BMW E92 M3 vs F80 M3: which one should you actually buy

August 19, 2026

Auto Hauss has sold both generations, which makes the comparison a matter of experience rather than specification sheets.

These two cars share a name and almost nothing else. The E92 closed one era and the F80 opened another, and choosing between them is really a choice about what you want an M3 to feel like rather than how quickly it gets down a road.

The E92: the last naturally aspirated M3

The E92 is the only M3 ever built with a V8, and it revs to a place no turbocharged M car goes. That engine defines the car: the power arrives at the top, the sound is the reward, and driving it well means using the whole range. It is the generation that has started being bought as a keeper rather than as transport.

SOLD

2010 BMW E92 M3

An E92 M3 sold through Auto Hauss, the naturally aspirated V8 generation.

39 999 $ · 64 000 km

The F80: the one you can use every day

The F80 replaced the V8 with a turbocharged straight six, and the torque arrives low and early. It is faster in almost every real situation, noticeably easier in traffic and in winter, and far less demanding to own. What it gives up is the top-end drama that made the E92 what it is.

SOLD

2015 BMW F80 M3

An F80 M3 sold through Auto Hauss, the first turbocharged M3 generation.

57 999 $ · 57 000 km

Which one to buy

If the car is a second car and the point is the experience, the E92 is the one that will still be wanted in ten years. If it has to do everything, the F80 is the honest answer and there is no shame in it. Auto Hauss lists the mileage, previous owners and all-in price on each example so the comparison can be made on the specific cars rather than on the generations in the abstract.