[Joebie]

Let me start off by saying that I have a 2018 OG M2 that I absolutely love everything about. I love how it looks, I love how it sounds, I love how it drives, I love how its reliable, I love the interior, I love how its unique and special, I absolutely love practically everything about it and the car suits me, my very picky preferences, and my driving style incredibly incredibly well.

The one thing that has me second-guessing myself is the power. My car is "stage 1 91 octane" tuned with BM3 and just a cheap intercooler, and every day I drive it I find myself less and less impressed with the power, especially in the hot weather.

Don't get me wrong, it probably has like 380whp and its not slow by any means, its just that after a couple of years with the car now, I've just become numb to it. I wanna be pushed into the back of my seat more. I wanna be scared to use full throttle. I want people to be blown away when they go for a ride in my car. I wanna have significantly more power than an Acura TLX, etc etc.

So naturally I've begun thinking about moving to a comp, but that comes with some significant downsides as well.

-The comp is ~10-12k premium over the OG in my country/area. I'm a DINK guy so I can pay that if I have to but that's not all to consider.

-I paid ~4k to PPF my OG when I got it, of which I will see almost nothing back in resale, and if I were to get a new car, I would want to PPF that one as well for another $4k. I know this sounds ridiculous but I'm VERY anal about my car and preventing blemishes. I'd rather have a PPF'd OG than a non-protected Comp, so this is essentially non-negotiable for me.

-Theres no sense in moving from a tuned OG to a stock Comp if my main motivator is power. A tuned OG and a stock Comp are practiually the same car, from a power perspective. That's means I'd probably want to tune the Comp, and to do that, I'd be forking out another ~$4k for a pinned crank hub. I already have too much anxiety in my life to drive around a tuned S55 with a stock crank hub, so this is once again, at least in my head, a non-negotiable.

-The wheels. Oh god the stock wheels on the comp are SO ugly, I'd wanna change those too. That's another ~$2-3k. This obviously doesnt have to be done immediately, I can cope with the stock wheels for a while but it would always bug me until I changed them for something less vomit-inducing.

So now instead of $10k to "upgrade" its more like $20k.

The more that I think about it and as I type out this post, it doesnt really feel worth it.

Has anyone gone from the OG to Comp in search of more power?
Was it worth it?
Did you share any of the same concerns as me?
Did you get numb to the power of the comp just like you got numb to the power of the OG?
Will I forever be chasing that next level of power until I'm $200k in debt on a 1200hp depreciating asset and I should just learn to be happy with my already-phenomenal car? Cause that's kinda what it feels like.

[DanG]

I cant help you. I am on stock power and find that it is more than I need for daily driving.

[philth]

What do you need all this power for exactly?
Learn to appreciate handling and feeling before just getting ‘unimpressed’ with power. Cause it sure sounds like you answered your own question at the end there. Power ain’t everything, and every car will be the wrong car if that’s your mentality.

“It’s more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow”.

[WedgeSalad]

Your rational makes sense. Even with the comp there's still work to do. Is this a forever car or a temporary car? Could look at upgraded turbos but on n55 its pretty involved.

[ThreeStripes]

There are guys on here making 700whp with their OG M2 with the N55B30T0. You can make close to 500whp with just a simple Pure500, emix, and a HPFP. Point being, S55 isn’t your only option from where you sit. The Pure500 install is far from involved. In fact, it’s very quick for an experienced technician.

That said, if you feel like you’re truly after 600+ the S55 has some advantages but it’s not as simple as an OTS tune and a crank hub. Only you can decide what you want. For me, I set that target to 450-500whp knowing that with Recaros I’ll be around 3300lb which is, in my opinion, a sweet spot for these cars.

If you’re looking to be the big dick roll race king, you have the wrong car and you’re on the wrong forum.

[murderspice]

Why waste your time with a comp when g87s can be had at discount? Much more tunable than the s55.

[Joebie]

Originally Posted by WedgeSalad

Your rational makes sense. Even with the comp there's still work to do. Is this a forever car or a temporary car? Could look at upgraded turbos but on n55 its pretty involved.

Well I thought that my current car was a forever car but here I am having this discussion, so who knows. I *think* its a forever car but things can always change.

I'm a bit of a shade-tree mechanic I've replaced the engine in my 328i so im not worried about the level of involvement in upgrading my current car, just worried that if i do, i will regret spending the money there instead of just getting a comp.

Originally Posted by ThreeStripes

There are guys on here making 700whp with their OG M2 with the N55B30T0. You can make close to 500whp with just a simple Pure500, emix, and a HPFP. Point being, S55 isn’t your only option from where you sit. The Pure500 install is far from involved. In fact, it’s very quick for an experienced technician.

That said, if you feel like you’re truly after 600+ the S55 has some advantages but it’s not as simple as an OTS tune and a crank hub. Only you can decide what you want. For me, I set that target to 450-500whp knowing that with Recaros I’ll be around 3300lb which is, in my opinion, a sweet spot for these cars.

If you’re looking to be the big dick roll race king, you have the wrong car and you’re on the wrong forum.

I'm definitely not looking to be the roll race king, I dont do any street racing at all, just a bit bored of my current power level. I guess what I'm really looking to know is if the charm of 550whp eventually fades just like the charm of 380whp does. My current power level puts a smile on my face, but my logic is that more power would put an even bigger smile!

Is there something I'm missing about the S55? I'm under the impression that ~550hp is as simple as a tune, spark plugs, some charge pipes, and maybe some downpipes and intercooler.

[Joebie]

Originally Posted by murderspice

Why waste your time with a comp when g87s can be had at discount? Much more tunable than the s55.

even if the G87 had 1000hp i cant handle how they look. Its a deal-breaker.

[Joebie]

Originally Posted by philth

What do you need all this power for exactly?
Learn to appreciate handling and feeling before just getting ‘unimpressed’ with power. Cause it sure sounds like you answered your own question at the end there. Power ain’t everything, and every car will be the wrong car if that’s your mentality.

“It’s more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow”.

Because faster car more fun than slower car i guess. Why buy anything faster than a 120hp honda civic when that does just fine for a daily in 99% of scenarios. Cause power is fun, thats why.

Dont get me wrong, the OG is plenty fast enough for a daily driver, but there are times that I give my OG full throttle and im like "damn this is fast, but sure would be sick if it was even faster."

[murderspice]

Originally Posted by Joebie

even if the G87 had 1000hp i cant handle how they look. Its a deal-breaker.

M3/m4 also had an s55.

[Joebie]

Originally Posted by murderspice

M3/m4 also had an s55.

I know, I just really like the size, look, and uniqueness of the M2 in comparison. The M3 and M4 are amazing cars but lack some character in comparison to the 2, at least in my opinion

EDIT: since you mentioned the G87, did you mean the S58? If I'm buying an S55 car its definitely the M2 comp, not really interested in the M3 or M4.

[murderspice]

Originally Posted by Joebie

I know, I just really like the size, look, and uniqueness of the M2 in comparison. The M3 and M4 are amazing cars but lack some character in comparison to the 2, at least in my opinion

Get a supra.

[Joebie]

Originally Posted by murderspice

Get a supra.

you would definitely find me in a Supra before you found me in a G87 M2

[RockChalkKU]

I find that when I drive my other car for a few days and I get in my OG, I'm completely blown away just like I was the first day I bought it. When you daily the M2, it can become meh, but its not a mediocre car and the power is perfect for what you should be using it for!

[ThreeStripes]

Originally Posted by Joebie

guess what I'm really looking to know is if the charm of 550whp eventually fades just like the charm of 380whp does.

It’s different for different people. Many people find that a power to weight ratio of AROUND roughly 6.5-7 (3200lb/450-500whp) is the sweet spot. Beyond that, traction in lower gears is difficult to find. Next thing you know you’ve got a one trick pony highway pull machine. Thus the (very) old joke, “What do a 600whp and 1000whp Supra have in common? They both run 10s.”

Having driven enough cars that go well beyond that power to weight, I knew what I personally wanted with my M2 and where I wanted to draw the line to avoid straying too far from what the factory built. Unfortunately you’ll have to find out for yourself what will make you happy.

[samsamdar]

I agree with ThreeStripes

Throw a bit more money into your OG and you'll have a way better car than any comp could be

Pure 500, upgraded HPFP, downpipe, chargepipe, and intercooler: you will have a FAST car that spools instantly, sounds way better than any S55/S58, and will keep up with/destroy the S55s

[///MPhatic]

Originally Posted by Joebie

Let me start off by saying that I have a 2018 OG M2 that I absolutely love everything about. I love how it looks, I love how it sounds, I love how it drives, I love how its reliable, I love the interior, I love how its unique and special, I absolutely love practically everything about it and the car suits me, my very picky preferences, and my driving style incredibly incredibly well.

The sentiment of over 90% of owners for sure.

Originally Posted by Joebie

The one thing that has me second-guessing myself is the power.

Power and the lust for it is a disease, and it'll be there no matter what car you buy. I almost feel sorry for those with this affliction. Almost.

[KevinC]

Originally Posted by Joebie

Let me start off by saying that I have a 2018 OG M2 that I absolutely love everything about. I love how it looks, I love how it sounds, I love how it drives, I love how its reliable, I love the interior, I love how its unique and special, I absolutely love practically everything about it and the car suits me, my very picky preferences, and my driving style incredibly incredibly well.

That answers your question for me right there, and the answer is "no", you have the "right" car already.

Your only doubt is power. Well, you can chase that power boogeyman forever. It will never be enough. Anything is going to eventually seem tame if power is your drug of choice.

Try this - borrow something like an 80's Alfa Spider (~115 hp) and spend an afternoon blasting it through some canyons or mountain twisties. Yeah, you gotta row the gearbox like hell to keep it in the powerband, yeah, it's not "fast", but I guarantee you'll be grinning from ear to ear from the experience. Then, go drive your M2 - it will seem like a Bugatti Veyron in a straight line after driving the Spider, and I think the light bulb will go on - yeah, this is PLENTY of power, and just adding more isn't going to change the things about the car that I already love.

Hang onto what you have. It's a fantastic car by any measure, and you clearly already recognize that and love it. My 2c, good luck!

[VGSON]

seeing you have a 91tune….can you get ethanol? or even 93?

[Joebie]

Originally Posted by VGSON

seeing you have a 91tune….can you get ethanol? or even 93?

I can get 93 almost anywhere just didnt want to push it. Not sure about ethanol/E85 ive never had a reason to look for it.

[///MPhatic]

If you're really considering a Comp over your OG I'd seriously consider the fact that to 100 mph there is no difference between a standardly modded N55 car and a standardly modded S55 car on the street with a 6MT. If anything the N55 feels stronger (it's really not, but it feels that way), and the sound while getting there is on a different level. 100-160 is where the S55 really sings, so you're putting yourself within the range of jail and/or closer to death the more time you spend there.

Originally Posted by Joebie

I can get 93 almost anywhere just didnt want to push it.

I'm a safety guy and used the 91 tune for quite a while, but then decided to try the 93 tune and do some logs to have it checked out, and it appears my fuel pump is great, and so is my gas, so happy days.

[2018Aloy]

Originally Posted by Joebie

Let me start off by saying that I have a 2018 OG M2 that I absolutely love everything about. I love how it looks, I love how it sounds, I love how it drives, I love how its reliable, I love the interior, I love how its unique and special, I absolutely love practically everything about it and the car suits me, my very picky preferences, and my driving style incredibly incredibly well.

The one thing that has me second-guessing myself is the power. My car is "stage 1 91 octane" tuned with BM3 and just a cheap intercooler, and every day I drive it I find myself less and less impressed with the power, especially in the hot weather.

Don't get me wrong, it probably has like 380whp and its not slow by any means, its just that after a couple of years with the car now, I've just become numb to it. I wanna be pushed into the back of my seat more. I wanna be scared to use full throttle. I want people to be blown away when they go for a ride in my car. I wanna have significantly more power than an Acura TLX, etc etc.

So naturally I've begun thinking about moving to a comp, but that comes with some significant downsides as well.

-The comp is ~10-12k premium over the OG in my country/area. I'm a DINK guy so I can pay that if I have to but that's not all to consider.

-I paid ~4k to PPF my OG when I got it, of which I will see almost nothing back in resale, and if I were to get a new car, I would want to PPF that one as well for another $4k. I know this sounds ridiculous but I'm VERY anal about my car and preventing blemishes. I'd rather have a PPF'd OG than a non-protected Comp, so this is essentially non-negotiable for me.

-Theres no sense in moving from a tuned OG to a stock Comp if my main motivator is power. A tuned OG and a stock Comp are practiually the same car, from a power perspective. That's means I'd probably want to tune the Comp, and to do that, I'd be forking out another ~$4k for a pinned crank hub. I already have too much anxiety in my life to drive around a tuned S55 with a stock crank hub, so this is once again, at least in my head, a non-negotiable.

-The wheels. Oh god the stock wheels on the comp are SO ugly, I'd wanna change those too. That's another ~$2-3k. This obviously doesnt have to be done immediately, I can cope with the stock wheels for a while but it would always bug me until I changed them for something less vomit-inducing.

So now instead of $10k to "upgrade" its more like $20k.

The more that I think about it and as I type out this post, it doesnt really feel worth it.

Has anyone gone from the OG to Comp in search of more power?
Was it worth it?
Did you share any of the same concerns as me?
Did you get numb to the power of the comp just like you got numb to the power of the OG?
Will I forever be chasing that next level of power until I'm $200k in debt on a 1200hp depreciating asset and I should just learn to be happy with my already-phenomenal car? Cause that's kinda what it feels like.

I drive the same model (manual), sapphire black, stage 1. Wagner Evo2 FMIC, Mperformance exhaust, CTS intake (for all the fun sounds). Had it Dynoed, 355 to the wheels,Next step is CTS downpipe and Stage 2 tune (with PS4s to put it down) I hear you on the heat soaking issues, and lack of power at peak rpm. Had it Dynoed, 360 to the wheels. A lot to handle when you're peaking out 4th gear @130mph, IMHO. Love the low end torque for street driving, love the engine sound (in sport +, valves open. Sounds thunderish). Don't think you can get a better deal on the performance/looks/sound/price.
Seems like you're looking for "scary" power, but with playfulness/size/look of M2. Perhaps the G87 (tuned) is more like it? Wouldn't know, haven't driven it. Or same year M4 is not too far off the price mark, can push lots more.
Most of all, maybe your first paragraph is your true feeling about your car? you can improve/tune most aspects for under 10k, small things matter in such a raw machine. Chasing a Shelby 500 straight line acceleration with M2 drivability and playfulness in the corners is perhaps a pipe dream. Pick one, its an expensive game and mistakes suck.