I drove the new BMW M2! [VIDEO]

[driveopolis]

YouTube

I was fortunate enough to be one of the first people in the world to drive the new BMW M2. I went in expecting more of the same -- refined, smooth, like a bigger M235i with an M badge -- but what I experienced was something far more satisfying and nothing like a regular M235i.

To summarize my feelings on this new F87 M2, this is the most exciting BMW I have driven since I started reviewing BMWs. It is powerful, grippy and capable but unlike most modern performance cars today, it actually cares about the driver and involves him or her wholly in the experience. It is interactive, playful and approachable in a way that rivals the best driver's cars of all time. It is a deeply satisfying car to learn and will inspire you to become a better driver.

And Laguna Seca! I had played it countless times on Playstation but to finally drive it in the flesh and metal was a surreal experience. It is every bit as good as you'd expect and extremely satisfying to learn and perfect. I wish I could spend more time on it. I would go back for a track day.

I want an M2. I really really want one. At 60,000 CAD base, it feels like a great deal given the present exchange. The USD base of 51,000 converts to over 70,000 at the present exchange rate. What a steal! After watching my review a buddy of mine went straight to the dealer and put his deposit down. I spoke to a few dealers and I was told that allocations in Canada are looking pretty good. In the US they have all been accounted for at many dealers. This car is not limited production however.

What do you think of the new M2? What else would you consider at this price point? Ford GT350? Older E92 M3? A base Cayman? Any current or previous generation M3 owners here who might consider changing or upgrading to an M2?

12688279_10101616914991401_1716928683642889684_n by driveopolis, on Flickr

Me driving the M2 on the roads around Monterey California. I had the 6 speed manual to drive on the street and the M-DCT for the track.

12745722_10101618756501001_564114241935598762_n by driveopolis, on Flickr

Me slamming the M2 into the corkscrew at Laguna Seca. It's actually not as scary or challenging as people would have you believe. The left turn immediately after the corkscrew is actually more fun because the G forces have piled up and the entry is off camber.

12717283_10101618756496011_3501907708914693844_n by driveopolis, on Flickr

Me burning down the main straight at Laguna Seca.

[Traum]

How did you find the weight? On paper, that 3400-ish lbs make it seem like the car is really porky.

I've had the chance to do a few laps in an M4 at Mission, and supposedly, the M2 borrows a lot of parts from the M3/M4, so I'd expect the M2's behaviour to be at least somewhat similar. The M4 certainly impressed me with its power, and more importantly, I was very much surprised by how much smaller the car felt (in terms of agility) once it was in motion. But the single thing that I couldn't quite get over was the weight -- it was well-managed, but when you throw the car into a turn, you are always reminded of how heavy the car is.

The M2 isn't that much lighter than an M4, so I have some concerns.

[driveopolis]

Originally Posted by Traum

How did you find the weight? On paper, that 3400-ish lbs make it seem like the car is really porky.

I've had the chance to do a few laps in an M4 at Mission, and supposedly, the M2 borrows a lot of parts from the M3/M4, so I'd expect the M2's behaviour to be at least somewhat similar. The M4 certainly impressed me with its power, and more importantly, I was very much surprised by how much smaller the car felt (in terms of agility) once it was in motion. But the single thing that I couldn't quite get over was the weight -- it was well-managed, but when you throw the car into a turn, you are always reminded of how heavy the car is.

The M2 isn't that much lighter than an M4, so I have some concerns.

Great question. I had the same feeling as you before I drove the car, that is the weight was a real turn off. Amazingly, it felt a good bit lighter than the M3/M4 and I think that's in large part due to the shorter wheelbase. The M2 feels genuinely agile. You make a good point about the best BMWs masking their weight once rolling and this is very much the case here.

Even though they share parts, the driving experience is anything but similar. I feel very much the same as you regarding the M3 and M4. I like them but don't love them. But I love the M2. I really hope that you can try one for yourself. I'd be curious to hear what you think.

[platinum300]

When he was at the race track, every time he was hard on the brakes there was a loud squeal. Is this normal?

[driveopolis]

Originally Posted by platinum300

When he was at the race track, every time he was hard on the brakes there was a loud squeal. Is this normal?

The brakes squeaked everytime I touched them because the cars used on the track were all fitted with track pads. It was a little unnerving at first given how loud they were, but I got used to them. The street cars rode on stock pads and were perfectly quiet.

BMW told me they did this for durability. The track pads last longer and thus saved them from having to change pads as frequently.

[bcuzracecarz]

haha love that you were driving through memory at Laguna Seca from video games, much like anyone one of us would if we are ever fortunate to enough to go there. Awesome review, great to hear a locals thoughts on the car...the want is great with this one

[skiiipi]

I actually left work early on the day your review got posted just so I can go home and watch your review (and all the other reviews posted that day).

Fantastic video and makes me even more excited to get my car.
Except waiting for the car after watching these reviews is brutal.

Now what was your thoughts on the auto Rev match feature on the 6mt? It kinda sucks that it cannot be turned off without turning off the stability control.

Lastly, how's the interior quality? Many reviews have said the interior looks cheap, and that the carbon trim looks plasticky. Now I'm not expecting a 7 series interior, but I certainly hope it's at least a better interior than your 30-40k econoboxes.

[spacemanrick]

I have a 2016 M3 with the 6 speed manual and the auto rev match. I am a novice driver with no racing experience but for me on the streets I love this feature. Going into a corner or a turn I can shift from 5th gear to 3rd or 2nd gear and the car is butter smooth on the gear shift down. For more experienced drivers they may like the option to heel and toe but for guys like me it makes driving a manual much more smooth. With the hill hold and rev match I think it gives you all the fun and control of the manual and takes away what some drivers consider the downside of manuals.

[Galactic_Phantom]

Originally Posted by skiiipi

Now what was your thoughts on the auto Rev match feature on the 6mt? It kinda sucks that it cannot be turned off without turning off the stability control.

Anybody else surprised they went with the regular BMW mode change button that changes everything at once
instead of the M ones where you can set everything individually? What if I want a heavier steering and comfortable ride on the street? Don't know why they would cheap out on something like this for a real M car

[skiiipi]

Originally Posted by Galactic_Phantom

Anybody else surprised they went with the regular BMW mode change button that changes everything at once
instead of the M ones where you can set everything individually? What if I want a heavier steering and comfortable ride on the street? Don't know why they would cheap out on something like this for a real M car

Well the m2 doesn't have adjustable suspension
So it's just throttle response and steering weight and maybe shift points for the dct.

Since I have a manual I really couldn't care less
I'll just leave it in sport

A bit disappointed that Rev match can't be turned off separately though

[driveopolis]

Originally Posted by bcuzracecarz

haha love that you were driving through memory at Laguna Seca from video games, much like anyone one of us would if we are ever fortunate to enough to go there. Awesome review, great to hear a locals thoughts on the car...the want is great with this one

Thanks! One of the few instances in life where my misspent youth on Playstation did not go completely to waste.

Originally Posted by skiiipi

I actually left work early on the day your review got posted just so I can go home and watch your review (and all the other reviews posted that day).

Fantastic video and makes me even more excited to get my car.
Except waiting for the car after watching these reviews is brutal.

Now what was your thoughts on the auto Rev match feature on the 6mt? It kinda sucks that it cannot be turned off without turning off the stability control.

Lastly, how's the interior quality? Many reviews have said the interior looks cheap, and that the carbon trim looks plasticky. Now I'm not expecting a 7 series interior, but I certainly hope it's at least a better interior than your 30-40k econoboxes.

Thank you! That made me laugh that you left work early. And it makes me happy. Before publishing I felt I was taking a bit of a risk with people's very short attention spans. I think it worked out here for this particular review because the demand for information was so great and we were first out of the gate with full driving impressions.

I'm really excited for you that you're getting an M2! I do have some unhappiness about it not being defeat-able except with turning DSC off. It's also odd because I can foresee myself wanting DSC off for slidey driving but wanting the auto rev-match to reduce my workload and to eliminate shifting mistakes.

But no matter. Step back and it's a small niggle in an otherwise unimpeachable car. Rev matches done for me, I can live with that. A huge part of this car's appeal is that fact that it's so flattering to the driver. Bill Auberlen calls it the 'hero maker'. Let the computer do the rev matches for you and feel like a hero. Be thankful that it is still a proper manual! You can focus your attention in perfecting your control of the chassis. And when you get good enough -- and with enough track time you will -- then it's time to go full DSC off and do everything yourself. The option to turn it all off is still there so don't sweat it!

Interior quality is absolutely better than the 30-40k econoboxes. If you go check out an M235i while you wait, the quality is similar. The M2 has some M specific touches like the badge embossed into the headrest and the blue stitching, but overall it's similar in quality. I never at once felt embarrassed about the materials or the fit and finish. When a car is really good, sometimes smaller faults end up being exaggerated because that's all we have left to talk about.

I'm excited for you. I want to ask how you spec'd your M2 but there isn't much of an options list. Just the phone module and the colour really. Everything else standard in Canada which is just fantastic! What colour did you go with?

Originally Posted by Galactic_Phantom

Anybody else surprised they went with the regular BMW mode change button that changes everything at once instead of the M ones where you can set everything individually? What if I want a heavier steering and comfortable ride on the street? Don't know why they would cheap out on something like this for a real M car

Yes, this actually relates to the above discussion about not being able to customize the rev-match functionality. BMW's answer to me was that they wanted to reduce complexity drastically because they've realized that none of their owners actually bother to get into that level of custom detail. I'm happy with the toggle switch but I get that some people just want the granularity.

FWIW, when I owned the E90 M3 I didn't do much with the customization. I set it once and forget it.

[whitev70r]

You've got a good life bro!

[skiiipi]

I ordered a 6mt long beach blue with that smart phone option.
So pretty much loaded minus the dct
But i would've paid extra for manual if dct was standard.

[Marco911]

Originally Posted by driveopolis

The brakes squeaked everytime I touched them because the cars used on the track were all fitted with track pads. It was a little unnerving at first given how loud they were, but I got used to them. The street cars rode on stock pads and were perfectly quiet.

BMW told me they did this for durability. The track pads last longer and thus saved them from having to change pads as frequently.

I'm sure it's because those OEM BMW pads will start to fade with track driving due to the car being massively overweight for its size. It's no longer a fair comparison if BMW modifies the car for the track. What else did they change?

In a Porsche, you can take the street car and have a nice DE at the track without requiring any modifications.

[skiiipi]

Originally Posted by Marco911

I'm sure it's because those OEM BMW pads will start to fade with track driving due to the car being massively overweight for its size. It's no longer a fair comparison if BMW modifies the car for the track. What else did they change?

In a Porsche, you can take the street car and have a nice DE at the track without requiring any modifications.

But you cant get a Porsche with 4 seats and a useable trunk for 60k Canadian

[Marco911]

BMW builds sporty cars, Porsche builds sports cars.

[skiiipi]

Originally Posted by Marco911

BMW builds sporty cars, Porsche builds sports cars.

Yup I agree with this statement

[skiiipi]

K so first "mod" is going to be that M performance steering wheel.

It's the one part of the car that you are touching everyday, and a more ergonomical/thicker steering wheel will make driving the car even more fun.

Top pic is stock, bottom is the M performance

[20psi]

Saw in in Victoria today and it looked extremely boring in person.

[Marco911]

Is the simulated engine sound still piped in through the audio system?

[skiiipi]

Originally Posted by 20psi

Saw in in Victoria today and it looked extremely boring in person.

Where was it in Victoria?
I'm hoping to see it for the first time at the Vancouver Auto Show

[skiiipi]

Originally Posted by Marco911

Is the simulated engine sound still piped in through the audio system?

unfortunately i think so

this feature along with not being able to turn off auto rev match without disabling stability control is the 2 negatives I have against this car

trust me, my dream car has always been, and will also be a porsche, and I actually thought about getting a used 997.2 C2S or C4S, but the thing is, at this stage in my life, I don't really want to maintain and care for 2 cars, and I need a car with a somewhat useable back seat and trunk.

I rented a 991 this past summer and loved the car, but had to sit in the backseat for about 4 blocks and it was impossible as I had to hunch over and turn my neck side ways just to fit.
I also couldnt even fit my suitcase into the frunk, and had to get it into the back seat by sliding it through the moonroof.....

its just a bit too impractical at this point in my life.

But i guess i still have an opportunity to own a porsche later on in my life for sure

[Z3guy]

No doubt Porsche builds more performance oriented cars than BMW, but for $60K I would take a M2 over a base base cayman any day of the week.

M2 is the performance bargain of the year. Mustang GT350 is next, but that is $70K+

[Marco911]

I guess I have to drive one to really comment. I think all sporty and sports cars offer more than enough performance for the street. They are all great on paper. The difference really is in the engineering of the car and how it feels as a result when you drive one. If the car has no steering feel, and the chassis isn't balanced or doesn't communicate well, it won't impress me. It is only at the track where you get to see how well a car is engineered by seeing how balanced it is at close to its limits. This is where Porsches really shine and recent BMWs seem to come apart.

[maxx]

if they race it, its a real M car.. I hope they dont, so i can peacefully buy the Alfa 4C