Philly Auto Show M3/M4 Review with Pics.

[Needsdecaf]

OP: nice review. The suspension would not lower, though, as the adjustable suspension is not air.

[damnitBobby]

Originally Posted by RealStig

From a distance, it's hardly an M car unless you know where to look.

I agree that it may give it a rather subdued look..

but to some people having an M car for the sake of telling other people it's an M car isn't a priority

[michaelw9]

Really dislike this plastic on the side here, and that it's black. It's bad enough that it's not leather even with "Full" leather (how is this Full when previous gen M3s, M5/M6 etc all had it?)
I love the extended leather on my E92 and how it also color matches to it to the leather. This would look so much better if it were matching silverstone. I will have to figure out how to get this done on my own.

[Suave]

Originally Posted by michaelw9

Really dislike this plastic on the side here, and that it's black. It's bad enough that it's not leather even with "Full" leather (how is this Full when previous gen M3s, M5/M6 etc all had it?)
I love the extended leather on my E92 and how it also color matches to it to the leather. This would look so much better if it were matching silverstone. I will have to figure out how to get this done on my own.

Totally agree. Maybe it will show up in the final production car for customers. Always little surprises on launch day!

[Suave]

Full leather M3 does not have Alcantara headliner but the Nav is absolutely a 10 inch screen.

[Wah]

The M4 looked more sporty to me. The M3 looks too much like the regular 3-series. Maybe it was the black color, but I left the show knowing for sure I'm going M4. I still can't get over the incandescent bulb bullsh!t tail lights, though. Every freaking car that wasn't a Buick or Kia has LED tails.... its ridiculous. I'm gonna wait for the LCI. Hopefully, they change the tails next year.

[michaelw9]

Originally Posted by Wah

The M4 looked more sporty to me. The M3 looks too much like the regular 3-series. Maybe it was the black color, but I left the show knowing for sure I'm going M4. I still can't get over the incandescent bulb bullsh!t tail lights, though. Every freaking car that wasn't a Buick or Kia has LED tails.... its ridiculous. I'm gonna wait for the LCI. Hopefully, they change the tails next year.

The 4 series concept had awesome taillights, all LED. Here's to hoping they have them ready and just waiting.

[ybbiz34]

Originally Posted by RealStig

I'm sorry, I'd never buy any car black, and definitely never a car like M3. It hides the car way too much, the hood is underwhelming as is, with a color like black, it's even worse. From a distance, it's hardly an M car unless you know where to look.

But as needsdecaf said, to each his own.

It's strange. I have the same opinion (that black hides the more aggressive/sculpted lines of M, AMG, and RS/Quattro cars).

However, it seems like every single one of my friends and family members likes black. They don't care if you can see a car's lines or details.

They just think black looks shiny and menacing. I guess.

[Wah]

Originally Posted by michaelw9

The 4 series concept had awesome taillights, all LED. Here's to hoping they have them ready and just waiting.

Proof that BMW is playing games with the customers just because they can.

[RealStig]

Black is also a disaster when it comes to cleaning and detailing. You have to wax and polish a lot more frequently to get the most out of the color.

[RealStig]

Someone else already mentioned it but another disappointment was the full leather thing. There is now a lot more plastic somehow, where E92 had leather is not anymore and also there is a lot less the colored leather, a lot of standard black leather. Its not like in M5 or in the old M3 where the entire leather area would be the same color.

[RPiM5]

Originally Posted by RealStig

Someone else already mentioned it but another disappointment was the full leather thing. There is now a lot more plastic somehow, where E92 had leather is not anymore and also there is a lot less the colored leather, a lot of standard black leather. Its not like in M5 or in the old M3 where the entire leather area would be the same color.

Yup. That's why I said its a very sporty interior and not a luxurious one.

[aus]

Could someone please try to find the wheel offsets?

Just use your phone's back (selfie) camera and stick it between the spokes to see what the ET is.

.

[RealStig]

Originally Posted by aus

Could someone please try to find the wheel offsets?

Just use your phone's back (selfie) camera and stick it between the spokes to see what the ET is.

.

I have actually done that and based on my unscientific measurements, the offsets are off on the M3 and will not accommodate the 18s from the current E9X M3. I believe there is about 1 cm difference

[Suave]

Originally Posted by RPiM5

Yup. That's why I said its a very sporty interior and not a luxurious one.

I will wait until we see a full customer production car to see where the treatments end up being but to be clear the F8x interior is an exponential upgrade from the E92. We may be justified in nitpicking some stuff and we should so hopefully BMW will listen and make adjustments unless the change was already planned in customer cars. Will see. I wonder now what surprises did the E92 had in production from late pre-production cars? Maybe some insight there.

[Needsdecaf]

Originally Posted by RealStig

Have you ever seen CF leather trim in the current M3? It looks like this : http://www.reveuro.com/inventory/120...W-white-35.jpg

In my opinion, that looks far more classy than this. This looks too much cadillac/mercedes, not the subtle, understated BMW work. It's way too flashy. Both my wife and my friend who were with me today actually thought the CF trim in the M3 was plastic. I am not joking.

The CF leather trim isn't actually carbon Fiber. It is leather with a pattern.

[pokerface]

interesting. I've noticed that tradionally US spec cars had mph in the speedometer with kmh in smaller print. This new F8x does not. I'm thinking BMW got wise and took them off to make importing to Canada more difficult.

[Needsdecaf]

Originally Posted by karbonphiber

that's the first time i've ever seen carbon fiber leather...it even has stitching through it.

I understand what you're saying though - You prefer matte carbon fiber trim over high gloss

It's not actual carbon fiber.

[jballs16]

Thanks for the pics, guys.

[damnitBobby]

Originally Posted by RealStig

Black is also a disaster when it comes to cleaning and detailing. You have to wax and polish a lot more frequently to get the most out of the color.

A terrible downside to a black car. Swirls and any other micro scratches on the clear coat can ruin the look of a black car. Polishing is very time consuming. Water spots come easily like mushrooms after the rain.

This is one reason I'm trying very hard to like another color, but BMW's color palette for this car leaves something to be desired. I was anticipating a darker blue, and it would have been an easy choice since I've never owned a blue car. YMB seems like a great color, I just want to make sure I don't get buyer's remorse with this color haha

[RealStig]

Originally Posted by Suave

I will wait until we see a full customer production car to see where the treatments end up being but to be clear the F8x interior is an exponential upgrade from the E92. We may be justified in nitpicking some stuff and we should so hopefully BMW will listen and make adjustments unless the change was already planned in customer cars. Will see. I wonder now what surprises did the E92 had in production from late pre-production cars? Maybe some insight there.

This is not nit picking. There is a good portion of the interior that does not have leather which used to be all leather in the previous car. Yes, now the area around the LCD is fully leather vs it wasn't before, but that's besides the point. You don't take away something like this, I hope it's just a mistake.

Also, there is a lot of black standard leather all around the car, doors, dash, etc. When you picked full/extended before (and even now in M5 and M6), all those would be in the same color, not black. Yes there is contrast, but to be honest with you, I don't want contrast. If I pick silverstone full leather, I want the whole dash and doors to be silverstone leather, not half and half.

EDIT : Have a look at this thread to see what full leather should look like. Conceptually, this is also how the outgoing M3 is. http://f10.m5post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=706792

[TheDeliverator]

The entire interior needs to be plaid.





or even better, a speed cloth with some e30 evo flair



This is the only way the guys\gals eating my dust will see and feel this.