[Kroghj1]

Will keep this short and sweet…

I have a BSM in production but test drive my dealers HEA unit to confirm a few selections.

Prior cars: Prior gen m4, 981 Cayman, Alfa Romeo 4c. Driven f87s but never bought.

Initial honest impressions…

General looks: It really does look better in person. So wide and purposeful. Some of the not great angles in photos don’t really translate to what you feel when you take it in. Lots of people have said this, nothing new to add - just another voice of confirmation. Would bet $$ that the hate it side of the hate it/love it spectrum will quiet down once people see them in the wild.

ZB in person: I’m a ZB hater and almost canceled my order based on those leaked first photos. Never thought I’d say it but in person it was kind of a nice color. Still wouldn’t order one but I think the unique factor will work for it, over time.

Manual transmission: partly better/partly worse than expected. Personally ordered an auto because of past BMWs feeling “rubbery” in the shifter and too soft in the clutch. Prefer Porsche manual by far vs pdk, but never have liked bmw’s manual. Thoughts - it didn’t feel rubbery, nice improvement. Throws were fine, and the clutch, while too soft, didn’t bother me as much past bmw manuals I’ve driven. It would be an easy manual to daily in traffic. That said: not a fan of the gearing ratios. Did not feel as “cohesive” as the auto M240 that I tested last month. Did not feel crazy fast, compared to g series m3/m4 or even the m240i with the auto. Reaffirmed my decision to go with auto on this particular car.

Engine - it sounds so much better than last gen M2C/3/4. No longer “farty” sounding, with much more sonic reward for revving it out. Love the torque curve.

Interior: Miles beyond last m2, definitely now comparable to Porsche interior quality. M color highlight seats looked great, but think they will clash with some exterior colors. Same thing everyone else has said, nothing new to add.

Handling/ride: no comment on handling, couldnt explore it meaningfully on a simple test drive.. but can confirm it’s way less crashy over bumps than last gen m cars which my wife found almost unbearable. Turn in was nice as all the reviews state. Steering felt better than last gen but still less feel than other performance cars in the price point.

Overall: Very happy with the car at it’s price point - can’t wait for delivery in June.

Maybe blasphemy but.. I also walked away thinking: “man, the m240i really is a steal” because the performance and feel was so so close on the street. I’m doing the m2 because I intend to do a track day here or there, and I hate to admit it, but I care a lot about the “specialness” factor that comes from the more aggressive sound and the flared body work etc. If you aren’t prioritizing these 2-3 things, and you’re getting the auto, the 240 is a great great car and should definitely be considered.

[JustinHEMI]

Thank you for the write up!

[Humdizzle]

not blasphemy at all. there is another thread saying the m240 is just as good on the street if not better. awd, more low end, same weight

[///MFrankie]

Nice write up.

That's two guys who have said it is so close to an M240i, there isn't much difference between them. Interesting... Maybe the 240i is too good this time?

When you say it doesn't feel crazy fast, is that because it lacks low down torque you think? Is it very linear in its delivery?

[Kroghj1]

Yes, it felt like the torque was a little light on the bottom of the rev range. Not a horrible thing as it really invites you to wring it out.

But this, combined with the time it takes to actually lift and shift in the manual, left me feeling like the auto is a better fit for the car and it’s intended purpose (speed).

Im certain that with the auto the m2 will be enough of a step above the 240 to make it worth it. So hopefully my commentary on the 240 didn’t undersell how great the m2 sounded, looks, felt etc.

I’d peg all of the things that I didn’t love about the g87 on the manual transmission, unfortunate to say as a save the manuals enthusiast.

[FryCookOnVenus]

Nice writeup! Thanks.

I just got back from the local dealership where they have a ZB M2 and a TR X3 MComp. I don't want to start my own thread and hope this isn't considered "threadjacking" but thought I'd build on Krogh1's thoughts on the color/appearance . . .

Back in October, I was leaning towards ZB but as pictures became available and the blue appeared washed out in bright light, I began to pivot towards TR which was growing on me. However, seeing both cars in person today brought me back around to ZB. Firmly so.

Today was as an extremely bright day and the M2 was sitting outside, directly under the sun. Despite the conditions, the ZB looked as deep and rich as the more flattering photos I'd seen, and no matter what angle I viewed it from, it never looked washed out. Certainly, baby blue is not for everyone, but if it's a shade that interests you, the ZB is a very good example of it and I thought it looked amazing.

Conversely, I found the TR less appealing in the flesh. It was inside on the showroom floor and it was decidedly orange/rust. What was most interesting was that when I'd take a photo, it looked quite red. But, when I lowered the phone, looking from the identical vantage point, the orange/rust came through. It's not an inherently bad color, but it was not for me.

In a nutshell: ZB was far more blue than pictures led me to expect and TR was more orange than pictures led me to expect.

The M2's design looked gorgeous in person. It was bigger than I expected, but it looked low and wide and purposeful and even the chunky butt made more sense in the flesh. And, as Krogh1 said, the interior looked pretty upscale.

Whatever color suits each of us best, we're all getting a very, very nice car.

[Rx-7ames]

Originally Posted by ///MFrankie

Nice write up.

That's two guys who have said it is so close to an M240i, there isn't much difference between them. Interesting... Maybe the 240i is too good this time?

When you say it doesn't feel crazy fast, is that because it lacks low down torque you think? Is it very linear in its delivery?

It also hasn't had it's break in service yet.

[m2ss]

The side profile is the best angle by far, actually looks pretty good...

[sl0m0]

Originally Posted by FryCookOnVenus

Nice writeup! Thanks.

I just got back from the local dealership where they have a ZB M2 and a TR X3 MComp. I don't want to start my own thread and hope this isn't considered "threadjacking" but thought I'd build on Krogh1's thoughts on the color/appearance . . .

Back in October, I was leaning towards ZB but as pictures became available and the blue appeared washed out in bright light, I began to pivot towards TR which was growing on me. However, seeing both cars in person today brought me back around to ZB. Firmly so.

Today was as an extremely bright day and the M2 was sitting outside, directly under the sun. Despite the conditions, the ZB looked as deep and rich as the more flattering photos I'd seen, and no matter what angle I viewed it from, it never looked washed out. Certainly, baby blue is not for everyone, but if it's a shade that interests you, the ZB is a very good example of it and I thought it looked amazing.

Conversely, I found the TR less appealing in the flesh. It was inside on the showroom floor and it was decidedly orange/rust. What was most interesting was that when I'd take a photo, it looked quite red. But, when I lowered the phone, looking from the identical vantage point, the orange/rust came through. It's not an inherently bad color, but it was not for me.

In a nutshell: ZB was far more blue than pictures led me to expect and TR was more orange than pictures led me to expect.

The M2's design looked gorgeous in person. It was bigger than I expected, but it looked low and wide and purposeful and even the chunky butt made more [...]

I don't think it's thread jacking, definitely within the topic of the title. I've been trying to say similar stuff about the lines/shape and ZB. It's all stuff that makes WWAAYY more sense in person. ZB doesn't have the most depth, but a lot more than most photos, a lot more full, still "baby blue" though. The shape too, in person it has a presence, and slightly more flow from one feature to the next compared to photos.

[M_Power Rob]

Originally Posted by Rx-7ames

It also hasn't had it's breaking service yet.

Yeah, I wonder if people are taking this into consideration.

[zero21]

Originally Posted by M_Power Rob

Yeah, I wonder if people are taking this into consideration.

Evidently not - where all the horsepower lives can't even be accessed yet and everyone is dumping on performance.

[dominoM]

Originally Posted by FryCookOnVenus

Nice writeup! Thanks.

I just got back from the local dealership where they have a ZB M2 and a TR X3 MComp. I don't want to start my own thread and hope this isn't considered "threadjacking" but thought I'd build on Krogh1's thoughts on the color/appearance . . .

Back in October, I was leaning towards ZB but as pictures became available and the blue appeared washed out in bright light, I began to pivot towards TR which was growing on me. However, seeing both cars in person today brought me back around to ZB. Firmly so.

Today was as an extremely bright day and the M2 was sitting outside, directly under the sun. Despite the conditions, the ZB looked as deep and rich as the more flattering photos I'd seen, and no matter what angle I viewed it from, it never looked washed out. Certainly, baby blue is not for everyone, but if it's a shade that interests you, the ZB is a very good example of it and I thought it looked amazing.

Conversely, I found the TR less appealing in the flesh. It was inside on the showroom floor and it was decidedly orange/rust. What was most interesting was that when I'd take a photo, it looked quite red. But, when I lowered the phone, looking from the identical vantage point, the orange/rust came through. It's not an inherently bad color, but it was not for me.

In a nutshell: ZB was far more blue than pictures led me to expect and TR was more orange than pictures led me to expect.

The M2's design looked gorgeous in person. It was bigger than I expected, but it looked low and wide and purposeful and even the chunky butt made more sense in the flesh. And, as Krogh1 said, the interior looked pretty upscale.

Whatever color suits each of us best, we're all getting a very, very nice car.

Nice! I was there on Friday and spent quite a bit of time walking around the TR X3. But the M2 hadn't come in yet so I missed it.

But I'm still all in on TR. Yep it's orange-ish and I really liked it (think I'm compensating for not getting the orange 1M back in the day, went with white instead). Like ZB, TR is not for everyone, but they fit the "small" coupe well.

[aerobod]

Originally Posted by dominoM

Nice! I was there on Friday and spent quite a bit of time walking around the TR X3. But the M2 hadn't come in yet so I missed it.

But I'm still all in on TR. Yep it's orange-ish and I really liked it (think I'm compensating for not getting the orange 1M back in the day, went with white instead). Like ZB, TR is not for everyone, but they fit the "small" coupe well. in I have come to like the orange-e-ness of it. It's not for everyone, like ZB. I think both are best suited to smaller coupes.

I have looked at M2 HEA cars in ZB, TR and BG now and also a few other vehicles in TR and BG in different lights. Finally took the dealer paint samples out today and looked at them in bright sunlight at different angles, in the shade and under artificial light.

Finally decided to stay with my initial choice of TR.