[anodyne88]

This may be a boring post but wanted to document it somewhere so here goes.

I learned to drive a stick in my teens on a 2nd gen RX-7. Loved that car and the feel of rowing my own gears was revolutionary to me at that time.

Since I got in my twenties with no money and living in the city (Chicago) I owned a 2 door Cavalier for 7 years, then a four dour Toyota Camry. Decided to look in a BMW dealer on a lark one day and fell in love with a 335i optioned out for $37k. I was now in my thirties and making more money (and had a garage, no more street parking), so I bought it. Loved that car, it was the fastest car I had ever driven to that point.

Then one day was cruising on the inbound express lanes on the Kennedy expressway and an E92 M3 passed me like I was standing still. Oh, well assumed I could never afford it so oh well. But wow that M3 caught my eye and I got obsessed about driving one.

A few months go by and I found a 2,000 mile 2010 M3 at a sketchy dealer in a rough neighborhood for $50k. A chance to own a manual car again after 20 or so years away from them, and an M3 at that! Sold the 335i and made it work to get the M3. The brakes squealed alot and I made the dealer replace the pads, having no idea they were track pads because I never heard of tracking a car before.

Now that I had an M3, I started to wonder how to fully use it beyond daily-ing it and stumbled upon auto cross via my local BMW owners club. Did that for a few years until I learned about HPDE. At the same time, my son was born and because he was so little the challenges of a coupe and it's backseat access were no big deal.

I was 40 years old by now and big into track days. Mostly Autobahn Country Club, Road America and Gingerman. Was averaging 8-9 track days a year. However, I started to have troubles with the M3 overheating on the track and had several other repairs that seemed to cost $5,000 every time I turned around and so I sold it.

To try to keep this story short, I kept doing 8-9 track days a year. Post M3, here's what I owned over ultimately 10 years of hardcore track driving - I was slowly getting good at it!

Ford Focus ST manual - decided domestics would be much cheaper to track. However this car was too slow and I learned about the RS.

Ford Focus RS manual - a fun track day car I used for several years but still would have overheating issues like the M. Also, it couldn't keep up with the big boys in the advanced run groups at Road America. So…

2020 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. Fastest car I have ever driven with 650hp / 650 ft-lbs of torque. By now I was setting personal bests at all the 3 tracks I run and had graduated to R compound tires. Which leads us to this season…

Started to realize that I was basically going as fast as I could at all three tracks and had hit a wall. I'm 49 now and track driving for 8-9 sessions a year started to feel more and more like a lonely endeavor and my son is now 8 and struggles to get in the back seat more and more and especially when my wife (who hates the Camaro and loved the M3) is in it too.

After 10 years of tracking and feeling spent (literally and figuratively) of spending $6k+ on average a year for track tires and wheels, summer tires and wheels and winter tires and wheels (I've daily-ed all of these cars because I only have room for my wife's car and mine), I have decided to retire from tracking and wanted something more practical- something that I would daily 99 pct of the time, maybe visit the track once a year at most, something that my son could open a door and get in the backseat, something manual (a must have for me) and something my wife would love and could drive. Long and short, what else but an M3 sedan?

So here I am, making great money now and wanting a manual transmission four door car with power and spirit and practicality. $76k is more than I've spent on a car by a good amount, but I can sell my Camaro ZL1 for what I paid for it ($62k). Again, what else but an M3 would suffice? So, my 50th birthday present, a G80 Sedan, is now sitting at port in Germany. I think I made the right decision, coming back to a car where my love for speed and driving really began. I don't have to worry about the wear and tear of tracking on the car and associated costs but it's at option if I need it.

End of long post. Not sure what responses I am looking for, will miss the raw power of the ZL1 but it's use for me has passed. Can't wait to get back to the M3. It's been a great journey back.

[02M3ForMe]

Beautiful post, and welcome back.

BTW, the real world straight line performance delta between the G80 and your previous ZL1 (fantastic car) is less than the numbers suggest. 6MT vs. 6MT, it's a dead heat.

Given your history and planned use case, I think you'll be satisfied with the ownership experience of the G80. I'm not sure that I've driven a car that covers a wider spectrum of driving. From pure daily to serious hot lapper and back with the press of one of those red M buttons.

[anodyne88]

Originally Posted by 02M3ForMe

Beautiful post, and welcome back.

BTW, the real world straight line performance delta between the G80 and your previous ZL1 (fantastic car) is less than the numbers suggest. 6MT vs. 6MT, it's a dead heat.

Given your history and planned use case, I think you'll be satisfied with the ownership experience of the G80. I'm not sure that I've driven a car that covers a wider spectrum of driving. From pure daily to serious hot lapper and back with the press of one of those red M buttons.

Thanks!

Interesting Re: the ZL1 vs the M3. Although even with track tires I couldn't keep the power down in that ZL1…

[BBM9515]

Great post. What’s the specs on your G80?

[anodyne88]

Originally Posted by BBM9515

Great post. What's the specs on your G80?

22TN M3 Sedan USD 69,900.00
Color C4W Skyscraper Grey metallic 550.00
Upholstery LKSW Black Extended Merino Leather N/C
Options ZPK Parking Assistance Package 800.00
5DN Parking Assistant Plus N/C
6DR Drive Recorder N/C
ZPX Executive Package 1,550.00
248 Heated Steering Wheel N/C
316 Power tailgate N/C
610 Head-up Display N/C
6U8 Gesture Control N/C
1U0 19"/20" M Double-spoke black wheels, style 826M... 1,300.00
2VB Tire pressure monitor N/C
2VC Mobility Kit N/C
302 Alarm System N/C
319 Universal garage-door opener N/C
322 Comfort Access keyless entry N/C
3M6 M Compound Brake with Black Calipers N/C
430 Auto-dimming interior and exterior mirrors N/C
493 Storage package N/C
4MC Carbon Fiber trim 950.00
5AS Active Driving Assistant N/C
655 SiriusXM Satellite Radio with 1year All Access ... N/C
688 Harman Kardon surround sound system N/C
6AK ConnectedDrive Services N/C
6C4 Connected Package Pro N/C
6NS Enhanced Bluetooth N/C
6U3 Live Cockpit Pro (incl. Navi) N/C
7M9 Extended Shadowline Trim N/C
8KL Oil Chg 10,000 mls/12 months N/C
8TN Daytime driving lights N/C
925 Shipping package N/C
ZAX Apple CarPlay and Android Auto Compatibility N/C
ZMT Manual Transmission N/C
Accessories ZJ5 BMW First Aid Kit 45.00
ZQ5 M Performance Floor Mats 260.00
Accessories Total 305.00
Net Total 75,355.00
Destination Charge 995.00
Total Suggested Price 76,350.00

Conservative I know, but the car was already in process and had much of what I wanted …regular seats, black calipers, Exec package, black wheels…

[LuvMyE92]

Nice, very close to the build on my M4 (also with the proper number of pedals).

Happy birthday.

Your post and driving history is close to mine, except that I've had more cars and I'm older. But I too got burned out on HPDE, and I'm happy just going to the track once a year with my stock car on street tires.

[anodyne88]

Originally Posted by LuvMyE92

Nice, very close to the build on my M4 (also with the proper number of pedals).

Happy birthday.

Your post and driving history is close to mine, except that I've had more cars and I'm older. But I too got burned out on HPDE, and I'm happy just going to the track once a year with my stock car on street tires.

That may end up being what I do - once a year on stock wheels, pads etc.

[ando]

Congrats and happy 50!

[anodyne88]

Originally Posted by ando

Congrats and happy 50!

Thank you!