[IHateBrakeDust]

Just wanted to mention a few things that some people may not have mentioned about the new m2. I own a e86, e90, G20 and many other non M bmws just for background so I have some experience with BMWs of old and new. I now own a g87 manual with the full carbon package. Reading reviews I was worried with things like the low end torque, the looks, the weight etc.

Starting off with my biggest worry was the engine. My b58 in my G20 (xdrive) was stage 2 tuned, down pipe , intake exhaust and it was a a fast car. The car felt very turbo charged but when the boost hit it would fly. Driving my m2 in comfort mode and not bringing it above 4k rpm it did lack the low end peak torque as everyone as mentioned but my car being a manual I liked to rev it out a bit more ( about 3.5 to 4k) compared to my g20 ( zf8speed) i would shift no more than 3k so the comparable lack of low end torque did not really bother me. The s58 feels more naturally aspirated compared to the b58. Just feels more beefy where the engine is strong vs the b58 feels like the car relies on the turbo for power. This character of the s58 engine reminds me of my s54 how it needs to rev out and has induction noise ( be it fake, it adds drama). I was surprised how different the s58 and b58 were. S58 feels more you can tell it's on another level even comparing it to a tuned b58. The b58 I found lost some push at higher speeds ( above 100 miles an hour) unlike this s58 where it kept building up. I think it's a good trade off as it makes it more fun and engaging to drive. I barely ever want to redline in my b58 because of the low end torque but it did make every day driving easier so I get why they did that.
I did have a lot of knocking when taking off on first gear even with more revs but it seems like it's starting to break in and not do it as much.

Another pleasant surprise was the g20 always felt like I was going slower than I actually was. I do alot of highway driving and cruising at 100 miles felt like 80 in other cars. Not so much for the m2 it actually felt fast which I love ( another similariy to my e86). Maybe it's my carbon bucket seats causing this effect but it's more than welcomed. Doing 100 miles in the M2 felt more engaging.

The interior of the M2 vs the g20 (idrive7) was better. iDrive 8 despite everyone's criticisms makes the iDrive 7 feel old and dated. I did not like the I drive 7 instrument cluster and the iDrive 8 fixes this issue even though I don't like screens it makes the cabin feel very expensive. The screen is huge. I was worried I would be going from a 3 series to a 2 series interior lower quality but not the case. Other than the interior door which has some cheap plastics it feels great and not economy like the f87 felt to me.

Gear shifter feels the same as my other BMWs in the past but the shifter feels lighter. My other m models had a heafty shift. Whats interesting was the bmw tech at the dealer who worked there for many years said he liked the M2 shifting better than the m4 and m3. He knows it's the exact same set up but told me he has driven back to back m3 manuals and m2 s over and over and he preferred the M2.

The handling of the M2 feels razor sharp very nice steering and front end. I felt road feel more so than most of my other cars which was a surprise. Again maybe the carbon buckets made that illusion. Weight hasn't been an issue with the m2 as it has been with my g20. The size of the M2 is a big small car. I had ordered a m4 before and switch to this because the 4 felt too long and the stupid luxury tax in Canada. M2 feels like a good length and wide.. very wide hips. G20 did it's part well being comfortable but handled well sports sedan but it's no comparison to the m2. M2 feels like a solid brick.

The carbon bucket seats are amazing. I drove 10 hours in them and got out less sore than I did in my g20 seats which I did 10 hours the day prior. That really surprised me. The little carbon cup for your nuts didn't bother me at all I use to put my phone in my seat leg extender gap so it feels the same as that. As for the pedals they are not awkward to shift with the seats like top gear said maybe it's a right hand drive model issue?.

The doors are big and heavy. Feels good quality and have a good heft to them, I like that. The door handles are nice too and light up. No holy shit handles though which is a shame I like having those. The plastic around the speaker is a bad plastic that scratched with my brush of my finger nail which is unfortunate but the rest of the quality is bmw good.

Ambient lighting is good with the foot wells light up and the doors with the m colors makes it pop from outside.

Gas tank is smaller than my g20 but gas consumption ( not that I care ) is about the same as my tuned m340.

The brakes are epic. Way better than the msport ones on my m340.

Looks wise I think it's personal preference. I've always liked small chunky cars with big engines including hatch backs. So this suits me better in my eyes. Car looks very different in person but I must say darker colors or frozen colors suit the car better as people walked by the other colors and went straight for the two black m2s to take pictures. Frozen colors will make the lines stand out more and look mean. Mine is stealth ppf bsm color and the amount of thumbs up and looks is nice. There was a f87 black one next to mine. The front end of the f87 has a lot of styling where as the g87 has more straight lines but has bulk and much wider face. The addition of carbon fiber inlets and front lip will help make it more "stylish" compared to the f87 imo.

Overall I'm happy as I did not sacrifice any luxury bits from my 3 series as I was worried going down to a 2 series would feel economy. Definitely not the case it looks better than my m340 idrive7. Yes the acceleration is slower obviously than my g20 x drive but this car likes to be reved out and it rewards you when you do. Very much like a NA motor. It really feels like a new version of my e86 but more comfortable. Drive the car you won't be disappointed, don't worry about the weight and the "lack of low end torque" ( which is not the case) the car feels great and athletic. Drive the engine like a NA motor M car from the past and you will appreciate what bmw did with this engine.

Hope I gave you some good reading while you are on the toilet.

[ourlee]

You’re the first person who feels road feel. I like your version the best. I’m still debating M2 v M3 Cx. It will be a tough decision. Road feel may be the deciding factor.

[IHateBrakeDust]

I mean don't get me wrong it's not like the good old days but it's definitely not dead. My g20 was dead which is understandable. Again could be the fact I was in carbon bucket seats and manual I could feel what's underneath me similar to my e86 which has said to have not great steering feel but had some.

[ronin13013]

Welcome to the club. I've raced a few G20s in my manual M2 and ravaged them in 3rd gear. Probably stock G20s.

Originally Posted by IHateBrakeDust

Just wanted to mention a few things that some people may not have mentioned about the new m2. I own a e86, e90, G20 and many other non M bmws just for background so I have some experience with BMWs of old and new. I now own a g87 manual with the full carbon package. Reading reviews I was worried with things like the low end torque, the looks, the weight etc.

Starting off with my biggest worry was the engine. My b58 in my G20 (xdrive) was stage 2 tuned, down pipe , intake exhaust and it was a a fast car. The car felt very turbo charged but when the boost hit it would fly. Driving my m2 in comfort mode and not bringing it above 4k rpm it did lack the low end peak torque as everyone as mentioned but my car being a manual I liked to rev it out a bit more ( about 3.5 to 4k) compared to my g20 ( zf8speed) i would shift no more than 3k so the comparable lack of low end torque did not really bother me. The s58 feels more naturally aspirated compared to the b58. Just feels more beefy where the engine is strong vs the b58 feels like the car relies on the turbo for power. This character of the s58 engine reminds me of my s54 how it needs to rev out and has induction noise ( be it fake, it adds drama). I was surprised how different the s58 and b58 were. S58 feels more you can tell it's on another level even comparing it to a tuned b58. The b58 I found lost some push at higher speeds ( above 100 miles an hour) unlike this s58 where it kept building up. I think it's a good trade off as it makes it more fun and engaging to drive. I barely ever want to redline in my b58 because of the low end torque but it did make every day driving easier so I get why they did that.
I did have a lot of knocking when taking off on first gear even with more revs but it seems like it's starting to break in and not do it as much.

Another pleasant surprise was the g20 always felt like I was going slower than I actually was. I do alot of highway driving and cruising at 100 miles felt like 80 in other cars. Not so much for the m2 it actually felt fast which I love ( another similariy to my e86). Maybe it's my carbon bucket seats causing this effect but it's more than welcomed. Doing 100 miles in the M2 felt more engaging.

The interior of the M2 vs the g20 (idrive7) was better. iDrive 8 despite everyone's criticisms makes the iDrive 7 feel old and dated. I did not like the I drive 7 instrument cluster and the iDrive 8 fixes this issue even though I don't like screens it makes the cabin feel very expensive. The screen is huge. I was worried I would be going from a 3 series to a 2 series interior lower quality but not the case. Other than the interior door which has some cheap plastics it feels great and not economy like the f87 felt to me.

Gear shifter feels the same as my other BMWs in the past but the shifter feels lighter. My other m models had a heafty shift. Whats interesting was the bmw tech at the dealer who worked there for many years said he liked the M2 shifting better than the m4 and m3. He knows it's the exact same set up but told me he has driven back to back m3 manuals and m2 s over and over and he preferred the M2.

The handling of the M2 feels razor sharp very nice steering and front end. I felt road feel more so than most of my other cars which was a surprise. Again maybe the carbon buckets made that illusion. Weight hasn't been an issue with the m2 as it has been with my g20. The size of the M2 is a big small car. I had ordered a m4 before and switch to this because the 4 felt too long and the stupid luxury tax in Canada. M2 feels like a good length and wide.. very wide hips. G20 did it's part well being comfortable but handled well sports sedan but it's no comparison to the m2. M2 feels like a solid brick.

The carbon bucket seats are amazing. I drove 10 hours in them and got out less sore than I did in my g20 seats which I did 10 hours the day prior. That really surprised me. The little carbon cup for your nuts didn't bother me at all I use to put my phone in my seat leg extender gap so it feels the same as that. As for the pedals they are not awkward to shift with the seats like top gear said maybe it's a right hand drive model issue?.

The doors are big and heavy. Feels good quality and have a good heft to them, I like that. The door handles are nice too and light up. No holy shit handles though which is a shame I like having those. The plastic around the speaker is a bad plastic that scratched with my brush of my finger nail which is unfortunate but the rest of the quality is bmw good.

Ambient lighting is good with the foot wells light up and the doors with the m colors makes it pop from outside.

Gas tank is smaller than my g20 but gas consumption ( not that I care ) is about the same as my tuned m340.

The brakes are epic. Way better than the msport ones on my m340.

Looks wise I think it's personal preference. I've always liked small chunky cars with big engines including hatch backs. So this suits me better in my eyes. Car looks very different in person but I must say darker colors or frozen colors suit the car better as people walked by the other colors and went straight for the two black m2s to take pictures. Frozen colors will make the lines stand out more and look mean. Mine is stealth ppf bsm color and the amount of thumbs up and looks is nice. There was a f87 black one next to mine. The front end of the f87 has a lot of styling where as the g87 has more straight lines but has bulk and much wider face. The addition of carbon fiber inlets and front lip will help make it more "stylish" compared to the f87 imo.

Overall I'm happy as I did not sacrifice any luxury bits from my 3 series as I was worried going down to a 2 series would feel economy. Definitely not the case it looks better than my m340 idrive7. Yes the acceleration is slower obviously than my g20 x drive but this car likes to be reved out and it rewards you when you do. Very much like a NA motor. It really feels like a new version of my e86 but more comfortable. Drive the car you won't be disappointed, don't worry about the weight and the "lack of low end torque" ( which is not the case) the car feels great and athletic. Drive the engine like a NA motor M car from the past and you will appreciate what bmw did with this engine.

Hope I gave you some good reading while you are on the toilet.

[Basketcase]

Pics of this beauty of a car!

Thought about going BSM and stealth wrap myself with the carbon package and 6MT so would LOVE to see it!

[Shadak]

I agree about the engine. I had an xdrive M140 and it would launch like a rocket from about 1500 revs. With M2 I feel like it starts the strongest pull at around 3000 but in the end it doesnt bother me much as S58 pulls all the way and keeps on going where B58 would flatten a bit.

[IHateBrakeDust]

Another thing I have to mention is just how loud the turbos are when you throw on a intake on a s58 vs the b58 with an intake. Holy moly. Reminds me of a old school turbo car with BOV. Wicked fun.