[K-Fab]

Howdy all.

Just a quick intro to this new world. Been in the Four Ring brand since 2003 and decided to give something else a try.

Picked up a 2020 M2 Competition yesterday, August 13, 2019 from BMW North Scottsdale.

Didn't even know the M2 existed until this past Sunday when I had one beside me in traffic. Perked my interest on sight - and I'm tired of the Q8 I'm presently in - I miss a sports car! (last was a '17 Audi R8 V10 Plus but I actually liked the 2011 V8 R8 that I drove for 6 years prior so much better).

So I started doing a bit of research on trackable (oriented) cars and it came down to a brand new M2 or a very well set up 2016 Cayman GT4 I found in Vegas. I'm a PCA HPDE Instructor and presently play with a Radical SR8 on the track but, to be honest, I miss a street car - the simplicity, ease and lack of cost to run. The Radical is just that - RADICAL - and more than I want to deal with. (painfully pricy!)

I guess since I'm now here on this forum, it's obvious which route I took.

Anyhow, had to get my feet wet this morning and go see what this little white beastie is capable of so I headed out Cave Creek Road past Bartlett lake road where it’s twisty and fun. Also took a romp down Bartlett 5-6 miles on its twisty section. Figured I'd share my initial thoughts:

Drove it in full “performance” mode once I got to the playground.

M2 is light and airy feeling. A bit detached but planted at the same time. A lot more chassis movement than the R8. There's a skittishness in the chassis - it moves a lot - but it doesn't give me any lack of confidence in what it can do.

I got flight time over a couple rises and it settles back in nicely. I also managed to G it out in a few dips and it does it with ease and style. Vertical G-loads are not an issue with this machine.

It started feeling more natural as I drove more. Will take seat time to get fully comfy.

Steering is definitely on the light side. Could use a bit more feedback but nothing that’s a deal breaker. I'd like more feeling in the wheel but I'll get used to this.

WILD being in a rear end happy car. It drifts easily but very controlled.

It goes from understeer entry (not bad but there) to oversteer on throttle. It will take some pedal dancing to scoot around a track.

Track is SO much smoother than what I just drove so I’m looking fwd to seeing what it’s manners are there since it’s showing good qualities on undulating and rough surface stuff.

Brakes are excellent. Left footed the whole time very confidently. Only got ABS to talk to me once.

Trans is silk. I think smoother than the S-tronic and damn quick.

So is the power. It doesn’t seem like it’s doing a lot but it is able to stay in the rev range very well and I was surprised at the speeds I was running when I did glance down at the speedo (saw 130+ on a little short straight. woo hoo).

Sounds great too.

It does donuts! Yes, I did donuts in a car with less than 50 miles on it. I've not had a car that will do them for years (always Quattro) so the chance to knock out a couple was taken and enjoyed.

I’d like to have visors that slide but I can’t ever complain about any visor after the R8’s “sun flap”. 😊

Needs tinting. A/C works well but it’s a fish bowl right now.

I like the ergonomics a lot. Comfy, I fit well. I do miss a/c in the seats...

Layout of things like cruise and some of the media nav is alien to what I’m familiar with and will take getting used to but it’s quite easy to navigate thru the menus and such (easier than Audi).

I think I’ll like this thing.

I'll be asking questions, picking brains and such. I want to get it set up as a trackable vehicle; will be looking into light weight wheels and hopefully Hoosiers have a size that fits and probably a roll cage of some sort. I've already seen a few contenders.

Anyhow, just saying hello.

[Drop the hammer]

Welcome to the forums and the brand. You’ll need brake fluid and pads (maybe some type of venting) and probably camber plates and you’ll have a beastly little capable track toy.

[Anthony1s]

Ignored the break-in period? Any reason for doing so?

And congrats on the new car. Sounds like you enjoy it.

[skier219]

DCT it sounds like, or 6MT? Welcome aboard!

[FreeDarko]

Originally Posted by Anthony1s

Ignored the break-in period? Any reason for doing so?

And congrats on the new car. Sounds like you enjoy it.

Would like to know as well.

[K-Fab]

Originally Posted by Anthony1s

Ignored the break-in period? Any reason for doing so?

And congrats on the new car. Sounds like you enjoy it.

Thank you.

I come from years of build an engine and throw it on a dyno. Get it up to temp and then use it as planned.

A bit brutal? Maybe so but seat time and too many vehicles, from motocross bikes to desert racers to superbikes and jet skis I’ve always seen less oil usage and better compression numbers using this method with no detrimental side effects.

Break in was required years ago when machining processes and metallurgy were less precise than they are now. Modern equipment and technology (thank you Honda!) along with more advanced lubricants make break in a moot point, at least in my opinion/experience.

Warm everything up to temp, go have fun.

@skier - DTC 7 speed.

[SeanWRT]

Welcome to the club! Enjoy the honey moon.

The beauty of this little beast is as you stated the performance with simplicity, ease and ergonomic. It commutes and carries wife, children and their stuffs day to day and doesn't need much more than tire & brake fluid to be prepared for track, unless you're really time attacking.

I'm surprised coming from a 17 R8 V10 plus, you still like M2C for its capability (even think it "sounds great..."). 17 R8 plus felt to me leagues above everywhere, especially on track.

BTW what exactly is it that you like so much more about the 2011 R8 than the 17 model?

[K-Fab]

I've been in four R8s and have 153K miles worth of seat time over 10 yrs.

First two were MT6, third was an R-tronic - all V8.

First one had a tree jump out in front of it, second was a lemon and I put that horrid Heffner twin turdbo system on it so it just made it worse. Got it used (11K miles) in August of 2010, ordered the third in Dec. because it was such a nightmare.

Fourth was the '17 V10 Plus - amazing car; brutal, exceptionally quick, understeered badly, loud, unrefined, not a daily steetable car, which is what I used my R8s for. On track it was a blast (other than that darned understeer). Incredibly quick, capable of high G-loads in corners (especially with Hoosers for sneakers), excellent at switch back stuff (like the chicane at Spring Mountain at the end of the straight - Oh yeah! Little maintenance braking in, flick, throttle, flick, brake. WOO HOO) and a blast.

That said, the 2011, a V8 R-Tronic (beautiful gearbox IF you understand how to drive it) with mag ride was so much more fun of a ride. It was far better balanced on the track (heck in everyday driving), comfortable, civilized. Wasn't the performance beast of the V10 Plus but I like the Gen 1 R8 much more than the Gen 2. I actually looked around to see if I could find any Gen 1 R8s that fit my criteria as a the first car to replace the Q8 that the M2 now has.

I know better than try to compare the M2 to the R8 - it's not in the same league. Simple as that.

But after being out of an R8 for about a year and driving a big orange SUV, hopping into the M2 is a breath of fresh air and my seat dyno's been either in sleep mode or off on vacation so now it's been awaken again.

I've been tracking a Radical SR8 for the past year so even hopping back into something like a Gen 2 R8 or Huracan is a (big) step down on the track.

I'm just going to do a full reset and start playing with the M2 with a fresh perspective.

The M2 is skittish, squirms around, has massive chassis movement and feels very unstable compared to the R8 - which I'm good with. Makes the experience and the work required to go faster just that much more of a challenge. I know it's a very capable track car and I'll work on dialing it in that direction.

I have fun in my cars. I may be 54 years old now but I become a testosterone poisoned 17 year old on occasion.

I'll put the past tracking as experience in a different realm and not expect the same sort of results, at least time wise, around a track. The M will be fun.

[KevinM]

Welcome from another Arizona M2C owner! My parents live in North Scottsdale, so I'm familiar with the area. I've had a lot of cool cars, and I love the M2C as well!

[Brandt51]

Hell....Yes.

Rip on it.

[SeanWRT]

Originally Posted by K-Fab

Fourth was the '17 V10 Plus - amazing car; brutal, exceptionally quick, understeered badly, loud, unrefined, not a daily steetable car, which is what I used my R8s for. On track it was a blast (other than that darned understeer). Incredibly quick, capable of high G-loads in corners (especially with Hoosers for sneakers), excellent at switch back stuff (like the chicane at Spring Mountain at the end of the straight - Oh yeah! Little maintenance braking in, flick, throttle, flick, brake. WOO HOO) and a blast.

M2 also has understeer on turn in, and the harder you push on track the more of it you'd feel. The fact that many put wider tire at the back in order to improve straight line traction leads to even more imbalance. But at the limit M2 is somehow manageable by throttle. I know understeer has always been the fun killer and most of modern performance machines have a tendency of going to that direction.

I wouldn't say M2 is a good track car right out of box. It is a fun car to drive day to day (which is extremely important in ownership experience) and is one of more trackable machine in its class.

I thought if not for the understeer part which isn't present on street, R8 MKII fits the bill for you even better being an easy daily driver and insanely quick exotic sports car, no mention of the glorious V10.

[mrcheezle19]

What made you chose M2C over the GT4? I'm considering this same comparison myself as I had a 17 M2 already.

[airborne777]

Originally Posted by K-Fab

So I started doing a bit of research on trackable (oriented) cars and it came down to a brand new M2 or a very well set up 2016 Cayman GT4 I found in Vegas. I'm a PCA HPDE Instructor and presently play with a Radical SR8 on the track but, to be honest, I miss a street car - the simplicity, ease and lack of cost to run. The Radical is just that - RADICAL - and more than I want to deal with. (painfully pricy!)

Congratulations !

I am curious why you didn't go the Cayman or Cayman S route?

Thanks for the description and good detailed breakdown of your experience with it!

[MystroX5]

Welcome. Many of use are previous Porsche and Audi owners. My M2C replaces my 911 C4S. The M2C has a “x” factor that stands out in today’s sports cars. Its just more rewarding, fun and in the right size platform.

[BlacMacJac]

the M2C is, somehow, my first RWD car.

all previous were mostly AWD (a couple brief FWD) - and the best part, so far, of this new car is learning how to drive it differently than what I'm used to with AWD.

[MystroX5]

Originally Posted by BlacMacJac

the M2C is, somehow, my first RWD car.

all previous were mostly AWD (a couple brief FWD) - and the best part, so far, of this new car is learning how to drive it differently than what I'm used to with AWD.

I missed the connected feeling of RWD to my ass. Most everything was awd the last decade except for my classic 911 and that doesn't count as it handles like a old car. My last C4S felt like superman in the corners as you knew it was stuck like glue but it also came at a price of feeling numb all the time.

[Brandt51]

Originally Posted by BlacMacJac

the M2C is, somehow, my first RWD car.

all previous were mostly AWD (a couple brief FWD) - and the best part, so far, of this new car is learning how to drive it differently than what I'm used to with AWD.

Millennials

Just kidding. But that is weird.

[BlacMacJac]

Originally Posted by Brandt51

Millennials

Just kidding. But that is weird.

Im in my 50s - and my first owned car when I got a post college job was a 1992 AWD Eagle Talon
Mostly Golf R and RS Audis since.

[K-Fab]

Thanks for the replies.

I’m fully aware that I’ve “stepped down” a bit performance wise relative to the last R8 but I’m totally good with it. New car, new experience.

Originally Posted by mrcheezle19

What made you chose M2C over the GT4? I'm considering this same comparison myself as I had a 17 M2 already.

To be honest, having a third pedal.
The Cayman GT4 that I was considering only comes in a manual 6.

I be spoiled - I like paddles! Never have been able to heel/toe and all my racing stuff has been CVT (snowmobile drivetrain) powered. I’m a left foot braker and don’t enjoy having to deal with a clutch. I can drive a manual, just don’t enjoy it as much as having a DSG.