[ZPD]

Originally Posted by baron95

The electronics are a pain to set up for track on the G87 - that’s my only criticism. That M2 button should be configurable to put the car in track mode. It’s brain dead to have to go through 2 menus and 2 confirmation presses to be setup for track. Then you have to reactivate the display where I keep my track res temp/pressures and mode displays.

Totally agree with this one. There's a whole unnecessary sequence to go through each time. Once I was in the staging area and the track was red flagged so I shut my engine off and then after a few minutes the grid worker cleared everyone without a one minute warning type of thing so I got to be that guy holding everyone up as I started my car, waited for the screens to start up and then go through all the rigmarole.

[apez]

Originally Posted by ZPD

Totally agree with this one. There's a whole unnecessary sequence to go through each time. Once I was in the staging area and the track was red flagged so I shut my engine off and then after a few minutes the grid worker cleared everyone without a one minute warning type of thing so I got to be that guy holding everyone up as I started my car, waited for the screens to start up and then go through all the rigmarole.

You were just building a gap.

[ZPD]

Originally Posted by apez

You were just building a gap.

closed it!

[CJ]

The modern BMW is a great daily, love my g87 but when pushed - you really get it and you’re not going to drive a showroom new car like that. You wouldn’t have gotten the full flavor without driving it a bit angry - than it’s extraordinary.

[baron95]

Originally Posted by ZPD

Totally agree with this one. There's a whole unnecessary sequence to go through each time. Once I was in the staging area and the track was red flagged so I shut my engine off and then after a few minutes the grid worker cleared everyone without a one minute warning type of thing so I got to be that guy holding everyone up as I started my car, waited for the screens to start up and then go through all the rigmarole.

In my case, I rushed it once taking a student for a ride on Sunday - was focused on making sure he was properly strapped. When in midway through the session, about to make a late pass in a corner with another car in front, my M2 went crazy! Rolled up the windows, tugged the belt, lit up red….. My student was like…. “Did you hit him?”

I almost lost my s#%*.

I figured I put it in Sport instead of Track. I normally reenable the center display anyway in Track, so both look identical, until you get to that first pass under heavy braking. Then it’s a freak show.

[GregW / Oregon]

I haven't had a Detroit car in 50 years, so my view is different than yours. Motor Trend just judged the M2 a better driver's car than the 2023 Porsche 718 Cayman GTS 4.0 https://www.motortrend.com/reviews/2...n-test-review/ but they were comparing auto-auto, so maybe a large part of your beef is with the tranny. For a BMW I don't find it bad, but there are better ones out there. Good for you for knowing what you want.

[SlezbuckG87]

Originally Posted by robopp

Cough…911…cough

Haha, yes 911's for sure.

[nickyjimz]

Well coming back to this about a month later, I appreciate everyone's thoughts and I'd figure I'd fess up to what I bought instead so you guys know where I'm coming from: a 2011 Corvette Z06.

There are about 110 reasons why the m2 is a better car, but the Z06 is such a brutally visceral car that gives me what I was missing in the M2. The M2 is much nicer, higher quality - the 'Vette creaks and rattles around a parking garage like something from the 90s - but goddamn does it make all the evil race-car noises when you give it to her, and the lightweight chassis is just wonderful. THe m2 is better, but I wanted more of an experience. I'm sure a few mods would wake the M2 up, but the car was already at the top of my budget so I didn't have too much room to play and it just felt wrong to buy a car I didn't love and then hope I can modify it to get it where I wanted it.

As a daily driver the M2 is so much better in every way (except fuel economy oddly) but the Corvette just feels like a rabid, analog machine that rages along in a way I find satisfying. I've seen a few M2's on the road, and I still get a little tinge of regret everytime I see one, but I don't regret my decision to let the one I ordered go. Maybe the auto is a lot better, and maybe a few mods would make the difference, but for me I wanted more "racecar" that I could daily. The M2 was more "nice car" that was also fast but the speed lacked excitement.

Hope you're all enjoying your cars, I still think the g87 is the most beautiful car I didn't buy. I'm 35 but just love analog, scary, nasty, mean speed. The M2 is too nice for a Neanderthal like me.

See ya'll out there on the road if any of yous are in Virginia.
-Nick

[JCoR]

Originally Posted by nickyjimz

Well coming back to this about a month later, I appreciate everyone's thoughts and I'd figure I'd fess up to what I bought instead so you guys know where I'm coming from: a 2011 Corvette Z06.

There are about 110 reasons why the m2 is a better car, but the Z06 is such a brutally visceral car that gives me what I was missing in the M2. The M2 is much nicer, higher quality - the 'Vette creaks and rattles around a parking garage like something from the 90s - but goddamn does it make all the evil race-car noises when you give it to her, and the lightweight chassis is just wonderful. THe m2 is better, but I wanted more of an experience. I'm sure a few mods would wake the M2 up, but the car was already at the top of my budget so I didn't have too much room to play and it just felt wrong to buy a car I didn't love and then hope I can modify it to get it where I wanted it.

As a daily driver the M2 is so much better in every way (except fuel economy oddly) but the Corvette just feels like a rabid, analog machine that rages along in a way I find satisfying. I've seen a few M2's on the road, and I still get a little tinge of regret everytime I see one, but I don't regret my decision to let the one I ordered go. Maybe the auto is a lot better, and maybe a few mods would make the difference, but for me I wanted more "racecar" that I could daily. The M2 was more "nice car" that was also fast but the speed lacked excitement.

Hope you're all enjoying your cars, I still think the g87 is the most beautiful car I didn't buy. I'm 35 but just love analog, scary, nasty, mean speed. The M2 is too nice for a Neanderthal like me.

See ya'll out there on the road if any of yous are in Virginia.
-Nick

Sounds like you got the car that wanted, at the end of the day that's all that matters. Enjoy the Z06

[koopa]

Those two cars couldn't be more different. I don't think you're going to find a lot of modern cars that will give you the kind of experience a C6 Z06 will.

[10"]

Originally Posted by robopp

Cough…911…cough

Nah—911s have weird electronic steering too. I remember getting out of a 911 GTS and into my 1M and the 1M felt like a vintage sports car you could feel everything in after! Even Porsche can’t escape numb steering—-all electric steering is like that.

It’s not the fault of the M2 it’s like that—almost ALL current cars have electric steering it’s simply a fact of current times!

OP it sounds like you should stick to older cars…

[robopp]

Originally Posted by 10"

Nah—911s have weird electronic steering too. I remember getting out of a 911 GTS and into my 1M and the 1M felt like a vintage sports car you could feel everything in after! Even Porsche can’t escape numb steering—-all electric steering is like that.

It’s not the fault of the M2 it’s like that—almost ALL current cars have electric steering it’s simply a fact of current times!

OP it sounds like you should stick to older cars…

Oh 100%, but Porsche steering is night and day better than BMW M.

[JABCAT]

Originally Posted by nickyjimz

Well coming back to this about a month later, I appreciate everyone's thoughts and I'd figure I'd fess up to what I bought instead so you guys know where I'm coming from: a 2011 Corvette Z06.

There are about 110 reasons why the m2 is a better car, but the Z06 is such a brutally visceral car that gives me what I was missing in the M2. The M2 is much nicer, higher quality - the 'Vette creaks and rattles around a parking garage like something from the 90s - but goddamn does it make all the evil race-car noises when you give it to her, and the lightweight chassis is just wonderful. THe m2 is better, but I wanted more of an experience. I'm sure a few mods would wake the M2 up, but the car was already at the top of my budget so I didn't have too much room to play and it just felt wrong to buy a car I didn't love and then hope I can modify it to get it where I wanted it.

As a daily driver the M2 is so much better in every way (except fuel economy oddly) but the Corvette just feels like a rabid, analog machine that rages along in a way I find satisfying. I've seen a few M2's on the road, and I still get a little tinge of regret everytime I see one, but I don't regret my decision to let the one I ordered go. Maybe the auto is a lot better, and maybe a few mods would make the difference, but for me I wanted more "racecar" that I could daily. The M2 was more "nice car" that was also fast but the speed lacked excitement.

Hope you're all enjoying your cars, I still think the g87 is the most beautiful car I didn't buy. I'm 35 but just love analog, scary, nasty, mean speed. The M2 is too nice for a Neanderthal like me.

See ya'll out there on the road if any of yous are in Virginia.
-Nick

As an owner of both, there is no way I would daily my Z06. As you stated the M2 is superior in every way for that purpose. If your Z06 hasn't had the heads fixed by a reputable shop, that should be the very first thing you do so the Z doesn't end up a paperweight. American Heritage Performance is who'd I'd recommend.

[fcman]

I don’t understand why anyone would buy a BMW if you don’t need back seats and some daily-drivability. A proper sports car is going to be a much better driving experience. Also bmw manuals are trash, the feel is so bad that I find BMW manuals to be LESS engaging than the auto counterparts (especially the old DCT). I’ve only owned 2 auto cars and I’ve only owned 2 BMWs, you can guess the correlation there.

[MineralGreyMetallic]

Originally Posted by fcman

I don’t understand why anyone would buy a BMW if you don’t need back seats and some daily-drivability. A proper sports car is going to be a much better driving experience. Also bmw manuals are trash, the feel is so bad that I find BMW manuals to be LESS engaging than the auto counterparts (especially the old DCT). I’ve only owned 2 auto cars and I’ve only owned 2 BMWs, you can guess the correlation there.

You're kind of answering your own question in your post.

What alternatives do you suggest?

[fcman]

Originally Posted by MineralGreyMetallic

You're kind of answering your own question in your post.

What alternatives do you suggest?

How am I answering my own question? The guy ordered an M2 and then ended up in a corvette. Seems like he didn’t know what he wanted or he didn’t understand the M2 use case.

[Montaver]

Originally Posted by fcman

I don’t understand why anyone would buy a BMW if you don’t need back seats and some daily-drivability. A proper sports car is going to be a much better driving experience. Also bmw manuals are trash, the feel is so bad that I find BMW manuals to be LESS engaging than the auto counterparts (especially the old DCT). I’ve only owned 2 auto cars and I’ve only owned 2 BMWs, you can guess the correlation there.

Define better? What do you consider a ‘proper sports car’? $65k barely gets you a 4 cylinder Cayman. A Supra? (Which is a BMW)? Price to performance the M2 is unbeatable. Not saying it’s a perfect car, but there are lots of reasons other than needing back seats as to why the M2 is a good choice.

[fcman]

Originally Posted by Montaver

Define better? What do you consider a ‘proper sports car’? $65k barely gets you a 4 cylinder Cayman. A Supra? (Which is a BMW)? Price to performance the M2 is unbeatable. Not saying it’s a perfect car, but there are lots of reasons other than needing back seats as to why the M2 is a good choice.

Exactly as he decided, a corvette. $65k gets you a corvette that will wipe the floor with the M2 in just about any sporty driving experience.

[JABCAT]

Originally Posted by fcman

Exactly as he decided, a corvette. $65k gets you a corvette that will wipe the floor with the M2 in just about any sporty driving experience.

I'd say a much older Corvette if you want that raw driving experience. The C8 is just as electronically controlled and lack of soul people claim about the M2 (I disagree about the M2). I drove both my M2 and my Callaway supercharged C6 Z06/Z07 this weekend. Both are equally great to drive. I will say getting into the Z06 after being in the M2 reminds me how bad the seats suck in the Z06!

[KC87ZB]

Originally Posted by JABCAT

I'd say a much older Corvette if you want that raw driving experience.

This exactly

In regards to the OP skipping on the M2 to buy an older vette. Good for him, he is getting what he wants, not what we want. I also looked at C7's before I bought the M2, but I like the daily experience of the M2 better based on how I drive 95% of the time. He maybe chose differently.

[murderspice]

Originally Posted by Montaver

Define better? What do you consider a ‘proper sports car’? $65k barely gets you a 4 cylinder Cayman. A Supra? (Which is a BMW)? Price to performance the M2 is unbeatable. Not saying it’s a perfect car, but there are lots of reasons other than needing back seats as to why the M2 is a good choice.

I plan on getting an e92.

[Montaver]

Originally Posted by murderspice

I plan on getting an e92.

I owned an E90 M3 - best M3 ever made in my opinion. I’ll own another one at some point. For a weekend car it has a real special factor to it that was somewhat lost when M division went turbo. The G87 is a very impressive machine though and in a lot of ways is a significant step forward, especially in terms of performance. I pick mine up on Friday.