[MSH_]

Originally Posted by mfarrzhp

....I like analog gauges, A/C buttons, volume knob, and a manual gearbox. I don’t want a bunch of cheap plastic or piano black, but it doesn’t need to be luxurious. The only tech that I really like is Apple CarPlay.

100%....I'll add manual e-brake to that list.
For me less tech is preferred...less tech = less shit to go wrong down the road + for my M2C use case (2nd non-daily fun/canyon car) I just have no need for it.
The vast majority of drives are jumping in and hitting the canyons 5 mins from the garage....although this is certainly the painful time of year in that regard here at high elevation. Upside = keeps the annual mileage lower!
I do wish the HK sound system was a bit better (my old mk7 Golf R OEM sound system was miles better IMO) but honestly unless my daughter is in the car (my wife won't step foot in my M2C) both my 11 y/o son and I prefer the Active EL Mid+AA Axle back sound track almost 100% of the time.

[Neusser]

Originally Posted by Radders

Hi everyone,

I just want to preface the post with the acknowledgement that my first post on the forum is a bit of a rant.

2 months of ownership with an '19 M2C and I can't fault its capability - rapid, involving, and it looks incredible.

However there are a couple of things missing for me: the first quite specific and the second less tangible. Firstly, I feel like the interior is lackluster. It's solid and feels premium in its build quality, with the addition of some dry carbon livening it up a bit, but besides this there is a real lack of theatre.

How did we miss out on brushed aluminium pedal plates - and the car quite obviously should've had the centre console carbon pack as standard (DCT carbon cover, surround with alcantara and handbrake). This feels like an obvious value-engineering exercise carried out later on. But to add the interior trim I'd like would mean I have to spend £600 or so - to include some red M1/M2 buttons and floor mats which don't have blue stitching (?! - my car has the orange stitched seats).
It just doesn't feel considered.

Don't get me wrong, I want to ignore this stuff and just enjoy it, but it isn't a cheap car and I feel like it should have done better in the interior department. That and, it's winter here so I really can't get the full enjoyment out of the car, which is limiting my use of the car and brings me onto my next point.

It feels like something on the personality side of the car is missing. I don't feel like I've bonded with it much, where the Renault Mégane RS250 I had before this, (for a short 5 months before it went kaput - it was very very high mileage and just meant to carry me over between life circumstances) I bonded with far more in a short period. Maybe the M2C is just too capable and unshakeable in what it does; and the imperfections that give a car personality haven't come through yet.

As a new owner I just wanted to get these thoughts down on paper and see what more seasoned owners think. I really don't want to go spending 100's on M Performance parts because, as we all know, come the end of ownership you never see the money again - and messing around removing everything at sale isn't an option as I don't have time for the hassle.

It really just feels like a gripe that they didn't add some more of the 'M' treatment to this interior. Hey, at least we still have a gauge cluster. I'm not ready to face the wall of mirrors in a G series car yet.

Thoughts from any other owners?

Cheers
R

I find the interior acceptable, but cheap in some ways. There are many hard plastics common to the class, and the center console is a bit rickety.

That said, you have to think about what you are getting: The M2 Competition is more or less an M4 with a reduced (and more entertaining) wheel base. You get the same axles, suspension setup, engine, bracing, brakes, tranny, drive modes, etc.

Go look at what an M4 with a few options retailed at, and then look at your M2.

The M2 Competition is one of the greatest cars BMW has ever brought to market in terms of how it drives, what it offers, the looks and the value for money on hand.

Any gripes about the interior seem pointless.

[phriz]

I'll chime in. I bought my M2C in the final month of production in 2021, and have since clocked about 26,000 miles. I daily drove it until August of this year when I picked up a low mileage 2017 X5 xd35i. The M2 is my forever car, so I want to start backing off on the miles a bit. I feel like I've been able to enjoy much of what this car has to offer-- whether that's as a work commuter, mountain carver (I live in western North Carolina), or the occasional track day ( I go to Carolina Motorsports Park in SC).

I've always said a car is a very personal thing. Most of us wouldn't be on this forum if we didn't love the BMW brand. For me, I've wanted an M car ever since a friend of mine took me for a ride in his Z3M roadster when I was in high school in the late 1990's. The timing was perfect in 2021 so I went ahead and pulled the trigger on the M2.

The M2C embodies everything I have ever wanted in a sports car. I think the price was incredibly fair for what you get. I love that I can drive it 2.5 hours to the racetrack with nothing but a brake fluid flush, have a super fun afternoon pushing the car to its limits, drive it 2.5 hours back home, and turn around and drive it to work the next morning. There's not many other cars on the road that do all of those things as good as the M2.

I still turn around and look at this car every time I park it. The exterior is just stunning. It's understated enough to mostly fly under the radar, but I love the attention it gets from enthusiasts.

The interior is very on par with other BMWs from the F generation. I've been super happy with it. My X5 was fully loaded when it was new, and while it's definitely nicer than my M2, it doesn't feel like a massive step up, and I never feel like getting in the M2 is a huge step down. After 26k miles there are a few rattles here and there, but it's still mostly quiet on the inside.

Mechanically the car is stock. I did spec it with a bunch of the M perf carbon (port installed, so it's on the window sticker). I got the lip spoiler, front splitter and rear diffuser, side blades and side mirror caps. I also got the M perf pedals which I personally really like! I tinted the windows last year and I think it makes the exterior look even better. I also have Coco Mats on the interior, and I cannot recommend those enough. They give the inside a cool retro look. I have orange stitching, and the orange Coco mats compliment that perfectly.

For me, there's nothing else out there, at this price, that ticks as many boxes as the M2C. It's analogue enough to feel old school, but with enough tech to be convenient and not intrusive. The S55 is a wonderful engine, and seems to be pretty reliable if you take care of it.

Only you can decide if this car is for you OP. I'd say stay off the internet forums for a bit. Don't worry about what other people think or say about it. Spend more time with it, but in the end if its not your thing then that's okay.

[Mahduece]

Agree mostly. I had a full leather option Porsche prior to M2. The inside was gorgeous, but not “sports car”.

Now with the M2c, it’s much more of a spartan motorsports feel. I actually love it, but did add carbon and aluminum touches here and there. I absolutely would not want the g87 interior huge screens. I like buttons and minimal tech. It will age better imho.

[KevinC]

I'd love to have a "nicer" interior. But let's not forget this is a 2-series, the bottom of the lineup and they have M3's & M4's to sell, so you're not gonna get all the goodies in the bottom rung model. Having owned an E46 and other BMWs with interior quality issues, I'll be happy as a clam if this interior just turns out to be durable - no sagging a/b/c pillars, no rubberized coatings everywhere that start to wear off, etc. Dakota leather isn't as soft or "nice" as Merino, but it is durable as hell, so I'm cool with it. The one interior gaffe that I can't excuse is the hard plastic door card tops - a $20k Kia doesn't even do this, so this is shameful IMHO. Would love to have a lighted shift knob, more ambient lighting, some of those things, but also don't miss them. Just hold up - so far, 3.5 years and 38k miles and everything is in perfect shape, so all signs are positive.

My gripes are simple and common: the tiny gas tank, the substandard H/K "top" audio system, and... that's about it. I don't want aluminum pedals (I love the old brake/clutch pedals still in use on the F87, now extinct - those pedals date back to the '70s!), love having an analog cluster, love iDrive 6 and MUCH prefer it over the stupid iMax abomination in iDrive 8+. And absolutely love the classic exterior looks. I'm keeping mine, will be one of my last cars.

[Neusser]

Originally Posted by KevinC

I'd love to have a "nicer" interior. But let's not forget this is a 2-series, the bottom of the lineup and they have M3's & M4's to sell, so you're not gonna get all the goodies in the bottom rung model. Having owned an E46 and other BMWs with interior quality issues, I'll be happy as a clam if this interior just turns out to be durable - no sagging a/b/c pillars, no rubberized coatings everywhere that start to wear off, etc. Dakota leather isn't as soft or "nice" as Merino, but it is durable as hell, so I'm cool with it. The one interior gaffe that I can't excuse is the hard plastic door card tops - a $20k Kia doesn't even do this, so this is shameful IMHO. Would love to have a lighted shift knob, more ambient lighting, some of those things, but also don't miss them. Just hold up - so far, 3.5 years and 38k miles and everything is in perfect shape, so all signs are positive.

My gripes are simple and common: the tiny gas tank, the substandard H/K "top" audio system, and... that's about it. I don't want aluminum pedals (I love the old brake/clutch pedals still in use on the F87, now extinct - those pedals date back to the '70s!), love having an analog cluster, love iDrive 6 and MUCH prefer it over the stupid iMax abomination in iDrive 8+. And absolutely love the classic exterior looks. I'm keeping mine, will be one of my last cars.

DCT knob lights up. The DCT actually makes the interior feel more upscale. This really stood out to me in the test drives.

I agree, the upper door plastic should have been done better. That said, the other touch points are nice, and the carbon and alcantara inserts and the black panel display lift the interior enough for me.

I've never had an issue with Dakota. Though the Dakota in my 5er does seem a little more supple, and the hide somehow feels thicker. I dunno.

[KevinM]

I’m fine with the M2C’s interior. It fits the purpose of the car. It actually is very similar in concept to the interior of my 2007 Z4MC, and both, while obivoulsy different in many ways, are very analogue cars by design (the Z4M more so of course due to age). Hell, my Kia Telluride is WAY more luxurious than the M2C, and I am fine with that. I appreciate the luxury in the Telluride on long trips, but don’t need/want these features in the M2C.

For me, the pinnacle of a high-performance luxury car is still (after 20 years of ownership!) my 2002 E39 M5. Every surface is Heritage leather or alcantara. It really is something. I will say that when this was my DD and the kids were young, it was a full time job to maintain that interior! After all the time I’ve spent on that (multiple Leatherique treatments, etc.) I love the fact that I can just wipe down the leather in the M2C and that leather is NOT everywhere.��

I’ve been driving BMWs since 1998 and before the M2C I really had almost lost hope that I would be able to fall in love with a new M car again. I’m keeping this one.

[Bumpinjeep]

Originally Posted by Radders

Hi everyone,

I just want to preface the post with the acknowledgement that my first post on the forum is a bit of a rant.

2 months of ownership with an '19 M2C and I can't fault its capability - rapid, involving, and it looks incredible.

However there are a couple of things missing for me: the first quite specific and the second less tangible. Firstly, I feel like the interior is lackluster. It's solid and feels premium in its build quality, with the addition of some dry carbon livening it up a bit, but besides this there is a real lack of theatre.

How did we miss out on brushed aluminium pedal plates - and the car quite obviously should've had the centre console carbon pack as standard (DCT carbon cover, surround with alcantara and handbrake). This feels like an obvious value-engineering exercise carried out later on. But to add the interior trim I'd like would mean I have to spend £600 or so - to include some red M1/M2 buttons and floor mats which don't have blue stitching (?! - my car has the orange stitched seats).
It just doesn't feel considered.

Don't get me wrong, I want to ignore this stuff and just enjoy it, but it isn't a cheap car and I feel like it should have done better in the interior department. That and, it's winter here so I really can't get the full enjoyment out of the car, which is limiting my use of the car and brings me onto my next point.

It feels like something on the personality side of the car is missing. I don't feel like I've bonded with it much, where the Renault Mégane RS250 I had before this, (for a short 5 months before it went kaput - it was very very high mileage and just meant to carry me over between life circumstances) I bonded with far more in a short period. Maybe the M2C is just too capable and unshakeable in what it does; and the imperfections that give a car personality haven't come through yet.

As a new owner I just wanted to get these thoughts down on paper and see what more seasoned owners think. I really don't want to go spending 100's on M Performance parts because, as we all know, come the end of ownership you never see the money again - and messing around removing everything at sale isn't an option as I don't have time for the hassle.

It really just feels like a gripe that they didn't add some more of the 'M' treatment to this interior. Hey, at least we still have a gauge cluster. I'm not ready to face the wall of mirrors in a G series car yet.

Thoughts from any other owners?

Cheers
R

I wouldn't worry about people telling you how you feel is invalid because it actually is, so much that BMW themselves made changes for the next version of the M2 to address exactly that. The pedals are aluminum, if you order the carbon buckets, they are Merino leather, there's enough carbon fiber inside (and outside with the roof) to build a race car, the red M buttons, literally everything you posted. I've had both for an extensive period of time (one of the 1st US deliveries for the F87C and the first carbon package G87) and I can tell you there is indeed a night a day difference in interior quality between the two.
However, here's the kicker, the second you put it in gear and let off the clutch, the car transforms into something absolutely sublime. You forget all of the shortcomings and really enjoy the car in it's element. I think this is one of the things you are missing, i'll get to the other next. You're missing the connection to the car because you haven't had enough time to simply drive it. Get used to it's nuances, short wheelbase, narrow tires, you can hoon this thing around one second and drive relaxed the next.
The second thing I suggest you do is simply modify the car. Whenever you make changes to the car, you make it your own. Do some suspension mods, exhaust, interior stuff, turn it into the little dream machine you wanted. That really is half of the fun when it comes to owning cars. When you really get it dialed in, you really become one with the machine. You're almost there, don't sell yourself short, try to really experience the car for all of it's magic. The F87C is a classic and it's hard not to love it after you put some time behind the wheel.

[Distinct]

After living with an almost 20 year old E46 M3 interior, I want a functional and durable interior and I would give up luxurious to achieve that. The general interior design and materials of the E46 M3 were great until you had to deal with sagging, cracked/faded leather, peeling rubberized coatings, leaking mirrors, centre console buttons that dropped out. I want to keep my M2C for even longer. So I'd rather have tougher leather and simpler materials that don't have a rubber coating on them.