[jas165]

Has anyone made the switch from a manual G80 or G82 to a manual G87? I'm asking because I'd like to know if the G87 drives and feels sufficiently different.

I own a manual G80 and might get an M2 (either the G87 or the F87) as a second car down the road.

Thanks in advance for your feedback!

[jas165]

I can now answer my own question as today I got to test drive a friend's G87 for about an hour, which was more than enough time to get familiar with the car.

For context:
- My G80 has the standard sport seats and a sunroof while the G87 has the track package, meaning it comes equipped with CF bucket seats and a CF roof.
- I took delivery in November 2021 and have put about 12,000 KM on the car, while his G87 is pretty new, with only about 2,000 KM on it.

This is my (random) feedback:

The G87 definitely feels smaller and more compact, as well as a bit lighter. Some of that may be down to the CF bucket seats, which have a lower seating position and make you feel more connected to the car. They also hold you in much better than the seats in my G80. They seem to be a great fit for my body type (6'2, 210 pounds), and the CF divider didn't get in the way in any way, nor did I notice it while driving.

Surprisingly, the shifter in the G87 is somewhat different in that the throws felt shorter, which made it easier to change gears. This was confirmed by another friend who test drove both cars back to back.

The exhaust note of the G87 sounds more agressive on the inside. Not sure if this has anything to do with it, but Active Sound has been coded off.

I can't say that I felt any difference in power between the two cars, although on paper the G80 has 20 HP more. In the G87, I somehow felt the speed more (if that makes sense), probably due to the smaller proportions and the bucket seats.

Similarly, the G87 is less stable and has a firmer suspension, which made it more playful and fun to drive.

The lack of a 360 degree camera on the G87 makes parking more challenging, and is a significant downgrade compared to the G80.

Overall, I would say the G87 is a better sports car whereas the G80 is more luxurious and a better daily.

Getting back to my initial question about whether it would make sense to have both cars, while the G87 does have a character of its own, the driving experience is not fundamentally different. As such, for most people, having both (in manual form) would probably be overkill.

That said, I do want to get another manual down the road before they become extinct and wouldn't rule out the G87.

[jas165]

A couple of pics to complete my ‘report’:

[TheLegend]

If you had to do it all over again which would you get? G80 or G87. I would probably agree with you that they're not different enough to own both.

[meechy6ix0]

Originally Posted by jas165

A couple of pics to complete my ‘report’:

i think the shifter thing is due to newness. my 2nd g82 felt shorter and more precise right after trading my first one in

[jas165]

Originally Posted by TheLegend

If you had to do it all over again which would you get? G80 or G87. I would probably agree with you that they're not different enough to own both.

It's not a fair question because the G87 didn't exist when I was deciding what car to get in the summer of 2021.

But if I could choose now, I'd get the G87 because it's more compact, sportier, and appeals to me more design-wise. The rear end of the G80 looks better but otherwise the G87 is the better-looking car.

[jas165]

Originally Posted by meechy6ix0

i think the shifter thing is due to newness. my 2nd g82 felt shorter and more precise right after trading my first one in

I'd actually expect the opposite because a new shifter needs to be worked in. The shifts in my G80 are actually smoother because the car has more mileage, but it was easier to shift in the G87 - go figure.

[jafo09]

I had a 2021 M3 BSM MT for 1 year; now have a 2024 M2 BSM MT.

To summarize

- with my eyes closed I doubt I could tell which car it was
- with my eyes open i think the M2 is better in corners but maybe that's because i want it to be
- iDrive 8 is nice in the M2
- not having the 360 camera sucks a bit
- i do carry 3 people occasionally; obviously the M3 was much better for that although my 6'3 son will (grudgingly) get in the back seat of the M2 for short trips

In summary - I'm still not sure I made the right choice. I traded the M3 in with 20K when the used market was hot so didn't really lose anything. I got a 2022 X3 M40i (also a nice vehicle) but missed the MT so now have both. If only BMW made a #$%^ MT with xDrive, would be set.

In hindsight - I should have kept the M3 and bought a 2-3 year old X3 for hard winter days. I do have winter tires on the M2 and daily it whenever i can.

mike

[jas165]

Originally Posted by jafo09

I had a 2021 M3 BSM MT for 1 year; now have a 2024 M2 BSM MT.

To summarize

- with my eyes closed I doubt I could tell which car it was
- with my eyes open i think the M2 is better in corners but maybe that's because i want it to be
- iDrive 8 is nice in the M2
- not having the 360 camera sucks a bit
- i do carry 3 people occasionally; obviously the M3 was much better for that although my 6'3 son will (grudgingly) get in the back seat of the M2 for short trips

In summary - I'm still not sure I made the right choice. I traded the M3 in with 20K when the used market was hot so didn't really lose anything. I got a 2022 X3 M40i (also a nice vehicle) but missed the MT so now have both. If only BMW made a #$%^ MT with xDrive, would be set.

In hindsight - I should have kept the M3 and bought a 2-3 year old X3 for hard winter days. I do have winter tires on the M2 and daily it whenever i can.

mike

"with my eyes closed I doubt I could tell which car it was"

That I find a bit difficult to believe. In the M2, I clearly sensed there was "less car" around me and that I was in something more compact.

Did you have the same seats in both cars?

[DBV]

I found the difference between G80 and G87 small, but noticeable nonetheless.

I'd agree that the G87 feels more compact (might be roofline, lack of cabin space, and just the overall smaller body of the car), but the G80 felt more "amped up". Perhaps it's the small performance difference (doubtful), or the fact the G80 shares it's underpinnings with the regular 3 series. I know the M2 does the same with the 2, but I haven't driven a G42. I don't know how to describe it, but the G87 just feels more purpose built, at least to me.

I had the chance to order both, and I'm glad I went with the G87. If I NEEDED backseats, G80 all the way. Never considered the M4, it just doesn't tickle my fancy the same way the wider hips of the G80 and G87 do. (I know they're all the same width, but visually the longer fenders on the M4 make it seem stretched in length vs. widened at the hips, and as we know, hips don't lie.

[jafo09]

Originally Posted by jas165

"with my eyes closed I doubt I could tell which car it was"

That I find a bit difficult to believe. In the M2, I clearly sensed there was "less car" around me and that I was in something more compact.

Did you have the same seats in both cars?

Yep, same seats in both. I just have the sense that the M2 is not a small car. But it would be great if I could drive an M3 once again now that I have driven the M2 - wasn't really thinking about comparison at the time so just going by memory.

[Squidget]

Originally Posted by jas165

The exhaust note of the G87 sounds more agressive on the inside. Not sure if this has anything to do with it, but Active Sound has been coded off.

You mean the sound has been coded out in the G80, right? AFAIK there's no way to code the G87 sound out, yet?

[jas165]

Originally Posted by Squidget

You mean the sound has been coded out in the G80, right? AFAIK there's no way to code the G87 sound out, yet?

No, it's been coded off in the G87 using Bimmercode.