with XDrive and DCT as standard. Well this guy came through for me. So I guess I left enough of a cookie crumb trail for you guys to figure out most of your questions. I am impressed by some of your attention to details. As for the some of the technical questions.. My impressions on the standard brakes...the first ¼” way down not much of a feel, and after that it grabs real hard. It takes a bit of getting used to. I also read this somewhere else in one of the pro reviews. Not sure if they can adjust this a bit. As for Carbon Ceramics, to me the upcharge was not justifiable. Not planning on tracking the car on a regular basis (Maybe once or twice a season if I am lucky). I figured with the up charge they are asking for CC brakes I can do brake jobs few times over. As for car seat protection, the booster seat has a flat bottom and do not leave an impression. I do have a foam liner for the other car seat. My wife and I were both very hesitant about this color at first. Our two previous cars were AW and the E46 was Titanium Silver. So somewhat conservative I would say. With this one we decided to go with an exclusive M Color and so far very pleased. During the day it looks somewhat bright and at night turns into a dark yellow with a green tint. Oh, and the kids call it the bumble bee car.. Some of you also had questions about winter driving and what not. No plans to park it. I will throw in a good set of winters and infact can’t wait for it. It will be a new challenge with the DCT, but looking forward to it. This is going to be a daily driver for us, which means picking up kids, groceries, going to work...etc, etc. I look forward to all these mundane tasks with great anticipation now. Being able to track the car on weekends, when the time comes is a great bonus. Some of you were also asking for more pictures and videos etc. I do have some, but will have to do some serious editing to take out all the fun parts. As for 0 to 60 runs, that will have to wait for the break in service when they unlock launch control etc. That’s it for now guys. I know most of you are waiting patiently and that the cars are starting to slowly trickle out. Trust me it's worth the wait! I hope they come out sooner than later and that all you guys get to enjoy the summer in the new M3/4s. __________________ __________________________________________ F10, 535i MT (Past) E90, 335i MT (Past) E46, 323i MT (Past)
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06-03-2014, 10:59 PM	#2
Wah IG@i.am.wah 2779 Rep 3,815 Posts Drives: M2 CS Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: NJ iTrader: (4) Garage List 2022 Tesla Model Y ... [0.00] 1974 BMW 2002 [0.00] 2020 BMW M2 CS [0.00]	Excellent! You know, you might as well get into the details... you're going to be asked.
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06-03-2014, 11:01 PM	#4
paddy335 Major 66 Rep 1,131 Posts Drives: M140i;X5 40d Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: New Zealand iTrader: (0)	Sh*t that AY looks good on the M3. Hate it on the M4.....smokin' on the 3. Nice little review there by the way OP. Liked your descriptions.
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06-03-2014, 11:06 PM	#5
soccer dad Second Lieutenant 33 Rep 286 Posts Drives: BMW SO/SO M3 Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Atlanta iTrader: (0)	AWW MAN! Awesome! And yes, AY looks super on the M3, but I wasn't crazy about it on the M4. Great choice!
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06-03-2014, 11:10 PM	#6
jc05e46m3 Brigadier General 846 Rep 3,249 Posts Drives: '21 F90 M5 Comp Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Everywhere. iTrader: (3)	AY does look great on that M3! Congrats! __________________ '21 /// M5 Comp - Frozen Brilliant White/Black '18 Porsche GT3 Carrara White/Black/Red - Sold '18 /// M3 - Individual Imola/Black - Sold '15 /// M4 - YMB/SO - Sold '12 E92 ///M3 ZCP - AW/FR - Sold
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06-03-2014, 11:15 PM	#8
Alexander_Valais Private First Class 13 Rep 170 Posts Drives: '13 LTMW F30 328i soon F80 M3 Join Date: May 2012 Location: NYC-Miami-Dubai iTrader: (0) Garage List 2016 BMW M3 [0.00] 2015 Cadillac Escal ... [0.00] 2014 Ducati 899 Pan ... [0.00]	wow car looks great color matches very well, congratulations! Thinking of getting m3/m4 in September
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06-03-2014, 11:34 PM	#9
stressdoc Moderator 617 Rep 10,855 Posts Drives: BMW i8; Toy 4runner TRD pro Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Waco TX iTrader: (0)	The ultimate family machine... You make a good case for DCT; let us know how it goes in the snow this winter. Congrats & thanks. __________________ My recent ED photos: http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1026808 my not-so-recent ED: http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31829 Please join BMWCCA http://bmwcca.org/index.php?pageid=c...&ref_by=300279
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06-03-2014, 11:43 PM	#10
solstice Major General 5457 Rep 7,037 Posts Drives: 2015 M3 6MT Join Date: May 2013 Location: Seattle iTrader: (0)	Looks great! Just like the show car in Vancouver I saw and liked except you got the CF roof. Your passive suspension review is music to my ears! The DCT is a great tranny, enjoy! Though I wish we had at least one early receiver with an MT. Good job working the dealer and/or BMW NA to get your ride prior to the embargo is lifted . Hopefully we see more trickle out the next couple of days until the flood gates open. Quick question. Most pro. reviewers complained about road noise / tire roar. What's your impression? Last edited by solstice; 06-03-2014 at 11:51 PM..
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06-04-2014, 12:34 AM	#11
///M Dream First Lieutenant 61 Rep 317 Posts Drives: 2015 BMW M3 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Phoenix, AZ iTrader: (4)	Holy hell congrats man. As everyone stated color looks great on M3, wasn't sold on it for the M4. Love the mini-review, gives lots of hope for future owners on what to expect. __________________ 2015 F80 M3
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06-04-2014, 01:35 AM	#12
Sedan_Clan Law Enforcer 24973 Rep 22,264 Posts Drives: '22 Chalk Gray Porsche C2S Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: ..in your rearview!!! iTrader: (26)	I have to say, AY does look good on the F80 M3 indeed. Congrats on your purchase!
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06-04-2014, 01:38 AM	#13
khanyam4 Ring Leader of G8X Trolls 802 Rep 1,762 Posts Drives: NA Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: 33.7743° N, 117.9380° W iTrader: (0)	bmw m dont dissapoint I'm not worry about that. congrat and enjoy.
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06-04-2014, 02:06 AM	#14
solstice Major General 5457 Rep 7,037 Posts Drives: 2015 M3 6MT Join Date: May 2013 Location: Seattle iTrader: (0)	Seeing these pictures of the F80 with passive suspension and 19s the wheel gaps are well within my tolerance so I will not be fiddling with the suspension. Seems they might have gotten the tuning just where I want it as with the E90 M3's passive suspension. Cool.
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06-04-2014, 03:00 AM	#15
e39>all Second Lieutenant 3 Rep 228 Posts Drives: 09 335i sedan Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: TX iTrader: (0)	Congrats and your input is greatly appreciated. I didn't really care for this color on the m4, while it's probably my sedan bias but the m3 seems to make every color look great. And the dual baby seats inside your rocket ship might be my favorite pic ever lol, hope they appreciate the rides in the m3 one day. Enjoy your car good sir
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06-04-2014, 03:10 AM	#16
jackkk Lieutenant 73 Rep 549 Posts Drives: M3 F80 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Moscow iTrader: (0)	Congrats! You said nothing about the stock breaks. How does it feel? __________________ F80 M3 SO/SO \|BM3 St.1 91 oct.\|Cattless DPs\|Tractive P'n'P\|Brembo 6pot\|Rays G25 with CUP2 tires\|GTS coding\| 1M VO FBO (KW DDC) PTF st.2+ sold e90 335i FBO jb4 sold Last edited by jackkk; 06-04-2014 at 06:36 AM..
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06-04-2014, 04:43 AM	#17
tisme Captain 72 Rep 741 Posts Drives: F80 M3 in Sakhir Orange Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: England iTrader: (0) Garage List 2009 model year 330 ... [0.00]	Car looks fabulous. Must admit to liking AY too. I'll be giving my initial impressions in 16 days as mine is in build. __________________ F80 M3 Sakhir Orange with DCT and TV collected 21 June 2014.
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06-04-2014, 05:10 AM	#18
CanAutM3 General 21115 Rep 20,741 Posts Drives: 2021 911 turbo Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Montreal iTrader: (1) Garage List 2022 Audi RS6 [10.00] 2021 Porsche 911 turbo [10.00]	Congrats OP . Beautiful combo, the car is stunning . And, thanks for your review The speedo seems to be in km/h, so I am guessing you are from Canada. You need to tell us how you convinced your dealer and/or BMW Canada to release your car early
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06-04-2014, 06:05 AM	#20
e39>all Second Lieutenant 3 Rep 228 Posts Drives: 09 335i sedan Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: TX iTrader: (0)	Yea, the wheel gaps look perfect for my taste and seemingly smaller than I thought especially on the front. There were some complaints in other threads about it. But I think the stance is great as is.
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06-04-2014, 06:23 AM	#21
Audio Fan Major 778 Rep 1,058 Posts Drives: AY - M4 Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: NC iTrader: (0)	How do you like AY in person and after living with it for a bit?
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06-04-2014, 06:58 AM	#22
Dawko Captain 193 Rep 881 Posts Drives: : Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: BE iTrader: (0) Garage List [0.00]	Congrats! This really is a perfect kid hauler.
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