You’ve probably seen the reviews of BMW’s new M3 and M4, the G80 model new for 2021. Now I should make it clear I’ve not driven or tested either, my thoughts here are based on the same info you will have seen and my experience driving fast, fun cars. With that said, I’m not sold on the M3 and M4 being the new ‘best drivers car’ on the market, at least not in the same way the last gen F80 M3 could be argued to be. Of course we will get onto styling in a minute, but I want to start with the reported driving feel.
The S58B30T0 engine BMW are using in these new cars is new for 2020 and 2021, although can also be found in the X3M and X4M. It comes in 2 flavours, a 480 PS model in the regular M3 and M4, and a 510 PS version in the Competition trim versions. I’m not sure if there is anything physically different about the engine or it’s ancillaries to give it that extra 30 PS, as if there isn’t I’m sure many standard M3 owners will find their way to a remapper to enable that extra power.
Either way, it’s a pretty respectable amount of power for an M3, it’s more than the last gen F80 M3 which also had a 3L twin turbo straight six, although this time it’s mated to either a 6 speed manual (only available in the non-competition trim) or a ZF 8 speed torque converter automatic in both the competition and standard version. The trouble is, at least here in the UK you can’t buy anything other than the competition trim, meaning if you want to buy a new M3 right now it’s ZF or nothing.
In the M5 I totally understand why they went with the ZF. It makes sense for a more cruiser, autobahn mucher car like that. It’s robust enough and hooks up well enough that it’s a good fit. But for an M3, the supposed ‘ultimate track weapon for the road’, it just doesn’t make sense to me. Reports suggest the driving feel is more muted thanks to the torque converter, and it lacks the usual rowdy character the M3 normally has. So, if you want a new M3 its probably worth waiting until you can buy it in a manual.
There is also a massive price hike. The F80 model started at £56,000, or £61,000 for the Competition, and while you can obviously option that up a fair bit, when you compare that to the new G80… That starts at £75,000 for the competition. A shocking £14,000 more for what is reportedly a less enjoyable driving experience. Ouch. If you decide to fully kit it out with the “Ultimate Pack” and the “M Pro Pack” for the carbon ceramic brakes, you are parting ways with just shy of £100,000. You can buy a used Mclaren 12C for £70,000 and I know which I’d rather have. On top of all of that, it looks like you might get nickel and dimed for what should be included features like heated seats and adaptive headlights which might be coming as part of a new subscription model to enable those features that are already built into the car. Admittedly, that seems to happen on the new 5 series models not these M cars, but if it works on the 5 series I can’t imagine they wouldn’t try it here.
And then, of course, there is the styling. I haven’t heard anyone who actually likes it, the only even remotely positive comment I’ve heard is more an excuse, saying “that’s what it is, you don’t have to see it as you’ll be driving”. To me it looks like to massive rabbit’s teeth, like you are driving around in bugs bunny’s face. As Chris Harris from Top Gear pointed out, the crease on the bonnet doesn’t line up with the window trim, it abruptly stops, and they’ve bludged the bonnet to fit the new grille in too which is just awful. Maybe and aftermarket bumper and bonnet can fix that, but BMW’s trend of massive kidney grilles, to me anyway, just look horrific.
