I’m only days away from driving a G80 BMW M3 manual and I’m very excited about it. So I was very interested to watch this new video from AutoTopNL, in which we get a POV drive video of the new M3 with the correct transmission.
This specific G80 BMW M3 is actually owned by the folks at AutoTopNL and is painted in a stunning shade of Zanzibar Metallic Individual paint. We’ve featured the car here before because it’s not only a great looking color but it’s also a one-of-one car at the moment, with no other Zanzibar M3s on the road just yet. Being a readily available BMW Individual color, we wouldn’t be surprised if we start to see more soon but AutoTopNL’s is the first.
On the inside, the M3 gets a Kyalami Orange interior, which matches the Zanzibar paint well. But the most important aspect of this car is what sits between the front seats. That six-speed manual gearbox is an important variable in the M3’s equation. After reading Chris Harris’ review of the BMW M3 just recently, his biggest complaint was the lack of enjoyment from the eight-speed automatic; it robbed the M3 some of its specialness around town. On track, the eight-speed is great and it’s perfect for calm around town driving but an M3’s auto ‘box isn’t supposed to be perfect around town. It’s supposed to have a bit of sharpness, a bit of aggression to it, and the eight-speed doesn’t.
Which is why the manual is the correct choice and will give the BMW M3 the proper feel. Of course, several markets won’t get the manual option, with the UK being one of them. We feel bad for our UK friends and colleagues that don’t get the option. They’ll still be getting a great car with the automatic but the manual is the one that will feel most special and this video shows that off.
