Your personal reporter is back with a small talk, which I had today with Bjoern Lellmann - BMW M Performance Specialist. Bjoern ran me through the complete BMW M2 Competition with M Performance parts which is on display at the N24 right now. The vehicle on display is the same car that was revealed last weekend at the Hockenheim Ring. The talk discussed all the questions we had and a lot more. You will read all the details below.
Next to a talk with Bjoern, I also met up with BMW M CEO Frank van Meel discussing the release of the BMW M2C and the M Performance parts. He had an interesting comment about the M5 Competition which
Artemis could share in the M5 forum. The reason the M5 Competition was released, was mainly because of one thing! The Mercedes-AMG E63S! Frank felt that he needed to offer a "S" variant that could compete with the E63S and since Mercedes offers their S immediately at the same time as the normal E63, he felt that there should be a Competition variant of the M5 immediately after the release of the M5. He said he hopes this clears things up and media are now comparing the M5 to the E63 and the M5 Competition to the E63S. #smartmove
Now let’s go back to the M Performance parts for the M2 Competition. First of all, you guys had a whole bunch of questions for me and I have answered them all!
• Can you please get pictures of the undercarriage, specifically the front of the car where the oil cooler is located and the rear where the new ball joint suspension is?
MR: Photos have been made and I will have them shared as soon as I can. I need Jason for this, but my aim is to attach them to this topic. Please check the photos I attached below as a start to cover this question.
• Can you please make a video while revving the exhaust and going WOT in each mode, comfort, sport, sport+?
BL: No revs until the press event in the summer.
Admin addendum: here is an exhaust rev video [link]
• Will 18” wheels fit with the optional 2NH brakes?
BL: They do NOT fit. The brake kit with both red and grey calipers are 19 inch in size, and therefore the 18 inch winter wheels do not fit. You need to get 19 inch wheels for the winter!
• What’s the weight difference between the 437M wheels and the new 788M wheels?
BL: The total weight different is 3.5 kg less for all four wheels as mentioned in the press release.
• Is the particulate filter the reason the muffler is so large and will USA cars also be equipped with it?
BL: Yes, the particulate filter is the reason the muffler is so large at the back. The U.S. market will get an exhaust WITHOUT the filter. The filter is ONLY for Europe. The M Performance exhaust will also get the OPF filter installed. The U.S. market will NOT get the filter on the titanium M Performance exhaust.
• Can you find out as much as you can about what’s been done overall to the suspension, specifically spring and damper rates, etc.?
BL: The M Performance suspension is the same suspension as used on the M2 and M2 LCI. The only difference is that the suspension is now red. The colour red means from now on aftersales/aftermarket. Any technical parts in red are aftermarket parts that could not be ordered from the factory.
• Can we get the hood painted completely in body colour (aka, no exposed CF on the bulge section)?
BL: Yes, you can! The hood will arrive in carbon fiber colour. The section of the hood that is painted on the preview vehicle will have a primer fitted to it when it arrives at the dealer. The upper part that is gloss carbon will not have a primer but is gloss carbon. Your dealer will paint the hood in the colour you want! It is unknown if you can remove the primer and completely get the whole hood in gloss carbon fiber. However, you can paint the complete hood in the colour you want. Just paint over the gloss carbon fiber section and ask your dealer to do so. The hood uses the gas struts from the BMW M4 GTS and the inside is gloss carbon fiber.
• If we get the boot, does it have to say M Performance on it, and does it automatically delete the M2 badge as well?
BL: Yes it will. It will also be painted on the boot.
• Can or will all of the M performance parts be installed by the dealer? Cough, including the roof, cough...
BL: All aftersales parts are being installed at the dealer. Every single part!!!! The dealers will be handed extensive manuals on how to deal with it. The installation will be done as we have seen before in videos online. The window screens are removed, the welds are being drilled and the new roof is put into place. The dealer will have to do it. If they don’t want to do it, it means you should go to another dealer who does want to do it. For the U.S. market it means that all parts are either fitted at the port on new cars, or at the dealer when you have a 2nd hand M2C, M2 (LCI), M240i, or a normal 2-Series Coupe.
• Apart from the caliper color (silver vs red), is there a difference between optional M Sport brakes (option code 2NH) and the MPP "BMW M Compound Brake Discs of the BMW M Sports Brake System Red" ?
BL: The M Sport brakes (option code 2NH) are exactly the same as the BMW M Sports Brake System Red. The only difference is the colour of the brake caliper. The reason we offer the kit is for customers with a M2 or future 2nd hand owners of a M2C who want to upgrade the brake kit. They can then order the red kit aftermarket at the dealer and install it at their dealer or specialist.
• May we expect an "M2 Competition CF Galore Edition" (car delivered with several MPP goodies already installed, alike the "M2 Performance Edition" (2017), but this time x pi);
BL: That is a cool idea, but I honestly do not know what the future brings.
• Does BMW want to sell plenty or only a few MPP CF roofs?
BL: I cannot comment on sales numbers.
• What else can we share with the guys on Bimmerpost?
BL: First of all, I would like to let everyone know that we read everything you post.
We have a watchful eye on the forum and see all your questions. It is therefore great that via this route I can finally answer them all. Also the carbon engine cover is the same as the one on the M3/M4. We hope as a team at M Performance that you will enjoy the parts available for the car!
• Will there be an individual paint color option?
MR: Also guys, there is NO individual paint possible. I asked Frank van Meel and he said NO, under no circumstance he would just offer it. Michael Fux's car was a one-off and he prefers to keep it like that. He will not easily do it again and will not offer it on this model. The factory is not offering it and will not offer it in time for this model!
• What about certification of the newly fitted parts?
MR: In certain countries you would need to go to the local technical check/registration office and make sure your car is checked by them after you have installed the parts. Especially when you fit a carbon roof, carbon bonnet, carbon side fenders and carbon trunk. Certain countries might require you to have this mentioned in the paperwork. Unknown which countries, this is totally specific to your situation. I will not have this in Czech Republic. Frank van Meel pointed me on this and definitely check it locally. U.S. will be a lot easier when you order it via the port since then it is all included in the handover and type approval of the vehicle!
• Do all new M Performance parts fit on the M2?
Almost all. Exhaust, engine cover, front splitter and mirror caps don't fit.
MR