[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by Luca Riffer

After seeing the new M2 pics and reading the thread comments, I went out to the parking lot and patted my 1M VO. Such a nice rear end, such a growling front end, and weighs in at 3300 lbs. It seems that M Division magic from 2011 has yet to be recaptured.

Only…..


….your car was HATED initially. It wasn't magical at launch. It wasn't a real ///M, but was a parts bin special; a money grab from BMW. No bespoke motor (…Gasp! It's just a tuned motor from a regular 3 Series!!!!), had ugly headlights and the droopy side skirts sucked. I mean, it wasn't worth buying and BMW lost the plot. I could go on, but we see how that eventually turned out and everybody changed their tune.

[M2PDX]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

Only…..


….your car was HATED initially. It wasn't magical at launch. It wasn't a real ///M, was a parts bin car, no bespoke motor (…gasp! It's just a tuned motor from a regular 3 Series!!!!), had ugly headlight and the side skirts sucked. I mean, it wasn't worth buying and BMW lost the plot. I could go on, but we see how that eventually turned out and everybody changed their tune.

EXACTLY!

Soòoo true.

[MmmmmM2]

I don't have time to scroll through 7 pages, but did BMW at least get rid of the ugly exhaust udder that is the worst feature of the F87 Comp?

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by M2PDX

EXACTLY!

Soòoo true.

People have really, really short memories.

[GrannyShiftG80]

Originally Posted by miiipilot

I begrudgingly agree
If I delay... I'm kicking the can hoping something may or may not be offered later. And then more waiting

One in the hand.

Is Toronto Red orangey? Or bloody?
I think I like Melbourne Red from an E92 M3 I saw in person.

It's unsettling having to settle with a $70G car

go watch some youtube videos of it. It's kinda like an orangey red, like the inverse of sakhir orange which is more orange than red, whereas toronto red is more red than orange.

i think it looks stunning although I haven't been able to see one in real life as they are quite rare

[Puppetz]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

How is that "clear" when people haven't yet been given the chance to speak with their dollars?!?! Everybody wants to be a prophet.

My simple observation is that it's not unanimous. To the original posters' comments, it will be bought, but not by everyone who was a fan of the F87. The M2 is a well liked car. Very popular. It has so much to build on. Now there are several polarizing opinions. Again, I am at Anger, and you are somewhere between Bargaining and Acceptance - and that's OK.

[PLF69]

Originally Posted by AndroidRobot

I had the DCT but I read it only added 40lbs. If I still had the car I'd gladly go weigh it for fun. Either way, I wish they didn't keep force feeding their smallest ///M car because it's not far off the G8X now

My friend told me 3660lbs with him in the car and he was probably around 180 at that time. So around 3500 sounds about right for an OG M2 Manual, I think it was 40kg not lbs for the DCT and we're pretty close to 3600, the comp was definitely over 3600 in DCT form. Seems to make sense.

You have to keep in mind the G chassis is stiffer, has bigger wheels/tires, bigger brakes and probably a bit more safety built in.

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by Puppetz

My simple observation is that it's not unanimous. To the original posters' comments, it will be bought, but not by everyone who was a fan of the F87. The M2 is a well liked car. Very popular. It has so much to build on. Now there are several polarizing opinions. Again, I am at Anger, and you are somewhere between Bargaining and Acceptance - and that's OK.

NOTHING ever is/was. If that's the criteria then none of the ///M cars should've ever been purchased. The car doesn't need prior F87 owners to be on board in order to achieve success. With every new ///M, some will hate it and some will love it. Some leave the brand and new people come to the brand. The M2 wasn't without its controversies, especially the M2C/M2CS.

P.S. I'm not on that chart at all because I have no plans to buy the car.

[Tag]

Originally Posted by MmmmmM2

I don't have time to scroll through 7 pages, but did BMW at least get rid of the ugly exhaust udder that is the worst feature of the F87 Comp?

No, it's still there. It's an udder shame.

[SW19]

Originally Posted by MmmmmM2

I don't have time to scroll through 7 pages, but did BMW at least get rid of the ugly exhaust udder that is the worst feature of the F87 Comp?

It’s still there but thankfully it doesn’t look like it sits as low as the M2C.

[Tallest]

Originally Posted by Giom

By being polarizing, I think BMW is using this to great marketing effect.

Was the car simply beautiful and everything we expected, the initial reaction would be, wow, that's stunning. No further discussion. Out of sight, out of mind. See where I'm going with this?

BMW "needs" the dislikes in order to maintain discussion and 'in mind' -ness. Besides, if history has tought us anything, this helps sales a lot.

So, go ahead and hate, you're doing exactly what you're supposed to do. All my opinion, of course.

This is called fan-baiting. Make sucky design, get fans talk about it, get huge publicity. They dont care about results, but the publicity.

[F32Fleet]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

Only…..


….your car was HATED initially. It wasn't magical at launch. It wasn't a real ///M, but was a parts bin special; a money grab from BMW. No bespoke motor (…Gasp! It's just a tuned motor from a regular 3 Series!!!!), had ugly headlights and the droopy side skirts sucked. I mean, it wasn't worth buying and BMW lost the plot. I could go on, but we see how that eventually turned out and everybody changed their tune.

Indeed

It was also lampooned for the short wheelbase which encouraged snap oversteer.

[carjoy]

Originally Posted by Tag

I'm curious about this process. What do you think they will do when it comes to LCI? Do they take public input and make refinements, budget permitting, or do they just ignore any criticism and do whatever they like? The hope is they'd refine the things that look unrefined on the LCI model.

I can already hear the critics out there... I know, I know, I'm a fool for even thinking they'd do the right thing.

Car design is no different than any other type of design in that the final product must appeal to its audience. Ultimately you create a product for a need and market. If such a product does not meet its targets, companies and designer alike are more pressured to revisit and refine and, in the case of car manufacturers, to eventually do an LCI. However, if a product is met with substantial critical notoriety and customer opposition, change may come sooner. It's all about profits. If the new M2 is a flop, you'll see "tweaks" the next model year, if the potential buyers and fans warm up to the 2023 model, BMW has less reason to make significant changes until it's scheduled refresh mid lifecycle.

[carjoy]

Originally Posted by Tallest

This is called fan-baiting. Make sucky design, get fans talk about it, get huge publicity. They dont care about results, but the publicity.

Good point. Did anyone notice in the XM reveal how the protagonist in the promo videos where young millennials, tech-savvy customers, an audience who's much less likely to afford such a vehicle? It's a marketing tool used to bring new and younger buyers to the brand as it expands in a design direction less appealing to a base of aging customers.

[ChrisM4]

Originally Posted by miiipilot

Is Toronto Red orangey? Or bloody?

For some reason this cracked me up lol

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by carjoy

Good point. Did anyone notice in the XM reveal how the protagonist in the promo videos where young millennials, tech-savvy customers, an audience who's much less likely to afford such a vehicle? It's a marketing tool used to bring new and younger buyers to the brand as it expands in a design direction less appealing to a base of aging customers.

That's quite an assumption to make based on how somebody looks. Have you ever been to a car meet?!? How about the Google or Apple campuses?!? There are plenty of people with money who don't look like they have money. Especially in this internet-tech driven society; there are many, many young professionals who have the financial ability to purchase these cars. The drivers of some of the most sought after and/or expensive cars are the most unassuming.

[702MoxyBMW]

What blows me away is just how different this can look from the G42 M240i currently out. The active kidney grilles are gone for these square units and the color options for launch are not good. I am blown away here but I think at the legit launch it will carry better and they will find a way to market the car for the best hype. I was going to order one but man, I don't see it now.

[LimeRock]

All the design cues aside, I'm still processing 3660lbs. The E92 M3 weighed 3650lbs.

Having already had a G80, what got me excited about the M2 was lighter weight and smaller dimensions.

Also agree with others, the m colors on the door cards is juvenile/cheap to me, and that's coming from someone in their late 20s.

[Gdiddy23]

Originally Posted by carjoy

Thanks for the unbiased update HiFi. It's important to bring more facts and less conjecture in light of the past two weeks. Generally, the car is a vast departure from BMW's past design language for the M2. The car lacks finesse and refinement, attention to small details impact the overall appearance. Lack of front fender side treatments, common to most M2's makes for a very plain and underwhelming side profile, poor parking sensor location seem like an after-thought, the bulky brutalist language, while unique, vastly breaks from its predecessors and that ass; Christ!

The rear is this car's Achilles' heal, it's odd angular and sharp styling gives the car a boy-racer appearance, rather than a more mature imposing and menacing look. It's like BMW ran out of time and made many decisions in haste without considering the vehicle stance from every angle. While I am sure the car's appearance will grow on many of us, this M2 will not win many beauty contests. A sad thing to say for the halo car of a well loved series.

Performance does not trump all. For $70k plus, this small two door coupe should also have best in-class looks. We all want to turn around and wince at her with pride and joy. It should look good from every damn angle.

Who knows, maybe the car in other colors may impress. The reveal blue is definitely not complimentary.

Well said man. I too said essentially the same thing yesterday in another thread and got roasted for having a differing opinion.

This place has changed quite a bit since the whole G80 debacle I feel

[MmmmmM2]

Originally Posted by Tag

No, it's still there. It's an udder shame.

It's a damn eyesore on the F87. Looks awful.

[carjoy]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

That's quite an assumption to make based on how somebody looks. Have you ever been to a car meet?!? How about the Google or Apple campuses?!? There are plenty of people with money who don't look like they have money. Especially in this internet-tech driven society; there are many, many young professionals who have the financial ability to purchase these cars. The drivers of some of the most sought after and/or expensive cars are the most unassuming.

It's not a stretch at all to assume people graduating out of college will not make more than those with established careers, all things being equal. Not an assumption, just common sense. Yes, the pay scale and tech jobs have made the road to wealth much shorter, but if you focus on that you miss my point! Point is "I" wasn't represented on that video, a younger generation was and that was intentional.

BMW needs new customers, those open to a more daring design language, those more accepting of video monitors for binnacles, etc... They know older and more traditional BMW customers will be more resistant to this sort of change. However, I could care less about who they market to and buy based on my own metrics. It was an observation not a condemnation ☺️

[carjoy]

Originally Posted by Gdiddy23

Well said man. I too said essentially the same thing yesterday in another thread and got roasted for having a differing opinion.

This place has changed quite a bit since the whole G80 debacle I feel

I opened an account recently because I am a car fan, a BMW nut, a customer and want the company to continue making great performance machines. We don't all have to agree on everything. That's what makes these forums enjoyable, and how we learn from other perspectives.