[Triton88]

Like many i was following this release with anticipation and was pretty sure this was going to be my next vehicle. Finally a local dealer was showing them in inventory on their website so i went over to take a look at the car in person, lots of people saying it looks better in the flesh then in pictures. I would tend to agree with this but i am in the minority group of i never thought it looked bad, i get that the grill is big, but its different and aggressive. That being said i thought it still looked good in person. The dealer didn't have any M3s on the lot (they sold one right before i arrived) they had 3x M4s (all competitions), they had SPY, BG, and Tanzanite blue. I would never buy it but the SPY honestly looks pretty good on this car and is the only color in my opinion that works with the blue interior. The blue looked great, really a good color and the car really pulls off the darker colors well. One downside to the dark colors is the shadowline trim gets totally lost, i think with dark colors, body color would look better. The BG (only saw it inside) definitely had a blueish tint to it and i think is one of the colors that will look the most different depending on the lighting situation.

Carbon Buckets: One of the cars had the buckets so i got some seat time. for reference i am 6'-4" 250lbs (in no way a small person) the buckets are tight, there is no doubt about it, the shoulders and sides where in the most wide setting and they were tight but comfortable, in the thighs is where these seats are really tight, the thigh bolsters are rigid and so don't give at all, forces your legs to be more closed, prevents you from siting with your legs in a pretty open position. They are with out a doubt a pain to get in and out of and the thigh bolster on the door side will definitely get a lot of wear and tear. They are absolutely stunning in person, photos don't do them justice though, and 5 seconds in the regular seat and my decision was made. They make the car feel special, and the lower driving position for my height was a big plus, the regular seats are very nice, but they are touring seats and just felt like regular seats to me by comparison. the crotch piece had no affect on anything, i don't drive with my thighs touching so not a big deal, honestly probably worse for women then men in this regard. short skirts will be a problem with these seats. T

Interior: they had the black, blue and Silverstone interiors. The blue looks good on SPY but wouldn't be my choice, the black while looking plain in photos actually looks really good in person, in the carbon buckets it still looks really aggressive and clean. Silverstone looks really sharp and clean and was on the blue exterior looked spectacular. The steering wheel is very girthy but i loved it, i have big hands and it felt great in my grip, goes with the buckets in making the car feel a bit more special then a regular car.

Test Drive: I currently drive a focus RS, which is not in the same class as the M's to be sure, but its pretty sporty and not slow, all of my thoughts are in relation to this car, i have not driven a F series M so i can't compare to the previous generation.

After ensuring i was interested i was able to get a test drive of the Tanzanite blue competition M4. After signing some liability papers the car was mine for 30 minutes not to exceed 10 miles (Have Covid to thank for this, but i got to drive the car by myself. The car had the executive package. I wasn't familiar with the area so didn't get to hit any clover on ramps or anything so I won't speak much about the handling. I went 6 miles on the free way in the relaxed settings and can say that the car was very comfortable, much softer then my current vehicle which bumps over every little crack in the road. Went 7 miles on the street in the most aggressive setting. Car definitely tightens up, start to feel more of the road cracks but never felt jarring. Car in sport plus and the exhaust valve open has a pretty good sound, definitely won't be confused with a regular 3 series. i didn't hammer it too hard, but the car felt fest, much faster then my current car, i didn't launch it but its mid range 3rd gear pulls hard. Significantly faster then the RS, it has 150 more HP and it definitely felt like it. Very smooth in power delivery, compared to the Focus no turbo lag, push throttle get power. The transmission hit every shift i requested with out delay and i had no complaints. after spending 20 years commuting in stop and go traffic i am ready to move on from the manual (let the flaming begin), plus in an emergency the SO can't drive manual. This car had the executive package, i found the heads up display pretty distracting to be honest but i think its something i could get used too. the headlights to me are a must to complete the exterior look. One thing that i found surprising was the gesture control, while a gimick to be sure, it worked perfectly with the volume and i found it more convenient then trying to hit a steering wheel button or find the knob on the dash. The surround camera is a must in my opinion and the designated button next to the shifter to pull up is great.

after the drive with a huge smile on my face i placed an order, scheduled for week 15.

Order:
BG exterior
Orbit grey rims
Carbon buckets
silverstone interior
executive package
M drive professional
parking assistance
carbon fiber interior trim
red brake calipers

let me know if any one has questions and i will do my best to answer.

[bri1042]

Glad to hear that you had fun! Congrats on the order!

[Jcali86]

Congrats!

[chicagofan00]

Congrats on the order!

[calbears]

Originally Posted by Triton88

after the drive with a huge smile on my face i placed an order, scheduled for week 15.

Order:
BG exterior
Orbit grey rims
Carbon buckets
silverstone interior
executive package
M drive professional
parking assistance
carbon fiber interior trim
red brake calipers

let me know if any one has questions and i will do my best to answer.

Your M3 entered production

[Triton88]

Originally Posted by calbears

Your M3 entered production

that would be awesome, how do you know / how would i confirm that?

[calbears]

Originally Posted by Triton88

that would be awesome, how do you know / how would i confirm that?

You worked with Jeremy on the order at Mountain View, yes?