On paper, it seems that the new G80 BMW M3 is a massive leap forward, from its predecessor, the F80. Same goes for the G82 BMW M4 and F82 M4. The newer cars have more power, a better engine, better tech and a more advanced chassis. But there’s one aspect of the new G80/G82 chassis that seems to have been overlooked — weight.
Check out this table below to see the weight differences between the new G80/G82 and the old F80/F82. As you can see, the new cars are quite a bit heavier than their predecessors, across the board. While weight gains aren’t unusual in modern cars, as modern safety and luxury technologies add weight, these weight gains are shocking.
| Gearbox | F80 | G80 | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M3 Sedan | Manual | 1595 kg | 1780 kg | 185 kg |
| M3 Sedan | Auto | 1635 kg | ||
| M3 Competition | Manual | 1610 kg | ||
| M3 Competition | Auto | 1635 kg | 1805 kg | 170 kg |
| M4 Coupe | Manual | 1572 kg | ||
| M4 Coupe | Auto | 1572 kg | 1775 kg | 203 kg |
| M4 Competition | Manual | 1612 kg | ||
| M4 Competition | Auto | 1590 kg | ||
| 1615 kg | 1800 kg | 185 kg |
Let’s start with the standard BMW M3 sedans with manual transmissions. The old F80 M3 tipped the scales at 1,595 kg (3,515 lbs), which is a respectable number today. The new car? That checks in at a whopping 1,780 kg (3,924 lbs). That’s an increase of almost two hundred kilos and that’s on the lightest of the new cars. That makes the M3 heavier than a BMW 540i, which has the same sized engine.
What about the BMW M3 Competition models with automatic transmissions? Well, the F80 M3 Competition with a seven-speed DCT (dual-clutch transmission) weighs 1,635 kg (3,604 lbs). Again, not a great number but a respectable one for a car with a dual-clutch auto. How about the new G80? In Competition-spec with its eight-speed automatic and rear-wheel drive, the G80 weights 1,805 kg (3,979 lbs). For context, that’s only 100 kg lighter than the much larger, much more luxurious BMW M8 Competition Coupe(!).
The same thing goes for the BMW M4s, which are all weigh about as much as their M3 counterparts, shaving only a few kilos. So both new cars are shockingly heavy, significantly heavier than their predecessors. It’s a bit odd that they’re so much heavier, as you’d imagine the M Division would be able to keep weight down with the newer chassis.
This also means that the G80 M3 is the heaviest M3 of all time by a good margin. At 1,805 kilos, the new M3 Competition is bordering on old M5 weight and far too heavy for something of its size. We actually wonder how it could be so heavy. What’d BMW make those new kidney grilles out of, lead?
We still think the BMW M3 and BMW M4 will be great handling cars but there is a worry now that they’ll lack the driver-focused nature of previous-generation M3s. That’s a lot of weight to move around and while BMW is good at cheating physics, there’s only so much cheating you can get away with. Let’s hope that the M Division can work some magic with these two new brutes.
