Anyone give me brief re-cap on various F80 M3 versions?

[Dav3]

I'm looking into getting into a F80 M3 2018 (Base)

As far as I know beyond the base model, we have the Competition and the CS version

While I'm aware I'll be missing out on a lot of extra's by going for the base model, the deal I'm getting is very good and I'm wondering what exactly I'm missing out on by not cross shopping with the higher trim models

As far as I know, engine-wise they're all the same, so ultimately I can reach CS level performance with just a flash tune and not have to worry too much about the other stuff

On surface level the only differences I can see is perhaps interior trim parts (seats with vents, alcantara bits etc.), some exterior stuff (wheels, carbon accents for the cs) and maybe the exhaust if it's any different

The only negative that's putting me on the fence for this base f80 m3 is that the suspension is passive and I'm wondering whether the adaptive spec offers a substantial improvement over bumpy out of shape roads

I've previously owned an M4 and a M2 Competition, so I'm up to date with most engine stuff. Most will wonder why the hell I'm going for round 3 on the S55 having probably already experienced most of it, but overall I believe the f80 m3 is the perfect sleeper car that is fun to drive and doesn't get too much attention.

Overall, for those of you on the forum that know the car by heart, what should I be looking out for and what retrofits are definitely worth it on a base spec?

Also, the car is 04/2018 EU spec. Did they add OPF to the F80 or only the F82? What about the drive shaft? Is that M4 only or will this car probably have the steel one?

Cheers!

[swagon]

Get a car with adaptive suspension as it allows for more aftermarket options. Passive suspension is set up somewhere around Sport mode on the adaptive shocks so it's pretty stiff round town and on bad roads. With adaptive, you could retrofit the CS set up with MP HAS and retain whatever BMW warranty is left on your car, and have one of the best suspension setups, according to some here on the forums.

F80 never had OPF, production run was cut short because of it. Retained the CF driveshaft, then. 04/18 was, I think, right at the end of the production.

[pikkagtr]

What ever you get don't get a car without FULL leather

[doug_999]

Originally Posted by swagon

F80 never had OPF, production run was cut short because of it. Retained the CF driveshaft, then. 04/18 was, I think, right at the end of the production.

Agree, except I think they built them all the way up to October 2018. But non EU F80 only

I didn't realize they were still making non adjustable suspension cars after 2015 however (I suspect that was country dependent)

[Dav3]

Originally Posted by swagon

Get a car with adaptive suspension as it allows for more aftermarket options. Passive suspension is set up somewhere around Sport mode on the adaptive shocks so it's pretty stiff round town and on bad roads. With adaptive, you could retrofit the CS set up with MP HAS and retain whatever BMW warranty is left on your car, and have one of the best suspension setups, according to some here on the forums.

F80 never had OPF, production run was cut short because of it. Retained the CF driveshaft, then. 04/18 was, I think, right at the end of the production.

Price is very good, think I might need to accept the passive suspension. Had it on the M4 and the M2C and while not great it wasn't a total deal breaker. Suspension on the X3M believe it or not is far far worse.

No OPF is good news. Will be able to do equal length exhaust without needing a flash tune that would void 4-year extended warranty.

CF Driveshaft. Not too sure. Ran VIN on realoem and it displays both the CF one and the Steel one. Until I put the car on ramps won't know for certain.

[RugbyBro]

I’ll answer with the versions of the car I’ve driven and decided on: Base and ZCP. I own a Base because I got a MUCH better deal and I knew I wanted to make some OEM+ additions to the car. I think it comes down to if you are going to mod the car (specifically tuning/coding and suspension)? If yes, then base all the way. If no then I would say depends on the deal you get - if ZCP is like $1-2k more then absolutely go ZCP. However, used market is crazy right now and I’ve historically seen people and dealers try to sell ZCP like it’s the second coming of the messiah and it completely changes the car (when I was buying I noticed $5-$7k up-charge on average; which I’ll admit likely has a lot to do with my immediate location). It doesn’t, not in a way that’s noticeable on the street with the caveat that I am about to explain. What will make a difference, and what I believe many people confuse with ZCP, is the version of iStep that you’re running - this will control everything from power delivery to transmission tuning to differential to damping and more (it’s the car’s firmware). More applicable for pre-lci, for instance, I have a 2016 but am running 2018 iStep which is noticeably different in power delivery and shifting characteristics than 2015/2016 iStep. Basically BMW have improved the firmware overtime across the line but later model years that were given to reviewers and influencers happened to also have ZCP. I know this may sound anti-ZCP but it’s really not and I don’t intend it to be, these are purely my impressions of the car with/without the package.

CS I haven’t driven so I couldn’t tell you, but based on the opinion of some very knowledgeable members who’s opinion I respect on this board, CS seems to be quite a noticeable difference (as you would expect for the premium you’re going to pay). Yes you can tune your car to CS power/damping but it will still not be a CS. If CS is what you want to emulate, then in this case I would say go ZCP as they share the same dampers which will maximize the CS suspension coding.

[Dav3]

Originally Posted by pikkagtr

What ever you get don't get a car without FULL leather

Car has full leather!

Didn't bother to spec it on the M4 and the interior definitely felt subpar.

M2C interior was even worse as it was only a marginal improvement over the base base 1/2 series interior spec.

Interior feels extremely luxurious!

[Dav3]

Originally Posted by RugbyBro

I’ll answer with the versions of the car I’ve driven and decided on: Base and ZCP. I own a Base because I got a MUCH better deal and I knew I wanted to make some OEM+ additions to the car. I think it comes down to if you are going to mod the car (specifically tuning/coding and suspension)? If yes, then base all the way. If no then I would say depends on the deal you get - if ZCP is like $1-2k more then absolutely go ZCP. However, used market is crazy right now and I’ve historically seen people and dealers try to sell ZCP like it’s the second coming of the messiah and it completely changes the car (when I was buying I noticed $5-$7k up-charge on average; which I’ll admit likely has a lot to do with my immediate location). It doesn’t, not in a way that’s noticeable on the street with the caveat that I am about to explain. What will make a difference, and what I believe many people confuse with ZCP, is the version of iStep that you’re running - this will control everything from power delivery to transmission tuning to differential to damping and more (it’s the car’s firmware). More applicable for pre-lci, for instance, I have a 2016 but am running 2018 iStep which is noticeably different in power delivery and shifting characteristics than 2015/2016 iStep. Basically BMW have improved the firmware overtime across the line but later model years that were given to reviewers and influencers happened to also have ZCP. I know this may sound anti-ZCP but it’s really not and I don’t intend it to be, these are purely my impressions of the car with/without the package.

CS I haven’t driven so I couldn’t tell you, but based on the opinion of some very knowledgeable members who’s opinion I respect on this board, CS seems to be quite a noticeable difference (as you would expect for the premium you’re going to pay). Yes you can tune your car to CS power/damping but it will still not be a CS. If CS is what you want to emulate, then in this case I would say go ZCP as they share the same dampers which will maximize the CS suspension coding.

Much like you the deal I'm getting on the base variant is very very good in comparison to a ZCP/Comp alternative.

I'm planning on doing minor mods, 763 wheels and equal length exhaust as the only two things I will definitely do down the road.

Flash tune, downpipes, intakes so and so forth, not that interested to be honest. Getting a 4 year warranty on the car and while the added power can be rewarding, I don't really believe the additional gains actually serve a real purpose. Car is 04/2018, so probably with the latest iStep which means OBD Flash is probably disabled at this stage anyways.

If the passive suspensions end up not being all that great, perhaps a KW3 coilover kit + CUP2 tires might make enough of a difference to address body roll. But in all fairness, I think most people don't stay objective when comparing base and higher end trims, as in, there's definitely a noticable difference, but really not enough to feel like it's a different car.

[RugbyBro]

Originally Posted by Dav3

Much like you the deal I'm getting on the base variant is very very good in comparison to a ZCP/Comp alternative.

I'm planning on doing minor mods, 763 wheels and equal length exhaust as the only two things I will definitely do down the road.

Flash tune, downpipes, intakes so and so forth, not that interested to be honest. Getting a 4 year warranty on the car and while the added power can be rewarding, I don't really believe the additional gains actually serve a real purpose. Car is 04/2018, so probably with the latest iStep which means OBD Flash is probably disabled at this stage anyways.

If the passive suspensions end up not being all that great, perhaps a KW3 coilover kit + CUP2 tires might make enough of a difference to address body roll. But in all fairness, I think most people don't stay objective when comparing base and higher end trims, as in, there's definitely a noticable difference, but really not enough to feel like it's a different car.

Absolutely agree with your general opinions here. I haven’t driven a passive F80/2, but have driven both M2 variants which I thought were stiff but not unlivable. Don’t know how you feel about 18in wheels, but that would be a great way to combat any jarring from the passive setup. Also MPHAS is a great addition to any of the models, so I think that’s also worth looking into unless you end up not liking the compression/rebound of passive shocks, in which case an adjustable coil over set would be the move as you have noted.

[swagon]

Originally Posted by doug_999

Agree, except I think they built them all the way up to October 2018. But non EU F80 only

I didn't realize they were still making non adjustable suspension cars after 2015 however (I suspect that was country dependent)

Yeah, true. May 2018 was the last month of F80 production for EU. It was also when BMW stopped selling many models with manual gearboxes due to WLTP and Euro6d(?) regulations.

There were actually quite a few differences in standard equipment across the world or even "just" Europe. Manual seats, no Shadowline window trim, etc.

Originally Posted by Dav3

Price is very good, think I might need to accept the passive suspension. Had it on the M4 and the M2C and while not great it wasn't a total deal breaker. Suspension on the X3M believe it or not is far far worse.

No OPF is good news. Will be able to do equal length exhaust without needing a flash tune that would void 4-year extended warranty.

CF Driveshaft. Not too sure. Ran VIN on realoem and it displays both the CF one and the Steel one. Until I put the car on ramps won't know for certain.

I have the passive option myself, it's good everywhere except rough surfaces and round town at slow speeds. Starts to work well at higher tempo. I also like it on the track, but again, I don't have any personal comparison with a good aftermarket system.

I just remembered the whole ordeal about steel driveshafts. BMW AG released a statement back in August 2017 announcing that from November 2017, they would gradually start building vehicles without the sacred CFRP item. The word "gradual" is key. For sure, no cars with CFRP driveshafts were built after June because that's when EU made GPFs mandatory for all sold cars. I would not 100% trust realoem.com or any other unofficial ETKs out there so best to just get the actual up on a lift.

Just as a tidbit: if you're buying a base LCI M3 with the DKG and you're by chance in Germany or it's a German car, be aware of the fact that BMW Welt and the likes of SIXT used to run rentals in that spec for a while. Saw quite a few during my hunt for an M3 in Germany.

[gunsmoker]

Originally Posted by pikkagtr

What ever you get don't get a car without FULL leather

Then strip it and put a rollcage inside