[Bumpinjeep]

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My M car journey includes owning a F80 for about a week (the motor exploded as I was driving home from the dealership, that was a fun one), 4 years in a 2020 F87C (to the day actually), and now a 23 M2.

My BSM was probably the first customer spec'd car to come out of the factory, the first with the carbon buckets for sure as I've had it in my hands for almost 2 months now. Since I work from home mostly, I don't get to take it out as much as I should but I try to find time. So here's the skinny:

The G87 is absolutely amazing. Like every car ever made, it isn't perfect, but it sure is fun. Simply put, the car performs. It's super well built. The interior is on par with actual luxury car. And the best part, compared to the F Gen cars? You get to use the entire tach. You paid for it, now you can use it all!

The exterior: This of course is subjective. I really loved the F87C body. The bull dog stance. The overall shape was excellent and as I've said before, it will go down as a classic, bar none.
The G87 looked bizarre in pictures but man when you see it, all I can say is that it is a DTM luxury coupe. The flared fenders, the aggressive as hell front end, even the rear is no longer bland, it looks purposeful. The carbon roof, the wheels, it really brings the small M coupe into the next gen in an motorsport way. The car belongs on a race track as well as date nights.

The interior: Like I said before, I have the carbon buckets, and to me they make the car. When you get inside you feel planted and snug, it is a very driver focused seat. I can't imagine the car without these. I did sit in the normal seat in a HEA car but to be honest, I can't really compare the two as I don't have a ton of (pardon the pun) seat time with the normal seats.

I can compare them to the F87C. The Comp seats were excellent. From the way they looked and felt to their placement (although off center, it was fine). They were very comfortable and the ease of getting in and out was phenomenal. I also loved the alcantara on the sides. The Carbon Buckets on the other hand are a real pain to get in and out but I think I have it figured out now, I just fall into them. The leather on them is spectacular of course.
The other bits on the interior are a huge step up from the previous gen cars. Honestly, if this was a P car, it wouldn't be out of place. The carbon (I do love the non-gloss in the F87C though) is top notch. The steering wheel is great and all of the touch points are made with quality.

The iDrive 8, takes a bit getting used to. Although I do miss the buttons, the screen and all of it's functions are awesome. It truly looks next gen and is an upgrade in every meaningful way. The voice controls are slower than what I would hope (this is due to BMW using AI to actually listen to what you want, you can say stuff like "hey BMW i'm cold, it will turn up the heat for you"), it is nice to have compared to the basic features in the F series.

Performance: No real shocker here, it is a fast car in a straight line. With what looks like over 500 horsepower, the car rockets when pushed. Weight is the enemy of overall performance and in street trim, I can't say that I can feel it too much. I think it may even contribute to the vault like steadiness of the car but I attribute that to the wonders of the suspension and tires.

The suspension is freaking awesome. To me, this was the biggest upgrade to the F series cars. The G82 I drove in this vain is similar to the G87 in that the car is planted as hell. The nose end is super sharp and the turn in is sublime. You can really steer the car now and expect it to go where you are pointing the front end. The ride is supple compared to the F series cars and when put in sport, it wont really beat you up but you can certainly feel the difference compared to comfort.

Now that I'm officially done with break in, I can report that it is fast as hell. Yes, even faster than the F87C with the mighty S55. The two motors are obviously similar but tuning makes the biggest difference. Where as the S55 was tuned for down low to mid range punch, the S58 is tuned for a more turbo like experience where it builds revs very quickly and pulls all the way to the red line. And when it pulls, I mean it, it pulls. In the right hands, this thing will run 11s.

This is a long post, to summarize, the car hasn't lost much of its edge but does gain a ton of confidence. There is a trade off between the two generations of cars but if we're being serious here, unless you track it and go 8, 9, or 10/10ths, like you know, on the street where you're spending 99% of the time, the difference in character isn't huge.

Oh also, I know there are some gripes with the 6 speed transmission. All I can say is that they are complete bullshit. The transmission is awesome. The gearing is now much better suited for the street as it is higher. You no longer have to drive at like 3500 rpm in 6th. It brings the tach down to where it should be and now you get to use the whole thing. The car is rewarding in every sense of the word.

TLR - Car great, no need to worry, if you can, get your hands on one. If you have questions, ask away.

[Squidget]

Nice writeup! Was your G82 also a manual? I assume that the transmission and shift experience is the same as the other G8x cars, is that so? (It should be since it is the same parts, AFAIK)

Because if so, then I know what I'm getting and can set my expectations accordingly. That being: OK with the shifter, occasionally annoyed by the weird clutch travel.

Edit: and I don't mind high RPM gearing, I came up on NA engines and motorcycles.

[JustinHEMI]

Cheers!

[Bumpinjeep]

Originally Posted by Squidget

Nice writeup! Was your G82 also a manual? I assume that the transmission and shift experience is the same as the other G8x cars, is that so? (It should be since it is the same parts, AFAIK)

Because if so, then I know what I'm getting and can set my expectations accordingly. That being: OK with the shifter, occasionally annoyed by the weird clutch travel.

Edit: and I don't mind high RPM gearing, I came up on NA engines and motorcycles.

Sorry, the G82 was a test drive. My previous M cars were all F series. I didn't really get that much of a test drive since the car was new and I didn't want to punish it.

[Moflow]

Thanks for the writeup! I saw your car at the big BMW meet at XXX (I think it was your car) and it looked nice. A lot of what bothers me about the front end is fixed when you paint the car black. You're left with something compact and angry looking, which is just fine in my book.

[Squidget]

Originally Posted by Bumpinjeep

Sorry, the G82 was a test drive. My previous M cars were all F series. I didn't really get that much of a test drive since the car was new and I didn't want to punish it.

Haha, fair enough. I'll find out for myself in a couple weeks, I hope

[Bumpinjeep]

Originally Posted by Moflow

Thanks for the writeup! I saw your car at the big BMW meet at XXX (I think it was your car) and it looked nice. A lot of what bothers me about the front end is fixed when you paint the car black. You're left with something compact and angry looking, which is just fine in my book.

The best part is when they shoved a mic in my face and made me talk about it.

[DrJLag420]

Thanks for the info and nice review. Nice to hear the 6-speed manny is on point. I was thinking of going auto after reading reviews on the manny. But the main reason I want this over my M240 is the fact that it can be had with a ‘row ya own’ option.

Cheers and Happy Motoring!

[M3R1]

Great review!

[npirnia]

Originally Posted by Bumpinjeep

Oh also, I know there are some gripes with the 6 speed transmission. All I can say is that they are complete bullshit. The transmission is awesome. The gearing is now much better suited for the street as it is higher. You no longer have to drive at like 3500 rpm in 6th. It brings the tach down to where it should be and now you get to use the whole thing. The car is rewarding in every sense of the word.

I just took delivery of mine today and I absolutely agree that the 6-speed is excellent! Definitely a big improvement over my F30 6-speed and better than the G80 M3 I drove. Definitely the best BMW shifter I have ever tried and nearly has precise (but better weighted) as my friends 991.2 7-speed.

The whole car is much better than I expected and doesn't just feel like a faster version of my 340i. It feels more special and more interesting even just running around town.

The car that that it most reminds of is the AMG GT that I Turo'd for a weekend in 2021. It has the same gruff aggressiveness as the AMG with very similar steering and handling feel.

After watching videos from sources like TH, I was expecting something very different (and expecting much less) that leads me to feel that their reviews are frankly mis-leading. This is the best car surprise that I have had in a really long time and I am happier than expected with my purchase.

This is an excellent car!

-Nick

[aerobod]

Originally Posted by npirnia

I just took delivery of mine today and I absolutely agree that the 6-speed is excellent! Definitely a big improvement over my F30 6-speed and better than the G80 M3 I drove. Definitely the best BMW shifter I have ever tried and nearly has precise (but better weighted) as my friends 991.2 7-speed.

The whole car is much better than I expected and doesn't just feel like a faster version of my 340i. It feels more special and more interesting even just running around town.

The car that that it most reminds of is the AMG GT that I Turo'd for a weekend in 2021. It has the same gruff aggressiveness as the AMG with very similar steering and handling feel.

After watching videos from sources like TH, I was expecting something very different (and expecting much less) that leads me to feel that their reviews are frankly mis-leading. This is the best car surprise that I have had in a really long time and I am happier than expected with my purchase.

This is an excellent car!

-Nick

I only put 5km driving home on my manual M2 that I took delivery of today, until I get the PPF done next Fri. I found the gear change was much more positive, direct and less rubbery than I experienced in our F22 M240i and other F-series cars.

[mckman]

Thanks for the review.

Did you have a manual in your F87 M2C as well?

The regular F series 6 speed is sloppy, but the F87 M2C has about as nice a manual trans setup as I have experienced in a BMW.

Some reviewers (Throttle House for example) think the G87 has a weaker bottom end compared with the F87 M2C (the trade-off for the much stronger top end power). With a manual I actually like how quickly the turbos spool up in the F87. Hardly need to slip the clutch at all. Makes it fun on the street, but likely sacrifices some performance on the track.

[JustinHEMI]

Originally Posted by mckman

Thanks for the review.

Did you have a manual in your F87 M2C as well?

The regular F series 6 speed is sloppy, but the F87 M2C has about as nice a manual trans setup as I have experienced in a BMW.

Some reviewers (Throttle House for example) think the G87 has a weaker bottom end compared with the F87 M2C (the trade-off for the much stronger top end power). With a manual I actually like how quickly the turbos spool up in the F87. Hardly need to slip the clutch at all. Makes it fun on the street, but likely sacrifices some performance on the track.

ETA: I apologize, I saw "1200" in the thread title and just assumed it was my thread. It isn't and this was addressed to the OP of this thread, but my comments still relate since I did own a manual F87.


------------------------------

Yes I did have a manual F87 M2C. I agree with those that say the manual in G87 is much improved over F87, despite BMW likely claiming they're identical. They cleaned it up somehow.

My F87 always had a second gear nibble which is gone on my G87.

And my G87 isn't "rubbery" compared to F87. I know what people mean when they say "rubbery" as it relates to F87, but that just isn't the case, to me, for G87. Maybe compared to a higher end sports car, but compared to other BMW M manuals, G87 is improved whether BMW admits it or not. At least on my copy. It's so improved to the point that I've abandoned all plans to "improve" it by aftermarket add ons or deletes.


For the way I drive, I much prefer G87 power band over F87, and it mimics my NA Z4MC. Gotta keep the revs up!

[antzcrashing]

This car looks great in black. Nicely optioned

[npirnia]

Originally Posted by mckman

Thanks for the review.

Did you have a manual in your F87 M2C as well?

The regular F series 6 speed is sloppy, but the F87 M2C has about as nice a manual trans setup as I have experienced in a BMW.

Some reviewers (Throttle House for example) think the G87 has a weaker bottom end compared with the F87 M2C (the trade-off for the much stronger top end power). With a manual I actually like how quickly the turbos spool up in the F87. Hardly need to slip the clutch at all. Makes it fun on the street, but likely sacrifices some performance on the track.

My prior car was a F30 340i 6MT (first BMW with the new B58). The G87's low end performance is almost identical to the F30's B58, meaning a brief whiff of lag followed by a very healthy mid-range that continues to grow with revs.

Actually, the engine that feels the most like the G87 in terms of power delivery is the 991.2 Carrera's turbo F6 (with a 7MT). Which makes sense since they have the same displacement and twin turbos. It feels like the engine takes a fraction of a second to respond at very low revs, but then delivers good torque that builds as the revs build. The responsiveness can be improved by keeping the revs up and the throttle response is excellent above 3k rpms or so.

I think the engine power band is really well matched to the 6-speed so far and it encourages you to select gears more than the G80 6MT I drove (again, a lot like the 991.2 manual).

BTW, for a long time I was convinced that the whole TH 4th gear thing was a joke - like when James wished for ice cream to appear in his pocket or said that it would be crazy if airplanes had wheels...

I mean he basically said "if you drive the car slow it goes slow..." Whether planned or not, its pretty absurd.

-Nick

[THEROK]

What parts are actually made in 🇲🇽?

Black is definitely the color to get this gen M2/3/4.

[///M TOWN]

Front page news worthy indeed

Your G87 is the only one I’ve seen in the wild… Man it looks so sinister in BSM. It shows unbelievable presence that interestingly enough cannot be captured by a quality camera lens

Featured in Black Sapphire Metallic this m-car simply pops with character

I am excited to have a ride soon

Congratulations my friend !!

[M2PDX]

Car looks fabulous!

Great review. Glad to hear your impressions of the 6MT. My OG F87 actually has a damn good non-rubbery shifter. Actually the best stock BMW manual I've had (in 11 different bimmers over the years). What I've noticed over the years as I have driven several F87s is that they vary widely. Strange. Different component suppliers? Something adjusted differently? Installed on a Friday instead Tuesday? I don't know.

In any event ... hopefully I hear something soon about my #3 allocation.

The waiting is killing me!

[Jimc]

I do like black !! Maybe the m2 cs...but....red will be awesome, and not to much longer..

[chrisdavelaw]

Nice writeup. My last car was an F82 M4C. I think you really nailed it here. I have about 3K miles on mine now. I took it on a road trip already.

The suspension really is one of the most surprising parts. It is compliant and not harsh on bumps. I was really able to put it through its paces on some back roads and it handled it so well. You definitely need a track to really get the full potential out of the car. An interesting but maybe not relevant comparison is to my 2022 X5MC. The M2 seems to be less harsh over the small bumps than the X5. Maybe because the X5 is so heavy and has all of the additional bracing, it makes sense its a bit more harsh so it can still do what it can do. Still blown away by that car on a side note and how fast it is and how it corners for a heavy SUV.

Compared to an F8X it is less harsh and brutal in a daily sense. I can see if you really push it, it can do amazing things. I do miss the DCT and torque curve of the F82. That was the character of the car though, brutal in every sense. I would argue the G87 M2 is an overperforming grand tourer. I drove it a few hundred miles on the highway and its really comfortable. The interior is really luxurious and a great place to be. It really does it all.

In regards to the 6MT, it is fantastic. People keep saying rubbery on all reviews. For me, I love it. I will not be driving back to back to the Supra, 350Z, etc... For what it is, the shifts are precise. I have only owned 3 manual cars and one was a 6 speed 2007 Honda Accord V6 and the other a 2017 WRX. It feels much better than those cars did. Those tended to miss 3rd a fair amount of the time. I have been using the auto rev matching more than I want to admit but it just does it so well. I enjoy rev matching myself but i have gotten in the habit of leaving it on. I have taught my wife to drive stick on this and it really helps someone with less experience.

The engine is rewarding. I enjoy how it builds power. I found if you run all the way through 2nd and go to 3rd the power will stay. It seems like if you accelerate hard in 2nd but short shift then when you get into 3rd there is lag for a second. Seems to hold boost if you shift all the way at 7,000. It is really fast either way, just something I noticed. I get the 8AT is faster but man its fun shifting through the gears.

I have no problem with idrive 8. Minus the climate buttons not being there, its not much different. I love the huge screen you get. I got into my X5MC after my road trip and think the screen is smaller in there with iDrive 7.

And lastly the color. I think this is one of the best looking BSM cars they have done. I went into the dealer for a nail in my tire and they had the M2 that I ended up buying sitting there. It is Zandvoort Blue. I have to admit I really did not like the color online but once seeing it in person, my mind changed right away. The car was spec'd with the carbon roof which looks really great with the blue. It does not have shadowline so the exhaust is chrome. I would have gotten black but again it offsets the blue nicely. My point is, I am going to stop judging things I see online. You really need to see it for yourself.

Best car I have owned so far. A P car is the next level but I think its almost more impressive you can get a car that is this good for this price. I don't think i need more handling or anything. Driving this car is sublime. The power level is just right. I would just do an exhaust to unleash the sound a bit more. I ran into someone with a last gen M2 and his car was definitely louder.

[M2Cmtl]

The added stability would be very welcome. The F87C was a hand full even in the dry when you wanted to exploit all the power. Being rewarded by reving the car sounds like a huge bonus as well along with suspension that isn't overly harsh.

[adc]

The G8x suspension is the differentiator IMO. It is next level suspension tech, and the biggest benefit is probably on the street.

To me the powerband thing is a wash, owning a tuned F80 Comp where you can get any custom power curve imaginable for just a few hundred dollars. I expect the same thing would happen to a G8x car.

It was only when I upgraded my suspension to an MCS 2 way ($7k installed) that I felt the F platform really had the suspension it deserved. And in many ways the G8x suspension is as good, and in some situations better (I.e. cockpit adjustability without fiddly shock knobs).

Camber plates, SSK, AP Racing front brakes, should be good to go. I’m aiming for the next track season.

Thank you OP for the thorough review.