BMW M2 / Competition

babyzilla

What do you all think of the M2 or M2 Competition? Does anyone here own one or ever driven one? I would like to hear any and all opinions/facts.

I recently saw a brand new one at the dealership and just started drooling over it - I don't even know why. I've always liked the M2 and the overall concept behind it. The Competition package just makes it even better (or worse depending on who you ask). I've always stayed away from Germans because of cost and reliability, but as I am getting older and starting to make more money, I feel like I'm developing a new outlook on cars.

I know this is a Z forum and there will be bias, but I'm all ears and hoping to gain some useful insight. I have a feeling this will be my next car - it just seems like a professional, adult go-cart haha. I don't have any plans on getting rid of my baby. Just thinking about it.

Thanks!

Cyber370

I’ve been looking at the M2 for the last couple of years. Like you, this car has always peaked my interest. There is just one thing that I can’t get passed. It’s a BMW and there will be reliability issues, short term and long. I am not biased in any way and appreciate what’s gone into this car in both development and performance. But, based on my passed and present experience with BMWs in general, I can’t get passed the BMW phobia I have. I keep checking the classifieds just the same for some reason. Don’t know why.

In the end, I’ll probably stick with my Z. But, yeah the M2 is an extremely interesting beast.

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"That’s when you know you’ve found somebody special. When you can just shut the f*ck up for a minute and comfortably enjoy the silence.”-Mia (Pulp Fiction)

babyzilla

Looks like we're in the same boat! I came across some older posts from MagicBus (I think) who has a M2 and Z and he really loves the M2. I wonder if he still has it. If he does, I'd be curious to know what the reliability has been for him.

Also, my brother once custom ordered a 335i with the M package from Germany about 6-7 years ago. It lasted a week and turned out to be a lemon. There was an issue they couldn't fix where the throttle would just cut off on the highway........
Needless to say, I think I'm scarred from it. Yet, I love the M2 lol

DLSTR

Magic and I have traded messages here. Get the M2 in either form you will be pleased. Reliability? Surf/peruse any message board/Brand or Marque site and it will be full of really unhappy people and about 20% thrilled overall.

Negative news is easy and most often provided. Honda and Toyota build 'lemon' defective vehicles. Nature of mass production with testing balanced vs development cost. They never make a perfection. Even Zonda lol

I have had both an M235i, first year production. Zero issues. Reliability is non issue. Driven firmly and always professionally maintained.

My M2 the same. Edgy and fun. More than enough power to get in trouble lol A fun and capable machine. Exceptional and reliable. I also have a 440i - Xdrive. Soon to be upgraded with factory power pak. Has been as fun and reliable.
Do not be scared to drive what you want in this life. Read less, drive more and enjoy what you drive.

The Competition model I had for a 2 day test from my dealer. Superb but it was a smoother experience than my 17 M2. Smoother in the sense that the exhaust sound was a bit less edgy, still very nice. Power was a smoother application per the M3/M4 given the motor vs the M2 of mine. The power punch comes on with a burst as boost builds in my M2. The Competition is less of a punch as it has a touch less lag. So its about what you want in the driving experience. I daily my M2 and the M235i. Some days one or the other as my wife has her days with them.

If one was to pick either I think the M2C is a smoother less edgy drive for a daily. I like the edgy 17 M2. I can see after the extended test how the M2C would be appealing. The difference in performance is not night and day but its the feel of how the power is applied. What do you like better. Again test both as you do your normal research. I love DCT. It puts the power down. My first not manual sportscar. I love and it has the feel of a manual but is faster.

The maintenance on the M2C is a bit more involved. You will have more spark plug replacements etc. I think for the US its 25k miles then replace. Same engine as the M3/M4 so that is the situation. The maintenance schedule should be evaluated in your normal research. My M235i has been like maintaining a Honda. Simple, easy. By the book nothing at all exotic.

My M2 has the same engine but upgraded. Again nothing exotic about maintenance at all. Change the oil as directed, filters etc. Keep up the alignments as you cannot rotate the wheels. Tires will degrade quickly if not properly aligned. I do 2 a year when the wheels are changed winter to summer on both. Winter time Autobahn driving is nice with fewer people
Love high performance Michelin Winter tires

Magic Bus

Sorry for the delay in responding, haven’t been checking the whole forum lately. To answer your question, over 3 years of ownership of my original M2, not M2C, I have 0 issues. I’m on the M2 forums a lot and it seems like it’s a very reliable car. The CSC or steering lock equivalent issue for the M2 is the charge pipe. Like the CSC or steering lock, it can be fixed for a very reasonable cost and not something you have to worry for at least 3 years. Other then that, most agree it’s very reliable.

I’d like to add, the Z is a very good sports car. It’s not the fastest, best handling or the most refined, but the sum of the whole makes it one of the best bang for the buck sports car out there.

The Z has better steering (hydraulic), shorter clutch travel, better shifter (manual only for me) and seating position is more sports car like and positions you better for the 3 pedals. The M2 seating position feels like you're driving a sedan. However don’t let what I just said fool you. The M2 is a hell of a sports car and I would not trade it back for my 13 sport Z.

Stock vs stock, the M2 is faster in every aspect. While sitting taller, it sways less, has quicker rebound over bumps making it feel more secure at speed and is more balanced weight wise. The Z always felt a little nose heavy to me. While I prefer the Z’s shifter, the synchros, rev match on the M2 is superior and the light clutch is a delight after getting used to to it. It’s not any slower than the stiffer Z clutch. However the clutch pedal travel on the M2 is longer, but can be shortened for $8 with a BMS clutch stop.

Stock exhaust, the M2 wins. However with an aftermarket exhaust, while close, in my opinion the Z wins. I loved the sound of m Z with just an axle back. I’ve put a high flow cat, mid pipe on the M2, as that’s the only slow down point, with 3 the inch stock exhaust pipes. No sense spending another $3k on an exhaust just for a louder sound. The high flow cat adds better sound plus power.

There have been other M2 owners on the forum, who took a test drive of an M2 and weren’t really impressed but they bought it anyway. After awhile, they loved it. It’s a car that needs to be pushed, as the more you push it, the more you truly begin to appreciate it.

I was also fortunate to take advantage of BMW’s European Delivery program and got to drive my M2 in Germany, France and Switzerland for 9 days. If any of you can, take advantage of that program for a 5% discount off of MSRP. But you gotta do it soon as the new M2C’s are gonna be assembled in Mexico. Then I’d be concerned about the M2C’s reliability.

DLSTR

Superb post!!

babyzilla

Man, you are really convincing me lol My wife is telling me to just go get it, yet I'm still hesitant. I may go by the dealer later today and see if they will let me do an extended test drive. I've noticed the regular M2 is harder to find/test drive as they are no longer offered in the US and they are hard to come by on the used market. The M2C is pretty much all I'll be able to get my hands on in the near-term. I'm still trying to decide if I would go used or new.

You mentioned the maintenance is a lot more involved on the M2C. Do you think it's worth it? I heard that there is a separate oil cooler for the motor to keep it cool under pressure. I wonder how many other things will need to be maintained in this little beast.

FL 4Motion

Assuming that your finances aren’t being stretched, which it sounds like they’re not, then I say hell yes get the m2c! What a fantastic car. Iirc, the m2 competition is the only one offered here now, not 100% sure on that, I’m a VAG guy not a bmw dude. .

As far as reliability goes, dlstr, nailed it, the negative voices always outweigh the positive ones when reading just about any car reviews. I’d you only knew about the 370z from reviews, you’d wonder why anyone would by such a shitty car, but we all know how good it is and the flaws are fixable thu the aftermarket.

Speaking of which, my advice, for what it’s worth, would be to go new with an extended warranty so you don’t have to stress about reliability. Don’t tune it, the Germans have gotten REALLY strict on voiding warranty for tuning post diesel gate, at least Audi has and I’m sure bmw as well. Stick to suspension, wheel upgrades etc. it’s a fast car already.

And now I must post the obligatory “if your shopping an m2c, then you should at least giv a look at the Audi TT RS”. If you’re keeping your z, then you’d have awd tubo dsg so it’d be a different sport car experience.

Good luck and pls keep us posted.

babyzilla

Thanks for the response! You touched on some great points. Now for my review. I feel like I'm going to get flamed for this.

On Friday the wifey and I met up at our local BMW dealer after work. She immediately pointed out one of their display cars and said, "ohh I like that. Can we get that instead?" It was a BMW M8 LOL. Anyways, we got into the M2. First thing I noticed is I couldn't really get into a perfect seating position. I wasn't sure if it's because I'm so used to being slung back and sitting low in my Z, but after some adjustments I made it work. The clutch was very soft, a little too soft for my liking. I suppose that's good for DDing especially in traffic. The gearbox was rubbery? Can't really explain it, but it wasn't as direct as I would have liked it. The exterior and interior look great to me, and the car sounds amazing from the outside. However, I barely heard the down shifts when driving which I absolutely love about my Z. I think the most underwhelming thing about the entire driving experience was, to me, it felt like the electronics were doing most of the work. It felt like driving a computer. The steering wheel was so numb. Whereas the Z provides direct feedback and you actually have to drive. Hydraulic > DriveByWire. Don't get me wrong, the M2C is fast af and quick, but my Z just felt more exhilarating.

Before I test drove, I really thought this was my next car. I really wanted to like it. Un/fortunately, I can say I no longer aspire to own a M2C. I'm not sure if it's because I'm so used to my Z and if that feeling has spoiled me, but I just couldn't get the same feeling driving the M2C. I've driven the mustang 5.0, C5/6/7 Z06, and GT4 and those cars all seemed more fun to drive (I've never driven a better can than the GT4. Everything "they" say about the car is true.) I'm obviously in no rush nor do I WANT to go out and buy a new car, but I would like to get an idea as to what my next car will be. I don't really like the idea of garaging a car. Collecting cars would be cool, but we don't have money like that lol. If I'm going to buy a car I want to drive it everyday and have fun. This also means it has to be reasonably priced, so we don't have to worry about what DDing will naturally do to a car. This is another area where the Z shines. I think I'm just looking for a more refined version of the Z. So far, the only other car that appeals to me is the Lotus Evora. They are a bit expensive right now, but I would like to test drive that car as well. I also thought about importing something JDM like a NSX or R-32/33. The theme here is something exclusive that you don't see it often, yet reliable and affordable. Let me know if any of you have suggestions. I think the Evora has my focus right now.

sportsman2003

Words to live by!

"Do not be scared to drive what you want in this life. Read less, drive more and enjoy what you drive."

DLSTR

A short test drive, less than a couple hours is not long enough for your leg memory to forget the other clutch effort at all. I noticed this in some of my tests. Also test the DCT model M2C as well.

After a few hours your leg adapts to the new clutch effort and movement. Also a clutch feels different after a few thousand miles/kilometers. Very sorry the M2 was not to your liking.

The 8AT in the new Supra is the same as my M235i and is to be used in the new M cars. Its so strong and can take alot more torque than you can imagine. Its amazing and was used the M235i racing model. Have fun in your search! Searches are fun!!

DLSTR

You have a supportive woman? Enjoy your life then and test the M2

babyzilla

Happily married...1 year and counting LOL

DLSTR

Ah the fun begins!!

JARblue

For the record, I just purchased a 1998 M3 with 170K miles on it; my buddy put the previous 100K miles on it over 12 years of ownership. Thing runs like a top with basic maintenance and no major mechanical issues over it's lifetime

Most people that have a problem-free experience in their vehicle never bother to post it up online.

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