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The 1st BMW M2 Review - This is the BMW you've been waiting for

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    The 1st BMW M2 Review - This is the BMW you've been waiting for

    Summary:
    I've just retuned from Monterey, California where I sampled the new F87 BMW M2 on both street and track. After I returned, I pulled an all nighter on Sunday evening, followed by more evening hours on Monday and all of Tuesday morning to put together this extended video review for you. It is the longest and most ambitious BIMMERPOST project to date. Jason also did a whole bunch of work on the back end preparing the assets and media in time for this launch. We've seen the fury of M2 anticipation on the forum and we are here to deliver! I also devoted special attention in comparing it to the M3 and M4 because I understand it is important to the readership here.

    To summarize my feelings on the new F87 M2, this is the most exciting BMW I have driven since I started reviewing BMWs for BIMMERPOST. 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.

    At 51,000 USD base (60,000 CAD), the M2 is tremendous value for the money. Even if you set aside performance -- of which it carries plenty -- the interactive experience of piloting the M2 is worth the price of admission. It is a completely different animal to both the M235i and the M3/M4. The M235i is not really a true M-car and the divide between it and the M2 is obvious within a few minutes of driving. And while the M3 and M4 are excellent vehicles, they are tuned for performance and sophistication. They are exceedingly well polished and mature products and have in fact, become too good for their own good. They have become slightly more grand tourer than pure sports car. I like and respect them a great deal -- and I understand their popularity around here -- but the M2 is the one that pulls at my heartstrings. Here is a car I would buy with my own money. The M2 is not just good -- the M2 is bad. It is a complete badass.

    The reason I think the M2 is such a riot is that while you can drive it neat and tidy, this little beast is most exciting when you get it moving around. It inspires you to play and drift. And because it is intuitive and communicative and approachable, it earns your trust quickly. You are encouraged to explore its limits. The Michelin Pilot Super Sports are the perfect tire for this car, giving the M2 a very grippy and responsive chassis while maintaining very progressive breakaway characteristics. It also rides well for such a focused machine. This is BMW chassis magic at its very finest.

    In fact, the M2 has made me fall in love with BMW all over again. I grew up in the days of the E46 M3, E39 M5 and the Z3 M Coupe and Roadster in the same brochure (they still handed out brochures back then). While the E46 M3 and E39 M5 were the polished, sophisticated machines that retained a wild side, the Z3 M Coupe and Roadster were total animals. In a way, this is exactly like the new M2. It is clear to me that it was designed and tuned by a group of die-hard enthusiasts who loving driving as much as we do! You can only drive the M2 respectfully for so long before the urge to play rolls in. It is both a hero maker and a hooligan enabler. This the kind of M car that has been missing for a long, long time and what a pleasant surprise to find something like this in 2016. The M2 is all about the thrill of driving.

    If you haven't ordered one already, do it now. I'm already looking for ways to get this car into my own garage.

    As always, your comments and questions are welcome. I'll be here to chat with you on this thread and discuss this new M2. I'll also continue to update this post with additional written content as they come to mind.

    https://youtu.be/esH3VV3_90Q
    Full review:
    Yes, it is just that good. For the last few years BMW enthusiasts have been let down by our white and blue brand. The current three series, the enthusiasts BMW for so many years, has been criticized for numb steering and lackluster suspension. BMW even went as far as a major suspension upgrade for the 3 Series mid-life-cycle upgrade (LCI) to try an improve the situation with minimal gain. When BMW launched the 2 Series a few years ago it came with high hopes. About the size of the E46 3 Series (1999-2005) it was a chance for BMW to get back into the sports car game. While the 2 Series, the M235i specifically, is a great car it still lacks the driver connection that BMW used to provide. The use of electronic power steering, with 64% less return to center torque then the previous hydraulic steering gets most of the blame.

    When BMW finally announced the M version of the 2 Series there was another round of enthusiasm. Was this finally the drivers car we wanted? BMW did a great job M-ifiying the 3/4 series to create the M3 and M4, both of which are driving and technology master pieces. If BMW could take the greatest parts of the M4 and squeeze them into a 2 Series chassis there was a real chance for a BMW enthusiasts car.

    After a full day of driving at Laguna Seca Raceway and in the twisty roads in Monterrey, CA, I am very pleased to say that this is hands down the best car BMW has built since the E92 M3. Yes, the F80 M3 and F82 M4 are great cars, but as the platform size has grown I consider them grand touring cars more then pure sports cars at this point. The shorter wheelbase gives the M2 a snappier feel on turn in and it is much more 'chuckable' into the corners then the M3/M4. If you've been waiting for BMW to return to building the Ultimate Driving Machine, your wait is over.

    Pure M2
    If I had to describe the M2 in a single word, it would be pure. BMW had a singular target with the M2 and they built exactly that and nothing more. There wasn't a committee voting on what should be included on the M2, it was built to drive like the best sports car and that is all. To that end there are no frills to M2, no sun roof, no major options or packages, no configurable M button or dynamic suspension. You get in and drive and that is the way it should be. If you were hoping for a baby M4, be ready for a bit of a let down. The M2 is for the drivers in the crowd who don't want to configure a bunch of buttons (yes it has a driver experience button). They want the car to be everything it can be out of the box, all the time. Some will lament this simplicity and wish it had all the BMW M doodads, and to that I say go buy an M4 with all the bells and whistles and leave the M2 allocations for the pure drivers.

    On the Track
    Laguna Seca Raceway was the test track for the M2. With 11 turns and 180 feet of elevation change over 2.2 miles it gives a good range of speed, braking and corners to test the maximum performance the M2 can put down. Acceleration from the inline six is strong with no hint of turbo lag. With the 369 lb-ft of torque coming on low in the rev range it pulls you out of corners without down shifting. On the top end of the RPM range you pay the price for the low end torque with the acceleration dying out over 5,800 RPMs. Shifting before 6,000 RPMs felt best, both on the street and track. The throttle in sport plus is pleasingly linear and direct making it easy to throttle steer corners with no surprise bursts of power.

    The M2s BMW supplied for the track were fitted with M Performance Parts track pads for maximum performance and zero fade. Like the throttle response the brakes were direct and linear allowing for deep braking into corner 1. The M2s were pushed lap after lap with no indication that brake fade would ever be an issue, an impressive feat for iron rotors.

    The 19 inch Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires are custom made for the M2 with the fronts focusing on turn in and the rears on linear traction. The sizes are also a perfect balance and despite the rears being 20mm wider then the fronts the balance is not upset. An interesting tidbit on tires, when you burn through your M2 tires, which you will, be sure to get BMW spec Pilot Super Sports as your replacements to retain the handling and performance. BMW spec tires have a star on the sidewall.

    The steering rack on the M2 is ZF built and comes from the F8x M3/M4. Unlike all other BMW EPS systems (besides the M3/M4) the M2 is dead on. It lacks the grainy, gritty feeling of the old hydraulic system but none of the feel or feedback. It feels like BMW took the E9x M3 steering, stripped out all the noise and put it in the M2. The wheel is quieter in your hands, lacking the high speed vibrations but never fails to communicate every vital bit of information about exactly what the tires are doing. I doubt that the EPS could be distinguished from a hydraulic system if someone didn't tell you. Turn in is consistent with non of the rubbery, vague feeling the M235i has. You simply turn in, the car points through the corner and you adjust the finer points with the throttle.

    The suspension and rear active differential work together to plant the car around the track. Despite the massive torque the suspension controlled and channeled the power to the ground without wagging the tail around unexpectedly. When you do want the rear to step out it does so in a controlled and organized fashion. The front to rear balance is spot on with no hint of understeer. When pushing beyond the tire limits, the behavior is consistent and manageable allowing exploration of the limit without concern the car will kill you. I found myself able to push harder and faster than I would in an unfamiliar car because the fail over at the limit was so approachable. The M2 is a car that will help you get faster at the track.

    On the Street
    With a huge grin from the track it was time to dial it back to street speeds and see how normal life with the M2 is. I traded in the M DCT transmission for a 6 speed manual and proceeded to cruise down the 101 to Big Sur. On the street the M2 is compliant and enjoyable at any speeds. The ride is surprisingly comfortable despite the hard mounted rear sub-frame and track capable suspension. Dynamic suspension on the M4 might allow you to dial up the performance suspension or comfort at you wish, but there is something about a simple set of springs and shocks that seems to just work better. There is no cheating, no working around a suspension issue with dynamic programming. Going back to my concept of pure M2 there is no tech trickery on the M2, it rides on fixed suspension. The ride has to feel right all the time, and in the M2 it does.

    The M2 6 speed is lifted from the M4, making it BMW's best manual transmission. The shifter movement is smooth, with a medium length throw that slips quickly into the next gear without drama. The dual surface clutch is communicative on engagement but would benefit from a slightly stiffer pedal and more feedback. Rowing your own gears in the M2 costs 0.2 seconds when running 0-60 (4.4 vs 4.2 seconds) but on winding roads the feeling of being part of the powertrain is worth the performance difference. One annoying 'feature' on the M2 is the rev matching system that automatically blips the engine while downshifting. It works surprisingly well but takes away from the pleasure of doing it yourself. The feature can only be disabled by turning DSC off, which I don't find reasonable for most street driving.

    The other feature that I find annoying is the driver experience switch next to the gear shift. With three modes the idea is the driver can dial in the experience they want out of the car. What happened to buying a sports car to have a sports car? Whatever your take is on this I found comfort to be the worst setting. With no dynamic suspension the ride is always the same leaving the steering and throttle control for the switch to control. Comfort gives you an over boosted wheel and a non-linear throttle that is only good for tip toeing around town. Sport and Sport + are the sweet spots with Sport + providing additional throttle response (something not true in other BMWs). I didn't have enough time to explore the differences between the two but have a feeling Sport + is going to be the best mode, even for street driving. If the M2 would simply remember my last setting on this switch I wouldn't dislike it so much.

    Final Thoughts
    If you've been thinking about an M2, go buy one. If you've been looking for a new BMW, get an M2. It is really that good. A few nit picky button gripes aside there was nothing that was a let down or chinks in the M2 armor. It drives better then you hope and is more fun on the street then anything else. It is truly as exciting to drive as it looks and once you get the chance to slide behind the wheel you won't be disappointed.

    Source: http://f87.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1226404 and http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=897161
    Last edited by Wazif; 17-02-2016, 05:01 PM.
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