[NEfan508]

driving a disposable $30k fun car has some advantages

Less concerns about taking care of it

[wjones14]

Originally Posted by (K)

I agree but expected that when making the jump. The general consensus is that the M2 is TOO capable for public roads.

A lot can be said for driving a go kart-like car on the street, revving it to high hell on every up shift, and still be going legal speeds.

I scoffed at the whole "driving a slow car fast is more fun than driving a fast car slow" notion for years. And then in 2013 I bought a 2003 R50 Mini 5-speed as a second car. 2300 lbs. 0-60 in 8.5 seconds. My opinion changed. The lightning-quick steering had a lot to do with the go-kart feel, as did the size of the car. It's all about the sensation of speed with a car like that. 30 mph feels like 50 when you're in something that small and low. You can floor it in first through third gear, and not immediately be breaking the law.

I replaced the 2003 R50 with a 2015 F56 Mini 6-speed. Totally different car from the R50, though my family and friends almost couldn't tell the difference visually. Very BMW-like with the same iDrive system and the BMW B38 turbo. With progress, the Mini became bigger, more refined and insulated, and less raw. It was still a small car with darty steering, but was more isolated from the road, and much of the sensation of speed disappeared. Still terrific fun though, particularly on windy roads at relatively low speeds.

[Lokguru]

For me, I find reasons to take my M2C out. Every single time it's fun. Love it's oversteer, esp those you can easily produce at lower speed sharp turns.

[contented]

I traded a 2017 mini S convertible in on my M2C. I’d added coilovers, fat rear sway bar, and Dinan Elite tuning box. It was indeed a hoot to drive, just like a go cart. But I never looked back after learning to drive the M2. As others have said, the power, handling, oversteer, tire smoke, acceleration, and speed have me hunting for any excuse to go for a ride.

[Robin_NL]

Originally Posted by ScullyD

Yeah I usually go out early morning for oversteer sessions. It's the best ever, no car is more fun at any price.

Exactly. And mine is on wintertyres (19 inch 245 square) and 530BHP

Even at idle that thing is already sideways.

I've driven a few new Minis myself for a fewhundred miles and I like them but they never will be a subsitute for an M2/C/CS even at low speeds imo.

Cheers
Robin

[Fined]

Originally Posted by ScullyD

Yeah I usually go out early morning for oversteer sessions. It's the best ever, no car is more fun at any price.

LOL. Talk about drinking the kool-aid. This could be right if you have driven very few performance vehicles and have little imagination regarding cars that simply have better physics in terms of weight and weight distribution.

[Robin_NL]

Originally Posted by Fined

LOL. Talk about drinking the kool-aid. This could be right if you have driven very few performance vehicles and have little imagination regarding cars that simply have better physics in terms of weight and weight distribution.

Weight and weight distribution doesn't say a lot about the FUN part in a car. But weight is a factot. 918 is probably the best supercar of the last decade but 'heavy' compared to its rivals (LaFerrari, McLaren P1)

I had a ride in a 2006 Carrera GT with my mate on a wet Papenburg going sideways or trying to. Impressive car. That V10. I would'nt take her out on a sunday snowy morning like I do with my M2 Comp......

Fun is very personal. The way you drive it, as well. You cannot measure the funfactor mathematically.

One of my Dutch car forum friends traded his '21 718 GT4 for a '20 M2Comp and he is very satisfied with the deal.

A few months ago I talked to a customer of mine. He is a Porsche sales person and a car enthusiast. I told him I have an M2 Comp. He stated: Way more FUN than any current Porsche even the new 992 GT3.

Anyway. M2C surely is not the best car ever(neither is ANY Porsche lol)

And yes I want a 992GT3. But come on.... apples and oranges.

Cheers
Robin

[chris719]

Originally Posted by Fined

LOL. Talk about drinking the kool-aid. This could be right if you have driven very few performance vehicles and have little imagination regarding cars that simply have better physics in terms of weight and weight distribution.

Some people are seriously invested in things they have purchased at a deep psychological level .

[Maynard]

Originally Posted by Fined

LOL. Talk about drinking the kool-aid. This could be right if you have driven very few performance vehicles and have little imagination regarding cars that simply have better physics in terms of weight and weight distribution.

Dude - you are on the M2Comp page of Bimmerpost. This is the bulk lots section of the Kool Aid warehouse.

[NEfan508]

Originally Posted by Maynard

Dude - you are on the M2Comp page of Bimmerpost. This is the bulk lots section of the Kool Aid warehouse.

🍺

[yk7]

Originally Posted by ScullyD

How is the M2C not fun at low speed? My M2 CS is the most fun car I've ever had at low speed, I'm always getting some oversteer at like 25-30mph. I assume that's not a CS only characteristic.

I so agree, i have couple other beasts and hands down my favorite car to drive at lower speeds is the M2.

[mwh2009]

Thanks for all the discussion here - felt a need to clarify -

I DO love my M2C. No plans for replacing it. And I love it on a curvy road with some room to stretch its legs. Or especially on a track. Looking forward to doing a lot more of that in the spring.

But its redline in 3rd gear has got to be close to 100mph. And I don't get to a track often enough.

Anyway, the mini's magic formula works on me even if not on others. Thinking about trying out a Cayman or a 4C or a Miata if I can find one this spring/summer just to check them out.

[W///]

I think the M2C is right at the edge of being almost too fast for the road. The G8x goes past that edge IMO.

I still Rev out the M2C when the right conditions pop up.

[MMRlight]

It’s funny because I have been thinking something very similar to the OP. I used to have a naturally aspirated eighth GEN civic SI and a mixture of items made it feel like it was more of a hoot to drive. There was less noise insulation so it felt like it was going faster and it was easier to go through the gears and not hit what seems like felony speeds. My M2 C definitely handles better and is faster but I tell my friends I would love to try the New ND 2 Miata. I think it would be more enjoyable and in the future I may trade the M2 C for it. Call me crazy but I guess I won’t know until I try that one out. I do enjoy the power though.

[pablom2c]

I used to own a 2002 R53 Mini Cooper S manual, it was very fun and not that fast either. But the combination of stiff suspension with very little roll in the corners, heavy clutch and the unsophisticated chassis felt like you were going really fast all the time, plus the whine of the supercharger was addicting. And it cornered on rails it truly was a gokart for the street. You would also get so much feedback and feel every inch of the asphalt and bad roads would shake the whole car so it was very physical. Sometimes I get the urge to buy one again, but one of the old ones not the new ones since they are now more refined and to me they lost that rawness that made them special in their own way.

Of course I still would take my M2C first, but I guess different experiences have their own charm, even if one is faster or slower. Variety is the spice of life they say…

Regarding the Porsches it is something that I have discussed in another thread here, maybe it’s not the same as “drive a slow car fast vs a fast car slow”, but in a way the Porsche might be too capable for the street, so it is more “boring” or easy to drive? On the other hand the M2C is more on the edge, and the aggressive personality that comes from the throttle reaction and sensitivity and the instant turbo torque plus the playfulness of the chassis gives you a lively backend that forces you to be on your toes and pay attention to what you are doing. On the other hand the times I’ve driven Porsches on the street (911s and Caymans) they feel too planted and sedate, of course this changes on a track when you can drive harder and you feel the car come alive and see how capable it truly is.

Right now my M2C is stock (coming from a 135i N54 with stage 2+), and I’m still debating wether to go with a stage 1 because to be honest for the street (I do only a handful of track days a year) it is almost more than fast enough. This car makes you drive like a lunatic, so I don’t want to be pushing even more and taking more risks with it. The problem is sometimes you don’t realize how fast you are going until it is time to brake. Also the rear is already very playful, so more power will make it harder to manage also, and probably the throttle smoothness will be affected by a third party tune.

[wjones14]

Originally Posted by contented

I traded a 2017 mini S convertible in on my M2C. I’d added coilovers, fat rear sway bar, and Dinan Elite tuning box. It was indeed a hoot to drive, just like a go cart. But I never looked back after learning to drive the M2. As others have said, the power, handling, oversteer, tire smoke, acceleration, and speed have me hunting for any excuse to go for a ride.

This is the point of the thread right here. The highlighted part in your quote sounds like you're describing driving on a race track rather than on public roads where other people live.

[DadVibes]

Originally Posted by mwh2009

There's definitely something to the whole "driving a slow car fast" thing that I don't get out of my M2C, and not enough real-world opportunities to do the "driving a fast car fast" thing.

Is it just me or does this frustrate others too?

PFA

Funny, I settled on the M2C after cross shopping it against faster straight-line performance cars because I felt that it was a better all-rounder that perfectly fits within the "driving a slow car fast" category.

It's all perspective, I suppose.

[contented]

Originally Posted by wjones14

This is the point of the thread right here. The highlighted part in your quote sounds like you're describing driving on a race track rather than on public roads where other people live.

Edit - post deleted. I miss understood first time I read the above.

Take care. Contented

[happyjack]

temps crested 50*F in the DC area today, so i took my M2C for a joyride during lunchtime to escape the monotony of back-to-back-to-back Teams meetings. i've got a pretty nice little loop mapped out with some nice stretches of curvy roads with decent sightlines and very few residences / driveways or crossroads.

i could certainly drive these roads much, much faster than i do during these joyrides, but i'm not a lunatic. that said, i can very safely drive sections of these roads shifting between 2nd and 3rd staying high in the torque band...and it's a blast. there's a few sharper curves where its pretty easy to engage oversteer and kick out the arse a smidge. i dont have a ton of track time and i definitely want to push this car more by signing up for some HPDEs...but in the meantime, i love my joyrides.

[Up4speed]

It's all relative. My M2 is my slow car that I drive fast, LOL (but admit, still may be too fast to push on public streets, I'm not 18 years old anymore)
However, I'm looking to go even slower, to be able to push even harder, so I ordered a 2022 BRZ. It is supposed to be fantastic for handling, balance, and feel. Plus, it is supposed to have a really good manual transmission (comparable to Miata), and fast enough to have fun (on street and track), but slow in today's sports car standards.
So that will be my ultimate slow car driven fast!

[richard in NC]

Originally Posted by happyjack

i dont have a ton of track time and i definitely want to push this car more by signing up for some HPDEs...but in the meantime, i love my joyrides.

Definitely join the BMW CCA and National Capital chapter. They have several events annually at Summit Point in eastern WV. I did the Summit Point Jefferson circuit in 2020 with them. That's a pretty good course for first timers yet also challenging to master some sections.

Summit Point also has multiple skid pads, an excellent opportunity to improve car control skills and enjoy some tail out driving. I spent an entire day and probably a dozen 5 minute sessions on it.

[wjones14]

Originally Posted by Up4speed

It's all relative. My M2 is my slow car that I drive fast, LOL (but admit, still may be too fast to push on public streets, I'm not 18 years old anymore)
However, I'm looking to go even slower, to be able to push even harder, so I ordered a 2022 BRZ. It is supposed to be fantastic for handling, balance, and feel. Plus, it is supposed to have a really good manual transmission (comparable to Miata), and fast enough to have fun (on street and track), but slow in today's sports car standards.
So that will be my ultimate slow car driven fast!

At least year's press event for the Toyota GR 86, both the base and premium versions were available for test drives. The base car uses Michelin Primacy HP "Grand Touring" summer tires in size 215/45-17. The premium package tires are Michelin Pilot Sport 4 max performance summer tires in 215/40-18. Several editors had the opinion that the base tires made the car more fun to drive, because it was much easier to slide and push the rear end out around the track. The Pilot Sport 4 tires were much more grippy (and faster around the track). So another example of the slower car being more fun.

PS. Have fun with your BRZ!