[arquitecto]

     Featured on BIMMERPOST.com

I finally took delivery of my 2018 M2! I initially placed an order for a 2017 back in November of 2016 but by the time my allocation came up I ended up getting pushed back to the 2018 MY, Week 32 Build. The timing for me was perfect as I had a few things I wanted to get done before taking delivery. After waiting a year I figured a couple extra weeks wouldn't be the end of the world so I opted for the Performance Center Delivery in Spartanburg, SC.

My build is as follows: 2018 LCI M2, 6MT, Mineral Grey Metallic, Executive Package, and Moonroof.

Delivery Day at the Performance was rainy but it cleared up just as we took to the track. The M2 is great on the track! I felt comfortable pushing it hard right out of the gate and was able to lap every car that was out there when I was behind the wheel. That included another M2, an M4 and an X5. Luckily they made the other guys come in to let me by most of the time and I only had to do the short lap once. The conditions were damp and I had a few moments of big oversteer, especially coming up and over the hill on the turn at the end of the straight. It was a blast!

I can not recommend the PCD enough! It was an absolute blast! The instructors were great to work with and very knowledgable. They quickly picked up that I had a good handle of the car and even let me take an extra lap around the skid pad with DSC off to see if I could drift an entire lap around it! I made it to one and a half laps before I sent it into a 360 spin with smoke billowing from the tires. This was meet by cheers and applause from the other instructors and delivery customers. After this came delivery time for us. The rest of the group went out to the Off-Road and Museum/Factory Tours.







Thanks to obsessing on this forum for the past year I had already gotten up to speed on most of the features of the car and we wrapped up the delivery portion with 45 minutes to spare. They let me take the M2 out for its first drive and told me to be back at 11:45 for lunch. When we got back they had us park right out front by the entrance.

The other people who were supposed to be in our Off-Road and factory tour had to leave early so my girlfriend and I had a private Off-Road session and then later a private tour of the the factory with Ed. He was great and since it was only the two of us he showed us some things he normally can't show with a large group. The Zentrum Museum had closed for a water leak right when we got there but we were still able to peek through the windows and take some pictures of the car outside. All in it was a fantastic experience!If you have the chance to do it don't think twice about it!

From here it was straight to Extreme Colors to get Paint Protection Film applied to the front of the car. I went for their full hood "Cross Country Package." If you are thinking about doing this then look no further than Extreme Colors! Doug and Cameron were great to work with and extremely meticulous with the details of the wrap. It came out perfectly 10/10! They even chatted with us for a while and took a picture with me:



The next leg of our trip was up to the Smokies. After several recommendations from other users on here and maps I found online I decided on the following route: 276 up to the Blue Ridge Parkway and from here over to Townsend, TN along 441. (For those interested in more roads: http://tailofthedragonmaps.com)



We decided to stay in Townsend, TN in a cabin along the river. We would be heading North to Kentucky to visit family after spending a few days hiking so we felt this was a good location. Also it was right off the foothills parkway and tail of the dragon.

The Blue Ridge Parkway was cloudy and very foggy which blocked a lot of the views but made for some great spooky shots.







As we continued up into the Smokies it started to clear up a bit before sunset so we managed to pull over for some quick shots of the car here.







The next morning we had a quick fill up and then headed off to do some Hiking at the Chimney Tops Trail.



We took the Historic Little River Road and it was spectacular! The timing of the seasons was spot on and we got some great views of the trees changing color.

Here's a quick Rev-Shot in the MDM Traction mode. Sounded great in the mountains and a nice contrast to all the crickets and wildlife sounds.

From here we hiked the Chimney Tops Trail. The weather was a nice 70 degrees and the morning sun was just starting to come through the tree canopy. Amazing trail! One of the top hikes I have ever done!







From here it was off to the Tail of the Dragon. This is the road I was most looking forward to. I was already blown away by all of the roads we had been driving so I knew this was going to have to be even better! We took this route to get to the base of the Dragon on the SC side.



This took us along the last stretch of the Moonshiner 28 and ended at the Tail of the Dragon Store at Deal's Gap. What a great drive! Definitely put this one on your list! We did this on a weekday and had easily an hour without seeing a single car going in our direction. Just smooth sailing and curve after curve!



We arrived at the Dragon and made a quick stop at the store before heading back to Townsend via the Dragon and the Foothills Parkway.





The Dragon was more than I had ever imagined it would be. WOW! 11 Miles and 318 turns is what you hear about all the time but the amount of elevation change is breathtaking! Surprisingly there was not a single cop anywhere to be seen so everyone was just bombing up and down the whole time we were there. We were having so much fun that we kept turning around and going again for another pass! We were pushing pretty conservatively since we were new to the area but there were several veterans there who were outright scary to watch as they flew around the blind turns and shear drops! Hats off to those guys



From here it was up the Foothills Parkway, easily one of the most scenic roadways of the entire trip. We kept wanting to stop at every overlook to take it all in.

The next few days were spent in Kentucky visiting family. After that it was the long drive back home to Florida. We decided to hit up a few more mountain roads on the way even though it would add a couple of hours to the drive.



This path took us to the Foothills Parkway and back through the Dragon for one last pass. From here we stopped for dinner at the Topoco Lodge which was fantastic! Highly recommended if you are near the Dragon! After eating we continued south on 129 and took the Cherohala Skyway to Tellico Plains where we then took the East Leg of the Ocoee Loop south towards Atlanta. After Dinner it was starting to get dark so we ended up doing the rest of the trip at night. The Cherohala Skyway at night is one of the best spots for stargazing! You would not believe the amount of stars you can see out there! The moonroof was put to good use here!

In conclusion the trip was a blast! The car is simply a joy to drive! It is an absolute beast in the mountains and surprisingly comfortable on the long drives! I will make a different post with my impressions of my first few weeks driving it.
I'll end with one final shot from the Foothills Parkway on our drive home. Let me know if you have any questions!

[dnoble37]

I am super jealous. That looks like a blast. I used to live in that area in TN and miss it big time.

[dukeapenguin]

As a Ca guy just curious there is no highway?


No offense

[LemonOne]

LCI FTW

[raysspl]

What an amazing road trip, WOW

[6ixSpd]

Great write-up and journey! More people need to be doing this. The Appalachians have some incredible, remote roads to enjoy with a new car! It's our version of ED, only much less expensive

I took an almost identical photo with my old M5 on what looks's to be a similar spot on the Foothills Parkway.

[cbertels]

Originally Posted by dukeapenguin

As a Ca guy just curious there is no highway?


No offense

I think if you purchase an M2 and skip this epic route in favor of the highway, you are doing it wrong.

Awesome trip OP! Congrats!!

[arquitecto]

Originally Posted by dukeapenguin

As a Ca guy just curious there is no highway?


No offense

There are plenty in the area but we made it a point to avoid them for as long as possible! It was a great way to enjoy the drive while sticking to the break-in requirements.

[BAN_M2C]

So happy to see you finally pick it up Lucas! I remember us talking about it almost a year ago! Looking forward to having some more M2 gatherings with a Mineral Gray in the mix now!

[ando]

Awesome car and write up

[OzWoz]

Originally Posted by arquitecto

I'll end with one final shot from the Foothills Parkway on our drive home. Let me know if you have any questions!

Great write up of a stunning drive. How many miles did you put on, by the time you got back to Florida?

[BimmerTheGreek]

Congratulations! The M2 is a beauty!

My PCD is on Nov. 3 and I am getting the exact same build. For all I know, both M2's came here together (ship: Drive Green Highway, arrived in Charleston on Sept. 26).

Other than the paint protection, I too plan to go through the Tail of the Dragon on my way home (drop off friend in Knoxville and continue to Kentucky).

Your pictures, videos, and write up are great. When I pick mine up, I will post a picture or two and just add a link to your experience and say "ditto".

Frankly, I hope there are cops on the trail to insure I keep the rpm's down and do a proper break in of the engine. It will be damn hard keeping the rpm's down with light throttle input for 1.2K miles.

If my PCD experience is half as good as yours, the wait was worth it.

Best of luck with your new M2!

[ASBSECU E93]

Brings back great memories. I grew up and lived most of my professional adult life in Waynesville and Asheville. Fantastic roads and even better scenery

[otay]

So

Very

Jealous


Congrats! Thanks for the write up, and great pictures too!

[GMe90]

Awesome write up. I live in Knoxville and love driving through the Smokys in my BMW. East Tennessee is definitely one of the most beautiful areas of the world.

[ORIGIN M.]

Epic

Great colour choice

Thank you so much for sharing

[Calvin36]

What a trip! Wish we had such roads around Cali without cops!

[F32Fleet]

Originally Posted by ASBSECU E93

Brings back great memories. I grew up and lived most of my professional adult life in Waynesville and Asheville. Fantastic roads and even better scenery

Agree. WNC is a special place.

[KevinM]

Fantastic trip and post - thanks for posting!

Congratulations on the M2 and 6MT as well!

[Rock Sweden]

Originally Posted by BimmerTheGreek

Congratulations! The M2 is a beauty!

My PCD is on Nov. 3 and I am getting the exact same build. For all I know, both M2's came here together (ship: Drive Green Highway, arrived in Charleston on Sept. 26).

Other than the paint protection, I too plan to go through the Tail of the Dragon on my way home (drop off friend in Knoxville and continue to Kentucky).

Your pictures, videos, and write up are great. When I pick mine up, I will post a picture or two and just add a link to your experience and say "ditto".

Frankly, I hope there are cops on the trail to insure I keep the rpm's down and do a proper break in of the engine. It will be damn hard keeping the rpm's down with light throttle input for 1.2K miles.

If my PCD experience is half as good as yours, the wait was worth it.

Best of luck with your new M2!

IF you can take hwy 28 (aka Bootlegger 28) to the TotD. Pick it up in Seneca, SC and it will take you all the way to the dragon. I took it from the dragon to highlands N.C. this summer. It's one of my favorites along with the skyway.

[BOOF-M3]

What a great write up. The shots of the Mineral Gray Metallic paint look perfect with the backdrop of the mountains and the fog. This write up came at the perfect time as we have a Tail of the Dragon run coming up Sunday Nov 19th. All are welcome and we hope to have as great a time as you did on your trip. We are making you an honorary driver arquitecto, hopefully next year you can show us how it's done in the M2. Thank you for the inspiration.

Nov 19th Tail of the Dragon http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1427143

[arquitecto]

Originally Posted by BAN_M2

So happy to see you finally pick it up Lucas! I remember us talking about it almost a year ago! Looking forward to having some more M2 gatherings with a Mineral Gray in the mix now!

Thanks, Esteban! It’s about time I can finally join in on the M2 fun!

Originally Posted by OzWoz

Great write up of a stunning drive. How many miles did you put on, by the time you got back to Florida?

1,800 miles and break-in service all in one week. That includes the drive from PCD to the Smokies, a full lap all the way around the park, five runs at the Dragon, the drive up to Lexington KY, a day trip over to Red River Gorge and then the long drive back to FL. I wanted to get the break in out of the way since I walk to work everyday and the M2is just for fun on the weekends. If I didn’t get it done quick it would take me months to hit!

Originally Posted by BimmerTheGreek

Congratulations! The M2 is a beauty!

Your pictures, videos, and write up are great. When I pick mine up, I will post a picture or two and just add a link to your experience and say "

Haha, I am glad I could be of some help! My car arrived at the port at the end of August so most likely not on the same ship but you must have great taste to have gone with the same build.

Originally Posted by Rock Sweden

IF you can take hwy 28 (aka Bootlegger 28) to the TotD. Pick it up in Seneca, SC and it will take you all the way to the dragon. I took it from the dragon to highlands N.C. this summer. It's one of my favorites along with the skyway.

That is on the top of my list for the next trip up there! Starting to plan it out now and have the bootlegger 28 in its entirety as the first leg of the trip