[Phantom_9192]

Picked up my HS M2C on Monday. I've only put about 120 miles on her (dealership was 50+ away) and she was in getting PPF for the past day+ so this will be initial impressions only. I haven't driven her in anger yet and will wait another ~1100 miles before I do so. Hopefully I'll remember to post an update then.

My background: my past three dailies have been 2xE46 M3's and an E92 M3, all second or third owner. I've been racing for longer than I care to admit and have driven or raced at 45 tracks in North America and have won races in one of the most competitive classes at 27 of those. I've also driven the 'ring and Spa. In short, I've driven a lot of a cars on a lot of tracks and I have strong opinions... and I'm an M guy.
That info may color your view of my review, so there you have it.

First things first, the negatives in order of my biggest issues.

1) the clutch throw is way too long. I have a $10 clutch stop on order and am hoping this will fix that issue.
2) yes, the exhaust can is udder-ly disgusting; I plan to paint it matte black
3) the shifter is a bit rubbery, especially compared to my FRS instruction car (stock shifter) - I can still "wrist shift", which is a test I do to see if I can quickly shift a car without moving my elbow and I'm relatively certain this will not be an issue for me after some more seat time in the car and with a shorter clutch throw.
4) auto rev match - I'm still irked that I can't turn it off without DSC off. See the bottom of this review for my speculation on how I can get around this, copied from a post I submitted in another part of the forum.
5) the wheels - I'm not crazy about them. They are nice, not epic.
6) I miss the power dome, but no way am I forking over what they want for the CF hood that includes it

And that's it on the negatives list so far.

So to the rest.
I love HS. Love it. BSM was a very close second for me but I'm very pleased with my choice. I met a hard core car buddy for lunch today (rainy and overcast) and the first thing he said was "wow what is that color? it's awesome!".
Get the CF spoiler, it looks incredible with HS.
I love the seats. Infinitely better than my E92 seats.
The brakes feel like they will detach your retinas if you're not careful, and I haven't even gotten hard in to them yet.
I actually like the Sport+ sound, though I haven't taken her over 5k yet.
It reminds me of the E46 M... a bit more 'raspy' than 'growly'.
I actually like the "Efficient" drive mode for one thing: it should be renamed "Highway Bluetooth conference call" mode.
The stereo is actually quite impressive. I have not heard any noticeable ASD yet and cranked up, it has solid bass and mid-range.
I think once I get used to the infotainment system, I'm going to like it (I've had iDrive for 6+ years). I am disappointed that you have to choose BMW's system OR Carplay and there is no interplay between them.
I love Sport+ and will be in that mode pretty much all the time when not on a conference call. I'm thinking sport steering will be my huckleberry but won't know for certain until I get to hoon a bit with her.

I've seen several comments about how the car feels more powerful after the break-in service. I would ask those users if they stayed under 5k as requested pre-service. If so, I think I know why they feel this way. The power doesn't come on until around 3500 and you're at 5k in an eyeblink. By the time you shift, you're back down a bit in the revs and 5k is there immediately again so (at least in a 6MT) you're doing a lot of work for minimal result and it feels like the car isn't as beast-mode as you were hoping. Imagine now near-tripling the range of that 3500-5000 pull without having to shift, and when you do shift, you're smack in the meat of it again. I'm guessing the car will feel crazy faster given that situation and I can't wait to get there. It seems insane being in a hurry to put miles on a brand new car .

So far I truly believe that this car is near perfect for me. I have a dedicated race car so I don't need a hard core track rat. This will be my daily including for conference calls, etc. That being said, I think it's going to be an absolute riot to drive and my gut feel is that it's going to be epic as an occasional track car if I decide to go that route.
I'm extremely pleased with the overall capability of the car and I expect that feeling to only be amplified as I get past the break-in service. More to come after that hopefully!

Couple of pics below, she now has full front PPF and tint (which really helps).

[Phantom_9192]

Here's my rev-match post from an OG M2 thread.

Just got my M2C and am also not a fan of auto rev-match. I heel/toe every downshift every time in my manuals (race, track, or street).
I've put 80 miles on my car now, none of them hard at all, and I noticed something specific about the rev match.

The rev match happens when you apply pressure to the specific gate you want to select. This makes sense as the ecu is waiting to see if you're going straight 4->2 for instance as opposed to 4->3->2 so it can appropriately rev-match.
As such, I'm thinking if I delay that pressure for just a tick and throttle blip on my own, then apply pressure and engage the gear (clutch still in obviously), then I'll control the rev-matching. This would allow me to keep doing what I love to do without having to go DSC off or code the rev-match out.
When I get to drive the car a bit more in anger post-break-in I'll try to remember to update this note to see if my strategy works.

[///M Houbi]

Originally Posted by Phantom_9192

The power doesn't come on until around 3500 and you're at 5k in an eyeblink. By the time you shift, you're back down a bit in the revs and 5k is there immediately again so (at least in a 6MT) you're doing a lot of work for minimal result and it feels like the car isn't as beast-mode as you were hoping. Imagine now near-tripling the range of that 3500-5000 pull without having to shift, and when you do shift, you're smack in the meat of it again.

How wonderfully well said! Absolutely spot on! I am 6MT at 2'150km now and just started to explore 6000-6500rpm's

Btw, you can entirely disable auto rev-match via coding if you want to

[Karmic Man]

Originally Posted by Phantom_9192

Here's my rev-match post from an OG M2 thread.

Just got my M2C and am also not a fan of auto rev-match. I heel/toe every downshift every time in my manuals (race, track, or street).
I've put 80 miles on my car now, none of them hard at all, and I noticed something specific about the rev match.

The rev match happens when you apply pressure to the specific gate you want to select. This makes sense as the ecu is waiting to see if you're going straight 4->2 for instance as opposed to 4->3->2 so it can appropriately rev-match.
As such, I'm thinking if I delay that pressure for just a tick and throttle blip on my own, then apply pressure and engage the gear (clutch still in obviously), then I'll control the rev-matching. This would allow me to keep doing what I love to do without having to go DSC off or code the rev-match out.
When I get to drive the car a bit more in anger post-break-in I'll try to remember to update this note to see if my strategy works.

Yes I also do double declutching when I downshift so I am not too concern about the rev match but if I am still not happy with it I will just code it off.

Beautiful car and great spec. So good to see another manual gearbox aficionado

[nomoracin]

Originally Posted by ///M Houbi

How wonderfully well said! Absolutely spot on! I am 6MT at 2'150km now and just started to explore 6000-6500rpm's

Btw, you can entirely disable auto rev-match via coding if you want to

Can you provide instructions on how to disable the auto-rev match please?

[akkando]

Originally Posted by nomoracin

Can you provide instructions on how to disable the auto-rev match please?

No clutch in when car starts option in Bimmercode does it. Have to hit start button twice to start car though.

[Phantom_9192]

Ergonomics update: the new tail light config narrows the entry area for the trunk vs the E92. My hockey bag now requires some intimate massaging to get in and out of the F87.

[Phantom_9192]

Just put the clutch stop in ($10 from Burger Tuning). At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, I honestly can't believe how much better the car is with it. Night and day. It took me 30 seconds and no tools to install it and the clutch travel is near perfect now.
Just... wow. I can't overstate how happy I am with it.

[///M Houbi]

Originally Posted by Phantom_9192

Just put the clutch stop in ($10 from Burger Tuning). At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, I honestly can't believe how much better the car is with it. Night and day. It took me 30 seconds and no tools to install it and the clutch travel is near perfect now.
Just... wow. I can't overstate how happy I am with it.

I had a clutch stop for over 15 years in my E46's... probably best/cheapest mod of all times

I have the BMS clutch stop in the M2C as well but lately read a lot about issues caused by it. Grinding gears, locking gears, gears popping out..

How many spacers did you insert, all three of them?

[Phantom_9192]

Yep, just inserted it as delivered and the friction point is near the bottom of the throw but not annoyingly so. Again, I haven't driven her in anger but it currently feels like the friction point is in a nice spot given the full clutch stop as delivered.

If anyone reading this is having the issues listed, either have someone adjust the friction point or more easily, just take some of the material out of the bump stop to lower the clutch back down a hair.

[mike@x-ph.com]

Thank you for sharing your review, i personally like these wheels

[Phantom_9192]

Update: ~350 miles in and a couple of things.

I'll probably take one spacer out of the clutch stop tomorrow and try it that way. I've occasionally caught 2nd and ground it a bit on the upshift out of 1st, almost always while turning. 2nd and 4th feel notchier than the other gears and I think it's because I'm right on the edge of the friction point at full travel with the as-delivered clutch stop.

A new minor complaint. Why is 6th gear not taller? Highway cruising could definitely use a taller gear for noise, gas mileage, and overall ride feel. The RPM drop from 5->6 is only around 500 RPM so at 70-80 MPH I'm at a much higher RPM for highway cruising than I'd like. I'm sure BMW had a reason, but I'm not coming up with it. It's not like there is any performance value to 6th gear any way. It should be a pure highway overdrive-like gear. It's almost like they put the same 6th gear ratio in the 6MT as they would in the 7 speed DCT where 6th would be nothing more than a waypoint to the cruising gear (7th).

Other than that, still absolutely loving the car.

[SEAT TIME RULES]

Phantom...

Make sure the clutch stop is low enough that the clutch is fully disengaged from the flywheel. I raced a E36M3 for years and lost the 2nd gear syncro because of a clutch stop that was set to high.

HTH,
HAZMAT

[Slaney]

Past the 1500 mile mark. Impressions are still great overall except for two glowing issues. First, the exhaust sound still sucks and the can is ugly. Second, power delivery in the mid-range is crap, laggy and feels lazy. My LCI M2 may have been super torquey in the mid-range but I miss that manic fever. This one is just plain lazy feeling and the pedal feel sucks.... Even in sport+

[Hooptie157]

Originally Posted by Slaney

Past the 1500 mile mark. Impressions are still great overall except for two glowing issues. First, the exhaust sound still sucks and the can is ugly. Second, power delivery in the mid-range is crap, laggy and feels lazy. My LCI M2 may have been super torquey in the mid-range but I miss that manic fever. This one is just plain lazy feeling and the pedal feel sucks.... Even in sport+

I totally agree with this. I was actually disappointed after break-in. It completely plateaus after 5.5k. It would be awesome with a tune because it would def charge hard to redline but I just don’t want to loose my warrenty or resale value so I’ll live with it.

[AudiOn19s]

Thank you for this point of view, your review hits home for me given we have similar backgrounds and like you I have a track car for track days, I have karts for wheel to wheel racing, I want a M2C an entertaining daily driver and really value the feedback you have provided here.

[Slaney]

Originally Posted by Hooptie157

I totally agree with this. I was actually disappointed after break-in. It completely plateaus after 5.5k. It would be awesome with a tune because it would def charge hard to redline but I just don’t want to loose my warrenty or resale value so I’ll live with it.

I've already started planning for the next hot rod daily driver. Thinking a Lotus Evora possibly. Sounds delicious. Kind of disappointed I traded my previous M2 but what do you do....

[chris719]

Originally Posted by SEAT TIME RULES

Phantom...

Make sure the clutch stop is low enough that the clutch is fully disengaged from the flywheel. I raced a E36M3 for years and lost the 2nd gear syncro because of a clutch stop that was set to high.

HTH,
HAZMAT

Yeah, this would be my worry using one. Is there any guaranteed way to make sure you're clear other than visual inspection (seems hard...)?

[SEAT TIME RULES]

Originally Posted by chris719

Yeah, this would be my worry using one. Is there any guaranteed way to make sure you're clear other than visual inspection (seems hard...)?

Put the stop in a conservative setting. then have someone else next to the car with the hood up listening. You could just feather the clutch so its barely engaged so the other person knows the sound. That should be a decent amount higher that where the stop is.

I'm going to get the UCP which is a much more expensive but elegant and hardy solution to the pedal travel and slop.

[G8rGrl]

Phantom, how do you like your M2C now that you've had it a few months?

[Phantom_9192]

Hey all, almost 2k in now and I'm still really, really enjoying the car. If I'm being honest, I could use a little more 'oomph' in the lower rev range but I understand why they tuned that out (on the M3/M4 as well apparently).
The shifter has really grown on me, though I'd like to move the friction point of the clutch up a bit to be more aggressive. I need to look into how that can be done. Bonus: it would also eliminate any challenges (perceived or otherwise) with the clutch stop/throw.

I usually grandma-drive my street car but I'll admit to hooning a bit in this one. I'm excited when it mists a bit because I can get into the MDM nannies in about .5 nanoseconds.

I really enjoy the sensitivity of sport+, which is odd as I didn't like it much in my E92 M. The engine feels so much snappier in sport+. Even though I know it's just drive-by-wire trickery, the car just feels more alive.

Regarding auto-rev match, it doesn't really bother me now. I still rev match myself when driving aggressively and if the system overrides/trumps my efforts, it's not noticeable. When I'm driving casually, the rev-match in comfort mode is very quiet and truly just there for a smooth downshift. It's hardly noticeable.

Once I find out where the M2C will be classed in SCCA Time Trial, I may give her a run there... that is, if I can find some reasonably priced track wheels that will fit over our calipers.

I think this is going to be my favorite M car overall (2 E46 M3's and an E92 M3).

[bri1042]

In every modern "adjustable throttle mapping" car I've driven, one mode seems to be the mode that the car was designed for. In my 340, Sport felt correct, Sport+ was fun but didn't feel natural, and Comfort felt like the car was being held back. The C43 I drove felt unnatural in all of it's versions of "Sport". My SO's 2.4L TLX feels right in middle-mode, and it's full sport mode is sort of a joke.

My M2C's Sport+ mapping feels correct for the engine. Comfort is for parking lots and driveways, and Sport is just there so I don't annoy my SO when we're out shopping.