[goforwand]

After a few months of ownership; I can say that without a doubt the car will see significant track time starting next spring. The M2C is way too capable for public roads

I came to a similar conclusion with my '15 Z28 after retiring my ST-2 race car where I had this expensive high performance car and it really needed to be on track to be fully enjoyed.

As an instructor, the Z was a great car to have in the run group and also for student ride a-long's; I can see the M2C filling the same role...

Having such a capable car on track once a month or so "scratched the itch" for performance and squelched the need to even come to 5/10th's of the limits on public roads.

[msdss]

Why should I, or anyone else give a fuck what you think about our reasons? GTFO.

[bogdiniciu]

Originally Posted by msdss

Why should I, or anyone else give a fuck what you think about our reasons? GTFO.

Forum MW definition:

C: a medium (such as a newspaper or online service) of open discussion or expression of ideas or opinions.

[atruong247]

There are things you say that I agree with, and unfortunately people don't see it that way. To hell with them. The m2 is a terrible GT, commuter, and everyday car.

I bought my m2 as a garage queen and pseudo tracker. I can not, for life of me, drive this thing everyday nor on a 1000mile road trip. That is what the 5 and 8 series is for. This thing can sit in my garage until the owner wants to go do some crazy driving.

If people say they love driving this thing everywhere, oh how limited their perception is and they should, themselves, get over themselves.

As for canyon driving, this thing will slide on those beautiful paved roads. Join me and I will change your perspective on how crazy canyon driving can be. Kudos to the Japanese with their gorgeous mountain passes.

[McChris]

Originally Posted by stefan

Nope and for a few reasons.

1. I am too chicken to push a car this expensive to its limit on track.
2. Tires are real expensive for this car.. it's also pretty big, pretty soft.
3. For a price of premature complete suspension replacement, I can get myself another 330 beater, gut it, tune it, and get a set of track wheels for it.

The M2 is a great daily driver.

What!? I have never been able to pull this off.

Originally Posted by stefan

What!? I have never been able to pull this off.

Club heads in first to the driver side, bottom of the bag slides in just fine. 2 bags gets tight but doable. It's a must for me. Rip on the way to the course, burnout after shooting way too high, cruise at 90 on the highway on the way home. Perfect all rounder lol

[Maynard]

No need to mess this up with unnecessary reductionism.
- track driving is an experience that is unlike anything you'll do on the street (even the stuff some of you fantasize you have done on the street). It really is worth trying, but beware as it can become quite habit forming.
-the M2 is a fantastic car that covers a lot of ground: great GT/sports/road car, and a ton of fun on track even stock; with room for 4/luggage/groceries. Probably not the very BEST for any of those categories, and if I had a million bucks to spend I'd probably have 3 different cars instead - but for an affordable supercar it checks the right boxes for me anytime. This first year with mine I've covered 12k miles, including 900-mile highway stints, Back- and Tail of the Dragon, thousands of miles in the Adirondacks, and 7 HPDE weekends (and the few trips in to the office I needed during Covid). Everywhere I went there were a few cars that were better suited to that specific setting, but the beauty of the M2 was that it could do them all very well.
-Nobody is ever really going to 'get the most out of this car' - no need to misinterpret enthusiasm for indirect insults around over who is or isn't 'using it right' - Me, I'm hoping everybody else keeps theirs under wraps in the garage so that there are some weell-loved low mileage ones to buy once I've saved enough to get a second one (I'd need a nice streeter before I went full-track mode on the current baby).

[TwoTwentyBlue]

I highly recommend everyone experience driving an M2 at 10/10ths at least once in a safe environment on track. Personally, I haven't done this yet in my own cars based on cost of tires, wear and tear, and risk of something happening.

I have however, made it a point to attend a performance driving school at least once per year where you can drive a car just like yours at the limit without having to worry about tires, wear and tear, resale value, etc.

Fortunately I was able to drive an M2 on track before I decided to buy my first OG M2. My CS will remain a bit of a garage queen and won't see the track or rain but exclusively gets taken out for spirited backroad drives weather permitting. My Competition on the other hand is my primary daily and will likely be turned into a dedicated track car down the road.

I look forward to trying out a G87 on track before deciding if I'll swap the F87 competition for a G87.

Everyone's entitled to do whatever they want with their M2 but not experiencing it at the limit at least once is a missed opportunity.

[TargaM2]

To the OP.
As someone who has competed for the past 20+ years in everything from basic club autocross up to national tarmac rally & owns dedicated competition cars, I can honestly say if you think the M2 is a track car then you've never driven a track car.
There are many owners on here that modify & venture out on track with their M2 for enjoyment (myself included), & yes if you throw enough money at anything you can make it reasonably competent but if that's your M2 objective buy a 'CS Racing'.
It's a great car in all configurations (og,c,cs) for what it was designed (as a great all-rounder) & to say "if you bought an M2 & don't track it then you bought it for the wrong reason" is an extremely naive statement.

[Fined]

I had my M2 out at Spa. It did well enough, but that's not what I bought it for. It's good as a basic daily runabout, there are much better cars to track and modify for track use. I'll leave it to my 911 for that, as that is what that car was purchased for and the M2 has more shortcomings as a track vehicle with fewer shortcomings as a regular road focused vehicle.

I'm taking my cars to the track for enjoyment and I find the M2, while competent on track, is missing some key factors to make it a car I'll regularly track.

[VisualEcho]

Originally Posted by atruong247

The m2 is a terrible GT, commuter, and everyday car.

I don't even understand how someone could say this, as it's a wonderful GT commuter every day car for me. And I'm being totally honest. I don't see how I could want for more. Maybe it's my 12-minute, 7-mile commute on nice roads in super light traffic? Even in Winter the car is literally fantastic.

[veenut28]

Welp I'm convinced. The M2 is a terrible track car and also a terrible daily, sports and GT car.

While resale values stay high I'm going to trade mine in for a Prius and Donkey Kong's go cart with the bananas in the back. Best of all world's, I say.

[VisualEcho]

Originally Posted by veenut28

Welp I'm convinced. The M2 is a terrible track car ...

Just so we don't get things confused, my comments were that it's a terrible serious track weapon. With regards to general tracking (HPDE's and such), and back-road blasting it's super fun (IMO).

[detroitm2]

Originally Posted by VisualEcho

Just so we don't get things confused, my comments were that it's a terrible serious track weapon. With regards to general tracking (HPDE's and such), and back-road blasting it's super fun (IMO).

Woah, let's back up here.

It seems you're drawing a line here between non-serious track driving (HPDE, OTD, etc) and serious track driving (racing). And then sprinkling in the "stock form" qualifier when you see fit.

Let's get one thing straight. The M2 is absolutely fantastic at both levels, with the proper modifications. This is a universally accepted fact that is backed up by nearly every car publication on the planet.

No one takes a 100% stock street car to the race track for the purposes of racing. Many "race cars" are just street cars that have been heavily modified.

In stock form, there are very few cars that would fit your definition of "serious" track weapons. (probably none short of purpose build track cars due to safety features required).

While I do agree the OPs original message was short sighted, this went on a different direction.

[ASAP]

You guys are making this way too complicated-

It's a great GT / Street car that can be used to have tons of fun around streets, canyons etc and it will excel there.

It's a car that CAN be used as a track car however it will not excel in any way there... 1) it will be too expensive to maintain 2)it will be very costly if you make a mistake 3) you will get smoked by any dedicated car even if its a jalopy that costs fraction

If you are ok with the above, you can track it... is it optimal no? Did BMW make it so this can be done? I doubt it... they meant this to be a GT car that you could potentially take to a track if you want to test it out, certainly not go out there on a reoccurring basis. If you've been to an M track day (i've been to 3)... you will quickly see the amount of maintenance those cars need and how beat up they are... the M2 i drove at the M track day literally felt like it had been in a wreck vs when I got back into mine.

[VisualEcho]

Originally Posted by detroitm2

Let's get one thing straight. The M2 is absolutely fantastic at both levels, with the proper modifications.

I stopped reading right there, as I don't believe that for a second.

The M2 is a high-centered heavy posh luxury car with terrible steering, so with respect, try to convince someone else that it's fantastic at both levels.

[detroitm2]

Originally Posted by VisualEcho

I stopped reading right there, as I don't believe that for a second.

The M2 is a high-centered heavy posh luxury car with terrible steering, so with respect, try to convince someone else that it's fantastic at both levels.

Do you feel the same about the M2 CS racing? Because it's the same chassis, albeit modified.

EDIT: How about the M4 GTS?

[MooMooM2]

Pretty sure tons of nodded m2s on the ring and seem like very capable cars. If nodded a lot of cars can probably be race cars and the m2 can as well but it will cost a lot. Also can you afford to crash it and fix it but thats a different story.

I am going to have mine on track next year because I do think it should be there at least once, the car was a blast on the m track days and for a noob like me it is just fine. I would not track it too much because as mentioned, I saw how beat up cars can get but a couple of track days a year? Perfect.


Edit - this literally just popped on my youtube

[VisualEcho]

Originally Posted by detroitm2

Do you feel the same about the M2 CS racing? Because it's the same chassis, albeit modified.

EDIT: How about the M4 GTS?

Same. Pigs.

[detroitm2]

Originally Posted by VisualEcho

Same. Pigs.

Fair enough. You're entitled to your opinion.

[5.M0NSTER]

I've tracked my M2 for a few years. It was more capable out of the box than my previous Mustang was. With just pads and brake fluid it was able to put down some pretty impressive Nurburgring laps, and humble many more expensive cars.

That said, I have since upgraded to a Camaro SS 1LE. It's more track focused, and turns better lap times. And is more consistent when beating on it lap after lap in the heat. Plus it's hard to disagree with the V8 sound track.

[Ratcher]

The M2 can be a fantastic budget track weapon with proper mods.

Love tracking mine, give 0 faqs about the couple bucks it devalues, however I know it's not for everyone. Many people enjoy the car in a different way - detailling it, taking pictures, ... just knowing they own it (not driving) ...

[Davil]

M2C is a tremendous fun to drive car on the road and, even though it's not in any way a dedicated track car it can "take scalps".

I sort of agree with visualecho that it's more rewarding just going out and having fun at 8/10 on the track in a car like an M2 than going 10/10. Also a much cheaper way to enjoy yourself. But it's not easy to do this. Because. Ego.

So, having said that I'd always go for a cheap fun car that you don't care so much about as a track car. The maintenance is high when you push it hard. It's just going to take a big, big toll.

Then of course doing regular track days you invariably start to go nuts about being competitive. Once you cross this line, as with most drug addictions, you will ruin your day to day experience (road car) and empty your wallet. So again, buy something you don't daily drive, especially if you then move on to the trailer to the track phase. You don't want to do this with an expensive car. I've seen this many times.

Anyhow to put some context into the vigorous is a track car or not debate, the throttle house leader board is a great example of where it fits in the scheme of things in standard form for those that live by numbers.

But overall, I voted no. I'm not taking myself (again) and my car (never) down the slippery slope of Motorsport as I know myself only too well.