[Limits_Pushed]

I drove about 10 miles in the new M2 and here are my initial impressions.

Steering (Feel Only)
The steering feeling is good, but not excellent. I guess this is the problem of all modern cars now. You do get some feedback but it felt slightly artificial. The M2’s steering feel is definitely better than E92 M3. I felt the M2’s steering feel is an evolution of the M3’s steering feel. You get the identical feeling as the M3 but just better. The steering is pretty sensitive; the car will react to any slight input. However, with that being said, the M2 steering feel is definitely not on par with a proper sports car, such as the 911 GT3 (991). The GT3 is way more direct. The M2 felt numb in comparison.

Steering (Actual Turning)
There is some traffic and it was raining yesterday so I did not push the car anywhere close to the limit. The car is eager to turn. I was going through a slight curve at a fast speed and I did not feel any understeer. The handling was very ‘driver-friendly,’ it is very easy to drive the car fast. Being ‘driver-friendly’ does not mean that you can relax while driving in the car. You definitely need to stay more focused while driving this car when compared to non-M BMWS because the steering is just so sensitive.

Power
I did not apply heavy throttle and kept it under 4000-4500 RPM. I tried comfort and sport mode but not sport plus. M2 had lessor power than what I expected. Maybe the power is hidden in the higher RPMs. The power delivery was pretty linear (at least up to 4000-4500 RPM), and I did not feel any turbo lag. I did not feel that ‘surge of power feeling’ as in some other turbo cars.

Transmission
I had the DCT transmission. What really surprises me is that you feel a slight jerking feeling while you are shifting manually (at way under redline). The jerking feeling is identical to the feel of an E60 SMG M5 changing gear, but way less brutal. I was expecting a more seamless and smoother shift. I will post some updates on transmission later.

Sound
I am used to loud cars so my assessment might not be accurate.
From the outside: The M2 sounded very good on the outside. On startup, the M2 gives a nice little grunt; the volume is somewhere in between a E92 M3 and a W204 C63 AMG. On idle the M2 had an aggressive rumbling note. I had my friend drove it in a parking garage and it was louder than the E92 M3.
From inside the cabin: At 60 Mph and 2500-3000 Rpm, the M2 is pretty quiet in comfort mode (again I did not apply heavy throttle and kept it under 4000-4500 RPM). There is a notable difference in sound when you switch it into sport mode. You can feel the ‘BMW artificial engine sound system’ coming into work in sport mode. Downshifting sounded great. You can hear the ‘swish’ sound of the turbo if you roll down the window while you let off the gas. The M2 did not sound ‘that great’ as some people had suggested, but it is also not bad.

Others
M2 had a firm suspension, but I will say that it is still pretty usable on streets. The brakes are firm and gives a ‘all or nothing’ feel. The interior quality is fine but not on par with some other more expensive BMW model. I actually liked the exposed carbon fiber finish. I wished that the IDrive screen can be bigger. The standard Harman Kardon sound system is ‘alright’ at the best but who cares to use that when you can listen to the exhaust?

[Pol]

Thanks for those impressions.

[jtodd_fl]

Thanks for the impressions and great picture!