[JustinHEMI]

     Featured on BIMMERPOST.com

Who cares about my impressions? Maybe you don't, I'm not an influencer, I'm just a born again M guy coming from a life of Mopar and I know what I like. My first M car was an F87 comp, followed by a Z4M coupe, and now the G87. I'm mostly going to compare to my F87 comp, and I'll keep it short and to the point.


My main points are below, and I'm not really saying anything new, just saying my preference. Also, I didn't baby my car during break in. I used the full limits of the procedure and then some on occasion.

1) G87 is far more planted. What do I mean? Though there are several examples, there was one in particular that I thought I was going to die in my F87. Going around a fast corner on a less than stellar road..., in Minecraft..., and halfway though the corner the right side of the road dropped off due to big truck ruts. My F87 lost all composure and I ended up sideways, but I'm skilled enough to correct and didn't put it in the ditch. I nearly pooped my pants though. Maybe I shouldn't have been at the limit on a public road..., in Minecraft..., but the fact that the car became upset bothered me. This is gone in G87, and I love it. Maybe this is what influences call loss of character? It's character I'm happy to lose.

2) G87 will be as tail happy as you like, thanks to gobs of power all the way to the red line, and the ability to dial traction control way down. Me, I like MDM mode on public roads. Maybe that's boring, but I did play with a variety of settings and I found that I don't have to think about "what level am I on?" and the MDM mode gives me enough playfulness while staying safe on Minecraft public roads.

3) Speaking of that red line. There were/are threads in the F87 forums where we discussed the optimal shift point because of the drastic fall off in power after a certain RPM. That is gone in G87. It pulls ALL. THE. WAY. And has much more to give. Those of you looking to tune will be rewarded handsomely. Me? I've decided this car has plenty of power for Minecraft public roads where mine will spend most of its life, so I'll not be tuning or adding power.

4) #TH4GC. Ah, the purposely bogging down in 4th gear. No, I didn't do it, but I bring it up because the point is that compared to the F87, the G87 does take a second more to build power low in RPMs. #TH4GC grossly over exaggerates how bad it is, though. That being said, I'll take point 3 over point 4 any day because the way I drive, I keep my cars high in the revs, especially the Z4MC which is a dog at low revs while singing at 8K. So my G87 takes a second when bogging it down, oh well, I'll catch you in the top end.

5) Complaints about the manual are also grossly exaggerated. My F87 had a 2nd gear nibble, G87 doesn't. Also, it may be the tune, but I have no troubles shifting G87 in sport+. In F87, I'd sometimes embarrassingly "buck" when pulling out, and have less than smooth 2ng gear shifts. I have no issues in G87. As for my Z4MC, is the shifter the same? I'm not sure, but there's barely any difference. Maybe I'm just used to "shitty" BMW shifters? Possibly. I've never driven any of the claimed good shifters so this could be a case of "I don't know what I don't know." My main point is, I'm no longer interested in "upgrading" my shifter. It's just fine. (My Challengers had a TREMEC and it it was nothing special, either). My car will be living in Sport + at 4500 RPM and higher.

6) Tech tech tech. Tech is take it or leave it and completely up to the end user. While I appreciate my Z4MC for being pretty tech free, if I'm going to have a modern M car, then I want the modern M car tech, and I love it. I remember when I first got into my F87 I thought "Is this from the 80s?" Then I read it was a 2012 interior. I'm so glad we get everything now. I still feel they could have better integrated the screens, but boy do I love what it provides.

7) What's the future hold for my G87 performance wise? Nothing. It's a perfect package for me. The weekend warrior mostly carving back roads in Minecraft, with a BMW CCA track day thrown in here and there. I feel no need to add performance or fiddle with the suspension or anything else. That's me though. You'll have to define your needs and go from there. My main point is that I really feel BMW nailed it. For me.

8) Except maybe the exhaust. I read somewhere that someone wished they could hear the exhaust more. While it does sound really good, I wish it was..., more. So I may be looking at options as they come and see how things develop. But that's purely from an auditory perspective, not performance.



I think that's it. I really love this car and the number of thumbs ups, waves, and chats I've had the last 3 days far outnumber any I've ever had in my F87. It is a car with presence, and is not mistaken for any other car in the lineup. BMW has a winner on its hands. Congrats to everyone that's going to partake!

[MMMGuy60]

Thanks for the review. I can't wait for mine. I heard the exhaust in person and it sounds loud. I guess in the cabin it's not?

[Ctothej]

Brilliant post Justin - how did you go with the tyre lottery?

[JustinHEMI]

Originally Posted by MMMGuy60

Thanks for the review. I can't wait for mine. I heard the exhaust in person and it sounds loud. I guess in the cabin it's not?

It's not that loud in the cabin. I guess if I make it louder in the cabin it's going to be really obnoxious to others. lol

Originally Posted by Ctothej

Brilliant post Justin - how did you go with the tyre lottery?

I lost and got the Pzeros. I'll run em the rest of this year and swap to Michelins next season.

[Hypori]

Really appreciate the review! As for the exhaust note, have you seen PSI's video after they installed just the midpipe? I'm thinking about doing that if I do end up wanting something a bit louder.

[JustinHEMI]

Originally Posted by Hypori

Really appreciate the review! As for the exhaust note, have you seen PSI's video after they installed just the midpipe? I'm thinking about doing that if I do end up wanting something a bit louder.

Midpipe is what I did on my F87 for a little more sound but not too crazy. Leaning that way this time. I want to see what others come up with before jumping in. Maybe a winter project.

[Hypori]

Originally Posted by JustinHEMI

Midpipe is what I did on my F87 for a little more sound but not too crazy. Leaning that way this time. I want to see what others come up with before jumping in. Maybe a winter project.

I'm thinking the same thing. I'm coming from a Tesla(lmao), so factory exhaust is loud enough for me (for now). I'll wait a bit so I can have more options to choose from.

[Ravenseal]

Originally Posted by JustinHEMI

Midpipe is what I did on my F87 for a little more sound but not too crazy. Leaning that way this time. I want to see what others come up with before jumping in. Maybe a winter project.

Definitely though the car was a bit quiet when I test drove the HEA, and the fake noise is pretty obvious. I'll probably do an intake and an exhaust modification at some point. Have you found the setting to lower the fake engine noise coming through the speakers?

[JustinHEMI]

Originally Posted by Ravenseal

Definitely though the car was a bit quiet when I test drove the HEA, and the fake noise is pretty obvious. I'll probably do an intake and an exhaust modification at some point. Have you found the setting to lower the fake engine noise coming through the speakers?

No I haven't looked for that. One of these nights I'm going to go through every app and every setting.

[M2PDX]

Originally Posted by JustinHEMI

W
1) G87 is far more planted. What do I mean? Though there are several examples, there was one in particular that I thought I was going to die in my F87. Going around a fast corner on a less than stellar road..., in Minecraft..., and halfway though the corner the right side of the road dropped off due to big truck ruts. My F87 lost all composure and I ended up sideways, but I'm skilled enough to correct and didn't put it in the ditch.

I really love this car and the number of thumbs ups, waves, and chats I've had the last 3 days far outnumber any I've ever had in my F87. It is a car with presence, and is not mistaken for any other car in the lineup. BMW has a winner on its hands. Congrats to everyone that's going to partake!

That's exactly right! I love my F87, but anyone who has driven one hard has found that its rear end gets unsettled and traction/stability control can kick in at just the wrong moment - - especially on a bumpy curve - - from time to time. It's great to hear that BMW has fixed this fairly significant issue!

Thanks for the review. Still waiting for my dealer to get their first allocations. The wait is KILLING ME!!

[Ravenseal]

Originally Posted by JustinHEMI

No I haven't looked for that. One of these nights I'm going to go through every app and every setting.

Sure hope it's still an option on iDrive 8. I changed it in iDrive 7. Otherwise you have to get bimmercode to change it.

[Squidget]

JustinHEMI Obviously you are biased and not a real driver.

Nice write up, glad you are enjoying it! I'm hoping my G87 gets onto the boat next week.

[mrjbb77]

Really great review Justin!! Thank you!! I just got my HEA and I’m in the break in period, but I feel exactly the same as you! I love this platform.

[Tag]

Originally Posted by Ravenseal

Sure hope it's still an option on iDrive 8. I changed it in iDrive 7. Otherwise you have to get bimmercode to change it.

Bimmercode doesn't support the G87 yet, they don't even support the G42 yet either.

[Ravenseal]

Originally Posted by Tag

Bimmercode doesn't support the G87 yet, they don't even support the G42 yet either.

You can pretend it’s a G20, I believe. It’ll still code some functions. Obviously I’d prefer to change the setting on iDrive.

[Ctothej]

The way you've articulated your initial post Justin, I think it's time for a vlog/video on one of the days when you're out driving. Give it a go!

[markcu24]

Pardon my ignorance, why do you keep referring to Minecraft?

[LCDRJohn]

cool review!
That car must be a hoot on those crazy PA mountain roads!

[JustinHEMI]

Originally Posted by markcu24

Pardon my ignorance, why do you keep referring to Minecraft?

Haha Mexico, Minecraft..., just a funny way people refer to doing things that may not necessarily be legal in the US.

[chrisdavelaw]

I agree with you. I just got mine. I did the first 1200 miles in 2 weeks. Since the break in its even better. I have had several m cars but this one seems even more alive after the break in. It's a little louder even. I got the 6MT. It's wonderful. You can really ride our 2nd and 3rd gear. On the highway you dont even need to downshift to accelerate.

The handling is amazing. I am in Florida but making a trip to North Carolina soon to experience the handling on some back roads.

I had an F82 M4 before this. This is definitely more refined. I miss the DCT and wild power band of the M4. This is just a lot more precise and feels like an upgrade. The ride is surprisingly smooth. It's takes bumps smoothly. Obviously stiff but compliant as a daily driver. I have an X5MC and this seems less harsh in its ride than that.

I also would only change the exhaust. Check out the valvetronic videos on YouTube for the G87. I like that. It does have a nice sound though.

Is this their last 6MT? I keep hearing people say that. So happy I went with the manual. People keep calling it rubbery. In itself it's great. I have nothing to compare it to. I am not going to likely ever drive a supra or Nissan z or any of the cars they compare it to. It's precise and it confidently goes into gear. I can revmatch but love it has the auto revmatch when you want it. It helps to teach my wife to drive it.

I love it!

[MT6]

Good write up Thank you and enjoy your M2

[rangerfan94]

Thanks for the write up. This is what enthusiast forums are all about! Enjoy your car in good health.