[fusionbang]

Awesome Vibin. Congratulations buddy

Can’t wait to check out the car in person and probably take a quick spin (if you let so) 😜

I have seen people being upset on the timelines especially when the car is built in Germany and takes all the time in the world to reach us here in US. People go crazy even for the X3 M40i’s built here in Greenville and I have seen people mentioning about calling genius everyday. Believe it or not, every week production has its own thread in that forum.

And can’t believe you did not choose the HUD option, it would have been a nice addition on this beauty.

Anyway congratulations once again and wish you all happy s(miles)!

[vj123]

Originally Posted by fusionbang

Awesome Vibin. Congratulations buddy

Can’t wait to check out the car in person and probably take a quick spin (if you let so) 😜

Thank you Sunay. Sure, looking forward to our next meet.

Originally Posted by fusionbang

I have seen people being upset on the timelines especially when the car is built in Germany and takes all the time in the world to reach us here in US. People go crazy even for the X3 M40i’s built here in Greenville and I have seen people mentioning about calling genius everyday.

Instead of enjoying the process, people are stressing too much especially when no one has any control over it.

Originally Posted by fusionbang

Believe it or not, every week production has its own thread in that forum.

I was one of those who was creating and updating those threads in G8x section of the forum: Monthly updates while waiting for allocation, jumping across build weeks when build schedule was changing, shipping updates while waiting at port, vessel updates once the vehicle was on the boat and finally PCD schedule.

Originally Posted by fusionbang

And can’t believe you did not choose the HUD option, it would have been a nice addition on this beauty.

I tried HUD and was not comfortable using it on a regular basis.

[Aditya]

Exceptional, unbiased & detailed ownership reviews of cars have started going to our homepage reviews box. It's the ultimate stamp of trust from Team-BHP (as a platform) because lakhs of visitors every month check out reviews from there & make purchase decisions.

Your review has also been included here. Thank you so much for sharing .

[Porcupine]

Amazing review! I love the colour combinations. The M3 is a legend and no matter what people say about the looks I'm sure it's going to cement itself in history. I hated the grille when the spy pics initially surfaced, but it's definitely grown on me after seeing them in the flesh.

Congratulations and enjoy the miles in good health!

[vj123]

Originally Posted by Aditya

Exceptional, unbiased & detailed ownership reviews of cars have started going to our homepage reviews box. It's the ultimate stamp of trust from Team-BHP (as a platform) because lakhs of visitors every month check out reviews from there & make purchase decisions.

The name has become synonymous with the Indian automotive industry.

Originally Posted by Aditya

Your review has also been included here. Thank you so much for sharing .

Thanks again, especially for your offline support!

Originally Posted by Porcupine

Amazing review! I love the colour combinations.

Thank you. It was challenging to zero-in the combination with several good options.

Originally Posted by Porcupine

The M3 is a legend and no matter what people say about the looks I'm sure it's going to cement itself in history. I hated the grille when the spy pics initially surfaced, but it's definitely grown on me after seeing them in the flesh.

True, especially when this is going to be the last ICE version.

[vj123]

Great roads. Sunday early morning. Solo joyride.

Took the M3 to one of the best roads (Hines Drive) in the metro Detroit area yesterday morning and it was fun. I was there by 6:30am and there were hardly any vehicles on the road. Empty roads gave an opportunity to open up the vehicle and the 150 mile round trip was well worth it.



On the way, it hit the 1000 mile mark and I am looking forward to the 1200 mile break in service so that I can open up the vehicle.



While driving back, I ended up meeting fellow member Jomz at a random traffic stop and it was nice to catch up with him after a while.

[vj123]

Completed break-in service last friday and made some friends in the local dealership. I have a tradition of getting donuts during my service visits and the dealership personnel enjoyed them.

I had contacted a CA in this dealer when I was looking for an allocation early this year and I finally met him in person. Looks like he was the past President for Ruff NA and also owned several dealerships in the area. We spoke for almost an hour and he shared some of his great experiences.

Now all set to clock another 1700~1800 miles for the teamBHP drive organized to cover the amazing North Carolina / Tennessee roads along Smoky mountains.

[vj123]

Team BHP meet - Tail of the Dragon

I was glad that my 1200 mile break-in service was completed before this trip, this way I could push the vehicle without second thoughts. It munched highway miles and also twisty mountain roads like a champ. I had zero traction issues while pushing the vehicle in wet conditions even though I have the RWD version. Its true that BMW has significantly improved traction in this platform when compared to the previous F80 generation.

This trip was mapped around Tail of the Dragon (one of the famous roads in the US) which has 318 curves in 11 miles. I was really happy that I was able to drive the M3 through Tail of the Dragon 7 times and also under different conditions (sprint, eco run, sunny, cloudy, wet and night). I have driven vehicles in the track for work and also few other times with my GTI. Driving the M3 in those twisty mountain roads was a totally different experience and travelling as a group just made everything even better. Wish we had similar roads in the MidWest and could meet more often with the same group. On a lighter note, I am glad that my M3 did not have the biggest front grille during this meet (thank you Genesis).

Duration: 4 days
Fuel cost: $502.03
Fuel consumed: 88.6 gallons
Distance covered: 1988 miles
Average fuel consumption - Interstate: 26.5mpg
Average fuel consumption - Sprinted drives: 15.4mpg
States covered: Michigan, Ohio, Virginia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee

Link to the detailed meetup report - LINK (USA - The Rust Belt States Meetup)

Day 1 - Michigan to North Carolina



Day 2 - Roads along Smoky mountains in North Carolina and Tennessee



Day 3 - Roads along Smoky mountains in North Carolina and Tennessee



Day 4 - North Carolina to Michigan



Each vehicle from the group were one of a kind





More of the M3







Highlights from Tail of the dragon

[vj123]

Here is a quick update and long story short, i sold my M3 few months ago.

I owned it for 4 months with 4200 miles on the clock and it was a great overall package. It met most of my expectations across categories (looks, performance, practicality) which i would expect from a BMW or a M vehicle but was lacking the overall driving character. I felt the vehicle was too refined for my liking and this was solidified as i spent more time with the vehicle.

Not sure if having DCT in this platform would have added more drama to the whole driving experience. Most people choose this platform for the manual gearbox. Would i have been more happy with a manual? Maybe. I drove manuals most part of my life but i gave it up last decade due to health issues, so manual was not an option for me. Adding an exhaust might have improved the drama. I have had AWE exhausts on several vehicles in the past and could have bought one but it wasnt going to resolve the issue.

Based on my experience, G80 M3 is an amazing grand tourer and a perfect daily driver (this vehicle was not my DD). I am sure that BMW developed G8x platform this way for a reason - to cater a wider audience and attract new customers before the M platforms became a hybrid. There is a poll in Bimmerpost forum where 60% of the respondents say G8x is their first M vehicle and i think they have achieved their target.

After listing the vehicle for sale, i reached out to several physical & online dealers and received some solid offers. Highest offer was from a local exotic car dealer and the second best offer was from Carvana. I slept on the numbers for a week and ended up selling it to the local dealer. I almost got back what i paid for the vehicle (selling price + sales tax). Looking back, i am glad that i sold the vehicle at the right time. With layoffs and Fed increasing rates, US auto market has softened quite a bit after i sold my vehicle this fall. I see similar vehicles are sitting in dealer inventory for months even after significant price drops and i might have lost a significant amount of money had i had waited for another month.

I am not in a hurry to get a replacement but might want a vehicle which might be more raw and has better driving character. There are very few new vehicle options in the market which fulfills those criteria and i am not sure how things are going to pan out in the coming months.

[Reesnat]

Originally Posted by vj123

Here is a quick update and long story short, i sold my M3 few months ago.

These cars are proven to be highly capable and quick but they do lack that hooligan charm of the earlier cars. I would think that for many this refinement is a plus, though I can totally understand your point of view.

Just surprised that this aspect was enough to make you let go of the car.

S58 is a bomb engine when on song, but does have low down turbo lag which the S55 didn’t, and no getting around missing that DCT smack and crispness.

Mod Note: Please quote ONLY the relevant bits of a post. Quoting a full, long post inconveniences our mobile readers.

[vj123]

Originally Posted by Reesnat

These cars are proven to be highly capable and quick but they do lack that hooligan charm of the earlier cars. I would think that for many this refinement is a plus, though I can totally understand your point of view.

It was blast to drive and was plenty quick but the driver connection was somehow missing. I came across similar thoughts even before ordering mine and that was my biggest fear which i had specified as a dislike in the initial post. As i spent more time with the vehicle, this feeling kept growing. I feel refinement is a good thing for people who use these vehicles as a GT and buy these vehicles as a part of their lifestyle.

Originally Posted by Reesnat

S58 is a bomb engine when on song, but does have low down turbo lag which the S55 didn’t, and no getting around missing that DCT smack and crispness.

S58 is a gem and the initial turbo lag wasnt the deal breaker for me. Yeah, having a DCT might have added more drama to the drive but the non enthusiasts would have complained big time and G8x might not have brought in this much of a success for the BMW brand.

Originally Posted by Reesnat

Just surprised that this aspect was enough to make you let go of the car.

In Bimmerpost, quite a few number of people have made a similar switch to CT4/5 Blackwings & P cars with a similar thought process and are extremely happy with the change. I have spent some time with the BWs and initial impressions have been really positive. GM developing a super sedan with a manual, rwd and V8 combination which no other OEMs is daring to do in this age says a lot. People have also been reporting the BWs to have the driver connect / engagement similar to the older Ms.