Quote:
Originally Posted by RedCarrot
Sorry I am late to the party. Congrats on your M2 ownership! I am an ex-C7 owner myself; I enjoyed it for nearly four years before trading it in on a '18 M2. Some random thoughts related to previous discussions in no particular order...
-Manual definitely makes the C7 more enjoyable, esp with the MGW short shifter. BMW shifter is very slushy and vague in comparison.
-C7 and M2 are both fantastic cars and each one is special its unique way. I am not sure I could pick one over the other. I am grateful I got/get to enjoy both.
-Turbo lag is a thing in the M2 but it's very minor and can be easily mitigated by being in the right gear and not be completely off throttle just before acceleration.
-N55 is an excellent engine but the bloodcurdling howl from the 6.2 V8 at higher RPM that accompanies its ferocious acceleration is nearly an out-of-body experience.
-I think C7 transcends its normal demographics. There is a noticeable infusion of owners of younger age, non-white and from wide range of professions. I was just as surprised as you when kids - some as young as 5 yo, boys and girls - knew what the car was as early as in 2014, and how excited they were when they saw my car. And then there were 60-70 yo Chinese dudes who don't normally give two shits about cars stared at my parked C7 for minutes. I have owned other cool cars before the C7 and none received as much positive attention from all walks of life as it did. The stigma is old news. I offer myself as proof: relatively not-old Chinese dude that neither has chest hair nor wear gold chain. LOL
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I had an 2014 PDK Cayman, then 2014 PDK Cayman "S", then 2013 911 base manual, then test drove (1 week) a 2019 C7 auto but bought a 2016 M235i, and now recently got into a 2016 M2.
Best Daily Car for me?
The M235i. For a road-car, its unmatched in its combination of comfort, amazing engine sound, practicality and amazing performance. Perfect? Hell no. But probably the best and most enjoyable overall for daily driving. Such comfy seats and great ride/handling balance. Hated the lack of a rear-diff tho but software does pretty good job of covering it up. ZF almost as good as PDK too.
Most Exciting?
The C7. That car is all engine and my g-d does it sound glorious and hits so hard and fast. Throttle response, vibrations, theatre and drama were unmatched. Also felt unrefined, interior on par with any $18k GM car. Surprisingly soft ride too, a pleasant surprise. Auto was terrible in manual mode, slow as hell to react. Would def get a manual. The 911 & M2 are a close 2nd here.
Most Special?
The 911. Its rear engine dynamics result in a bigger learning curve. Set it up like a go kart, load up the front tired prior to corner entry, get on power early on exit. When you get it right, no car could match the dynamic excitement for me. It was a blast and that flat6 at max rpm make straight-up race car sounds that none of these could match. Then, settle in and drive home and its relatively comfortable, interior is spacious, and I also thought it was the most beautiful of all these. Still, its very, very expensive for the performance you're actually getting and I'd hesitate to get another just because of that alone.
AND,
The M2. Its a rare combination of extreme sports machine and relative practicality. It isnt dramatically beautiful like the 911 or C7, but its wider fenders look mean enough. Wish it came in cooler colors though. It does guzzle more gas than the 911 which averaged about 17mpg but less than the C7 which hit 13mpg if driven hard. It sounds great, not C7 or 911 epic, but still very, very good. It launches dramatically, plenty of usable and fun torque, excellent manual shifts from DCT (not nearly PDK smooth though) despite its rather poor auto-mode shift algorithms. The handling is so good, so flat, so much front end grip, such amazingly easy drifts with the M-diff, its a ball of excitement & fun. It rides harsher & louder than the C7 & 911 but much, much better than then Caymans. (One major annoyance though, what is up with the horrible HK system in both the M235 & M2? Usually they're rather good. Its so bad. I tried upgrading AMP which only lead to electronic issues so I abandoned.)
Least favorites?
The Caymans. They are dynamic, agile, flat6 sounds AMAZING, and PDK is brilliant. But, they're hard to see out of, cramped inside, loud af on the highway, and crash over all bumps. As a 2nd car/toy, I can see the appeal. Don't get me wrong, I loved the car, just didnt feel worth the money to me. Also, the mid-engine handling was not my cup of tea. Tons of understeer & 4-wheel drifts, I prefer the tail-happy M2 all day over these.
Overall, just love cars and trying out all kinds!!