i recently had a chance to explore the M2 on track this past weekend and had a chance to compare it directly with the 1M.
1M Tex and his wife are certainly among the first dual 1M/M2 owners -sweet garage!
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1M Tex car is no longer stock, and in driving his Dinan Tuned 1M, he has remarked that the M2 has been a stellar street car, however, compared to his modified car, if anything, slightly underwhelming. Well, we all know that the butt dyno is not a precise measuring tool... so we decided to have some fun comparing stock vehicles.
My car is a 1M bone stock... 31K miles, camber plates, euro MDM
Their M2 is bone stock... 1200 mi service completed,
while not exactly a stock to stock comparison. the M2 benefits from " drift mode" , and the Euro MDM setting that can be coded to the US version 1M actually allows the car to rotate, unlike the standard US MDM setting which was so restrictive that most drivers simply switched it off.
When we arrived at the track, we got a good chance to compare the cars side by side...
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without going to a full tale of the tape... A few photos show how similar the 1M and the M2 are.
The exterior styling, apart from headlamps and tail lamps, is largely the same.
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The hoffmeister kink at the rear window is nearly identical. The rear trunk openings are nearly the same shape, with the M2 actually having a slightly wider trunk opening that is masked by the shape of the rear taillights.
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Since we are at the track... it might be a good time to check out the M performance Analyser App..
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the app is FREE.. BMW M Car not included...
The M analyser uses a bluetooth dongle that connects at the car's OBD II port in the driver side kick panel. This allows an overwhelming amount of data from the vehicle sensors to be observed by the vehicle owner via an iPhone/ipad/android/tablet. The bluetooth dongle - BMW part # 614 323 65 115 for Apple and 614 323 65 116 can be found readily on eBay for around $200.
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here are some settings from the paddock...
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I have long since coveted an Aim SOLO DL..however at $499-699, while it has been on my Father's day and Christmas lists for the last several years, one hasn't appeared and I hadnt convinced myself to plunk down that kinda dough.
I decided to borrow one from a friend as a good way to get lap data. As it turns out, the M analyzer provides all the data of solo DL and also can overlay video.
As well as the information available from the vehicles yaw sensors.... data from the emissions, fuel systems, and a myriad of other sensors are available. Want to know instantaneous fuel pressure? manifold pressure? air fuel ratio?, it's all available in the Core Drive section. If you would like to calculate fuel mileage and track fuel consumption there are tools for this in fuel drive.
Test drive provides measurement tools for 0-60, 1/4mile, braking distance, and also acceleration elasticity tests ( e.g 50-70 mph passing ).
I was so impressed with the bluetooth dongle. I purchased it last night! For all but the most serious trackway person... this app is a must have. If you are time trailing or racing or really want to be able to compare data among drivers,... the DL does provide additional capabilities..... on to the driving!
The track... motorsports Ranch... is a 1.7 mile course... It has several off camber turns and essentially one main straightaway, and two shorter straights, and this allows for incredibly close competition between cars.
For example.. a JP E30 M3 runs nearly identical times as a similarly prepped IP E36 M3.
I took the M2 out in my first session to get a feel for it. Well.. it didn't take very long!
Aside from the higher M2 seating position... (my 1M has manual seats), as I rolled from the paddock onto the track... i nearly forgot that I wasn't in my 1M. I am 5'10" and am happy to report that I did not have any issues with helmet room.
I drove with a passenger, and familiarized myself with the car for the session.. using sport plus for the driving mode.
The next session, I jumped into my 1M and hit the track. As I pulled from the paddock.. i noticed a MUCH larger wave of torque. When under full acceleration... the 1M demands your attention as it scrambles for rear grip, and launches the car forward in a a rush that, frankly, is at times a bit terrifying! As i rounded the circuit in the 1M... I rejoiced in the feeling and feedback from the steering rack... THIS is how steering should feel. As I turned into corners.. the live rear end of the 1M definitely kept me on my toes. On this day... the track was rather green.... i noticed both cars felt nervous approaching the apex of a corner. The 1M and the M both tend to step out at the rear when lifting, however the 1M is much less forgiving. I had to be careful to not dive into corners too hard, because if I needed to lift, I also would need to be ready to counter steer the rear. The solution to this for 1M owners, is wider rubber at the rear. WAY more rubber. With 285 or 315s at the rear, the 1M is able to stay better planted at the rear at turn in.... and also when applying forward thrust... However on this day.. with stock 265s on the rear, and a somewhat green/greasy track... as the tires heated up, I had to work harder to keep the rear end in in line.
Back in the paddock... I checked the solo DL...
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I was able to improve my times up to lap 7 but after that.. it was difficult to keep the same pace as the Michelin Super Sports wilted in the Texas heat. Now back to the M2 for some timed laps...
As i returned to the course in the M2... it struck me how much THE SAME it is. The seating position, controls, view, handling... everything from the cockpit is nearly the same. The CONTROLs for the M2, however, are much lighter. Clutch effort is very light. The shift effort/feel of the transmission is nearly the same, but lighter. While the gearbox is definitely slicker, I found myself preferring the heft of my 1M shifter in gear changes. The brake pedal effort also felt lighter in the M2. And of course, the steering effort was lighter. The M2 steering is very good. The EPS is FAR improved over my 2013 x1. However it is still EPS and therefore it is numb and also felt light. The 1M steering is incredible on center and as one turns the wheel, it has a heft and sensation that communicate what the car is doing and also how the road feels. The M2 does a great approximation of this... and did not feel completely out of sorts at any time.
my notes texted to
bdaddylo after stepping out of the M2
M2 is softer all around
softer clutch
softer brake pedal
steering number
gearbox lighter
1M puts you back in the seat with boost and the M2 builds more slowly and then has more power at the top end
NO WAY I WOULD TRADE
M2 literally feels like the same car actually
M2 revs more freely
Definitely better grip in the corners in the M2
" honestly doesnt feel much faster "
so let's check the SOLO..
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well, what didn't feel much faster was a difference of 2.5 seconds !
As I checked the data, lap 4 was fastest... but all the laps after lap six were higher as the tires gave up due to heat. The Michelin Supersport is a great combo street tire, but it is nowhere near the league of some of the top autocross/street compounds like the Yokohama Advan, Hankook RS3, and Bridgestone RE tires out on the market.
1M best lap 1:30:15
M2 best lap 1:27:61
Top Straightaway speed for the M2 was 110 mph
top straightaway speed for the 1M was 108 mph
I had a fourth session to go out... and probably should have gotten back into the 1M to double check my times. However with the day getting hotter, i rather doubt i would have trimmed more than a half second off the time. Instead, I began to play with the M analyser and found that not only does it work in the M2... it also works in my 1M. I bought my car as a bare bones stripper plus a few options and did not pay for the drive or connected drive. I was very surprised to find that the M analyzer works for my vehicle as well and I immediately ordered it for future use!
after returning home and for the last 24 hours I have been thinking of the 1M and the M2 and how absolutely similar they are. Aside from a different dash, center stack and the power seats being slightly taller , The M2 has followed the 1M mold in nearly every way and strives to improve upon the M2. In many ways, the M2 is a version 2.0 of the 1M.
The M2 is a better daily driver, it is unquestionably faster around the track, and it has more creature comforts. It has idrive standard, power seats standard, more technology all around. It's exhaust tuning and overrun are delightfully enjoyable and make you want to rev it and listen to it burble and crackle. With ASD present.. it's certainly entertaining in the paddock, although the farting on deceleration on track is not a sound I find endearing. The N54 in the 1M certainly has this same DNA... Now I'll have to buy a midpipe or something !?!
I'm absolutely thrilled that the M2 is available, as now many more BMW enthusiasts will have a chance to own a vehicle that is one of the best BMWs of all time.
Which is better - 1M or M2 ?
If a stopwatch is involved.. then the M2 is the better option. An M2 DCT can crack off lap after lap effortlessly.
However..
For the absolute driving enthusiast...
the person who wouldnt even THINK about getting a DCT... the 1M is absolutely the holy grail between the two.
The 1M is the analog classic. No ASD. No EPS. A manual steering rack that is sublime, combined with a shifter, clutch, and transmission, and chassis that provide more visceral feedback to the driver.
The 1M is a stallion that dares to be tamed, and it's absolutely more challenging ,involving , and more fun to drive.
Attention bmw AG ...
I'm still all in for an M2 CSL, but *please* make it a manual..
