[JTO24]

G80 6MT owner here and former OG F87 6MT owner... the N55 was absolutely punchier around town given the low end grunt it had lower in the rev range. I think peak torque started much lower around 1800-2200 rpm where as the boost threshold of the S58 is around 3400 or so, and in the G80 it pulls all the way to redline. The N55 felt torquier around town but ran out of breath up top.

Both are/were my daily drivers and I've never thought once the G80 felt slow or annoyingly laggy. You can't ride the low end torque wave like you could the N55 while in-gear but a simple down shift solves that; akin to when I had the e92 M3. It's a bit more engaging that way where you shift more. You don't end up driving it as lazily around town.

The shifter and clutch action in the OG M2 were a bit nicer but the overall enjoyment of the 6MT in the G80 is still fantastic; even if the 8AT is faster.

I do prefer the G80 overall for my needs but I can see how the G87 will feel a little less playful than before. The grip on the G80 is mega in comparison to any of the F-gen Ms I've owned. You can still act like a hooligan if you want but perhaps the edginess, playful nature is muted as compared to the previous gen.

Looks I won't cover, YMMV.