Revisiting the E9X after over a year

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So last week I got the chance to check out a E92 M3 while helping out a fellow member from California buy a car sight unseen from my local dealer.

2013 Mineral White E92 M3
13,700 miles
Competition Package
M Performance Parts and M Performance Exhaust

A fellow member reached out to have me check out the car since he had a deposit on it and was planning on getting it shipped to him in CA. I hadn't been in a E9X for over a year since I sold my E90 M3 so was kind of excited to get back behind the wheel of one. I'll keep this short as I don't intend for this to be a comprehensive review but just my observations/impressions after revisiting my old car after over a year:

Exterior and Interior: I was extremely surprised to see just how dated the E92 looked compared to the F8X both on the exterior and the interior. This was honestly something I had not expected and it did take me by surprise. Everything from the front bumper, hood, steering, seats and dash looked dated in comparison. By no means is this a knock on the E9X as I absolutely loved my E90 but it as my own observations here that took me by surprise.

Engine: Torque Torque Torque, where are you? While it was fun revving through to 8k rpm, the torque that I have gotten so used to was missing entirely. The power above 5.5k rpm was still there but it was almost too little too late.

Driving Impressions: very interesting to note that the ride quality felt smoother and more comfortable than my F80. The EDC was turned off and comparing it to the "Comfort" mode in my F80 (57.3 Software), the ride felt smoother, less bumpy. But on corners there was absolutely no comparison to the F80. Felt a lot more body roll and not nearly as planted as the F80.

Exhaust: This is where a lot of folks might disagree but the MPE on the E92 was almost muted compared to the MPE on my F80. The F80 is just so much louder. This is not to say the F80 sounds better, it never can and never will but I was surprised just how much louder the F8X MPE is when comparing the two MPE's.

Final Thoughts As much as some folks hate on the F8X I think that BMW got it right with this car in every possible way over the previous generation. Perhaps if this car was N/A more folks would embrace it but I like it/love it just the way it is and there is absolutely no way I'll go back to the previous generation.

Side Note: I am glad I checked out the car for a fellow member as I found one glaring issue that is very common to the Mineral white. The passenger rocker panel had been repainted and to say it was obvious would be an understatement (see last two pictures). It's almost like Mineral White vs Alpine White These are some of the cons of buying a car sight unseen. The rest of the car checked out fine and mechanically it was sound. The dealer is repainting the rocker panel and fixing some other minor bumper scratches I found before shipping it to the CA. Glad I could help