F80 M3 to replace Range Rover as daily

[Hoonigan]

Ok, so this is a bit of an oddball question, but hear me out...

My current stable:

- 2002 996 Turbo (built motor, big turbos, 1000whp)
- 2002 E46 M3 (oem+)
- 2003 S55 AMG (co-own with a friend)
- 2010 Range Rover HSE

The Porsche is staying. What sparked this all is I toyed with the idea of selling the 996 to pick up a 991 Turbo S or McLaren 570s as a more modern toy. With that route I'd keep the Range Rover.

On either of those new cars I'd go full Bolton, but never again to a 1000hp build as it simply takes too long and too much to dial it all in (3 years on my Porsche to get it just right). This is was got me thinking, keep the Porsche as the hard part is done and nothing will match it in fun. But get a daily that can be sportier and fun.

The E46 is going, while I enjoy it at times the ride is just a bit too jarring multiple days in a row. The Porsche rides better and is way faster.

The S55 is going, on a drunken whim we decided to split a car. We "share custody" and split all expenses. It's worked out well, we just don't drive the car enough for it to be worth it.

The Range Rover is great, not a single issue in 30,000 miles (now at 115,000). I plan to ride it out one more winter and possibly pick up something different in 2019.

My question is, how livable is the F80 as a daily? I want a sportier, quicker feeling for the majority of my driving but I do not want a jarring ride or droning exhaust as clients will need to go in the car from time to time.

Winter it would get snow tires, and if it's bad I always have the option to work from home or borrow a Cayenne GTS (shared company car for long distance meetings).

In the past, I've also daily-driven a C5 Z06, E60 M5 6 speed, E92 M3, R35 GTR. At those times each was individually my only car and I was relatively much younger. The Z06 and GTR I just couldn't daily anymore. The E60 I could, but I don't want another manual transmission. The E92 was good, but looking back I made it too loud, a bit harsh ride at times, and don't need another 2 door.

The F80 would likely get some cosmetic upgrades, MP exhaust, Bootmod3 it's tune. As a side gig I run one of the roll-racing events at Pocono, so the Porsche is perfect for top speed, I'm really leaning to the F80 as a daily that more fun than a Range Rover.

I do not like the C63, RS3, S4, Quadrafolio, etc. So if the F80 doesn't work, then I'd like just wait a bit longer and look for an X5M.

[ixse]

Get rid of e46 & s55. Keep porsche n range. Be happy w life. There, i just saved u 70k worth of depreciating asset.

[SakhirM4]

Originally Posted by ixse

Get rid of e46 & s55. Keep porsche n range. Be happy w life. There, i just saved u 70k worth of depreciating asset.

From a totally impartial Porsche owner.

[Hoonigan]

Originally Posted by ixse

Get rid of e46 & s55. Keep porsche n range. Be happy w life. There, i just saved u 70k worth of depreciating asset.

Haha, we car nuts are anything but logical. Your suggestion would be the smart move

[summilux]

Going from a full fat RR to an F80 will be a dramatic change to say the least. You will lose a luxurious interior, huge cargo capacity, a commanding road position, a V8 exhaust note and a serene, comfy ride. You gain a vehicle that is lower, can accelerate fast, change lanes and turn without body roll and also has better aerodynamics than your average garden shed. The F80 rider will be rougher and louder but more exciting and involving. You'll get better gas mileage but will have no tailgate to comfortably park your ass at picnic spots.

[JackieChiles]

Originally Posted by summilux

Going from a full fat RR to an F80 will be a dramatic change to say the least. You will lose a luxurious interior, huge cargo capacity, a commanding road position, a V8 exhaust note and a serene, comfy ride. You gain a vehicle that is lower, can accelerate fast, change lanes and turn without body roll and also has better aerodynamics than your average garden shed. The F80 rider will be rougher and louder but more exciting and involving. You'll get better gas mileage but will have no tailgate to comfortably park your ass at picnic spots.

Get an x5m or the like imo. Definitely try an m3 first.

I like mine, 2018 zcp manual, but the ride is very much on the edge of what is acceptable for a dd. There is plenty of space however.

I just think for a dd auto an x5m with much more space and practicalities makes much more sense. Especially if you already have a sports car.

[MACHT]

I was in a similar situation. Have a (non stock) Z06 as a weekend toy and had a X5 50i as dd. Whenever I was driving the X5 (although a great car!) I was missing the Z06. So I replaced the X5 with a M3 ZCP. Two different animals - and besides some driving through blizzards here in NE Ohio - no regrets. I prefer smaller cars ... (my wife has a Fiat 500 Abarth .. lol)

[mmmmQuattro]

Originally Posted by Hoonigan

Ok, so this is a bit of an oddball question, but hear me out...

My question is, how livable is the F80 as a daily? I want a sportier, quicker feeling for the majority of my driving but I do not want a jarring ride or droning exhaust as clients will need to go in the car from time to time.

The F80 would likely get some cosmetic upgrades, MP exhaust, Bootmod3 it's tune. As a side gig I run one of the roll-racing events at Pocono, so the Porsche is perfect for top speed, I'm really leaning to the F80 as a daily that more fun than a Range Rover.

I do not like the C63, RS3, S4, Quadrafolio, etc. So if the F80 doesn't work, then I'd like just wait a bit longer and look for an X5M.

You might be a bit annoyed with the F80 platform - it's quite noisy in the cabin. Just seems like it's quite hard-core. I don't mind it, but we have pretty good roads and I don't drive far.
Compared to our Macan with air-suspension, it's really noisy and seems un-refined.

I drove an E46 back to back with my F83 and the E46 felt like a newer car - less noise and it seemed like it had less Noise Vibration & Harshness. BMW have made it intentionally a very hard-core platform.

You might be better off with a 550 or 440 if you have to take clients around.

[Powerslide]

Originally Posted by mmmmQuattro

You might be a bit annoyed with the F80 platform - it's quite noisy in the cabin. Just seems like it's quite hard-core. I don't mind it, but we have pretty good roads and I don't drive far.
Compared to our Macan with air-suspension, it's really noisy and seems un-refined.

I drove an E46 back to back with my F83 and the E46 felt like a newer car - less noise and it seemed like it had less Noise Vibration & Harshness. BMW have made it intentionally a very hard-core platform.

You might be better off with a 550 or 440 if you have to take clients around.

Originally Posted by mmmmQuattro

You might be a bit annoyed with the F80 platform - it's quite noisy in the cabin. Just seems like it's quite hard-core. I don't mind it, but we have pretty good roads and I don't drive far.
Compared to our Macan with air-suspension, it's really noisy and seems un-refined.

I drove an E46 back to back with my F83 and the E46 felt like a newer car - less noise and it seemed like it had less Noise Vibration & Harshness. BMW have made it intentionally a very hard-core platform.

You might be better off with a 550 or 440 if you have to take clients around.

Or you might not be - I drive the F80 ZCP as a DD all year round (Sport + throttle, suspension, S2 drivelogic, MDM and Comfort steering my preferred settings) and shuttle passengers all the time - yes - it is sportier but not to the point where it is uncomfortable or unpleasant - one can always dial it down to comfort settings all around and it is completely fine.

I suggest you try to get a test drive and see for yourself - the "correct" answer is purely subjective.

[Wmf80]

As much as I love the f80 I’d advise to not get one now. What I’d recommend is keep the P and m3. Sell the MB and RR. Buy urself a brand new suv like a x3, glc43 etc and wait for the next gen M3(order and do a ED) and you’d trade your m3 then or sell it.
Idk what u do for living and ur cash flow so it’s difficult to predict that. But if I was in ur dilemma I’d do what I previously stated w my budget.

[spdandpwr]

Originally Posted by wreckedmyf80

As much as I love the f80 I’d advise to not get one now. What I’d recommend is keep the P and m3. Sell the MB and RR. Buy urself a brand new suv like a x3, glc43 etc and wait for the next gen M3(order and do a ED) and you’d trade your m3 then or sell it.
Idk what u do for living and ur cash flow so it’s difficult to predict that. But if I was in ur dilemma I’d do what I previously stated w my budget.

Of all the advice, I agree with this the most. 115k is prohibitively expensive on an RR (typically speaking). Plus, E46 values are in a good spot for you to unload.

As a counter option, you can sell everything and buy yourself an SUV: X3 M40, GLC43, etc. and a nicer sports car: Porsche 911 GT3 or the like. When I have kids, I plan on getting a similar setup where I'm having two cars that both fill my need for speed.

[Ian1973]

Originally Posted by mmmmQuattro

You might be a bit annoyed with the F80 platform - it's quite noisy in the cabin. Just seems like it's quite hard-core. I don't mind it, but we have pretty good roads and I don't drive far.
Compared to our Macan with air-suspension, it's really noisy and seems un-refined.

I drove an E46 back to back with my F83 and the E46 felt like a newer car - less noise and it seemed like it had less Noise Vibration & Harshness. BMW have made it intentionally a very hard-core platform.

You might be better off with a 550 or 440 if you have to take clients around.

Quite hard core? I take it you have never owned an E46 M3? The F80 is an S class Benz in comparison to an E46. Quieter, more comfortable, less stiff suspension, everything.

[mmmmQuattro]

Originally Posted by Ian1973

Quite hard core? I take it you have never owned an E46 M3? The F80 is an S class Benz in comparison to an E46. Quieter, more comfortable, less stiff suspension, everything.

I have driven plenty of E46 M3s both on the track and on the road.
it was when I drove them back to back that I noticed the difference. The E46 has better isolation from the road.

[Hoonigan]

Based on what I'm hearing here, I should expand my list a little bit:

F80 M3 - Must drive/live with to decide. There are a few on Turo that I can rent for the weekend.

F10 M5 - I hadn't considered this before as I felt the interior would feel "out-dated", but with the right spec this could be a possibility to err a bit more on the luxury side.

F85 X5M - I hadn't considered this before as I felt it was more of a gimmick (never driven one). I also thought they were priced much higher on the used market than they are. From what I read on those forums, the interior is a touch more modern from the F10, the sound is great, the ZF box is tuned well. This is another one that I think I'd have to live with for a weekend to see if its a fast SUV or if it also has some redeeming handling capabilities.

[nicknaz]

Lol at the previous post about a stock gt3 being a nice sports car than a 1000hp turbo.

My $0.02 OP, the f80 blends into traffic in a way a RR never will due to its size and shape. Only you know whether that anonymity is a pro or con, and whether you will be ok with the fact the f80 is not "always on" (need to hammer on it to wake it up".

Is your e46 a coupe, 6mt, no moonroof and cloth seats? If so please PM me if you are selling.

By the way, what is your gearbox setup for your 996? My car is getting some gearbox work done, and I'm thinking of 997gt2 mainshaft and 1-3 gears and a guard lsd. Would love your advice on that.

[Hoonigan]

Originally Posted by nicknaz

Lol at the previous post about a stock gt3 being a nice sports car than a 1000hp turbo.

The GT3 is an amazing car, just a different beast. I'd love to own one someday in the future, but it's not a replacement for something with time-bending straight line speed. A 1000HP anything, let alone a Porsche Turbo is probably one of the most childish things you can do and that is what makes driving it so great. It is impossible not to laugh when you give it the beans on the way to/from work.

Originally Posted by nicknaz

My $0.02 OP, the f80 blends into traffic in a way a RR never will due to its size and shape. Only you know whether that anonymity is a pro or con, and whether you will be ok with the fact the f80 is not "always on" (need to hammer on it to wake it up".

This would be pretty neutral for me. I don't care to stand out, but at the same time I drive a Yellow Porsche. At least where I live, the Range Rover blends into traffic probably better than anything. They are a dime a dozen in Northern NJ.

Originally Posted by nicknaz

Is your e46 a coupe, 6mt, no moonroof and cloth seats? If so please PM me if you are selling.

I'm definitely selling, I just need to get it to the detailer for prep before posting pictures.

• 2002 Coupe - 119,XXX miles
• Sunroof
• 6 Speed Manual
• Silver Ext.
• Caramel Leather Interior
• H&R Springs w/ Koni Yellows
• LCI LED Taillight conversion
• BavSound speaker upgrade
• 2 sets of wheels and tires (summer & winter)
• IND Gloss black grills and gills
• Receipts going back nearly a decade
• Always serviced at ACM while under my ownership (forum sponsor)
• Pads and rotors just done in the spring

Originally Posted by nicknaz

By the way, what is your gearbox setup for your 996? My car is getting some gearbox work done, and I'm thinking of 997gt2 mainshaft and 1-3 gears and a guard lsd. Would love your advice on that.

My trans set up is similar to what you described. GT2RS 1 & 2, Guards custom gears for 3 & 4, OEM 5 & 6. I've got the wavetrac differential (not really a "true" LSD, but it gets the job done for a fraction of the price).

What are you driving? Build goals?

[nicknaz]

I have a 996TT as well, and it's pretty close to stock right now (epl tune, europipe loud, 100 cell cats). i want to keep it awd as a fast road car that will trap in the 130-135moh range. I think that might mean 600whp which is at the limit of the front diff?

I don't know if I'm the right guy for your e46. I want one to gut for club racing but yours seems setup as a really nice street car.

My $0.02, look into cayenne turbo. Might as well focus on a people hauler with a monster motor vs a sedan, since you already have fun cars. Why take on the compromises of the sport sedan class.