[bri1042]

It's early, I was woken up twice by work calls (worst On Call week in years), and I've had this car for almost two months, so I feel like its time to write down my thoughts about my pretty little blue car. This will be long. The road to M2C ownership will be in the primary post, and then impressions of it will be follow-ups. Feel free to skip the history, I just feel like typing this morning.

I wandered into my local BMW dealership on a rainy evening 5 and a half years ago basically on a whim because I was tired of daily driving my 2006 RSX-S that I had owned for 7 and a half years. That was the longest I've ever owned a car. That car was fantastic and terrible, and when I bought it, everything I wanted in a car. I was a long-time Honda owner who never did the Fast/Furious crap to his cars. It was analog and harsh, with the best 6-speed manual transmission I have ever touched. I was tired of under steer, and I was tired of back-breaking suspension hits from every little bump, and having to constantly correct my heading from every wiggle and break in the road. So I went and bought an automatic, AWD 2010 328i Sedan on a dark, rainy evening. It was a piece of shit. I failed to ask where it had spent its life (I was tired), and it turned out that it was a Jersey car and it had been there during Super Storm Sandy. Something broke, on average, every 16 days that I had the car. But when it was running right, despite that horrid GM auto, there were glimmers of what a BMW was supposed to be.

I lost a lot of money when I traded it in at 7 months (but it had to go) and leased a low-spec '13 328i X-Drive. That car, despite the lack of options, was probably actually what I was looking for on that first rainy evening but after a couple of years it left me cold. I realized that as tired of the harshness of the RSX-S, I really was not OK with being bored. I was not OK with how gutless it felt when the ZF-8 started out from a stop in 2nd gear. The body-roll and the bouncing nose. Gods. This was a car that could be used as a calm commuter every day and please, but it was not for me. Also, I've never hated car seats as much as the base 328i seats. Just awful.

I fell in love with the M2 when it was previewed and called my salesman to get put on the list in 2015. He quit the dealership and never put me on the list. I could not get an M2 until long after my lease was up. Leading up to Spring 2016, I annoyed every local dealership and test drove EVERYTHING that I could afford. Everything. I ended up ending the lease early without losing any money and settled on ordering a 340i X-Drive with most of the toys and adaptive suspension. The car I ordered never made it out of VPC, and I ended up getting one that was close to my ordered spec (Adaptive suspension was a must...I was not doing base X-Drive suspension again).

The 340 was fast enough. It was insanely competent. I never ran across weather that would slow it down much. The ZF8 SAT mated with that engine beautifully. I loved it for a while. It had downsides. The sound insulation was so good that whatever noises the exhaust and engine were making never made it to the cabin unless you were driving arrest-me fast. The tire noise did, though, so that was the primary auditory feedback available. Paddle-shifting that car was frustrating. I couldn't hear the engine, and even when going fast there was almost no sensation of speed. Compared to every manual I'd ever owned, the primary indication that it was time to shift came from actually looking at the tachometer. And then there was zero "I shifted" feedback, the car was just too smooth. It was fast. It was capable. It was, again, boring. And after 5 years, I still felt like I was driving a boat. I just do not like larger cars.

Summer 2017 was almost over and I was done with BMW. Really. I was finished. I was going to run out my lease and go somewhere else. I went back to test driving other cars. I drove a '17 Camaro SS 1LE bought by a friend, not on a 10 minute test drive, but on a long run on a pretty day. I'm not going to start arguments about that car, but I loved it and was utterly unwilling to live with it on a daily basis. I drove Mercs, Audi's, so many cars.

I didn't find a single car that I actually wanted that I could afford. I drove another friend's '17 DCT M3 Comp and it was the closest I came to liking a car, but it was too big and bit budget stretching on purchase with the options I'd choose.

And then I heard about the M2C and on a whim called to get put on the list. I didn't really think I'd end up buying it, I was pretty far down the list (6th or 7th), so I had time to back out. When production was starting, I checked back in and magically there was an abandoned allocation that met my specs about to go into production and, with a lot of trepidation, I said I wanted it and I put down my deposit. I came close to cancelling the whole thing over and over while I waited for the car, all the way up to the drive into the dealership to pick it up. I wasn't sure I was really going to buy it until I saw it for the first time. My salesman and the finance guy were more excited by it than I was, honestly. Three disappointing BMW's and here I was about to buy a fourth. But it was gorgeous. I loved the lines, and the size of it. So I bought the thing.

End of lead-in.

[Romo]

I drove a lot of BMW`s and the bigger they have become, they also became more boring, IMHO that is.

The way I think; give me the smallest M BMW and have the most fun.

That`s what I did.

And fun there is

[bri1042]

Impressions on the drive home after I bought it, on a terrible road at low speeds:

1. The suspension was really harsh, and I was very worried that I'd made a mistake, but the sharp jabs from bad roads never upset the car. I didn't have to constantly correct my direction like I used to have to in my RSX-S. So that was a wash.

2. The DCT in setting 1 was terrible. It was upshifting way too early and seemed like an econobox's transmission. I put it in "2" after about a mile and it was mostly doing what I would want it to. It was OK, but I was feeling very worried that going with the DCT was a terrible mistake.

3. Power. The car did not seem any faster than the 340 I'd just walked away from, but traffic was icky and I left it in efficient mode for most of the drive. I was unable to get a real impression about it on that drive.

4. I fell in love with the seats pretty much instantly. They're fantastic. I don't think I'll end up saying anything else about them. They're the first BMW seats I've had that I really like. I've done long drives without the slightest seat fatigue. I love them.

5. Interior quality seemed OK. Nothing to rave about, nothing that makes me go "ewww". I loved the gauges immediately and I wouldn't trade them for a digital display with more fancy stuff.

When I got home, the car thankfully actually made it up my stupid driveway. I had been worried. I didn't have time to drive it again that day.

[bri1042]

The next morning was just a drive to work, but I live on the outskirts of town, and the drive in can be a ton of fun (assuming you don't get stuck behind a Prius or truck driving 15 MPH below the speed limit).

I checked the tires before driving and found them all set way too high and all of them were at different pressures. I brought them down to the recommended settings and off I went.

1. The suspension was now just harsh instead of really harsh. It felt like a sports car's suspension instead of some bizarre punishment by the car gods. I was much happier with it. This impression has continued through today. I've driven it on bad downtown roads and it's fine. After years of bouncy noses, excessive body roll, and the other negative traits of X-Drive 3's, I love the way this car handles and how it reacts to bumps and suspension hits. For now, this is probably my last word on this one. I adore the way this car feels on the road. Plenty of feedback and very, very controlled.

2. Steering feel. I still don't think the EPS is where the good hydraulic systems of old were, of course, but compared to my last two EPS-equipped cars, there's actually some feedback from the steering. I'm fine with it.

3. Power. On those first few drives, I still didn't feel like the car was that fast, at least from the butt dyno perspective. The linear build-up, the lower amount of low-end power, all of that goes into it. I respected the break-in period so all I really got were glimmers of what it could do if I was willing to open it up. It was clear that the car wasn't slow, but I wasn't entirely thrilled with what I was getting out of it. The plus side here is that the car was still very capable of not being annoying when stuck in traffic.

4. The DCT. This thing is a really weird animal. I've driven other DCT's on test drives and on a few other people's cars but it's my first time owning one. "1" mode is utterly worthless except in parking lots and through school zones. I wouldn't want them to get rid of it, though, because we often drive through parking lots and school zones. There are a lot of times that I think the thing is just confused as to if it's a manual or an automatic and changes its mind randomly. In manual shift mode, the thing is brilliant. I don't know where my long-term impression of it will fall.

5. Brakes. I have a love/hate relationship with these brakes. I have zero complaints about how they function. They stop the car really well. I drove my SO's TLX for a few miles last week and I though his brakes were utterly terrible. The hate part came in when buying Winter Wheels and tires. There isn't a non-track reason for the 2NH brakes on this car other than looks. Being forced to buy the 19" wheels cost me at least 500 clams and I'm not sure that there's any value in them other than that they're pretty.

[Romo]

I must say I do like the new seats and the "new" instrument cluster as I do have the OGM2 ones.

[bri1042]

Direct why I can't have a manual anymore post:

I suffered a catastrophic left knee injury when I was 14. I had surgery and pretty much had to learn to walk again. I got over it and learned to drive on a manual. I was stuck with crappy '70's rusted-out boats for several years (I was poor, I drove what I could get) and then went to manual cars exclusively from 1991 through March of 2013. At the end of that time, one of the reasons I had to get out of my RSX-S, despite the near-perfect clutch, was that by the end of a drive home in heavy traffic, I could barely walk.

I have seen specialists, and the end result was "we could redo the original surgery and it might help or it might not". On a fun drive out in the country on a warm day, my knee would hold up. Getting stuck in traffic for an hour would be torture. If it's cold out, I doubt I could make it to work. I can no longer realistically own a manual transmission on a daily driver. Thus the automatics and the DCT. I don't care about a couple 1/10ths of a second on the 0-60 time. I would be in the "manual only" camp if I could be.

For spirited driving, this strange dual-clutch transmission is the best "auto" I've ever owned. But it is a bit eccentric in it's auto modes.

[HERR FSTIR]

Originally Posted by bri1042

5. Brakes. I have a love/hate relationship with these brakes. I have zero complaints about how they function. They stop the car really well....There isn't a non-track reason for the 2NH brakes on this car other than looks. Being forced to buy the 19" wheels cost me at least 500 clams and I'm not sure that there's any value in them other than that they're pretty.

Agree. BMW should have offered 2NH as an option in the U.S.

I am annoyed I cannot fit my 19" winter tires on the M2C as it turns out only certain 19" wheels with internal diameters of 18.5" will clear the front brake caliper. Would have also been happier with the reduced weight of the regular brakes.

Other than that it's an amazing car and couldn't be happier.

[bri1042]

Leading up to the break-in service, my impressions held relatively steady. I loved the way the car handled, and the feedback it provides. Even stuck behind a Prius, every curve of the road is felt and I feel more connected to this car than I have since I let the little Honda go it's merry way. It still didn't feel that fast, despite how far I left folk behind at stop lights even when I wasn't taking off very hard, but the thing has just been a joy to drive over all. When I drove my SO's TLX, it was actually so that I could purposefully drive a slower car (he has the 4-cylinder FWD model) to try and reset my head a bit.

That actually worked. My gods that thing is slow! Compared to many cars, it actually isn't, but it was just flat out painful to drive compared to what I'm used to. It was a great lesson in how lost we get when it comes to our butt dynos.

My car's break-in service was a couple of days later. I've managed to get the throttle down pretty darn far, and the RPM's near the redline twice since then. I was NOT disappointed. This car just wants to FLY. It is capable of so much more than I am capable of as a driver that it makes me utterly giddy.

I used to track cars, casually because I never owned more than one car at a time and I wasn't well-off enough to risk crashing my only car. I tracked my Integra GS-R a bunch, though. The family friend who taught me to drive part-owned a track. I drove both of his Ferrari's (a 328 and an F40...which he bought with most of his remaining money after learning that he wouldn't need money much longer). The F40 was terror on wheels. I drove his Porsche 911 and his 928. He passed away long ago and I wish he was here so that he could drive the M2C.

He would have loved it.

Post break-in so that I'm not babying it anymore, with the engine up to speed and the tires warmed up, it makes me seriously think about actually heading to a track again for the first time in about 17 years. I feel like my driving skills are rusty and need a bit of shine to give this car the driver it wants.

[Quietmind]

Hey! Thank you for taking the time to do this stream of consciousness type post. It’s a blast to read such a normal owner review. Sounds like your M2C is working out to be a lovable daily driver. Keep up the posting!

[akkando]

Originally Posted by bri1042

Direct why I can't have a manual anymore post:

I suffered a catastrophic left knee injury when I was 14. I had surgery and pretty much had to learn to walk again. I got over it and learned to drive on a manual. I was stuck with crappy '70's rusted-out boats for several years (I was poor, I drove what I could get) and then went to manual cars exclusively from 1991 through March of 2013. At the end of that time, one of the reasons I had to get out of my RSX-S, despite the near-perfect clutch, was that by the end of a drive home in heavy traffic, I could barely walk.

I have seen specialists, and the end result was "we could redo the original surgery and it might help or it might not". On a fun drive out in the country on a warm day, my knee would hold up. Getting stuck in traffic for an hour would be torture. If it's cold out, I doubt I could make it to work. I can no longer realistically own a manual transmission on a daily driver. Thus the automatics and the DCT. I don't care about a couple 1/10ths of a second on the 0-60 time. I would be in the "manual only" camp if I could be.

For spirited driving, this strange dual-clutch transmission is the best "auto" I've ever owned. But it is a bit eccentric in it's auto modes.

Just stop using the auto mode, forget it's even there, you'll be much happier. On the rare occasion I use it because I have to take an important call I hate the car.

[aerokubectl]

The DCT can be driven near manual mode, use that if you truly believe you need a more engaging experience

[bri1042]

Yes, I mostly run it in manual mode except when stuck in dumb traffic. The DCT is great in manual mode.

[Pilot-Z]

So you think the M2C is a reasonable upgrade to my current 2004 base model RSX lol? Great review thanks!

[newnmpr0ved]

Any photos of the M2C ? And maybe of all your old ones in the story ?

[GoGoGadgetChris]

Did I see your car just outside of Produce Row Cafe (SE Portland) last night? The missus was with me, and after seeing it, she asked "Is that the car you ordered? I REALLY like it!"

If that was you, you owe me, because I'm gonna have to fight her for mine now!

[bri1042]

Originally Posted by GoGoGadgetChris

Did I see your car just outside of Produce Row Cafe (SE Portland) last night? The missus was with me, and after seeing it, she asked "Is that the car you ordered? I REALLY like it!"

If that was you, you owe me, because I'm gonna have to fight her for mine now!

Nope, that wasn't me. I was at home in the west-side 'burbs last night. I know Kuni sold a few, and Portland BMW must have, but I haven't seen another M2C around here yet (but, then, I've only seen a few OG M2's floating around over the last couple years). I think my car will get all excited when it finally gets to see one of its siblings.

[bri1042]

Old car pics as requested. I don't have any digital photos of my Integra GS-R...just google Red 1995 GS-R if needed.

First new car I ever bought, a 2002 Acura RSX-S. It was a lease and I liked it enough except for the gearing between 5th and 6th, and the gods-awful tan interior.

[bri1042]

Second new car. I bought this one, and owned it from October 2005 through March of 2013. 2006 RSX-S. The gearing issue between 5th and 6th was fixed, and the slight changes they did in the refresh made it an overall more controllable car. This is the last FWD car I owned, and hopefully will ever own.

[bri1042]

Past BMW's. 2010 328i X-Drive. 2013 328i X-Drive. 2016 340i X-Drive.

[bri1042]

And, of course, my M2C on my evil driveway.

[M3GymNut]

Originally Posted by bri1042

Direct why I can't have a manual anymore post:

I suffered a catastrophic left knee injury when I was 14. I had surgery and pretty much had to learn to walk again. I got over it and learned to drive on a manual. I was stuck with crappy '70's rusted-out boats for several years (I was poor, I drove what I could get) and then went to manual cars exclusively from 1991 through March of 2013. At the end of that time, one of the reasons I had to get out of my RSX-S, despite the near-perfect clutch, was that by the end of a drive home in heavy traffic, I could barely walk.

I have seen specialists, and the end result was "we could redo the original surgery and it might help or it might not". On a fun drive out in the country on a warm day, my knee would hold up. Getting stuck in traffic for an hour would be torture. If it's cold out, I doubt I could make it to work. I can no longer realistically own a manual transmission on a daily driver. Thus the automatics and the DCT. I don't care about a couple 1/10ths of a second on the 0-60 time. I would be in the "manual only" camp if I could be.

For spirited driving, this strange dual-clutch transmission is the best "auto" I've ever owned. But it is a bit eccentric in it's auto modes.

Man that sucks and I'm sorry to hear. You gave me deja-vu when you talked about the RSX-S perfect clutch, the japanese make manuals like butta. Hope you can get into a manual again.

[M3GymNut]

Originally Posted by bri1042

Second new car. I bought this one, and owned it from October 2005 through March of 2013. 2006 RSX-S. The gearing issue between 5th and 6th was fixed, and the slight changes they did in the refresh made it an overall more controllable car. This is the last FWD car I owned, and hopefully will ever own.

I had an 2006 as well but in black. God I loved that car...