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Original article here: http://autoweek.com/article/drive-re...ew-dinan-s2-m2


Dinan S2 BMW M2 first drive: A favorite gets faster, but at what cost?

WE TAKE A SHORT, THRILLING DRIVE IN THE LATEST DINAN BMW CREATION
APRIL 14, 2017


When last we checked in at Dinan in 2015, founder and owner-operator for 36 years Steve Dinan had sold the company and left for Ganassi. He stayed on as a consultant to the entity that bore his name, and much of the staff remained in place to do the testing, tuning and development work, but still, things could've been a little different. Then last year, one year after Steve Dinan’s departure, Autoweek tested a Dinan S3 M235i and found things mostly to our liking, so maybe all is well.

Then a week ago, a friend at Dinan called and asked if I’d like to drive a Dinan S2 M2. With your best interests in mind, dear reader, I said yes.

The S2 M2 (or M2 S2, depending on which sheet of Dinan material you’re reading) starts with the same engine in the Dinan S3 M235i, called the N55 internally at BMW. Dinan then adds its “Big Turbo Kit,” carbon-fiber cold-air intake, Dinantronics Stage 4 tuning unit, dual-core intercooler and free-flow stainless-steel full exhaust with resonator delete, “so you get that nice burble when you get downshifts and stuff like that,” the rep says. In stock form, the BMW M2 makes 365 hp at 6,500 rpm and 343 lb-ft of torque from 1,400 to 5,560 rpm (369 lb-ft in overboost mode). With the above Dinan equipment installed, the 3.0-liter straight six peaks at 446 hp and 455 lb-ft (no corresponding engine speeds were listed with the Dinan numbers). So it’s 81 hp and 112 lb-ft stronger with Dinan.

Keeping all that power on the ground is a Dinan adjustable coilover suspension system with monoball bushings, lightweight adjustable sway bars, rear suspension link kit, adjustable camber plates and tension strut ball-joint kit.

“The rear toe links (are particularly beneficial),” claims the Dinan guy. “Because they’re pretty tail-happy from the factory, it’s just a little loose in the back, so those toe links actually stiffen up the rear end quite a bit and make it so that thing’s not dancin’ around quite as much. Not as prone to oversteer.”

And those springs?

“One big thing they do for this car is they use linear springs instead of progressive like they are from the factory, so it actually makes it ride a little softer -- so the car seems to kind of squat a little more and doesn’t get quite as stiff as it goes down. It’s the same spring rate all the way through.”

The test car also had upgraded Brembo GT brakes measuring 380-by-34 millimeters front and 380-by-28 millimeters rear, inside Forgeline Forged Satin Gunmetal GA1R wheels wrapped in Pirelli PZero Corsas 265/30ZR19 front 285/30ZR19 rear.

“They’re like 60 treadwear, nice and sticky.”

There are also some cosmetics: BMW M Performance carbon-fiber rear spoiler, mirror caps and black kidney grille, as well as Dinan floor mats and pedal-pad set.

“Other than that, it's really straightforward.”


The Execution

Due to scheduling constraints -- caused by an appointment with a much more boring car -- I had only about an hour or so to actually drive the S2 M2. Luckily, there's a road near where I picked it up that was just right for it, but to get to that road meant driving it like a normal car at normal g loads. It was there in that civilized environment that two things became clear: 1) the Dinan free-flow stainless-steel exhaust with black tips is way too loud for everyday driving, and 2) the imperfections of normal street driving are beyond what most folks would tolerate in a car used for everyday commuting. Freeing up an exhaust might give you five or 10 more horsepower, but is it worth the loud frapping brabble that resulted here? Maybe if you are younger than me (just about everyone), but it was louder than I’d like it to be. You can order your Dinan any way you want it, so do without the exhaust.

And the suspension? The coilovers, sway bars and camber plates are all adjustable. So if you’re driving back and forth to work all week, you can set it up one way, make it more compliant as they say, then, when you get to the track, slam that sucker down.

I got to the equivalent of a track soon enough: a short, sweet mountain pass that consists of 25 beautiful curves, two of them 180-degree hairpins like they used to have at Long Beach and Detroit when those street courses hosted F1. After timing the entry to maximize breaks in the traffic flow, I had at it.

Here, the car was perfect. Perfectly perfect. Hammer on the gas, ease onto the brakes, ease the wheel around, feel the meaty 60-rated rubber bite and push and pull the car around, then gently press the throttle back down. Repeat. 25 times over, 25 back. Who needs a one-week loan? Well, OK, I would have liked a one-week loan, but only if it was on this little section of road. I wouldn’t have wanted to drive it all the way home and then all the way back, at least not with this exact setup.


The Verdict

The M2 might be the best car BMW makes. It's the closest to the original E30 M3 everyone recalls so fondly from way back in the ‘80s, except that the M2 has modern comforts like airbags, crumple zones and satellite radio. In fact, the M2 might be the most fun you can have in a modern car, even when you consider bang for the buck. What would compete with it for fun-to-drivedness? The Audi RS3, Subaru WRX STI and maybe the Subaru BRZ/Toyota 86? Or the Mustang, Camaro, Corvette … OK, there are a few things out there at just above or significantly below the M2’s starting price of $53,495 that are also great fun to drive. But would I recommend spending the $28,358 to get all this Dinan stuff on a BMW M2?

That's a more complicated question. Do without the cosmetic items and maybe even the wheels and tires, which would drop the price by eight grand. Dinan is proud that their tuning and suspension setups are warrantied and available through BMW dealers, so you’re getting that, plus the almost 40 years of experience that went into it. Steve Dinan himself is supposed to be still “consulting” for the company that bears his name, but he's no longer with Ganassi and now spends a lot of his time at SD AutoTech in Mountain View and San Jose, California, installing Dinan kits on BMWs, among other things. Dinan the company, meanwhile, has expanded to include kits for Mercedes, Audi and even VW, and it now sells parts online and through distributors instead of solely through dealers.

None of which answers the question, “Should you do this to your already fantastic car?” The answer: Well, sure you should, do it!

BMW M2 MSRP: $51,700 BASE
MPG: 18 / 26 CITY / HWY

Mark Vaughn
MARK VAUGHN - West Coast Editor Mark Vaughn covers all car things west of the Mississippi from his Autoweek lair high above the LA metropolis.


ON SALE: Now
BASE PRICE: $53,495 (stock BMW M2)
AS TESTED PRICE: $82,358
DRIVETRAIN: 3.0-liter straight six, 7-speed dual clutch transmission, rwd
OUTPUT: 446 hp, 455 lb-ft
OPTIONS: Engine $6978, Suspension $4642, Wheels/Tires/Brakes $16,738, Trim items
PROS: Much better track and canyon-carving performance
CONS: Big bucks, harsh ride unless you're willing to change settings