[CSBM5]

I spent about 45 minutes with a 6MT G87 all on backroads, and it's an impressive car. Much more comfortable than my M2C while still having huge grip. I could feel the weight and heft some but really only in tight, quick switchbacks. It felt like it could really stick the power down well like the other G8x cars too.

A few months later, I spent time on track at the Performance Center with a ZF8 M2 running in a group of fellow track rats, so four of us out there wringing these cars out. I was convinced to set the ZF8 in automatic mode, sport + or whatever the fastest shifting mode is called, and just drive the car. I was blown away at how perceptive it was at shifting, upshifting, downshifting, holding the current gear when needed, etc. It was a fun experience and the first time I've ever not shifted a car myself on track in many decades of experience. The car is a beast, and it was a great experience.

Getting back into the F87 M2C, I felt home. I bought the car new, early allocation, took delivery in Sept 2018, 20k miles now. I love the seats far more than the G87 design (have that same G8x type design seat in my 2024 M340i, haven't tried the G8x carbon buckets yet); I like the torque curve of the S55 better than the S58 (when driving the 6MT) especially when cruising on the highway in 6th at ~65mph; having owned BMWs since the 70's, the M2C is still a full on connection to the past to me that I don't want to let go of (just sold my E90 M3 after 12 years -- chose to sell the M3 and keep the M2C as we're trying to get down to fewer cars). So for now, the M2C is staying put, but if I was in the market for a new M2, I wouldn't hesitate to buy the G87 (I don't care for the odd styling, but I don't see that from behind the wheel!).