[Machinebuilder]

I am considering buying an M2 to replace my BMW 2012 335IX Coupe which is a 6MT and four wheel drive which is a great setup. The M2 6MT will be rear wheel drive and more powerful. I plan on getting four square 18" wheels with snow tires but I wonder if the car is difficult to keep from spinning with all that power. If I want four wheel drive then I need a automatic which I would prefer not to have. I get plenty of snow where I live and it is a second fun car. Any input appreciated. I know I can get a Golf R or a WRX in 4 wheel drive and a manual but other than that car choices are limited these days.

[5.M0NSTER]

With Winter tires the M2 is great in the snow. As long as you can clear the front lip you won’t have issues. I swap winter tires on my factory rims and drive it year round. Good fun and no issues.

[grl.racr]

I came from a subie, the m2 is garbage in winter in comparison. I got the oem michelin alpin tires which are more cold weather performance than a full on snow tire which was part of the problem. If you live in a flat area and get good snows it’s doable but not as good as people have hyped it up on here.

[detroitm2]

Originally Posted by mrs.boost

I came from a subie, the m2 is garbage in winter in comparison. I got the oem michelin alpin tires which are more cold weather performance than a full on snow tire which was part of the problem. If you live in a flat area and get good snows it's doable but not as good as people have hyped it up on here.

Eh. I disagree. While it's not going to compete with an AWD car, it's works fine in the winter. Good snow tires are a must. I ran a set of blizzaks all winter and had zero trouble getting around. Ran in traction mode most of the time.

On top of that, it's fun as hell.

[grl.racr]

Originally Posted by detroitm2

Eh. I disagree. While it's not going to compete with an AWD car, it's works fine in the winter. Good snow tires are a must. I ran a set of blizzaks all winter and had zero trouble getting around. Ran in traction mode most of the time.

On top of that, it's fun as hell.

There were at least 10 days where I couldn’t make it up the hill outside my place and got stranded at home. That doesn’t “work fine” to me lmao.

[Rupes]

It's really not all that different than most RWD vehicles in the winter. Have you done that setup before? The tires matter more than the car.

[detroitm2]

Originally Posted by mrs.boost

There were at least 10 days where I couldn’t make it up the hill outside my place and got stranded at home. That doesn’t “work fine” to me lmao.

Arguably, you did say you were running alpins, that are not really "snow" tires.

But yeah, if you have any steep hills that get icy, you may have problems.

[GregoryK]

I live in Toronto not the country. As 5.Monster stated biggest problem (and it is a big problem) is the low front lip. If back streets were not ploughed and there has been flash thaws and freezes you will scratch the shit out of the underside. I have had to turn around many times. That being said main roads are now problem at all. I would go x-Ice if I lived in the country but it would be impossible on unploughed back roads.

[Machinebuilder]

Actually I think everyone has explained the problem. Proper snow tires will allow you to drive but if the snow is too high the car front lip hits and the car isn't high enough. That is the same with my E92 2012 335IX Coupe. I just got back from dealers and they want to give me nothing for my trade in ($13,000) for it which only has 30,000 miles. Now I am thinking of just keeping it as a fun car and getting something else like a new Subaru Outback XT for $36,000 for winter and general everyday duty. Then picking up a M2 in a year or two used and selling my car privately.

[5.M0NSTER]

Good plan. Dealers will always screw you unless you buy new from them. Even so their numbers are way low. Private sale is the way to go.

[Kothar]

No problems at all. Ran my 6 speed for 2 winters in southern ontario snow belt on 18 inch PA4 square. Never stuck ran great...other than my water pump failing for whatever reason.

[CanadianDriver]

Originally Posted by mrs.boost

I came from a subie, the m2 is garbage in winter in comparison. I got the oem michelin alpin tires which are more cold weather performance than a full on snow tire which was part of the problem. If you live in a flat area and get good snows it’s doable but not as good as people have hyped it up on here.

Regarding traction, I'm with mrs.boost from the POV of Subie / xDrive owners. RWD in snow and/or ice requires some experience esp. when the tail comes out when DSC is off on unplowed roads.

It's still the most fun car I've owned. I dread the day when I have to let it go in exchange for a sensible AWD (electric) car.

[Kothar]

AWD is a gimmick and extra expense. Now we are getting Mazda 3 and Nissan Altimas with it in Canada at a premium. I have driven 3 BMW coupes now rwd 6 speed manuals through 12 winters of varying intensity with nothing more than dedicated winter tires. Not once was imperiled for getting around. Now in deep deep snow perhaps you might need awd ...but for most areas not needed. Not to take away from awd setups ...in most cases you dont need it. I think it is more of money grab by car outfits. Look at the 3 series now..no stick and awd for our market.

[Downunder99]

My experience past winter with my 6MT on the BMW recommended setup on 640M's with Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4's in flat Chicagoland:
- There is no way to get through winter safely on anything else than winter tires, at least as long as you depend on it as your daily driver. Winter tires are not only better for getting away, but also for braking, where AWD does nothing for you.
- On winter tires you will get through reasonably harsh conditions, as long as you don't have to climb steep hills. If you have to get to a halt on a decent incline, it can get tricky and an AWD will be better (but how many people run run-down all-seasons on their AWD's?)
- On the bad days you have the option to throw 1 or 2 bags of sand into the back, makes a good difference
- I would say that running a square setup with 235's instead of 255's in the back should improve it further, but with 235's in the back, the optics will suffer quite a bit, hence I decided against that.
- Also important, driving the M2 in winter can actually be good fun!
- The power shouldn't scare you, just stay in Comfort or Sport. You can 'dose' the power well enough
- Should you get stuck, turn the nannies off
Again, a winter tire equipped AWD will be much better in winter, but you will manage through a winter in a M2, as long as you don't try to climb steep hills in deep, fresh snow.

[mr_lab_rat]

The RWD is not the limit. In comfort mode the power delivery is nice and smooth and so is the traction control. With good winter tires I had no issues.
Ground clearance would stop me before any problems with grip levels.

[chief1richard]

Originally Posted by skiwhmts

I am considering buying an M2 to replace my BMW 2012 335IX Coupe which is a 6MT and four wheel drive which is a great setup. The M2 6MT will be rear wheel drive and more powerful. I plan on getting four square 18" wheels with snow tires but I wonder if the car is difficult to keep from spinning with all that power. If I want four wheel drive then I need a automatic which I would prefer not to have. I get plenty of snow where I live and it is a second fun car. Any input appreciated. I know I can get a Golf R or a WRX in 4 wheel drive and a manual but other than that car choices are limited these days.

I'm in the same area as you and live on top of a large series of hills with my home at the top. My driveway is also very steep. I run winter tires and have never had a problem. I would be much more concerned with the amount of long term damage from the chemicals and salt they use around here, which seems to increase every year. I also never use Spot/Sport Plus in those conditions.

[Machinebuilder]

Well it looks like no M2 for me this time. I wanted a manual transmission.(even though automatics are better I know) Anyway I ended buying a 2019 440IX M-Sport Coupe with four wheel drive and a 6 MT. Honestly I didn't realize this was an option in 2019, but found one at a good price and practicality won out. I test drove the M2's, M240I's etc and loved the cars but I still need to use my car in winter. Actually I loved the sound and looks of the M2 but thought the M240I's suspension would be better as a daily driver. In the perfect world an M2 6 speed Manual and a Toyota 4Runner or something like that in a big garage (which I don't have) would be the perfect set up.

[JTO24]

No issues whatsoever.. it's a beast with alpin pa4s

[magha]

Had no issues with it in the winter in fact the LSD helps a lot. I live in the north end of Toronto and we got our fair share of the white stuff this year

[rich8566]

Originally Posted by skiwhmts

I am considering buying an M2 to replace my BMW 2012 335IX Coupe which is a 6MT and four wheel drive which is a great setup. The M2 6MT will be rear wheel drive and more powerful. I plan on getting four square 18" wheels with snow tires but I wonder if the car is difficult to keep from spinning with all that power. If I want four wheel drive then I need a automatic which I would prefer not to have. I get plenty of snow where I live and it is a second fun car. Any input appreciated. I know I can get a Golf R or a WRX in 4 wheel drive and a manual but other than that car choices are limited these days.

Winter tires on an M2 result in a fabulous winter ride. My manual M2 has been great for the past two winters with Michelin PA4s on all four corners. I'm running 245/40-18s all around in winter. I also did three lake ice racing events this past winter with non studded snow tires on my M2. And yes, I have a manual gearbox.

[chris719]

Originally Posted by mrs.boost

I came from a subie, the m2 is garbage in winter in comparison. I got the oem michelin alpin tires which are more cold weather performance than a full on snow tire which was part of the problem. If you live in a flat area and get good snows it’s doable but not as good as people have hyped it up on here.

Performance winter tires are not the same as a true studless winter tire. You’re right, they are closer to good all seasons. You can’t expect that level of performance from a car with much less of its weight over the drive wheels. You need to go full on Xi3 or Blizzak WS series.

[ZPrime]

Originally Posted by mrs.boost

There were at least 10 days where I couldn’t make it up the hill outside my place and got stranded at home. That doesn’t “work fine” to me lmao.

You picked the wrong snow tires then...
Or you need to get a plow service to deal with the hill.

Michelin Xice3 on 18x8 square (I run 225/45R18 all around, so yes it's significantly narrower than stock both front and rear) has been fine for me through two winters. Drove it through a massive storm in Cleveland and watched a Civic get stuck in an intersection (unplowed and deep), then I just drove around the Civic. When the Xice3 are dead, I'll be trying to find another set of Nokian Hakka R2; I went with Xice3 this time because I needed them quickly and Tirerack stocks them.

With unplowed stuff, part of the trick is keeping momentum up so you can plow the road yourself with the nose. The act of braking in deep snow causes the nose to pitch forward and the rear end to lift a little bit. If you sit there for too long, the heat from the diff and exhaust will melt the snow a little, but on a cold day it will quickly re-freeze as ice, and can effectively prop up the rear end of the car on a ice-snow block. Then you have a bad time... You actually want to keep the nose "skating" up on top of the snow as much as possible. It makes turning harder since the front tires might not be on pavement the entire time, but keeps the weight transfer rearward to help keep the driven wheels down against pavement as much as possible. You end up turning with throttle almost as much as the wheel.

It helps a lot having a functioning LSD in the rear too.

Comfort and Traction mode are your friends in snow and ice as well. I never actually needed to turn ESP off entirely unless I was "making the doughnuts."