[belacyrf]

Hello.. question for those who might have experience. My wife really wants an M2. We just test drove both the M2 and the M4 back-to-back yesterday. The difference in the suspension stiffness was extensive. The M4 was far more compliant (and it wasn't even close) than the M2.
The roads weren't the best, and part of it was even on a highway, but sitting in the back seat, in "Road" mode (not sure how those were mapped) on the M2 was super bumpy. (We won't even talk about "sport mode" which made it feel like my fillings would pop loose) I mean similar to one of my former cars built for track use.

Unfortunately the dealership is about an hour and a half away or I'd go take a look myself, but can someone tell me if my experience is "about right" ?

Or is it possible that maybe someone mapped a more aggressive damper setting to the "road" driving setting? (is that even possible?)

I was just surprised how compliant the M4 was and how painful the M2 was. Any help is appreciated.

[gnx]

If the cars were both stock, no chance of aftermarket suspension mapping.

Shipping blocks perhaps? BMW have let us know though that the g87 uses firmer g81 (touring) damping than the g80/82.

[belacyrf]

Originally Posted by gnx

If the cars were both stock, no chance of aftermarket suspension mapping.

Shipping blocks perhaps? BMW have let us know though that the g87 uses firmer g81 (touring) damping than the g80/82.

Thanks I appreciate it.. yes this was absolutely in the damping. It wasn't springs.

I saw somewhere that the G82 / G87 suspension components are interchangeable. Any chance the G82 shocks would work on the g87?

[jefe2000]

Just a note that you’ve posted a question about the G87 M2 (which doesn’t get a whole lotta love in this subgroup) in the F87 M2 subforum.

You might also consider posting over in the G87 subforum:
https://g87.bimmerpost.com/forums/

[belacyrf]

Ahh thanks.. didn't know about that.. I appreciate it+

[belacyrf]

Hello.. question for those who might have experience. My wife really wants an M2. We just test drove both the M2 and the M4 back-to-back yesterday. The difference in the suspension stiffness was extensive. The M4 was far more compliant (and it wasn't even close) than the M2.
The roads weren't the best, and part of it was even on a highway, but sitting in the back seat, in "Road" mode (not sure how those were mapped) on the M2 was super bumpy. (We won't even talk about "sport mode" which made it feel like my fillings would pop loose) I mean similar to one of my former cars built for track use.

Unfortunately the dealership is about an hour and a half away or I'd go take a look myself, but can someone tell me if my experience is "about right" ?

Or is it possible that maybe someone mapped a more aggressive damper setting to the "road" driving setting? (is that even possible?)

I was just surprised by how compliant the M4 was and how painful the M2 was. Any help is appreciated.

... I accidentally also posted this in the F87 forum and heard that it was confirmed the the G87 has stiffer shocks than the G82, which would explain the difference.

If that is indeed the case, does anyone know if the G82 damper/spring combos are bolt-in compatible with the G87?

Thanks

[techwhiz1]

I'm don't think they are different.

I think someone mapped them differently. I'm assuming these were used cars you were comparing? If so then all bets are off.

[Carefree]

Buy both of them.

Glad to help.

[belacyrf]

Originally Posted by M2siast

You had the suspension in “comfort” mode, not road as that is not a setting. Just to nit pick!

I don’t believe any of us has ever confirmed the shocks are different. There are discussions about the springs being different, because of the purpose of the car and the difference in wheelbase.

A lot of of what you may have perceived has to do with the fact the M4 has longer wheelbase, and it’ll be more compliant/jolt less because of it.

Now, thinking about my nit pick, what setting did you have on both cars? I assumed you meant comfort, but since you used the wrong terminology, could it be that you didn’t know which suspension setting you had on? If that’s the case, couldn’t it be that you had the M2 in Sport or Sport+ and the M4 in Comfort?

I agree with those that don’t feel a huge difference, so I’m betting they were in different modes.

And I just realized I didn’t answer your question: yes they can be replaced interchangeably. As a matter of fact BMW sells the HAS kit with the same part number for both cars, which has people debating how come since the stock springs seem to be different.
The question you want to ask yourself is if that would make sense since they should be very very similar. I’d got back to test drive them again making sure they were indeed on the same settings. It’s easy to get confused with those if you haven’t been around the car for long.

Thank you, this was very helpful.
And the reason I say we were in "Road" was because the sales rep was changing the drive sittings.. and the screen options were "Road, Sport, and Track".

Sport mode was insanely harsh. I think the fact that they party numbers are the same suggests they are valves the same, so that was probably bag info.

Thanks, I think we're moving forward with the M2, and then will go with custom valved coilovers if needed.


Appreciate the help

[belacyrf]

Originally Posted by techwhiz1

I'm don't think they are different.

I think someone mapped them differently. I'm assuming these were used cars you were comparing? If so then all bets are off.

M2 was new. , and M4 had 2k miles, both 2024s

[micah_675]

You saw the rep switch through the display settings. Road, sport, and track affect the layout of the primary screen.

When you set it to track mode it also turns off the curved infotainment panel while disabling all driver aids.

[belacyrf]

That's awesome info.. thanks again

[Tag]

Originally Posted by belacyrf

Hello.. question for those who might have experience. My wife really wants an M2. We just test drove both the M2 and the M4 back-to-back yesterday. The difference in the suspension stiffness was extensive. The M4 was far more compliant (and it wasn't even close) than the M2.
The roads weren't the best, and part of it was even on a highway, but sitting in the back seat, in "Road" mode (not sure how those were mapped) on the M2 was super bumpy. (We won't even talk about "sport mode" which made it feel like my fillings would pop loose) I mean similar to one of my former cars built for track use.

Unfortunately the dealership is about an hour and a half away or I'd go take a look myself, but can someone tell me if my experience is "about right" ?

Or is it possible that maybe someone mapped a more aggressive damper setting to the "road" driving setting? (is that even possible?)

I was just surprised by how compliant the M4 was and how painful the M2 was. Any help is appreciated.

... I accidentally also posted this in the F87 forum and heard that it was confirmed the the G87 has stiffer shocks than the G82, which would explain the difference.

If that is indeed the case, does anyone know if the G82 damper/spring combos are bolt-in compatible with the G87?

Thanks

The M2 has stiffer springs in front while having softer springs in the rear compared to the G80/2. You can find articles of M engineers talking about tuning it that way to make it more 'playful' than the M3/4. What you mention however seems like something was really off. Recommend you go for another test drive and check the cold tire pressure on the M2. Dealerships are notorious for having improper tire pressure on cars, either too low or too high.

[DutchBoysRacing]

I haven't driven the G80/82 so I cannot speak from experience but I personally find the M2 a bit on the rougher side even with comfort mode on the streets of Los Angeles, but totally fine on a decently paved freeway. I did daily drive my track E92 M3 with full spl arms, solid bushings, coil overs and bucket seats....so I might not be the correct person to speak on this :/

Tires and pressures can play a huge role in comfort as well. As Tag said above I bet their pressures were cranked up to like 38 around which would make a lot more of a "bouncy" ride quality.

[Mani59]

I have moved this to the G87 forum for you.

[baj_baj]

Originally Posted by belacyrf

Hello.. question for those who might have experience. My wife really wants an M2. We just test drove both the M2 and the M4 back-to-back yesterday. The difference in the suspension stiffness was extensive. The M4 was far more compliant (and it wasn't even close) than the M2.
The roads weren't the best, and part of it was even on a highway, but sitting in the back seat, in "Road" mode (not sure how those were mapped) on the M2 was super bumpy. (We won't even talk about "sport mode" which made it feel like my fillings would pop loose) I mean similar to one of my former cars built for track use.

Unfortunately the dealership is about an hour and a half away or I'd go take a look myself, but can someone tell me if my experience is "about right" ?

Or is it possible that maybe someone mapped a more aggressive damper setting to the "road" driving setting? (is that even possible?)

I was just surprised how compliant the M4 was and how painful the M2 was. Any help is appreciated.

"Road" and "Sport" mode do nothing for how the car drives, it just changes the gauges and assists. You need to go into the setup menu to adjust everything.
It probably wouldn't change anything anyway, because the car always defaults to comfort mode on start-up.

I never really noticed much of a difference between the 2 cars, the M2 is a bit more bumpy and nervous, but that's probably coming from the shorter wheelbase. It's not that big of a difference, both are quite stiff but compliant. It could be that the car was still on the shipping blocks...

[Lost23]

Originally Posted by belacyrf

Hello.. question for those who might have experience. My wife really wants an M2. We just test drove both the M2 and the M4 back-to-back yesterday. The difference in the suspension stiffness was extensive. The M4 was far more compliant (and it wasn't even close) than the M2.
The roads weren't the best, and part of it was even on a highway, but sitting in the back seat, in "Road" mode (not sure how those were mapped) on the M2 was super bumpy. (We won't even talk about "sport mode" which made it feel like my fillings would pop loose) I mean similar to one of my former cars built for track use.

Unfortunately the dealership is about an hour and a half away or I'd go take a look myself, but can someone tell me if my experience is "about right" ?

Or is it possible that maybe someone mapped a more aggressive damper setting to the "road" driving setting? (is that even possible?)

I was just surprised how compliant the M4 was and how painful the M2 was. Any help is appreciated.

Hello,

We own both the M4 Comp X drive(G82) and the M2 (G87). In my opinion the M4 is a more refined beast. It has way more tech, it drives smoother, It makes less noise in sport + and it can go around turns with less driver effort. The M2 is louder, lower and you have to pay way more attention around turns. To me the M2 is more fun to drive. Both cars have stock suspension and no engine mods. You also have to keep in mind the price difference. For us the M4 was 30k more. You should expect them to be different because of the pricing.

[fanofbmwe46]

I ordered a 2025 M2 and have not driven one yet, only the 2023 G80 M3 that I own. I opted MPHAS for the M2. I want a more sporty ride. The G80 seems too refined for a dedicated weekend fun car for me. I hope the suspension is stiffer but still livable for 1-2hr cruises on the weekend.

[techwhiz1]

Originally Posted by fanofbmwe46

I ordered a 2025 M2 and have not driven one yet, only the 2023 G80 M3 that I own. I opted MPHAS for the M2. I want a more sporty ride. The G80 seems too refined for a dedicated weekend fun car for me. I hope the suspension is stiffer but still livable for 1-2hr cruises on the weekend.

I ordered.my car without HAS because I'm not sure I need it and want to drive the car before I spend the money. The techs at my dealership are competent and donamgreat job. The price difference is only a few hundred so I'll wait.

Anyway, I can see how the driving dynamics would be different with the shorter wheelbase of the M2.


Also from the Motor Trend article:
Chassis tuning was carried out through liberal use of off-the-shelf parts. The M2 borrowed the M3 and M4’s variable ratio electric power steering system and a version of their electronically adapting suspension, consisting of slightly firmer front springs and a softer rear suspension tune, thanks to dampers borrowed from the 3 Series Touring station wagon.

[Celestion]

I've driven both back-to-back a few times. The M2 front-end is noticeably stiffer and a tad harsher. The upside is that it feels a bit more responsive and fun in day-to-day driving.

[baron95]

I've driven these cars back to back multiple times, even on the same day.

The only way there would be a substantial difference for stock/new cars would be:
A - one has the M Performance Suspension and the other does not.
B - one has the suspension configured on the screen or via M1/M2 buttons set up to a firmer setting (e.g. sport vs comfort).

All the other possible differences would be very minor (e.g. 4" longer wheelbase, slightly stiffer front springs, potentially lighter wheels/brakes on the M4, potentially different tires MPS4S vs PZERO).

P.S. Road vs Sport vs Track does absolutely nothing to the suspension and ride. It is a ridiculous setting that only affects the display and the driving aids.

I'm venturing that the OP is filling placebo/perception biases. Your wife should buy which ever car she likes best. There is just not enough ride difference between the two.

[JABCAT]

As someone who drives his M2 exclusively in Sport settings (engine, steering, suspension, & braking), and who lives in an area with pretty crappy roads, I've never felt the ride to be harsh or jarring.

As for the comment above that the M2 is loud, the M4 must be EV quiet to consider the M2 loud. The M2 is one of the quietest performance vehicles I've ever owned. Sometimes I forget that I didn't turn it off when I get out because it's so quiet inside.

Re: ground clearance, everything online says the M2 & M4 are the same at 4.8 inches.