I have owned my M2C for almost 6 months now. It has 2700 miles on it. Previously, I had owned a 2018 Camaro 2SS 1LE for 3 years. I took the Camaro to 3 HPDE track events (Lime Rock, Palmer Motorsports, and Watkins Glen). I knew from the day I bought the BMW that I wanted to do a comparison review between the M2C and Camaro. But also wanted to wait until I had taken the M2 to a track event so I could add that aspect into the comparison review. With winter here, the HPDE season is over and it would probably be at least another 6 months before I can bring the M2C to a track and I didn't want to put the review off any longer. Plus, there is already an excellent M2C/Camaro 1LE comparison by professional auto journalists with instrument-measured track results, with far better technical information than I could ever offer:
https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-cul...camaro-ss-1le/
Besides the track comparison, the article goes into all the reasons why the two cars are more similar than many people would guess.
So instead of a track comparison, I will just talk about the daily driver personalities of the two cars.
First off, I absolutely loved driving that Camaro. It was a mind-blowing car. All I could think of every time I got into the cockpit (yes, it's definitely a cockpit) was how much like a racecar it was. The low seating position, the Recaro seats, and especially the brilliant exhaust note. Nothing sounds like a small block Chevy. The exhaust mode was adjustable 4 ways - Stealth, Tour, Sport, Track. Even in Stealth mode it sounded incredible. And of course there was the power and torque, available instantly anywhere in the RPM range.
In comparison, the M2C is not like a racecar, and is more like a sporty daily driver. The BMW seating position is much higher and the car is much quieter. After 3 years with the Camaro, one of the things I disliked was simply getting into and out of the car - it was a chore. Getting into and out of the BMW is like butter. So much more convenient when hopping into the car to run a simple errand.
Feature-wise, the two cars are fairly similar, but the Camaro does have more standard features. Standard features in the 2SS included heated and ventilated seats, heated steering wheel, a Head-Up Display, Blind Spot Monitoring, Cross-traffic alert, Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay. Standard features on the BMW that were not on the 2SS were Lane Departure Warning and Navigation. (I paid $495 for Navigation on the Camaro.) To me, I would much rather have a Head-Up Display and Ventilated Seats in the M2 as opposed to the Lane Departure Warning system in the BMW.
Bose audio in the Camaro vs. harman/kardon in the BMW: Both are pretty good for factory systems. I think the Bose can be pushed louder before distorting, and has a cleaner sound overall, both in bass and treble response. But one caveat is that I have somewhat significant high frequency hearing loss, so I am not the best judge when it comes to hearing details like cymbals. OTOH, I play guitar and have played drums, and have a wide appreciation of music genres, but my favorite is hard rock and some forms of metal. For these types of music, the Bose system hits harder.
Driving-wise on public roads, the BMW wins hands down for me. The biggest factor is that it's noticeably smaller and lighter. It's a whole foot shorter than the 1LE and feels more nimble because of it. I'm not a purist who complains about the lack of steering feel compared to older hydraulic systems - what's the point, especially when commuting or running errands? The Camaro steering felt on-point on the track, but on the road, I don't notice that the M2 steering is deficient in comparison. Both cars have MORE than enough power and grip on the street, let's face it. I have never owned a car that I felt had too much power, but really, I didn't find myself wishing for more power in the Camaro, and I feel the same way about the M2C. No need for any power mods for me, that's for sure.
Looks-wise, I am much more comfortable in the M2C. The Camaro was a menacing attention-grabber, no two ways about it. It turns heads everywhere, by car enthusiasts or wannabes. No trip to Lowe's or a convenience store goes without stares, and often comments. In full disclosure, I am 66, and the more conservative BMW styling is more in line with my age. Not that I really care much about what others think, but still, there's nothing to be even slightly embarrassed about owning a BMW M2C for a senior citizen.
On the flip side, the 1LE was definitely fun to bring to Cars & Coffee meets, and there was no shortage of interest in the car by the attendees.
The elephant in the room is the outward visibility of the Camaro. Yes, it's bad. And yes, you do get used to it. At least that's what all the Camaro owners say, because, well, what choice do they have?
Visibility discussions in the Camaro forums always end up with the conclusion that visibility is not a problem when the mirrors are adjusted correctly and the Blind Spot Monitoring is used. The rearward visibility is obviously horrendous - worse than any other car I have experienced. But the front visibility is also bad, with a huge A-pillar that causes problems when making left turns. The visibility issues really manifest themselves in parking lots when trying to navigate curbing and other low obstacles. You kind of hope for the best.
The M2C is like a greenhouse in comparison. The difference is night and day.
Comfort-wise, the two cars are similar. The suede material of the Camaro's Recaros generally feels more comfortable than the Dakota leather of the M2C. Also, the Camaro seat bottoms are quite a bit softer and more comfortable than the hard seat bottoms of the M2C. And of course, the ventilated Camaro seats are much more comfortable in hot muggy weather than the non-breathable M2C seats. Suspension-wise, the Camaro had the adjustable magnetic dampers which could either be in Tour or Sport mode, but honestly, it wasn't a huge difference to me. The BMW's suspension firmness seems to be somewhere between the two Camaro settings, but neither car rides significantly better than the other over rough roads.
I sold the Camaro in favor of the M2C mainly because I was looking for a more comfortable daily driver. I wanted to stay with a manual transmission and RWD, and have a car that could do a track day once a year if needed, but was mainly a comfortable street car. I wish I could have both cars in my garage, but since I can only have one, I am super stoked with the M2C. I've said before the M2C is like Goldilocks because it's just the right combination of performance, comfort, sporty styling, prestige, all while being somewhat understated and able to blend in as far as the general public is concerned. I love the M2C and to me it is Goldilocks.