If you can ignore the polarizing front grille, the G80 is arguably the best M3 yet. 185 kilograms (408 pounds) heavier than the F80 before it, the manual-equipped base model is nothing to scoff at because BMW is underrating the S58 twin-turbo sixer as it also does in the M4 Coupe.
We’ve recently talked about a G82 owned by IND Distribution. That bone-stock car belts out approximately 547 horsepower and 480 pound-feet (651 Nm) on the dyno, numbers that are far greater than BMW's estimates. For the sake of reference, the official figures are 473 horsepower and 406 pound-feet (550 Nm) for the non-Competition version with RWD and the stick shift.
On this particular occasion, AutoTopNL ran a non-Competition version of the G80 on the dyno with obvious results: 503 PS (496 horsepower) and 607 Nm (448 pound-feet) of torque at the crankshaft. Two independent tests confirm what everyone knew from the very beginning, and that’s great news for the Bavarian automaker, owners of the M3 and M4, and tuners.
Based on the B58 of the M340i, M440i, and Toyota GR Supra, the S58 can definitely make a lot more with different mapping for the engine control unit. Upgrade the internals, give it methanol-water injection, and you’ll easily surpass the 1,000-horsepower marker. However, the manual isn’t capable of taking so much torque and the ZF 8HP would need beefing up.
From the factory, the most the automatic transmission is capable of handling is 717 pound-feet (972 Nm) in the case of the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon. The unholy muscle car also rocks a thicker driveshaft compared to the Hellcat-branded sibling, a high-strength gearset for the differential, a sturdier case for the differential, fortified half shafts, and a trans brake.
Quite a bit lighter than the Demon, the G80 M3 has the makings of a strip-slaying machine once BMW rolls out all-wheel drive in the guise of M xDrive. Just like the F90 M5, the system can be switched into rear-wheel drive at the simple touch of a button if you prefer to kick out the car’s tail.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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