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      04-17-2016, 11:17 PM   #1
windmagnet
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M2 DCT test drive

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Not enough detailed owner reports coming through so I will throw out my thoughts after 1.5 hours driving a DCT M2. Some of this has already been covered but I though it was worth tossing my $0.02 worth in.

I drove city streets, freeway, narrow twisty roads (rough and smooth) and winding road with long sweeping turns.

In Oz we only have two choices 1.fully loaded (with a handful of options) or 2 base level manual. This M2 was fully loaded with the only option being a sunroof.

The car was brand new off the truck and I was the first to drive it, so no silly stuff was allowed!

Colour

Wow LBB is not for the shrinking violets. Looked at the car in full sunlight, shade and dappled light and it just pops in all conditions. Colour changes a fair bit in varying light and even walking around the car in full daylight it changes. I don't know the official colour for electric blue but LBB is electric. You will get noticed in this car. I want to switch from AW but still have to convince my wife.

Transmission

I am lucky enough to have now driven both the manual and the DCT versions. My only criticism of the DCT is that there is no Park. it is not hard to manage but (as per another thread), it would be easy to get caught out if you leave it running in neutral. I wonder if leaving it in Drive would be like Park, as the car will not move (when in drive) until you depress the accelerator. This was the other difference for me because DSG gearboxes (VW) will allow creep forward and in reverse (moves without accelerator if you release the brake) which I find useful.

I spent most of the drive in Sport and using the paddles to shift. Sport + was not permitted. I used Comfort and "auto" mode a bit to see what they were like. They worked fine for lazy driving. No idea how comfort/auto works on twisty bits but why would you?

I found the DCT shifts to be quick and did not have any of the forced delay in downshifts some have complained about. However, I was not redlining the car so there may be issues when flat our.

1st gear felt pretty short compared to the MT but I felt that it was OK. My drive of the MT was so limited (and a while ago) so there may not be as much difference as I think now.

Despite the purist views, I am going to stick with DCT.

Engine

Everything I have read was confirmed. Pickup from low revs is excellent and there is no noticeable lag although you can feel the surge in power as the revs climb. Never got near the limits of what the engine is capable of.

There was a bit of a whine when decelerating. Could not tell whether this noise was turbo related or something else. It sounded a bit like a supercharger noise only quieter.

Exhaust

Quieter in comfort than sport. Even in sport, the exhaust was much more subdued than I was expecting. If anything, it is a bit too quiet for me. The exhaust makes some nice burbles and pops when driving around town but these are fairly mild. When stationary at city lights I could not even tell if the "stop/start" was on or off.

Handling/brakes

Did not get anywhere near the limits but the car feels small and nimble. I drove a lot of the route I used to cover in my Lotus Exige and I did not feel the car was heavy. It just goes where it is pointed. I found the steering weight and feel was fine. Never really tested the brakes hard but I did find them a bit soft at the start of the pedal travel. This is a lot easier to adjust for than the opposite (where they bite too fast).

Comfort/ride

This car will be no problem as a daily driver. Apart from a little bit of tyre noise, it is relatively quiet on the freeway. Suspension is firm but never jarring.

This aspect of the car was a lot less extreme than I was expecting. I would happily drive this car every day and take long interstate trips in it.

I did not really scratch the surface of what the M2 is capable of.

My build is in October so I have a long time to follow the adventures of all you early owners. Give us some news!!
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      04-17-2016, 11:43 PM   #2
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Thanks for the review, was great to hear your thoughts driving on local roads, I'm planning on taking one for a spin tomorrow.
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      04-17-2016, 11:46 PM   #3
zenmaster
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Quote:
Originally Posted by windmagnet View Post
Even in sport, the exhaust was much more subdued than I was expecting. If anything, it is a bit too quiet for me. The exhaust makes some nice burbles and pops when driving around town but these are fairly mild.
Does it burble and pop in comfort mode as well as sport?

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Originally Posted by windmagnet View Post
When stationary at city lights I could not even tell if the "stop/start" was on or off.
That's surprising, given how noticeable it is on other N55s.
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      04-18-2016, 12:07 AM   #4
Corinne
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That's encouraging news about the colour but most discouraging about the exhaust noise. However, if you're comparing the sound to your Exige there's hope yet ;-) In fact maybe you're a bit deaf after driving an Exige and can't hear the M2 exhaust LOL.
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      04-18-2016, 12:38 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by zenmaster View Post
Does it burble and pop in comfort mode as well as sport?
Nope, with DCT it's real quiet in Comfort.
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      04-18-2016, 01:17 AM   #6
windmagnet
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Prodigy - sounds like you may be lucky. My sales guy attended a recent training session and said most Aussie dealers have sold their first cars and will not have a demo for test drives.

Enjoy your drive tomorrow.
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      04-18-2016, 05:55 AM   #7
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Thanks windmagnet.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Prodigy. View Post
I'm planning on taking one for a spin tomorrow.
Looking forward to your thoughts as well. I'm booked in for Friday
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      04-18-2016, 01:31 PM   #8
zenmaster
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kovsky View Post
Nope, with DCT it's real quiet in Comfort.
Then why do M2 owner's neighbors remark about how loud the car is when starting up? Are they purposefully putting it into sport mode first before leaving the house?
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      04-18-2016, 03:16 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by zenmaster View Post
Then why do M2 owner's neighbors remark about how loud the car is when starting up? Are they purposefully putting it into sport mode first before leaving the house?
The original comment "makes some nice burbles and pops when driving" is what you quoted and asked the question about, I was assuming. My response was regarding the vehicle being in motion.. Startup is another matter and regardless of mode the valves are always opened for cold starts and it is indeed pretty loud the first 20 seconds or so, then the valves close. In this video that happens right at 38-39 seconds. Car was in comfort mode.
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