Perhaps The Best YouTube Review of the BMW F80 M3cs
One of the best videos of the F80 M3cs is Carfection’s review on YouTube. In terms of video production it’s my absolute favorite as their team did the M3cs FULL justice aesthetically speaking. The actual review of the car itself I wish was longer, but I’m not complaining as I’m sure they had constraints they had to abide by. I’ve probably watched this video at least 25 times, and, as a M3cs fanatic, could never really tire of watching it. It’s that amazing. The test driver and automotive journalist, Henry Catchpole, rarely misses on his reviews and in this particular video series of reviewing the best M3’s of every generation its simply no different.
F80 M3cs Versus Previous Generations
First and foremost, It’s really cool to be an owner of an F80 M3cs and it being held and compared to such legendary classics such as the E30 M3 Sport Evo, the E36 M3 GT, the E46 M3 CSL, and the E92 M3 GTS.
Living in America we never got any of these specific special models so I can’t speak personally on what each car is like, so I won’t. I will, however, say that I have driven the base M3 model of each generation and will share my thoughts of each chassis in general below. Hopefully one day I’ll be able to drive each of the aforementioned vehicles, but until then I will live vicariously through the masterpiece of a series that the team at Carfection produced.
E30 M3 Sport Evo
In general, I love the E30 M3 for its looks and think it’s the best looking M3 ever made. Driving a base E30 M3 I will say it’s everything you would want in a balanced analog sports car experience. I can only imagine driving a Sport EVO with its revised performance upgrades. The Recaro SR bucket seats alone must completely transform the driving experience.
E36 M3 GT
In America we never got the ITB equipped S50 B30 and S50 B32 transplant that many of us enthusiasts complained about never getting. Nonetheless, off the brilliant platform alone the US spec E36 M3 went down as an instant classic as it was the quintessential utilitarian german sports car that you could do almost everything with. Aesthetically speaking, BMW did the M3 GT justice with its elegant and timeless British Racing Green exterior over Mexico Green Napa leather color combo. Want badly!
E46 M3 CSL
As a previous owner of 2 E46’s when new this was my dream car for many years. Not only was it the pinnacle of the E46 chassis, but it had so many amazing proprietary parts that none of the lower trims got that you couldn’t help aspire to one day own one — or at very least emulate and buy CSL parts for your base M3. In my opinion, the only thing that didn’t stand the test of time was the SMG gearbox. In its contemporary moment it was for sure ahead of its time, until of course, it wasn’t.
E92 M3 GTS
Driving a competition package E92 M3 when new the only thing I could remember was it’s glorious V8 sound that none of its predecessors could ever replicate. The cars feel and driving position felt every bit of “M3” that came before it. However, that V8 power plant was the most unforgettable thing I remember about the E92. As I stated the sound was glorious, but for the first time the M3 got a potent power plant that more than held its own for its era. In America we got the Lime Rock Edition which was all aesthetic upgrades. We should’ve got the GTS which shared the same color as the Lime Rock Edition, but with all the coveted performance upgrades…