[vj123]

2022 BMW M3 Competition

Likes:

• S58 engine.
• Rear wheel traction.
• Handling despite its weight.
• Aggressive & unique design.
• Performance with practicality.
• Extensive driver customization options.
• iDrive 7 interface with physical buttons.
• Track weapon and a proper Grand Tourer.

Dislikes:

• No DCT.
• Digital instrument cluster.
• Exhaust note could have been more aggressive.
• Harman Kardon audio system might not be the best.
• Lack of light blue exterior shade in standard options list.
• Whole package might be a bit civilized than earlier generations.

Part 1: The search

Part 2: Factory Order

Part 3: Customization

Part 4: Order tracking

Part 5: Factory delivery

Part 6: Post delivery

Part 7: Initial impression

[vj123]

Part 1: The search

Cars have been a major part of my life as far as I can remember and this made me pursue a career in the automotive industry. For a while, I have been thinking about getting a proper ICE performance vehicle before they are replaced by hybrids and electrics. After owning vehicles across brands, it was time for a M which has been a childhood dream. It was extra special as the M division was celebrating their 50th anniversary when I took delivery.

The beginning:

Going back to 2021, I was happy with the vehicles in my garage - 2018 Dodge Durango RT & 2019 Volkswagen Golf GTI Rabbit. During the spring of 2021, I got a random thought of taking advantage of the crazy covid car market and revamp the garage as the family hauler brought in a lot of drama with a powerful V8 and my fun vehicle had a 2.0 liter. I thought about this for a while and also got approval from my wife. With a plan of getting vehicles from either extremes of the spectrum (A proper family hauler & A proper performance vehicle), I sold both my vehicles for a great price.

2019 VW Golf GTI ownership thread - LINK (My 2019 VW Golf GTI DSG (Rabbit Edition))

Other contenders

American coupes:
Camaro ZL1, Corvette Stingray Z51 and Mustang GT500 were the typical options in the US but I was not considering an American muscle as I was interested in the overall package: performance with practicality. I was never a fan of Challengers and it wasn't in the mix. A friend recently bought a Camaro ZL1 with Track package and it was an amazing vehicle.

Audi RS5:
Current generation RS5 didn't excite me as a whole package.

BMW M3c Touring:
BMW was going to launch the first ever M3 touring as a MY23 and it was not going to be sold in the US. Had it had been an option, I would have bought it in a heartbeat.

BMW M5 - Pre Owned:
I drove a M5c during the M track day last year and the vehicle was a little bigger for my liking. 4.4L V8 was intoxicating and a clean CPO or single owner vehicle would have been a worthy contender in a normal market. Beginning 2020, a clean M5c was going for absurd prices and I wasn't comfortable paying that much for a used performance vehicle.

Cadillac CT4 V Blackwing:
Even though it was a great vehicle, I never seriously considered it because of its size. Rear seats would not be comfortable for long trips and they are strictly for kids.

Mercedes AMG C63s:
MY21 was the last model year for current generation C63s and I was not considering a used one in the current crazy market. Next generation was going to have a 4 cylinder hybrid and that option was out of the picture.

Serious contenders

BMW M2:

I drove manuals for the most part of my life and switched to automatics last decade due to knee issues. After owning a couple of GTIs with DSGs, I love dual clutch transmissions. Since I was planning to keep this vehicle for a while, I strongly considered a F87 M2c last summer as they were ending production by June 2021. Those were the last BMWs with a DCT and everyone claimed the M2s to be one of the best driver focused vehicle with a raw feel and minimal electronics. I prefer factory ordering my vehicles and dealer allocations were scarce as that platform was towards the end of its production. After a tedious search, I was able to snag one the last M2c allocations in the country from an out of state dealer. My Client Advisor (CA) gave me a decent discount with little negotiation. I was really happy as I was seeing reports that people were even paying a little over MSRP to get an allocation. A couple of weeks after placing my order, I was able to test drive a similar vehicle. After a short TD, it was pretty evident that the vehicle was too small for our needs and liking. I ended up cancelling the order and passed on my allocation to a fellow BMW forum member. But looking back, I could have bought the M2c even though it didn't meet our criteria. I would have enjoyed the vehicle for more than a year and could have sold it for a good profit. But who knew the used car market would stay strong for this long.

M2c vs M3c dilemma thread - LINK (BMW M2c vs M3c)

Dodge Charger Hellcat Widebody:

Other than M2c, this was the only vehicle which I considered seriously. By Nov 2021, Dodge official announced that they might be killing HellCat vehicles by MY23 and that's when I started seriously looking into Charger HellCat Widebody. I contacted my dealer in DC from whom I had bought my Durango RT several years ago. My CA came back with an amazing OTD price. Dealers hardly gave any discount in the current chip shortage market but he gave me a number which was a little more than 8% off MSRP for a factory order. Also Dodge didn't have too many delays like what people were reporting with their BMW builds. My heart was saying M3 but my mind was set on a Charger HellCat. If I was not able to find a MY22 M3 build allocation, I might have ordered this vehicle.

BMW M3c:

On the day I cancelled my M2c order, my dealer got a M3c in their inventory. Vehicle was not cleaned and it was parked in their fenced lot. I always had a soft spot for the M3s and this was the first time seeing a G80 (platform code for current gen M3) in person. I hated the front grille in pictures but it looked way better and aggressive in person. Dealers were not allowing test drives as it was only launched a couple of months before and there was hardly any inventory. My CA offered a decent discount if I was willing to buy that particular vehicle. It was not specced to my preference (Oxide Grey exterior with Black interior) and also had a ton of options. I was not ready to pull the trigger as I wanted to see if the market would cool down with better discounts as one could get 6-10% off MSRP (pre covid) with some legwork. Also there wasn't an immediate need for a second vehicle in the household.

Fast forward a couple of months, BMW organized M track day in Indianapolis Motor Speedway and I signed it up as soon as I got to know about the event. It ended up being a teamBHP meet and all of us had a blast. I had an opportunity to explore and experience the capabilities of several M vehicle including the M3c and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

BMW M track day - LINK (USA - The Rust Belt States Meetup)

[vj123]

Part 2: Factory order

I was already a part of BMW forums and started spending a lot of time in BimmerPost everyday. Like most of us, I take time in educating myself before any vehicle purchase. While spending tons of time in the forum, I created a database of dealers who sold vehicles at a good discount since this platform was launched. But in the current market, getting an allocation at MSRP might be a decent deal. I didn't need this vehicle immediately and was planning to get one towards the end of G80 lifecycle as next generation was rumored to be a hybrid.

M vehicles do not receive an official LCI but get two updates through their lifecycle: one inline with 3 series LCI and another update during 4 series LCI. There were rumors that MY23 would get minor cosmetic updates along with iDrive 8. I was not a fan of iDrive 8 infotainment screen integration onto the dash and lack of basic physical buttons was a deal breaker. In addition, I was anticipating significant MSRP updates in the coming years as well. OEMs are adding more and more technology onto their vehicles and I prefer having less technology in mine. By late Nov 2021, BMW announced that they will be bringing in new options for M vehicles beginning Mar 2022 (for a limited time) as their M division was celebrating their 50th anniversary and customers will be able to order them by the end of January. Because of the aforesaid factors, I started considered a MY22 M3c.

Allocation search:

I have been in touch with several dealers over the past year. Once I took a decision to move forward in January, I contacted close to 20 dealers (from my database) across the country. Some were responding to emails / calls and others never bothered to get back. Few of them were M certified dealers and they had not received any M3 allocation for more than 4 months and had a long waitlist. I narrowed my list to a few dealers based on the comfortable level the Client Advisor (CA) and waitlist position. On my birthday, I decided to move forward and officially added my name to several dealer waitlists. Some of them get frequent allocations while others don't, so it was a matter of waiting.

Build allocation:

On 24-Jan, I got an email from one of the dealers that they submitted my configuration for one of the allocation which they received. My CA gave me the production number on the same day. I started tracking the vehicle in BMW's webpage and also called BMW Genius to reconfirm my build week.

It had been only 13 days since I contacted my dealer and I wasn't expecting an allocation this quick as several people were waiting even for 6 months to get an allocation. M3s were in high demand and it was easier to get an M4 allocation. M3 allocation can be configured as manual, competition rwd or competition xdrive and some dealers maintained a separate waitlist for each configuration, even though the builds are interchangeable. Since my order was a rwd, I skipped several people who were ahead in my dealer's waitlist. I had to pay a deposit with several dealers even to get into their waitlist but my dealer did not request one even after getting an allocation.

Couple of days later, my M2c CA communicated that he had an allocation as well. Since I had locked my build with the first dealer and was also comfortable working with them, I passed on the allocation to a Bimmerpost forum member. Some members were even asking for a finders fee to pass on these allocations to fellow members, looks like camaraderie is a thing of past in the current market.

Roadblocks:

BMW was randomly deleting options due to semi conductor shortage and supply chain issues. I would have pulled the plug if BMW decided to remove any features / options which were deal breakers for me. With all these uncertainties, the whole process was a hit or miss and I wasn't sure if I will end up buying this vehicle until production was complete.

• During the Fall 2021, there was a stop sale for most M vehicles built with S58 engine and the issue was related to engine bearings. This is not the first time that M cars were plagued with engine bearing issues. Thankfully this recall was only impacting vehicles built during certain build weeks. There were tons of speculation as BMW was hardly providing any updates to dealers or impacted customers for several months. After a long wait, few people reported that their engines were completed replaced by BMW under warranty.
• By Dec 2021, BMW removed touch functionality in iDrive Controller. It was a known deletion when I submitted my build and wasn't a deal breaker for me.
• Towards the end of 2021, Canada saw a significant MSRP increase ($2700) which was going to be in effect from 1/1/22. Luckily, US MSRP increase was limited to $100 for base and $200 for competition trims in the following month with immediate effect. It was minuscule when compared with MSRP updates from other OEMs in 2021. Dodge bumped Charger HellCat Widebody MSRP several times for MY22 and the total sum was close to $3000.
• In Jan 2022, there were reports that Laser lights were deleted for this platform and this would remove the signature DRLs. But luckily, only Canadian market was affected with this deletion.
• By early Feb, there were rumors that BMW will not be offering carbon fiber roof for builds beginning this summer. At the end, M models were not affected.
• On 1-Mar, there were reports that BMW will be temporarily halting production for a few weeks in some of their plants due to parts shortage from their Ukraine based harness suppliers. My build was scheduled for CW9 and plant shut down happened by CW10. I was glad that my build was pulled ahead from CW11 which was my original build completion week. Most of CW11 vehicles were pushed back towards the end (instead of a staggered delays for all builds) and they ended up being MY23 builds.

MY23 updates:

On 4-May, dealers received notification about 500 units of MY23 50th Jahre edition vehicles specially made for North American markets and MSRP was still an unknown. Updates in these vehicles were purely cosmetic and customers can configure the vehicle with limited options. BMW did not reveal the entire list of equipment but an option in Executive package stated curved display with HUD. This almost confirmed that MY23 would get iDrive 8 as speculated in the forum several months ago.

On 18-May, BMW officially unveiled MY23 updates for UK and this MY received iDrive 8 as speculated by the forum insider. A week later, BMW US released MY23 pricing and MSRP went up by $3700. With iD8 introduction and MSRP increase, I was glad that I pulled trigger on a MY22.

[vj123]

Part 3: Customization

I have custom ordered most of my vehicles except a very few which didn't have extensive options list. Even though this takes time, I have enjoyed the whole process and there is something about the vehicle which was exactly built for you. Most dealers love loading vehicles with electronic gimmicks and I skip most of them on my vehicles. Finalizing options were really tough this time even though I have been spending quite a bit of time with the order guide and online configurator for more than a year.

Individual exterior paint:

Like most of us, I love spending time on online configurators and BMW individual is one of them. Any individual order would require additional approval from BMW and will most likely add several weeks to the current production timeline as they are built in batches. Some people were even reporting 2 to 4 months delays in addition to the current timeline. Being my first M vehicle, I wanted to build it around a blue theme. Sadly BMW only offered two darker blues in the standard paint palette and I had to take the individual route to get a lighter blue exterior shade. Laguna seca blue and Mexico blue (renamed as Daytona beach blue) were my top picks and I also had a soft spot for Twilight purple. BMW was rejecting Laguna seca blue individual requests and there was a speculation that it was reserved for a limited edition (G8x CS / CSL / GT-H) due to its heritage.

By early Feb, BMW released a list of 50 individual colors inline for their 50th anniversary and it came with a discount. It had an extensive list of choices and I was really tempted to pick one. By doing so, my current build will most likely be pushed to a later build week. During that timeframe, there were reports that BMW was short of carbon fiber roof and might end up using moonroof for future orders beginning the spring of 2022. After several back and forth, I decided not to move forward with the individual paint. There might have been chances that my order was pushed to MY23 had I had taken the individual route. If this was a normal time without supply chain issues, I would have definitely taken this route.

Laguna seca blue



Brooklyn grey and Mexico blue



Twilight purple

Standard exterior options:

Standard interior options:

Exterior and interior combination:

BMW offered great exterior and interior options for G8x platform. My top picks were in the below sequence:

• Brooklyn Grey (BG) exterior with Fiona Red (FR) interior
• Brooklyn Grey (BG) exterior with Yas Marina Blue (YMB) interior
• Isle of Man Green (IOMG) exterior with Kyalami Orange (KO) interior

I love blacked out exterior and configured my last three vehicles this way. But this time, I felt that black front splitter, rear diffuser and spoiler stood out with a lighter exterior and I was tilting towards BG from the standard color options. Also a lighter shade made the front grille to be more prominent (more on this in the exterior section). My next choice was IOMG exterior which was the launch color and it looked fantastic with KO interior.

I had a tough choice choosing the interior with BG exterior - FR and YMB were my top picks. Since I wanted to build the vehicle around a blue theme, I was tilting towards YMB interior and this shade of blue was not offered by most other manufacturers. After seeing BG + YMB combination during M track day, I felt YMB interior didn't go well with BG exterior as BG had a tint of blue in the sunlight. My next option was FR interior. I have had red interior in my Durango and I liked the pop inside the cabin. FR interior was not an option when this platform was launched and was added as a semi individual option at a later date. Semi individual interior comes with floor mat edges in the same color as the seats (otherwise floormat edges would be in black) and it was a minor but unique touch. After several back and forth, I went with BG exterior and FR interior as my final build combination.

Drivetrain:

This was the first ever M3 with xDrive and was the second most contemplated option after individual exterior.

xDrive vehicle can be customized as awd or rwd using the option in the infotainment but this was a little more complex. Having the xDrive vehicle in rwd mode would completely remove traction control and vehicle has to be built with M Drive Professional (MDP) to address this issue. With MDP, traction can be adjusted on a scale of 1 to 10 but Dynamic Stability Control remains completely off in rwd mode. People were not aware of these nuances when MY22 was launched and were configuring their xDrive vehicles without this option. xDrive adds 50kgs to the overall weight but it would launch perfectly and offer better perform in the track.

Rear wheel traction was a major issue in the previous F80 platform but was greatly improved in G80 rwd. Since M is synonymous with rwd and this vehicle was not going to be my daily drive. I ended up configuring my vehicle as a rwd even though I live in Michigan.

Options:

Carbon bucket seats: These gave a great snug fit during sprinted drives and it also looked fantastic. Even though I strongly considered it, I didn't tick this option as it was a little difficult to get in and out with high seat bolsters. Also I wasn't sure how seat bolsters would wear over time.

Carbon fiber exterior: I had three other options which were higher in my priority list and this option wasn't even in my radar.

Carbon fiber interior: Standard interior trim was Aluminum Tetragon and I felt it didn't suit my build. I opted for carbon fiber interior trim which complemented the black exterior accents and this also added bigger carbon fiber paddles (standard was aluminum).

Carbon ceramic brakes: These brakes will eliminate fade but I wasn't going to track the vehicle regularly. It was a lot of money to get rid of brake dust and to get those gorgeous gold colored calipers. So this option was skipped.

Driver assist package: This package brings in Extended Traffic Jam Assistant and Active Driving Assistant Pro. I wasn't interested in adding a driver assist feature on my performance vehicle.

Executive package: This package adds Remote Engine Start, Heated Steering Wheel, Power tailgate, Head-up Display and Gesture Control. I was only interested in Remote start and this could be added later through BMW app store. So I skipped this package as well.

Full leather interior: This option brings in leather for upper and lower dash. With my configuration, upper dash will get black leather and lower dash will bring in red leather to match the seats. It was going to bring in too much red into the interior and I opted out.

Roof: Between carbon fiber roof and body colored roof with moonroof, my pick was pretty straight forward - carbon fiber roof.

Park assist package: This adds Parking Assistant Plus and Drive Recorder features to the vehicle. 360 camera was a nice to have feature. People were reporting additional delays with this option and I skipped it.

Wheels: There were three different options: style 824 (18"/19"), 825 (19"/20") and 826 (19"/20") and I felt style 826 concave wheels suited this vehicle better. Ride might be a little harsh with 19" in the front and 20" in the rear and I might have to be extra careful with terrible Michigan roads.

Others: Laser LED (with BMW signature DRLs) and Shadowline headlights were no brainers and I ticked those options. I skipped ventilated seats and wireless charging standalone options.

Final configuration:

If time and money was not a constrain, I would have opted for individual exterior, xDrive and carbon bucket seats (in the order of preference). People were reporting several delays with the first & last option (especially FR seats) and I didn't want to take any chance by adding them to my order.

M3 Competition rwd
Brooklyn Grey exterior
19"/20" 826M style black wheels
M compound brakes with red calipers
Fiona Red extended Merino leather interior
Carbon fiber interior trim
Carbon fiber roof
Adaptive LED laser headlights
M shadowline lights
M 50 years emblems

[vj123]

Part 4: Order tracking

In the good old days before covid, it would take anywhere between 10 to 12 weeks from order to delivery for US vehicles manufactured in Germany. With supply chain issues and semi conductor shortages, people are seeing anywhere between 3 and 8 months or even more (in a few cases) to take delivery after receiving their allocation. One has to consider weeks or months just to get an allocation before the above timeline kicks in. Even though this timeline is common in several countries, its a phycological barrier to most US customers who prefers walking into the showroom and taking delivery on the same day.

Post production, some vehicles were sitting in Quality check either in Germany or US Vehicle Processing Centers (locations depends on the component) so that missing parts can be retrofitted. Every build and delay was unique and there wasn't a pattern or a specific build option for this delay. Just like customers, dealers weren't getting updates on these delays and the whole process was a big mess. Lack of proper communication from BMW corporate is pissing off customers (even repeat customers) big time.

Vehicle progress could be tracked in different ways: By reaching out to your CA or calling BMW Genius helpline or track major milestones in BMW owner's online tracker. I tracked my build progress extensively and below are some screenshots.

BMW online tracker - Major milestones:

BMW online tracker code - Production date:

Forum members reported a way to confirm production date by looking into the codes from BMW online tracker webpage. This information would be available once production was scheduled for that particular build. My initial production date was 1-Mar and actual date ended up being 2-Mar.

Impact due to parts shortage:

With current shortages, BMW would build the vehicle with missing components and ship the vehicle to the destination country. In this scenario, vehicle would sit in Vehicle Processing Center in the US for days or weeks until the retrofit is complete. There were two ways to look into the details of missing components and I used my VIN to verify this information once production was complete. Fortunately, my vehicle was not built with missing components and I was glad with the options I chose.

Sea travel:

BMW has Vehicle Processing Center (VPC) in different US ports: New York NY, Baltimore MD, Charleston SC, Brunswick GA, Galveston TX, Port Hueneme CA. Based on the dealer or pick up location, shipping vessels will be assigned from Bremerhaven (Germany). Since I was planning to take delivery from BMW plant in US, my port of entry was Charleston. My port of entry would have been Baltimore had I had chosen dealership delivery.

BMW uses RoRo shipping carriers from two companies to transport vehicles from Germany to US: Wallenius Wilhelmsen and K Line. Below was the shipping schedule of different carriers once my vehicle reached Bremerhaven.

Vessel tracking:

Once my vehicle was loaded onto a ship, I was tracking the vessel using a couple of Marine traffic webpages.

Delays:

I was a little conservative on the options in my build as I didn't want to go through several delays reported in the forum. At the end, I didn't see any feature deletion or production delays for my vehicle but it went through several logistic delays.

• Production: Production completion was pushed by a day.
• Shipment from factory: Once production was complete, my vehicle sat in Munich plant for 5 days waiting for rail carrier assignment to Bremerhaven.
• Shipment from German port: Vehicle sat in Bremerhaven for 4 weeks before it got on a ship. During this timeframe, I missed 5 ships which sailed to Charleston.
• Shipping: Boat arrived at the destination port 3 days later than the initial schedule.

Several vehicles built in the same week (before and after mine as reported in the forum) were on the boat without the above delays. Those vehicles landed in US by early Apr and people started taking delivery as early as 15-Apr. Certain vehicles built five weeks after mine left on the same boat as mine. BMW was not following first in first out especially with logistics and every progress was pure luck.

Timeline:

BMW is one of the few manufacturers who gives order tracking resources (BMW Genius hotline and online tracker) directly to the customer and these systems are not available in most other countries (even Canada). Rather than enjoying the process, people were tracking these updates by hours and reaching out to those poor souls in BMW Genius hotline for additional information. I wouldn't be surprised if BMW removes these resources from customers until current component shortage and logistic nightmares gets better.

Several G8x vehicles which were ordered in the Fall of 2021 (and built last Oct) are still sitting in Germany. Few people who received their allocation this January (same timeframe as mine) had their builds pushed back several times and eventually ended up with a MY23 build. People were trying to figure out the common denominator for these delays but no one was able to figure anything and even most CAs are clueless on what was happening. BMW was not following first in first out in their process and everything looked like a big mess. It was worse as there wasn't any official communication to the dealers regarding any of these delays.

I experienced several logistic delays and it took 140 days from requesting a build allocation to delivery (including PCD scheduling delays). At the end, my overall timeline was way better than most reports in the forum as people were waiting for months just to get a build allocation.

11 Jan - Order in dealer bank (status 47)
24 Jan - Order accepted, scheduled for CW11 (status 111)
07 Feb - Order accepted, scheduled for CW10 (status 111)
09 Feb - Scheduled for Production, CW9 (status 112)
16 Feb - Production begins (status 150)
24 Feb - Exterior body assembly begins (status 151)
25 Feb - In paint booth (status 152)
28 Feb - Entering Assembly Line (status 153)
28 Feb - Assembly in process (status 154)
01 Mar - Quality check
02 Mar - Production completed (status 155)
02 Mar - Ready for transport (status 160)
02 Mar - Awaiting carrier assignment (status 182)
07 Mar - Dispatched from factory, Munich (status 190)
11 Mar - At port, Bremerhaven (status 193)
08 Apr - In transit to US
29 Apr - At port, Charleston (status 193)
02 May - In transit to Vehicle Processing Center (status 195)
05 May - At Vehicle Processing Center, Greenville
05 May - VPC work order closed
06 May - Performance Center confirms delivery date
18 May - At performance center
31 May - Vehicle delivered

[vj123]

Part 5: Factory delivery

There were three delivery options: Dealership, European or US factory delivery.

I have bought most of my vehicles out of state and have always made a family road trip while picking them. Those memories are fresh in our memory and we will cherish them for life. When I bought my second GTI in 2019, my son was 8 months old and he experienced his first 10 hour road trip. My current order was also with an out of state dealer who was 4 hours away from my place. I wanted to make this special and didn't want to go through the regular dealership experience.

BMW used to offer European delivery option from their Munich factory for US customers and I used to spend quite a bit of time on threads summarizing those experiences across forums. This option offered a fixed discount from MSRP and BMW would provide insurance to drive the vehicle in Europe for 14 days for no extra cost. One can drop the vehicle at any of the predetermined location within Europe and it will be shipped to US for no additional cost. Post covid, BMW cancelled European delivery program for US customers. With current situation and having a kid at home, I was not sure if I would have considered that option even if it was available.

This brings me to the Performance Center Delivery (PCD) option in BMW's US factory location in South Carolina. By choosing this option, one can take delivery from their US factory for no additional cost. In addition, the buyer will also get couple of hours of track time to experience the vehicle capabilities with a trained professional and BMW would offer their vehicle similar to what one was purchasing. In addition, they also offer free accommodation with dining and also a visit to their Spartanburg manufacturing plant where their SUVs are made.

Dealer experience:

I did not have any buying history with my dealer and had a great overall experience. Even in the current crazy market where people are paying markup for a Civic, the dealer did not charge any ADM, dictate mandatory addons or finance requirements. My CA was recommended by a fellow BimmerPost member when I was looking for a M2c last year and he was extremely helpful throughout the process. I never stepped into my dealership as I chose PCD and did the paperwork through mail couple of weeks before actual delivery. There was a slight increase in MSRP between my order & delivery and my dealer did not pass it on to me like most others. Also my CA added all weather mats to the build and did not charge me anything. Based on my personal experience, I will be referring my CA to friends and family.

Performance Center experience:

I drove from Michigan to South Carolina a day before delivery and it was a 13 hour drive. Past Knoxville, I took inner roads along Smoky mountains and it was a blast. I have done the same route with my wife several years ago and it brought back some great memories. After reaching Greenville, I drove around the factory and Performance Center to get familiar with the area. Greenville Marriot had swanky X5 shuttles for BMW customers and they picked me from the airport after I dropped off the rental. I met 3 different drivers during my stay and they were really helpful in taking me around. Few of them have being doing this since the inception of this program in 1999. I was happy with the stay and thoroughly enjoyed their dinner menu.

All PC customers assembled at the hotel lobby by 7:30am and we were dropped off at Performance Center by 8. After driver brief, we were taken to the track and had following activities: Handling, Skid pad and Braking courses. My instructor Rafael was a racer (represented BMW in 24 hours Sebring) / stunt driver and he was amazing to work with. He gave a Hotlap in a M3c towards the end and the drive was mind-blowing. Once the activities were done, we were given keys of X vehicles (X5 / X3M40i) and were taken to factory. We visited BMW North assembly line where X3s and X4s were built. Right after that, we did a few off-road courses in the same vehicle and headed back to PC for lunch. After lunch, I had a one on one session with a delivery specialist which lasted 2 hours and he went over every option in the vehicle. Since I had to drop off the vehicle for PPF right after delivery, I was not able to visit Zentrum and CCA museums. Both places had special exhibits as M division was celebrating their 50th anniversary that month.

PCD was a great overall experience and I would highly recommend it if you are in the US. It would be amazing for anyone who did not have any track or automotive factory experiences in the past.

View from Marriot room







Shuttle for BMW customers





Driver brief



Parking lots full of BMWs and Minis









Performance Center fleet









PCD customer track vehicles









Videos from Driver course

Skid pad 1

Skid pad 2

Braking

Hotlap

Off road

Delivery from Performance Center









In front of Performance Center









In front of Zentrum

[vj123]

Part 6: Post delivery

PPF installation:

Even though I wanted to do PCD, I was worried about getting rock chips during the long drive back home. I was planning to install PPF in SC or use temporary TrackWrap for the drive back home. There was a well known PPF installer in Greenville who was highly recommended by PCD customers and they were also the official installer for BMW PC fleet vehicles. I started working with them right after my vehicle went with production and this was a couple of months before my actual delivery. Their pricing was inline with the current market (even cheaper than a few quotes from the shops in metro Detroit) and they were extremely professional, knowledgeable and quick to respond. I had booked a tentative date initially and they were able to reschedule it as soon as I got my PCD confirmation. After several back and forth, I wrapped the full front, A pillars, roof, full rockers and door sills with Xpel. I dropped off the vehicle by Tuesday evening and picked it by Thursday morning. I stayed in the same hotel for two extra night and it was worth the effort. They did an amazing job and I was extremely happy with their work.

Drive back home:

I have always tried avoiding Interstate during my previous out of state purchases as I enjoy country roads and also varying speeds helps engine break in. I did a mix of Country roads and Interstate this time as I left late in the morning and had to go to work the following day after the 13 hour drive. This was my third time taking the same route through Smoky mountains. Its a single lane road for the most part and I enjoyed passing vehicles where ever I could. I had to keep the engine within 5500 rpm / 105 mph and could smell the tires & brakes a couple of times when I stopped for some pictures. Drive back home was a total blast and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[vj123]

Part 7: Initial impression

I covered 750 miles at a stretch from South Carolina to Michigan with a few fuel / food stops and here is my initial impression after the 13 hour drive.

Looks:

Let me address the pressing topic: Front grille. I was one of those people who thought BMW designers lost their mind when I saw the launch pictures and could not come into terms with the front grille design. But I changed my opinion after seeing one in person and this was even before I strongly considered one. Its definitely a radical change in the design language when compared to the classic design from the previous F80s. After looking at several G80s in the recent past, my wife (who is not a car person) feels the previous generation might be a bit muted. Also, the front grille is not huge when compared to the ones in Audi and Lexus vehicles and I feel this topic is kind of overrated. I got a couple of thumbs up from random people and grille is the first thing people bring up when they connect at gas stations. Rear fenders are more prominent on the M3s and looks really aggressive when compared with M4s. One might not be able to appreciate the design language in pictures and has to see the vehicle in person.

Powertrain:

Engine and transmission might be one of the best thing in this platform. Engine response is linear even at lower rpms and one can hardly notice turbo lag. I was really skeptical when BMW launched this vehicle without a DCT and that was the main reason for me to consider a M2c last year. After spending sometime with the vehicle, I feel that ZF 8 speed is crisp and does its job. Only thing I might be missing is the drama which the DCT would bring in.

Chassis:

Suspension might be a bit harsh for most people even at comfort mode and one can feel every imperfection on the road. I hardly experienced any body roll despite its weight. These vehicles might come with Michelins or Pirellis from the factory and there is no option to configure tires while ordering the vehicle. I hit the tire lottery by getting Michelin PS4S and they are one of the best in its class. Brake pedal feel was linear and brake dust might be a known issues like most BMWs which comes with LowMet / Euro pads.

Summary:

I was able to push the vehicle a bit in those twisty mountains roads while adhering engine break in restrictions. One could reach triple digits with very little effort and has to be extra vigilant in avoiding cops and speeding tickets. There is an extensive list of driver customization options which changes the complete dynamics. It can be a proper Grand Tourer in Comfort mode and can totally transform in Sport & Sport Plus modes. I am really glad that I chose a M3c over my other options.

I am looking forward to share my M3 journey with the community and will be updating the thread with a detailed ownership experience after I spend more time with the vehicle.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[kbk_75]

Thanks for the thoroughly detailed post, covering the entire experience! Five months must have felt like forever to wait for the car to arrive!

The G82 M3 definitely looks better than the G84 M4, to my eyes. The M4 has just lost the plot as far as I’m concerned. It even resembles a Mustang in the rear 3/4. I dunno, just not my thing. I still can’t stand the gaping nostrils on the M3 and, let’s face it, this design isn’t gonna stand the test of time, but its squat stance with the clearly flared fenders definitely makes it look better than the M4, no question.

Do you not get snow in the winters? I’m wondering how much of a delay the xDrive would have added to your build. Was it going to take much longer to build?

Interesting that the E9x M3s sold the least number of units of all M3s bar the very first E30. I’m guessing those are official numbers?

Anyway, loved reading your post, enjoy the new toy, drive safe and have a blast!

P.S. Your mate’s ZL-1 on-track looks absolutely sick!

[vj123]

Originally Posted by kbk_75

Thanks for the thoroughly detailed post, covering the entire experience! Five months must have felt like forever to wait for the car to arrive!

You are welcome. It was fun to track the progress everyday and I enjoyed it. I was expecting 6-8 months, so I was happy with my timeline. Some US customers who ordered the vehicle last Fall are still waiting for the delivery. Delays like that would have sucked the joy out from the buying process.

Originally Posted by kbk_75

The G82 M3 definitely looks better than the G84 M4, to my eyes. The M4 has just lost the plot as far as I’m concerned. It even resembles a Mustang in the rear 3/4. I dunno, just not my thing. I still can’t stand the gaping nostrils on the M3 and, let’s face it, this design isn’t gonna stand the test of time, but its squat stance with the clearly flared fenders definitely makes it look better than the M4, no question.

G82 M4 side profile looks very similar to S550 Mustang. Let me know your thoughts about the G80 M3 grille once you see it in person. Its one of those cars which doesn't go well in pictures and I don't like it in pictures in most angles. We knew the saga when Senna was launched and it has become a modern day classic.

Originally Posted by kbk_75

Do you not get snow in the winters? I’m wondering how much of a delay the xDrive would have added to your build. Was it going to take much longer to build?

If I plan to drive it during winter, I will be getting a set of tires. There might not have been much delays in the build process had I had chosen a xDrive.

Originally Posted by kbk_75

Interesting that the E9x M3s sold the least number of units of all M3s bar the very first E30. I’m guessing those are official numbers?!

It was shared in carscoops.com and not sure if these are the official numbers.

Originally Posted by kbk_75

P.S. Your mate’s ZL-1 on-track looks absolutely sick!

Picture in my initial post was from Car and Driver's review. Here is a picture of my friend's ZL1 and its looks better in Rapid Blue.

[kbk_75]

I've seen the G82 and G84 in the flesh, can honestly say I do not like the "nostrils". The look *has* grown on me since I first saw pics, it looks much better in darker colours AND I find when a number plate is mounted on the front, it breaks up the gaping holes a bit, but still...probably my least favourite M car design of all, with the possible exception of the Bangled M6.

That ZL-1 is a beauty! Funny, never thought I'd call a Chevy beautiful and diss an M car's looks in the same post! Life! xD

[vj123]

Originally Posted by kbk_75

I've seen the G82 and G84 in the flesh, can honestly say I do not like the "nostrils".

Yeah looks are very subjective and almost everyone I knew changed their opinion after seeing one in person. Also a small correction, there is no G84 (G80 is a M3 and G82 is a M4).

Originally Posted by kbk_75

That ZL-1 is a beauty! Funny, never thought I'd call a Chevy beautiful

Totally. These are one of the meanest looking vehicles on the road.

[nikhilarni]

Originally Posted by vj123

2022 BMW M3 Competition

Likes:

• S58 engine.
• Rear wheel traction.
• Handling despite its weight.
• Aggressive & unique design.
• Performance with practicality.
• Extensive driver customization options.
• iDrive 7 interface with physical buttons.
• Track weapon and a proper Grand Tourer.

Wow! Amazing Car. Amazing Writeup.
Congratulations on the new wheels in your garage. Wishing you many many miles of thrilling drives.

Can feel the excitement in you, right from the time of booking till delivery. The attention to details and research deserves a special mention.

Cannot wait to see the car at the next meet.

[vj123]

Originally Posted by nikhilarni

Wow! Amazing Car. Amazing Writeup.

Thank you Nikhil.

Originally Posted by nikhilarni

Can feel the excitement in you, right from the time of booking till delivery.

It was an interesting and fun filled journey.

Originally Posted by nikhilarni

Cannot wait to see the car at the next meet.

I am really looking forward to the next meet. Its gonna be of super fun!