- Delivered across Sydney
- Bond and fees shown before you pay
- Never swapped to a lesser car
This is not a standard M3, and we would rather lead with that than bury it. A factory F80 Competition makes 331kW. This one makes 440. It is the quickest-accelerating car we run that is not a supercar, and it is also the one we are most careful about who we hand it to.
Check F80 availability
Tell us your dates and your driving history. We confirm both before you pay.
Specifications
| Model | BMW M3 Competition (F80) |
|---|---|
| Year | 2016 |
| Engine | 3.0-litre twin-turbo inline-six (S55) |
| Power | 440kW — Stage 1 tuned, from a factory 331kW |
| 0-100km/h | 3.9 seconds |
| Drivetrain | Rear-wheel drive |
| Seats | 5 |
| Tier | Performance |
One note on the numbers. 440kW is not a BMW figure. A factory F80 Competition makes 331kW; this car makes roughly 600 horsepower after a Stage 1 remap, which is the single most important thing to know before booking it.
What It Is Actually Like in Sydney
The S55 is a different engine with the software changed
Twin-turbocharged straight sixes respond enormously to remapping, which is why this
modification is so common on the F80. The stock car is quick. This one is genuinely fast, and the
difference is not subtle — it is roughly the gap between an M3 and a supercar of a few years
earlier.
What changes most is the middle of the rev range. Standard, it builds. Tuned, it simply goes,
and it keeps going far longer than the noise suggests it should. Overtaking stops being something
you plan.
Rear-wheel drive, and no electronic apology
This is the part that matters more than the power figure. The F80 sends everything to the rear
axle. There is no all-wheel-drive system quietly saving you, and there is now considerably more
torque arriving than the chassis was originally calibrated for.
In the dry, with the stability systems on, it is composed and hugely enjoyable. In the wet it
demands genuine care. Sydney rain arrives fast, sits on top of months of road grime, and the first
ten minutes are treacherous in any powerful rear-drive car. In this one they are worth taking
seriously.
It is the smallest-feeling fast car we run
Compared with the C63 S or the G80, the F80 feels tight and eager rather than planted and
heavy. The steering is quick, the body is compact, and it changes direction more willingly than
anything else here at this pace. That is why people who have driven a lot of fast cars tend to
prefer it — and why people who have not sometimes find it busy.
Everyday usability is intact
Four doors, five seats and a proper boot. Nothing about the tune affects how it behaves in
traffic; it idles, creeps and parks like a normal 3 Series. The modification is entirely in what
happens when you ask for it.
Things You Should Know Before You Book
We are more selective about this one
Worth saying plainly rather than discovering at handover. We ask about your experience with
rear-drive performance cars before confirming this booking, and occasionally we suggest something
else. That is not a judgement, it is the same conversation any sensible operator has about a
600-horsepower rear-drive car.
A modified car is still a fully covered car
The tune is declared, the car is serviced on schedule and everything about the hire works
exactly as it does for anything else in the fleet — the same bond, the same excess, the same
cover. The only difference is the conversation above.
It is not the comfortable choice
The ride is firm, the seats are aggressive and the exhaust is present at all times. For a
weekend of driving it is superb. For four hours on a motorway with passengers it is the wrong car
in the fleet, and the X6 or the Range Rover is the right one.
The Questions We Actually Get About the Tune
Does it feel unreliable?
No, and it should not. A Stage 1 map on an S55 is about the most common modification in modern
BMW ownership, and it stays well inside what the standard hardware handles. The turbos, the
internals and the cooling are all factory and all comfortably within their limits at this output.
The car is serviced on schedule and driven by us between hires.
Will it throw a warning light halfway through my weekend?
It has not, and there is no particular reason it would. A remap is a settings change rather
than a bolt-on, so there is no additional hardware to fail. If anything does go wrong, roadside
cover works exactly as it does for every other car we run.
Is it legal?
It is registered, insured and roadworthy, which is the answer that matters for a hire. Beyond
that, engine modifications are a live area in New South Wales and the rules are not always
intuitive. That is our responsibility to keep on top of, not yours, and the car would not be on
the fleet if it were not properly covered.
Why tune a car you rent out at all?
A fair question and worth answering honestly. It came to us that way. Given the choice we would
rather disclose it plainly and let people decide than quietly list it as a standard M3, which is
what most operators would do. If the modification puts you off, that is a completely reasonable
reaction and the G80 is right there.
How It Compares to the Rest of the Fleet
Against the G80 M3 Competition xDrive
The most direct comparison and the one most people should think hardest about. The G80 makes
390kW, sends it to all four wheels, and reaches 100km/h in 3.5 seconds — quicker than this
car despite less power, because it can actually deploy it. It is also far more forgiving in rain.
What the F80 has is feel. It is lighter on its feet, more playful, and more involving precisely
because nothing is helping you. If you want the quickest, most usable and most secure car, take
the G80. If you want the one that asks something of you, take this.
Against the C63 S
Both rear-drive, both around four seconds, both four-door. The C63 S is a V8 with a wall of
mid-range torque and a soundtrack to match; the F80 is a straight six that rewards revs. The
Mercedes feels bigger and more luxurious, the BMW sharper and more urgent. Genuine preference
territory, and people rarely like both equally.
The Drives Worth Booking It For
The Old Road, early
Mount White before the traffic. Tight enough to use the chassis, open enough to use the engine,
and quiet at dawn. This is the car most suited to that road of anything we run.
Macquarie Pass
Steep, technical and demanding. Dry weather only in this car, and worth the drive down for it.
Not the airport, not the wet, not with four passengers
Said once so it does not need saying again. Book it for the driving.
The one exception worth mentioning: it is a perfectly civilised car for a normal commute if
that is what your week requires. Nothing about the tune makes it difficult in traffic. It simply
means the interesting part of the car is unavailable to you for most of the trip, which is a
waste of what you are paying for.
Who Actually Books This One
Almost entirely people who already know what an S55 is and what a Stage 1 map does to one. It
is the most enthusiast-specific car in the fleet, and the bookings reflect that: they are shorter,
they are dry-weather, and they are overwhelmingly repeat.
If none of the preceding paragraph meant anything to you, that is genuinely fine — but the
G80 two sections up is almost certainly the car you actually want, and it is quicker anyway. We
would rather send you home happy in the right car than impressed by the wrong one.
If the BMW M3 Competition F80 is booked
We never move you down a tier. If your dates are taken, these are the performance cars we will offer instead, and we will tell you plainly if none of them is free rather than substituting something lesser on the day.
BMW M3 Competition xDrive
- 390kW
- 3.5s
- AWD
- 5 seats
Quicker than most of the exotics with four doors and a boot. The one that asks you to give up nothing.
Mercedes-AMG C63 S
- 375kW
- 4.0s
- RWD
- 5 seats
A hand-built twin-turbo V8 in a car with four doors and a boot. The most usable way to own this much power for a weekend.
Want the same speed with a safety net?
The G80 xDrive is quicker to 100 and sends power to all four wheels. In the wet it is not a close contest, and we will say so.
Guide rates, weekday winter pricing. Longer hires taper; the exact total for your dates is shown before you pay.
The bond held on your card equals the excess of the cover you choose. It is a pre-authorisation, released after return.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I collect it?
From Mascot or Parramatta, or we deliver it. For this car specifically we prefer an in-person handover somewhere with room, because the walkthrough takes longer than it does for anything else in the fleet.
What does Stage 1 actually mean?
The engine control software has been remapped to raise boost and adjust fuelling and timing. The hardware is standard. In this car it takes output from a factory 331kW to roughly 440kW, which is about 600 horsepower. Nothing about it is unusual for an S55 engine, and it is a very well-known modification, but you should know you are hiring a modified car rather than a factory one.
Is it safe?
The car is mechanically sound, serviced on schedule and fully covered, or it would not be on the fleet. What changes is the margin for error. There is a great deal more torque going to two wheels than BMW originally sent there, and it arrives earlier. That is a driving consideration, not a safety defect.
Who should not book this car?
Anyone hiring their first performance car, anyone whose dates look wet, and anyone who wants to be relaxed. We will happily point you at the G80 xDrive instead and it is not a downgrade in any way that matters.
What licence and age do I need?
A full licence held for the required period and verified in person, as with every car. For this one we also ask about your experience with rear-wheel-drive performance cars, and we would rather have an awkward conversation at booking than a difficult one afterwards.
Is there a security bond?
Yes, and it is on your booking before you pay. It is a pre-authorisation held against your card rather than a charge.
Is there a kilometre limit?
Yes, stated before payment, with additional kilometres charged at a set rate.
Can I take it on a track day?
No. Circuit and track use is not permitted on any of our vehicles under any circumstances, and on a tuned car the answer is not going to become yes.
Can I take it interstate?
With prior written approval noted on the booking so the kilometre allowance and roadside cover are correct.
Is it much louder than a standard M3?
Somewhat, and not dramatically. The exhaust is standard, so the extra noise comes from the engine working harder rather than from a straight-through system. It is noticeably present under load and completely civil at a cruise, which is the opposite way round from the American V8s in the fleet.
Does the tune affect fuel use?
Driven gently, barely. Driven the way the car invites, considerably. That is true of any engine, and it is more pronounced here because there is more available to use. Budget as you would for any performance car and you will not be caught out.