BMW F82 M4 Manual
Discussion
Hi all! Picked up this M4 recently. I've had a long list of old BMWs, mainly fettled E36s and the occasional E39. Finally moved onto E46 M3s - childhood dream car and the ultimate evolution of the E36 328s that I spent so much time in before. They are brilliant, but after a while I found myself wanting a bit more throttle adjustability, and with a recent job change I also wanted something a bit more modern to help reduce the project management burden of running multiple modern classics.
The F82 M4 was released while I was at uni and I was a fan from day 1. I loved the looks, particularly of the launch spec cars with the 437Ms with no spoilers and splitters - they looked so elegant whilst also clearly being something special. Having always been into 90s JDM cars the idea of a twin turbo I6 was very appealing and the widowmaker reputation only added to the intrigue. I realised last month that if I sold my E46 M3 I'd be in a position to buy one so I did just that and started looking. I've never owned a modern car and generally feel quite alienated by the direction that modern performance cars have taken recently, so my criteria ended up being fairly strict - if I was to get an M4, it had to be a '90s car spec':
- Manual. I know DCT is faster, but I've driven manual all my life and I figured if I bought a manual one I'd probably miss my E46 that little bit less
- No tints. Personal preference but I dont like how tints look, especially on coupes where the break up that lovely one piece glasshouse look
- Dark colour - I wanted something that could blend in when needed
- No sunroof - most manuals seem to have sunroofs for some reason (old school buyers I guess?). I love sunroofs but didn't want to lose the carbon roof
- HUD, HK, LED headlights
This criteria probably gave me about 1% of the UK's M4 production run, if that. Tough gig. Anyway I lucked out and found my exact car for sale the day I agreed a sale on my M4. It was up north, and my M3 buyer was up in the midlands, so I told him I'd deliver my car to him and then he kindly offered to drive me up to grab my new car!
I picked it up with a bunch of visual mods - rear lip and diffuser, aftermarket tints, black badges and red M1/M2 buttons - the car had clearly been cherished, just by someone with different taste. Had all of that taken off over the next few days, and did my own bits - Macht Schnell lowering springs with refreshed OEM dampers, LCI shadowline rear lights, a CS spec remap by Evolve, CS spec alignment and a paint correction / ceramic coat (pics taken prior).
I lucked out with the spec. Manual, no tints, individual Azurite black (basically like Carbon Black, which is what my old M3 was), no sunroof, HUD, HK, Icons, factory debadge, full leather, 360 & reverse cam, driver assist pack, road sign recognition, rear blind and probably a few other bits. It's exactly how I would have specced one from new, which is quite something considering how varied the specs on these can be...
Anyway. The car itself - I love it. It's exactly what I wanted, and more. Size wise it feels identical to my old E39s, which I always thought were a great size for a daily. The chassis is incredible - the front axle seems immune to understeer, which also means the loss of feel from EPAS doesn't really matter. I never found BMWs of the past to have particularly good steering feel anyway lol. S55 is an absolute riot, the mid range means you can slide it on demand and the fact that it revs out to 7.5k is a nice bonus coming from NA cars. The gearbox is brilliant, the best manual BMW I've ever had. I thought I'd hate the auto rev matching as it's habit to do it myself, but it doesn't do it in sport+ and if you just do it yourself anyway in efficient/sport it doesn't get confused.
I love the switchable modes, which are actually genuinely useful and not just gimmicks. In efficient/comfort it's basically a 330i, and it's super quiet too which is great. With the throttle in sports+ and the suspension in sport/sport+ it feels like my old M3 on coilovers, but on steroids - to me an M car has always been about the connection between the throttle and rear axle and I've never driven an M car that does that as well as this does. Overall it's a better daily than my old M3 and by and large, more fun... you don't get the raw-ish feel of an E46 but the drive itself is so much more visceral it more than makes up for it. Plus it looks bloody brilliant IMO lol especially with the LEDs on. I think it's fairly criminal that BMW didn't give the F8X LEDs and HUD as standard. I even like the way it sounds - it's not a pretty sound, it doesn't make you want to get the windows down like the old S engines, but it's purposeful and honest, and hearing the turbos spool up makes me giggle every time. The manual makes it as fun to drive as any RWD 90s coupe.
Overall it's as if BMW made an E39 coupe and put a 2JZGTE in, which is basically my ultimate car. They aren't for everyone but I love it, and I'm happy I went for a manual.
On another note, I work for an auction platform called Shooting Brake (shootingbrake.com) - we regularly market M cars on behalf of enthusiasts and make great content on our YouTube so expect to see a video review on this car soon!
Plan is to just drive it more. It's pretty much 'done' - I'd like to get a full ID6 retrofit at some point but waiting for parts to come up at a good price. I'm happy with the brakes, suspension and power etc so no major tweaks planned!
The F82 M4 was released while I was at uni and I was a fan from day 1. I loved the looks, particularly of the launch spec cars with the 437Ms with no spoilers and splitters - they looked so elegant whilst also clearly being something special. Having always been into 90s JDM cars the idea of a twin turbo I6 was very appealing and the widowmaker reputation only added to the intrigue. I realised last month that if I sold my E46 M3 I'd be in a position to buy one so I did just that and started looking. I've never owned a modern car and generally feel quite alienated by the direction that modern performance cars have taken recently, so my criteria ended up being fairly strict - if I was to get an M4, it had to be a '90s car spec':
- Manual. I know DCT is faster, but I've driven manual all my life and I figured if I bought a manual one I'd probably miss my E46 that little bit less
- No tints. Personal preference but I dont like how tints look, especially on coupes where the break up that lovely one piece glasshouse look
- Dark colour - I wanted something that could blend in when needed
- No sunroof - most manuals seem to have sunroofs for some reason (old school buyers I guess?). I love sunroofs but didn't want to lose the carbon roof
- HUD, HK, LED headlights
This criteria probably gave me about 1% of the UK's M4 production run, if that. Tough gig. Anyway I lucked out and found my exact car for sale the day I agreed a sale on my M4. It was up north, and my M3 buyer was up in the midlands, so I told him I'd deliver my car to him and then he kindly offered to drive me up to grab my new car!
I picked it up with a bunch of visual mods - rear lip and diffuser, aftermarket tints, black badges and red M1/M2 buttons - the car had clearly been cherished, just by someone with different taste. Had all of that taken off over the next few days, and did my own bits - Macht Schnell lowering springs with refreshed OEM dampers, LCI shadowline rear lights, a CS spec remap by Evolve, CS spec alignment and a paint correction / ceramic coat (pics taken prior).
I lucked out with the spec. Manual, no tints, individual Azurite black (basically like Carbon Black, which is what my old M3 was), no sunroof, HUD, HK, Icons, factory debadge, full leather, 360 & reverse cam, driver assist pack, road sign recognition, rear blind and probably a few other bits. It's exactly how I would have specced one from new, which is quite something considering how varied the specs on these can be...
Anyway. The car itself - I love it. It's exactly what I wanted, and more. Size wise it feels identical to my old E39s, which I always thought were a great size for a daily. The chassis is incredible - the front axle seems immune to understeer, which also means the loss of feel from EPAS doesn't really matter. I never found BMWs of the past to have particularly good steering feel anyway lol. S55 is an absolute riot, the mid range means you can slide it on demand and the fact that it revs out to 7.5k is a nice bonus coming from NA cars. The gearbox is brilliant, the best manual BMW I've ever had. I thought I'd hate the auto rev matching as it's habit to do it myself, but it doesn't do it in sport+ and if you just do it yourself anyway in efficient/sport it doesn't get confused.
I love the switchable modes, which are actually genuinely useful and not just gimmicks. In efficient/comfort it's basically a 330i, and it's super quiet too which is great. With the throttle in sports+ and the suspension in sport/sport+ it feels like my old M3 on coilovers, but on steroids - to me an M car has always been about the connection between the throttle and rear axle and I've never driven an M car that does that as well as this does. Overall it's a better daily than my old M3 and by and large, more fun... you don't get the raw-ish feel of an E46 but the drive itself is so much more visceral it more than makes up for it. Plus it looks bloody brilliant IMO lol especially with the LEDs on. I think it's fairly criminal that BMW didn't give the F8X LEDs and HUD as standard. I even like the way it sounds - it's not a pretty sound, it doesn't make you want to get the windows down like the old S engines, but it's purposeful and honest, and hearing the turbos spool up makes me giggle every time. The manual makes it as fun to drive as any RWD 90s coupe.
Overall it's as if BMW made an E39 coupe and put a 2JZGTE in, which is basically my ultimate car. They aren't for everyone but I love it, and I'm happy I went for a manual.
On another note, I work for an auction platform called Shooting Brake (shootingbrake.com) - we regularly market M cars on behalf of enthusiasts and make great content on our YouTube so expect to see a video review on this car soon!
Plan is to just drive it more. It's pretty much 'done' - I'd like to get a full ID6 retrofit at some point but waiting for parts to come up at a good price. I'm happy with the brakes, suspension and power etc so no major tweaks planned!
That's absolutely lovely; looks understated/not 'in yer face' and classy all at the same time 
I love the 437M wheels too; they suit the 3/4 range so well
My previous F01 7'er was Azurite Black too; it's a superb colour and that 'flip' in the sunlight from black to dark, glossy blue is stunning
I'll enjoy following this thread
I love the 437M wheels too; they suit the 3/4 range so well
My previous F01 7'er was Azurite Black too; it's a superb colour and that 'flip' in the sunlight from black to dark, glossy blue is stunning
I'll enjoy following this thread
Lovely car OP, as you say looks 100 times better without any replica 'CS' parts or, God forbid, plastic skirts and crap stuck all over it.
It's depressing the amount of automatics you see for sale when looking, I entertained the idea of an F80 Competition, but eventually got sick of trying to find a manual gearbox car - an idea to be revisited at some point perhaps... The DCT is no doubt an adequate gearbox, but why rob yourself of extra involvement when circuit lap times are of 0 consideration? Love the look of your M4, and looking forward to hearing how you get on with it given the calibre of your back catalogue of BMWs! Best of luck with it
It's depressing the amount of automatics you see for sale when looking, I entertained the idea of an F80 Competition, but eventually got sick of trying to find a manual gearbox car - an idea to be revisited at some point perhaps... The DCT is no doubt an adequate gearbox, but why rob yourself of extra involvement when circuit lap times are of 0 consideration? Love the look of your M4, and looking forward to hearing how you get on with it given the calibre of your back catalogue of BMWs! Best of luck with it
Edited by CKY on Thursday 28th December 09:09
Looks really good OP - A manual F8X is definitely one on my bucket list. The combo of the CS map and a manual box sounds like a really nice recipe.
I’m not sure if you’re a part of the Shooting Brake youtube channel, but I have to say it’s currently my favourite YouTube channel.
I love how in depth you go into each of the vehicles you review and I’m always tempted by cars which I wouldn’t have considered like an E46 M3 convertible.
I’m not sure if you’re a part of the Shooting Brake youtube channel, but I have to say it’s currently my favourite YouTube channel.
I love how in depth you go into each of the vehicles you review and I’m always tempted by cars which I wouldn’t have considered like an E46 M3 convertible.
Edited by onstr296 on Thursday 28th December 18:55
d_a_n1979 said:
That's absolutely lovely; looks understated/not 'in yer face' and classy all at the same time
I love the 437M wheels too; they suit the 3/4 range so well
My previous F01 7'er was Azurite Black too; it's a superb colour and that 'flip' in the sunlight from black to dark, glossy blue is stunning
I'll enjoy following this thread
Thank you! Azurite is indeed stunning, and very hard to photograph!I love the 437M wheels too; they suit the 3/4 range so well
My previous F01 7'er was Azurite Black too; it's a superb colour and that 'flip' in the sunlight from black to dark, glossy blue is stunning
I'll enjoy following this thread
theicemario said:
Top motor
I too was at uni when these came out and absolutely love the design. Very elegant but purposeful. Can’t say the same for the ones that have been barried up with “carbon splitters” all around as you’ve touched on. Absolute gash
Thanks! Luckily most of the modified ones are saveable as most of the tat is just stuck or screwed on, it's hard to be picky with these as the specs are so varied by the time you figure out what you want theres normally only 1 or 2 cars that are suitable!I too was at uni when these came out and absolutely love the design. Very elegant but purposeful. Can’t say the same for the ones that have been barried up with “carbon splitters” all around as you’ve touched on. Absolute gash
JAMSXR said:
Congrats. Lovely car and spec - I was looking for a manual F80 M3 last year and they were like hens teeth at the time.
They are indeed rare, I think less than 10% were specced in manual and with the F80 M3 being rarer than the M4 it makes it even harder to find a manual one of those...CKY said:
Lovely car OP, as you say looks 100 times better without any replica 'CS' parts or, God forbid, plastic skirts and crap stuck all over it.
It's depressing the amount of automatics you see for sale when looking, I entertained the idea of an F80 Competition, but eventually got sick of trying to find a manual gearbox car - an idea to be revisited at some point perhaps... The DCT is no doubt an adequate gearbox, but why rob yourself of extra involvement when circuit lap times are of 0 consideration? Love the look of your M4, and looking forward to hearing how you get on with it given the calibre of your back catalogue of BMWs! Best of luck with it
Yeah an F80 comp manual is exceptionally rare. Probably close to single digits in the UK. The DCT is genuinely awesome but if you want a manual then it just won't do. I would consider a non comp as well, the comp revisions are very minor and can mostly be replicated via remap / springs / rollbars anyway. The non comps are quite raw and edgy compared to the comps, IMO that makes them more exciting!It's depressing the amount of automatics you see for sale when looking, I entertained the idea of an F80 Competition, but eventually got sick of trying to find a manual gearbox car - an idea to be revisited at some point perhaps... The DCT is no doubt an adequate gearbox, but why rob yourself of extra involvement when circuit lap times are of 0 consideration? Love the look of your M4, and looking forward to hearing how you get on with it given the calibre of your back catalogue of BMWs! Best of luck with it
Edited by CKY on Thursday 28th December 09:09
Court_S said:
That looks grand; those wheels look so much better than the comp wheels which I think are way too fussy (and they’d be b
ds to clean).
Thanks! Yeah I love the 437Ms. IMO one of the best wheels BMW have ever done, which is saying something. ds to clean).onstr296 said:
Looks really good OP - A manual F8X is definitely one on my bucket list. The combo of the CS map and a manual box sounds like a really nice recipe.
I’m not sure if you’re a part of the Shooting Brake youtube channel, but I have to say it’s currently my favourite YouTube channel.
I love how in depth you go into each of the vehicles you review and I’m always tempted by cars which I wouldn’t have considered like an E46 M3 convertible.
Thank you! I present those videos so its great to hear your feedback! Will be reviewing the M4 soon hopefully.I’m not sure if you’re a part of the Shooting Brake youtube channel, but I have to say it’s currently my favourite YouTube channel.
I love how in depth you go into each of the vehicles you review and I’m always tempted by cars which I wouldn’t have considered like an E46 M3 convertible.
Gooly said:
d_a_n1979 said:
That's absolutely lovely; looks understated/not 'in yer face' and classy all at the same time
I love the 437M wheels too; they suit the 3/4 range so well
My previous F01 7'er was Azurite Black too; it's a superb colour and that 'flip' in the sunlight from black to dark, glossy blue is stunning
I'll enjoy following this thread
Thank you! Azurite is indeed stunning, and very hard to photograph!I love the 437M wheels too; they suit the 3/4 range so well
My previous F01 7'er was Azurite Black too; it's a superb colour and that 'flip' in the sunlight from black to dark, glossy blue is stunning
I'll enjoy following this thread
The rest of the time it just looked black
Hi, amazing car with the manual and Azurite paint. Good on you for taking off the carbon bits. These look their best just lowered and with nothing on them, maybe with the exception of OE M4 CS aero.
I have had my manual LHD F80 for 50k miles and five years. Cloth seats and the 18" 513M alloys which were unavailable in the UK.
Not many people realise that this is the only generation to lose weight compared to its predecessors!! A lot of lightweighting went into F8x M3/M4. There's a great video by former M chief Albert Biermann from 2014, talking about the tech details of the car.
I have got Girodisc brake discs with Ferodo pads, some M Performance interior bits, Ohlins RT and a short shift kit by Auto Solutions out of the US.
Definitely recommend doing the AS shifter. You can customise the throw, height and weight/effort of the shift action!
I did, if I recall, a 15% throw reduction and it's pretty much perfect. Maybe 10% would've been the sweet spot really. I did it mainly for more precise shifts rather than length - since the engine's rpms drop slow, you can't really shift super quick anyway, so there's no point in shortening the throws.
Since you have fresh EDC dampers, I would do CS EDC coding. Macht Schnell aren't the best springs, but all springs cut the lifespan of OEM dampers anyway. I've heard good things about Evolve-spec Bilstein B6s. But that's for the future perhaps.
Never bothered remapping the engine. Never felt it needed more power than it's already got.
What I also recommend is deleting ASD via Bimmercode - the fake engine noise in the cabin was unbearable. And it's still super loud inside at full chat.
I've now got to do some proper maintenance on the engine - valve cover due to PCV issue, coils and other bits and pieces. But these cars are stout if you take care of them. I do engine oil changes every 5-6k miles. Gearbox and diff should be done frequently too.
Happy motoring. I love my F80 and will hopefully never have to get rid of it.
I have had my manual LHD F80 for 50k miles and five years. Cloth seats and the 18" 513M alloys which were unavailable in the UK.
Not many people realise that this is the only generation to lose weight compared to its predecessors!! A lot of lightweighting went into F8x M3/M4. There's a great video by former M chief Albert Biermann from 2014, talking about the tech details of the car.
I have got Girodisc brake discs with Ferodo pads, some M Performance interior bits, Ohlins RT and a short shift kit by Auto Solutions out of the US.
Definitely recommend doing the AS shifter. You can customise the throw, height and weight/effort of the shift action!
I did, if I recall, a 15% throw reduction and it's pretty much perfect. Maybe 10% would've been the sweet spot really. I did it mainly for more precise shifts rather than length - since the engine's rpms drop slow, you can't really shift super quick anyway, so there's no point in shortening the throws.
Since you have fresh EDC dampers, I would do CS EDC coding. Macht Schnell aren't the best springs, but all springs cut the lifespan of OEM dampers anyway. I've heard good things about Evolve-spec Bilstein B6s. But that's for the future perhaps.
Never bothered remapping the engine. Never felt it needed more power than it's already got.
What I also recommend is deleting ASD via Bimmercode - the fake engine noise in the cabin was unbearable. And it's still super loud inside at full chat.
I've now got to do some proper maintenance on the engine - valve cover due to PCV issue, coils and other bits and pieces. But these cars are stout if you take care of them. I do engine oil changes every 5-6k miles. Gearbox and diff should be done frequently too.
Happy motoring. I love my F80 and will hopefully never have to get rid of it.
d_a_n1979 said:
Yup; I think in the time I had it I was only able to catch the 'colour flip' twice
The rest of the time it just looked black
Yup, being a winter purchase I've basically only seen the blue twice, which is when I've filled it up right after cleaning it at night! Love the old F01 btw.The rest of the time it just looked black
cerb4.5lee said:
You've got a lovely rare car there OP with the manual gearbox for sure.
Enjoy it.
Thank you! Hope yours is treating you well?Enjoy it.
jackcactii said:
Hi, amazing car with the manual and Azurite paint. Good on you for taking off the carbon bits. These look their best just lowered and with nothing on them, maybe with the exception of OE M4 CS aero.
I have had my manual LHD F80 for 50k miles and five years. Cloth seats and the 18" 513M alloys which were unavailable in the UK.
Not many people realise that this is the only generation to lose weight compared to its predecessors!! A lot of lightweighting went into F8x M3/M4. There's a great video by former M chief Albert Biermann from 2014, talking about the tech details of the car.
I have got Girodisc brake discs with Ferodo pads, some M Performance interior bits, Ohlins RT and a short shift kit by Auto Solutions out of the US.
Definitely recommend doing the AS shifter. You can customise the throw, height and weight/effort of the shift action!
I did, if I recall, a 15% throw reduction and it's pretty much perfect. Maybe 10% would've been the sweet spot really. I did it mainly for more precise shifts rather than length - since the engine's rpms drop slow, you can't really shift super quick anyway, so there's no point in shortening the throws.
Since you have fresh EDC dampers, I would do CS EDC coding. Macht Schnell aren't the best springs, but all springs cut the lifespan of OEM dampers anyway. I've heard good things about Evolve-spec Bilstein B6s. But that's for the future perhaps.
Never bothered remapping the engine. Never felt it needed more power than it's already got.
What I also recommend is deleting ASD via Bimmercode - the fake engine noise in the cabin was unbearable. And it's still super loud inside at full chat.
I've now got to do some proper maintenance on the engine - valve cover due to PCV issue, coils and other bits and pieces. But these cars are stout if you take care of them. I do engine oil changes every 5-6k miles. Gearbox and diff should be done frequently too.
Happy motoring. I love my F80 and will hopefully never have to get rid of it.
Thanks for your message and great to read your thoughts! Your spec sounds great, more like a CS than the actual CS lol. I'm a big fan of the 513M wheels. Do you post about the car anywhere? I'd love to see some pics etc.I have had my manual LHD F80 for 50k miles and five years. Cloth seats and the 18" 513M alloys which were unavailable in the UK.
Not many people realise that this is the only generation to lose weight compared to its predecessors!! A lot of lightweighting went into F8x M3/M4. There's a great video by former M chief Albert Biermann from 2014, talking about the tech details of the car.
I have got Girodisc brake discs with Ferodo pads, some M Performance interior bits, Ohlins RT and a short shift kit by Auto Solutions out of the US.
Definitely recommend doing the AS shifter. You can customise the throw, height and weight/effort of the shift action!
I did, if I recall, a 15% throw reduction and it's pretty much perfect. Maybe 10% would've been the sweet spot really. I did it mainly for more precise shifts rather than length - since the engine's rpms drop slow, you can't really shift super quick anyway, so there's no point in shortening the throws.
Since you have fresh EDC dampers, I would do CS EDC coding. Macht Schnell aren't the best springs, but all springs cut the lifespan of OEM dampers anyway. I've heard good things about Evolve-spec Bilstein B6s. But that's for the future perhaps.
Never bothered remapping the engine. Never felt it needed more power than it's already got.
What I also recommend is deleting ASD via Bimmercode - the fake engine noise in the cabin was unbearable. And it's still super loud inside at full chat.
I've now got to do some proper maintenance on the engine - valve cover due to PCV issue, coils and other bits and pieces. But these cars are stout if you take care of them. I do engine oil changes every 5-6k miles. Gearbox and diff should be done frequently too.
Happy motoring. I love my F80 and will hopefully never have to get rid of it.
The weight aspect was a key point for me in deciding on the F82. It's basically the same weight as my old E46 M3, and also slightly lighter than the much lauded (and very expensive) F87 M2 CS! The engineering principle behind the F80/2 is genuinely incredible. I think its likely the most focused M conversion ever IMO, in terms of the sheer amount of engineering that has gone into it - everything from the extensive lightweighting, to the outright performance, to the extensive cooling capacity and the NVH compromising decisions such as the solid mounted rear subframe... its basically had everything you would want to do to an older M3 already done to it, from factory.
I bet the Ohlins are lovely. I don't love the standard damping but its certainly not as bad as previous standard M cars. My current suspension setup definitely isn't forever but I'm happy with it at the moment and the Macht Schnells feel close pretty close to OEM in terms of ride & handling. In future I would like to go for EDC compatible coilovers with camber adjustable top mounts. I've looked into the Evolve B6s but not sure I would settle for them over proper coilovers, and also they appear to have the spring perches set slightly taller over standard! I will look into CS EDC coding.
The standard shift throw is perfect for me, but its all personal preference. I find in Sport+ there is barely any rev hang, it reminds me of my E36 which has a cable throttle and super light flywheel. In Sport / Efficient however it damps everything and makes the throttle very lazy, which is nice for daily driving.
ASD is on the list to go, I can't stand it. Hopefully it's still fairly vocal without. I agree on mapping - I had mine done as I suspected it had been updated to the latest firmware as the power delivery was very soft and progressive, and mine is a 2014 build. I took it to Evolve and they offered me CS spec power with early boost delivery characteristics for the same price so I just went for it - I figured if BMW were happy with long term reliability at that power level then theres pretty much no downside. I would have been perfectly happy with a standard map but the CS power is fun when you want to play around with the diff!
I'm planning on 5/6k oil changes too. Interested to see how these fare long term reliability wise, I think BMW did pretty well with the S55. I'm hoping mine will be a forever car. I have no idea what I'd replace it with!
Gooly said:
- No tints. Personal preference but I dont like how tints look, especially on coupes where the break up that lovely one piece glasshouse look
Exactly this. I hate the way tinted rear windows break the otherwise lovely, linear flow of a coupé. I'm currently after an F32 440i and will probably have to [grudgingly] accept one with rear tints as they're practically-non existant without.Nice work bringing the car back to a classy OEM+ look.
It’s great to see someone who shares similar taste in keeping the kidney grills chrome - the defining feature of the front end, why blank them off by going with black grills?!
I’ve just searched images of the azurite black paintwork, that’s a really smart colour, I look forward to seeing some new photos when/if the sun comes out.
I’d say you’re heading down a similar route to where I’m going with my black 2016 F87 M2 with manual transmission. It has Bilstein B16s, 10mm spacers, Millway front control arm bushes and chrome grill surrounds of course. Keep it looking pretty standard but with some tasty handling upgrades beneath. I’d also love a set of 513M wheels but they don’t come up often, they’re expensive new and I think there’d be customs charges on top if buying from overseas.
Have you got any trips planned with the car 2024? I imagine it’ll be a great long distance / road trip car, as even my M2 has proven to be.
It’s great to see someone who shares similar taste in keeping the kidney grills chrome - the defining feature of the front end, why blank them off by going with black grills?!
I’ve just searched images of the azurite black paintwork, that’s a really smart colour, I look forward to seeing some new photos when/if the sun comes out.
I’d say you’re heading down a similar route to where I’m going with my black 2016 F87 M2 with manual transmission. It has Bilstein B16s, 10mm spacers, Millway front control arm bushes and chrome grill surrounds of course. Keep it looking pretty standard but with some tasty handling upgrades beneath. I’d also love a set of 513M wheels but they don’t come up often, they’re expensive new and I think there’d be customs charges on top if buying from overseas.
Have you got any trips planned with the car 2024? I imagine it’ll be a great long distance / road trip car, as even my M2 has proven to be.
MitchT said:
Gooly said:
- No tints. Personal preference but I dont like how tints look, especially on coupes where the break up that lovely one piece glasshouse look
Exactly this. I hate the way tinted rear windows break the otherwise lovely, linear flow of a coupé. I'm currently after an F32 440i and will probably have to [grudgingly] accept one with rear tints as they're practically-non existant without.HWW said:
Nice work bringing the car back to a classy OEM+ look.
It’s great to see someone who shares similar taste in keeping the kidney grills chrome - the defining feature of the front end, why blank them off by going with black grills?!
I’ve just searched images of the azurite black paintwork, that’s a really smart colour, I look forward to seeing some new photos when/if the sun comes out.
I’d say you’re heading down a similar route to where I’m going with my black 2016 F87 M2 with manual transmission. It has Bilstein B16s, 10mm spacers, Millway front control arm bushes and chrome grill surrounds of course. Keep it looking pretty standard but with some tasty handling upgrades beneath. I’d also love a set of 513M wheels but they don’t come up often, they’re expensive new and I think there’d be customs charges on top if buying from overseas.
Have you got any trips planned with the car 2024? I imagine it’ll be a great long distance / road trip car, as even my M2 has proven to be.
Thank you! Yes sounds like we are on a very similar path, and I totally agree about chrome grilles, which give the F82 a lovely 3-dimensional look to the front end which I adore. 513s are very cool on an M2. I love the 437s on the M4, I think they are a stunning wheel and they are very light for what they are.It’s great to see someone who shares similar taste in keeping the kidney grills chrome - the defining feature of the front end, why blank them off by going with black grills?!
I’ve just searched images of the azurite black paintwork, that’s a really smart colour, I look forward to seeing some new photos when/if the sun comes out.
I’d say you’re heading down a similar route to where I’m going with my black 2016 F87 M2 with manual transmission. It has Bilstein B16s, 10mm spacers, Millway front control arm bushes and chrome grill surrounds of course. Keep it looking pretty standard but with some tasty handling upgrades beneath. I’d also love a set of 513M wheels but they don’t come up often, they’re expensive new and I think there’d be customs charges on top if buying from overseas.
Have you got any trips planned with the car 2024? I imagine it’ll be a great long distance / road trip car, as even my M2 has proven to be.
Lots of trips planned - hoping to drive it to Greece later this year, making stops along the way. I've had a busy month in the meantime though!
Shortly after my last post, the M4 went from 0 oil useage to 1ltr every 200 miles. After the second top up I dropped it off to Evolve who fitted their new prototype OEM replacement turbo cores alongside the usual seal / pipe replacements etc. No issues since and the work was well priced.
I also had the EDC sensors replaced and a poly rear diff bush fitted which has sharpened up the drivetrain without adding any extra NVH. I then stuck yet another pair of Michelin PS4S* on the back...
and went straight down to Donington Circuit for the M4's first track day. Mechanically standard with OEM pads, fluid etc.
I was invited to the trackday by the buyer of my old E46 M3. Was lovely to see that car again and fun to drive with it on track - it's great to see the ethos of that car living on, especially in the capable hands of its new owner.
I booked the day on a whim and invited a few pals. Turnout ended up being really good. Few of my pals have F80s and also a Guilia, which gave some nice competition on track.
Also did some filming. M4 track review coming soon to Shooting Brake's YouTube channel
The M4 performed incredibly. I was doing cool-down laps every 4th lap and out for 12 or so laps at a time, sometimes less, with an extended cooldown between. I'd get a long ish pedal just before the cooldown laps but I finished the day with plenty of brake and tyre left.
The OEM pads held up shockingly well and the car was absurdly capable on track. Obviously it's very quick on the straights but the braking performance and ABS calibration is unbelievably good, allowing you to threshold brake pretty well and rotate the car on the brakes if desired.
There's ample turn in, especially on a fast track like Donny, the mid corner grip and handling characteristics are fantastic, the chassis is throttle adjustable and I was getting loads of traction on corner exit once I had heat in the Michelins, even in 2nd gear with DSC/MDM fully off.
The day was a massive learning experience for me - I've only ever done one trackday before at Llandow, which is a fun little circuit but feels pretty close to road driving. Donington is extremely fast and has lots of challenging elevation changes, and the M4 is a big step up from my previous E46 M3.
By the end of the day I felt like I had really got to know the car and myself as a driver. I think the F82 platform is absolutely incredible and seems to perform at almost clubsport level straight out of the box. The fairly low weight of the platform (manuals weigh in at about 1570kg) also means it was light on consumables which is great.
The real magic was on the drive home. Having blown my expectations away on track, it cruised down the motorway with a passenger and boot full of camera gear in complete comfort and then taxi'd 3 of my mates around London after - from their perspective, my M4 was just any old 4-seater car. That blend of OEM trackday usability and practicality is exactly what I wanted in a car and I'm not sure if there's another car on the planet that can offer it with a manual gearbox.
That week was the proof of concept for why I love the F82 platform. It got me to work the next day:
[/url]and then the next day I headed down to Paris with two passengers and a few other cars in tow.
The plan was to trawl through Retromobile on Saturday:
And then head over to the Place Vauban meet on Sunday:
Which was lovely as always.
The real highlight however, was the drive home. Paris is best seen and reached on foot / via public transport, with driving being an expensive and tedious affair. Between Paris and Calais however lies a real treat - miles of empty, beautifully surfaced and wonderfully scenic country lanes.
Usually well sighted and punctuated by stunning villages, driving through the French countryside is an absolute joy and makes the aggro of bringing a car completely worth it.
It was particularly interesting to hash it out with my mate’s RS4, which is up on power, traction and gears, but also weight. Was very fun seeing how they matched up, with the M4 taking an edge in the dry and the RS4 dominating in the wet.
I drove the M4 back to London with 3 passengers and a boot full of luggage home from Dover and gave it a breather. 1300 miles in a week, no oil usage and no issues. It was an absolute joy on the road, particularly after getting to know it more on track.
French roads are also much better surfaced than ours and seem to offer more grip. The M4 happily hooked up throughout 2nd gear and above on full throttle, making it devastatingly quick on country lanes.
TBC next post
Edited by Gooly on Thursday 22 February 20:32
Part 2!
I then used it as part of a shoot at work for Shooting Brake, where we are currently marketing a lovely Sakhir Orange M4.
It was looking like a WRC car by the end of the day.
Also shot a video review on this Audi B8.5 S4 which will be listed on Shooting Brake:
Took the M4 down to a Sunday meet. I’ve had no time to wash the car, and a month’s worth of usage is starting to show.
Pictured next to my pal’s M4, who was one of the pivotal factors in me getting one.
Situation is getting quite dire now.
I’ve also been involved in putting together a music video for a client, who wanted a BMW of some kind to feature. The prop car fell through at the last minute and the client was happy to use the M4 instead, so we set it up for filming and cracked on.
Later that week my boss then texted me saying that he had a Snetterton day booked with Drive Collective, but could no longer make it. Off we were again at the crack of dawn.
Not cleaning your car before a trackday is a cardinal sin, but needs must.
So, Snetterton. First time driving it. I had a good day, but didn’t leave with a beaming smile on my face like Donington.
I think Snett showed me up as a driver and exposed my lack of prior track work experience. It’s a technical and cerebral track, with lots of multi-corner complexes and hairpins that don’t reward late braking or exuberant driving. Snett needs you to be a clean, thoughtful driver, with considered lines and early braking to focus on corner exit, and those simply weren’t my strong points.
By 3pm I had cooked through my front brakes and rear tyres. I was, ultimately, overdriving the car for the track. It was fun, but I didn’t get that satisfying feeling of mastering the track like I did at Donington. I’m keen to come back with a cleaner attitude and a humbler approach. And hopefully a clean car next time…
I got home, and ordered uprated brake bits. I’ve gone for OEM discs, PFC Z-rated pads and Motul 660 along with braided lines, which should give ample heat capacity for my driving.
That brings us to today. We’re not even at the end of the month and the M4 has racked up more than 3,000 miles, two trackdays, a eurotrip, a music video shoot, acted as a tracking car and also been a normal, 4-seater coupe on my commutes and for my friends.
I’m absolutely in love with it. Yes, it looks great, is fun to drive and has a huge amount of character considering how modern it is, but it’s also a hugely effective tool that has proved to never be the wrong car in any given scenario. It can chase Porsches on track and feel like a 5-series on the motorway.
The boot swallows up camera gear, the stereo is great, the seats are comfortable, it blends in when it needs to, looks great when you want it to, isn’t heavy on tyres or brakes and it puts a smile on my face every time I drive it. I genuinely don’t know how I could replace it. I’m hoping next month is a bit quieter but even if it isn’t, I have no doubt the M4 will continue to deliver on being a brilliant M car.
Hopefully the next update will include a good wash. See you next time.
I then used it as part of a shoot at work for Shooting Brake, where we are currently marketing a lovely Sakhir Orange M4.
It was looking like a WRC car by the end of the day.
Also shot a video review on this Audi B8.5 S4 which will be listed on Shooting Brake:
Took the M4 down to a Sunday meet. I’ve had no time to wash the car, and a month’s worth of usage is starting to show.
Pictured next to my pal’s M4, who was one of the pivotal factors in me getting one.
Situation is getting quite dire now.
I’ve also been involved in putting together a music video for a client, who wanted a BMW of some kind to feature. The prop car fell through at the last minute and the client was happy to use the M4 instead, so we set it up for filming and cracked on.
Later that week my boss then texted me saying that he had a Snetterton day booked with Drive Collective, but could no longer make it. Off we were again at the crack of dawn.
Not cleaning your car before a trackday is a cardinal sin, but needs must.
So, Snetterton. First time driving it. I had a good day, but didn’t leave with a beaming smile on my face like Donington.
I think Snett showed me up as a driver and exposed my lack of prior track work experience. It’s a technical and cerebral track, with lots of multi-corner complexes and hairpins that don’t reward late braking or exuberant driving. Snett needs you to be a clean, thoughtful driver, with considered lines and early braking to focus on corner exit, and those simply weren’t my strong points.
By 3pm I had cooked through my front brakes and rear tyres. I was, ultimately, overdriving the car for the track. It was fun, but I didn’t get that satisfying feeling of mastering the track like I did at Donington. I’m keen to come back with a cleaner attitude and a humbler approach. And hopefully a clean car next time…
I got home, and ordered uprated brake bits. I’ve gone for OEM discs, PFC Z-rated pads and Motul 660 along with braided lines, which should give ample heat capacity for my driving.
That brings us to today. We’re not even at the end of the month and the M4 has racked up more than 3,000 miles, two trackdays, a eurotrip, a music video shoot, acted as a tracking car and also been a normal, 4-seater coupe on my commutes and for my friends.
I’m absolutely in love with it. Yes, it looks great, is fun to drive and has a huge amount of character considering how modern it is, but it’s also a hugely effective tool that has proved to never be the wrong car in any given scenario. It can chase Porsches on track and feel like a 5-series on the motorway.
The boot swallows up camera gear, the stereo is great, the seats are comfortable, it blends in when it needs to, looks great when you want it to, isn’t heavy on tyres or brakes and it puts a smile on my face every time I drive it. I genuinely don’t know how I could replace it. I’m hoping next month is a bit quieter but even if it isn’t, I have no doubt the M4 will continue to deliver on being a brilliant M car.
Hopefully the next update will include a good wash. See you next time.
Awesome car and great to see you getting so much from it in such a short space of time! The F8X are such great looking cars and the interiors are peak BMW for me, nothing fancy but everything is just right.
I was so close to pulling the trigger on the G80, but I still can’t gel with the looks. I ended up going RS4, with a young family and no track time on the horizon it was the right decision. I can see myself scratching the F82 itch in the future.
I was so close to pulling the trigger on the G80, but I still can’t gel with the looks. I ended up going RS4, with a young family and no track time on the horizon it was the right decision. I can see myself scratching the F82 itch in the future.
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