[Sphygmomanometer]

I was born into a BMW family. Our first car was an E21 316i (Yup, port injection model), then there was a succession of E30s (Everything between 316i and 325i) before my brothers got an E39 528i and an E36 M3. I couldn't afford an M3 but I found a nice E39 528i with M suspension. I loved it and I drove it until it died.

No regrets.

[james3491]

Q1: What made you buy your first BMW?
A1: I loved the M2 F87 pre-facelift so since I had the chance to purchase the Competition model, thought it would be better.

Q2: Do you have any regrets?
A2: Not at all!

[Gazscotland]

Originally Posted by VisualEcho

What the...

Yeah a car giveaway site, buy tickets and they do a random draw, I was lucky

[dmsm2tw]

I guess I've always wanted to experience BMW's world renowned handling characteristics and M power performance, ever since I was young. In the past decades I've been driving cars from VAG, from MK5 GTI, 8P A3 to 8P S3 6MT, all very fun cars, but the M2 I purchased last month is something else, it is everything that all the information or media I saw before had promised, so I'm a happy man.

[alpineogm2]

Q1: What made you buy your first BMW?
A1: i wanted a RWD sports car, but loved the look of the golf Gti mk2...then i found out about e30's (back in 2012) i absolutely wanted a 2 door coupe, with shadowline trim so it had to be a 91 318is. it took me two years to find one. fast forward 6 years into the ownership and having heavily modified it (m54b30 engin swap, RTD shifter, ground control coilovers, medium case LSD, etc) it turned more into a weekend car with all the nice parts i had put on it, but i absolutely loved the feeling of rwd bmw's. seating position, cluster, the lines of the car and the classic yet aggressive look they have on the road. so i started searching for a summer car to ''replace'' it, even though i was keeping both. i was hesitating in between a manual f30 340i, f22 240i, and an OG m2. after thinking about resale value, the m3 suspension and looks, i found a screaming deal on a white, manual, LCI m2, which was exactly the spec i had always wanted and i pulled the trigger.

Q2: Do you have any regrets?
A2: Absolutely no regrets, my only regret if you can call it that, is not being patient enough to just save up the money and buy a used gt4 in a few years and suffer a boring daily driver in the meantime. but the m2 is amazing. only downside that really annoys me is the way powerband falls off about 6000rpm with stock turbo.

[JustChris]

Never 'bought' or owned outright a BMW. For me it's always been a company car or a PCP however about 12 of them and counting...but if things continue like the iX these figures might not rise very much. And that's ok BMW seems to not want my money anymore judging by the iC specific marketing launch ... weird?!

Anyway back OT.

My first was a 323i 6MT E46 in dark blue

I was just a young graduate at big company, had done well with a. MASSIVE 2 years experience and took the jump/risk/bribe of a move to a tiny company paying exactly 200% what I was on AND swapping out my Vauxhall Astra 1.9 for the start of the BMW dream.

I loved that car for sure, it blew my mind. I'd never driven anything so 'solid' and sportily built. How I managed 90,000 miles in U.K. traffic with the manual I don't know.

Also ''twas back in the before photos and inter network global computers (won't catch on folks) and I can't find a single picture of it!

[Djphonics]

1. I was looking for something fun to drive, that felt a bit special, and didn't look too 'specialised'. This car may be seen by clients, so I wanted something more subtle. A golf r couldn't be had new, so I started looking for alternatives. Enter the f87. I just need to get rid of the badges on the gills, and I can simply say its a 2-series. People who know what it is won't mind what it is.

2. Absolutely no regrets with it.

[EDWYER]

My dad's old 3 series when they were smaller.

[Rumbloki]

Wife said, "no more mustangs".

70 fastback
68 GT fastback
01 GT Bullitt
11 GT Premium Brembo Pack
17 GT Premium Performance Pack
73 Mach 1 - still have this on

[efluxtank]

I have been an "Audi guy" for 20 years! Always had a manual GT car. When it came to find a new car, it was the M2 in class by itself (in Manual) and was a FUN car!

[Steelguin]

Ford wants to put ADM stickers on all the mustangs. I refuse to pay ADM. Looked at and bought first BMW. 2021 M2 Comp. I love it. No Regrets at all

[SilverDust]

Q1: What made you buy your first BMW?
A1: Jeremy Clarkson's gushing over the E92 on Top Gear. He was spot on.

Q2: Do you have any regrets?
A2: Absolutely not. One of the better money pits to throw some into.

[Yvette]

Bang for buck

[M2Petrolhead]

I am on my 4th. 1999 323 5speed. bought new.
2008 328 alpine white auto. bought new.
2010 335 alpine white coupe, 6MT. bought in 2014. Modified with staggered setup, Bilsteins (lowered), resonator delete, JB4. Fun as hell, miss that car. Sold before I... took Euro delivery in June 2018 of 18 MT DCT. 2500 mile 3 week round trip to Barcelona, 1200 mile service in Barca. Unleashed on the way back. Just starting the mods with the warranty run out. BM3 first. Downpipe, charge pipe and IC up this winter (new home came with a heated oversize (30x30) garage!

I fell over for BMW in the 1989-1992 era. My ex and I bought our first home in Schaumburg, Illinois and across the street was a couple from Atlanta. He had a prize and joy mid 80s beautiful red E30 coupe. He washed and shined that baby every weekend. I admired the hell out of his love for that vehicle. I remember nothing about him, it is all about the car.

That flipped a switch where I was now tuned into the BMW channel, so to speak. I noticed everything BMW from that point onward. I fell over for every M3 along the way and when the E46 debuted; I had to have one. But alas, that ex-wife was not so supportive of such an investment & here I am with a really great M2 in the garage, still thinking about the E46 M3. I have a plan and a much more supportive 2nd wife, and before its too late - I'll find a well-cared-for E46 and stash that away. :-)

[.Slug]

Q1: What made you buy your first BMW?
A1: Hours upon hours of research into the M2 Competition. My two dream cars are M2 and C8. I wasn't able to secure a C8 allocation at a reasonable price before the M2, so M2 it is. Note, I recently got a C8 allocation at MSRP, waiting to be built for 2022. Not sure what I'm doing with that yet, but I may unload the M2 to save as much money as I can to go towards the C8 in the coming months and just drive a beater. That is if I won't take a crazy bath on the M2 resale. Otherwise, I'll keep the M2 forever and cancel the C8 allocation.

Q2: Do you have any regrets?
A2: Paying slightly over MSRP for the M2 Comp. Not that bad, but still didnt feel good. Also not getting a DCT so my wife could also enjoy the M2. She refuses to drive manual. She tried but she just wasn't strong enough to feel confident with the clutch and dexterity of shifting. One of the reasons the upcoming C8 might be preferred... its an automatic.

[calspyderman]

I was the only one in my group of pals in high school that didn't have a car. Mark has his Dad's gorgeous Mazda RX7. Jim had a VW Scirocco. Dean had a Rabbit GTi. Tina's brother Bobby (whom was a little older and we all looked up to) had a black 6.6 liter Trans Am. My best friend Rick had his Dad's TR2, and his Uncle's 1972 Datsun 240Z. We lived at Parts Plus and Griffin Motorwerkes in Berkeley, CA on weekends, ordering aftermarket parts and constantly upgrading the stereos.

Rick and I went down to Spenger's Fish Grotto at the bottom of University Avenue in Berkeley for clam chowder and crab sandwiches one Saturday late in our senior year of high school... and stumbled across this little shop called Hardy & Beck. Parked out front was an E9, the most gorgeous dark metallic blue 3.0CS with Alpina rims. Alan Hardy was kind enough to chat up a couple of soon to be college kids that clearly didn't have the means, and gave me a brochure to aspire to. 4 months later, the summer I graduated high school, before starting my freshman year at Cal - I got a 1976 2002. I slapped a pair of BBS rims on it and swapped the "thermal reactor" for a tii exhaust manifold - and took that car down to UC Santa Barbara to visit my girlfriend over 4 years before selling it upon graduating college and moving out of state. This was the brochure... someday I said to myself.

It would be 32 years later that I would end up getting a 1973 Datsun 240Z (like my pal Rick's); and 35 years later when I would own my second BMW, a 2020 M2Cs.

[N55 Lifer]

A1: We bought my wife a 2018 X3 330i and shorty there after went on a 1300 mile road trip. During that time getting to experience how well the car drove, how comfortable to interior was and how efficient it was on fuel. In the middle of the trip I told my wife that I wanted to start looking for a BMW for myself. Two months later, I was lucky enough to find a 2016 M2 with the drivetrain I wanted as well as the color I wanted reasonably close to home.

A2: Absolutely no regret buying the car. If anything, I wish I would have pulled the trigger sooner rather than waiting until we got my wife her X3 as I had wanted an M2 for quite some time after doing some homework and research on the car and BMW as a brand.

[(K)]

Originally Posted by VisualEcho

Since my '18 M2 is my first BMW, and it took a while to get me there (I'm 50), I thought I'd start a thread about what finally pushed me over the edge, what did the same for you, and if there were/are any regrets.

It doesn't matter which BMW you have or when it was purchased, all that matters is that it was your FIRST one.

I've always been a Japanese car guy, the size, the look, the feel, and the quality/inexpensive maintenance were very attractive to me. So why did I buy an M2? The combination of the M2's more classically-styled (not quite as square) look, fantastic sound, power, reliability, and FINALLY more friendly interior were too much for me to ignore. My only regret was not getting one with less miles and PPF.

So how about you?

Q1: What made you buy your first BMW?
A1:

Q2: Do you have any regrets?
A2:

First of all. If you're 50, I'm a monkey's uncle. I've seen your profile picture, you don't appear a day over 30!

To answer Q1 and Q2:

Q1: The E46 M3. I've always admired the car from a distance. That car was brand new right as I started high school and it made an immediate impact on me when I first started shopping [read "daydreaming"] for a car. It wasn't until a (well connected) friend let me drive his that I realized that this was the car to have. I've driven and owned many JDM icons since then and none really hit the sweet spot of performance, luxury, and all-around usability. I've been following the thing ever since I graduated highschool and saved up to by one (even coming close at one point). However life and priorities got in the way. By the time I was financially able to acquire one, prices were just unreasonable (even back then) and the platform was starting to show its age. It just wasn't something I was able to justify. Ended up sticking with my, then (and current), Honda for about 17 years. I've changed many careers and have matured financially since then so I recently decided that it was time. The timing was fantastic because the Competition was on its way out the door and, to me, the F87 was the perfect modern iteration of the beloved E46. As much as I loved it, I could no longer justify the prices of the E46 compared to the F87. I pulled the trigger and haven't looked back since then. No regrets whatsoever. Granted they are two different cars, the more modern F87 just exudes everything the E46 did during its time. Style, performance, power, etc. I feel that adding the E46 to my stable at this point is more of an exercise in indulgence so I'm going to hold off for the time being. I think the F87 is the perfect "me" car until I can add a GT4 to the stable.

Q2: No regrets, only satisfaction.

[Peter77BA]

Q1: What made you buy your first BMW?
A1: Actually colleagues. I was chosing between Renault Megane RS and BMW m140i. My colleagues recommended the m140i like no brainer. When I got the same price offer from the dealer, suddenly there was no option to choose from and BMW was a clear winner. And I didnt even sit in the car, neither heard the sound of that 6 cylinder. But later on, it was very nice surprise. And I enjoyed every single moment driving it.
So 2 years later when a friend called and offered me a 12k miles OGM2, i hesitated, as there was no need for such a car. One single test drive changed my decision. It was so different to m140i and since then I daily it and looking forward to each moment i can drive it.. great car.

Q2: Do you have any regrets?
A2: no regrets. I have never expected OGM2 to be such a drivers car. Loving it.

[PHX102]

I grew up reading my fathers Roundel magazines and slowly got hooked on BMW. I ended up getting a 1994 325is (e36) and never had a regret, though it did bring its own issues.

I took a break from BMW with an Infinity G35 that was truly a great car, before coming back to a 135i, then M2.

Currently flirting with the idea of a 997/991, but comparatively my M2C feels like a bargain, especially in this market.

[Killramos]

Need for Speed Most Wanted

[randyt]

Q1: What made you buy your first BMW?
My previous car was totaled out from under me and I needed another car quickly. Looking at a couple of cars and trying to figure out how much to spend. Using https://www.consumerreports.org to help understand price ranges, I saw "if you are interested in this car you may also be interested" in a list of cars. The last car on the list was a BMW 1 series. I decided to have a quick look.

- I walked around a 128i a bit & liked what I saw.
- I sat, adjusted the seats & loved the "fit" (I'm 6'5")
- I took one for a drive. Solid in city, on highway & outstanding on the twisties.

Love at first drive.

Q2: Do you have any regrets?
That 1er was a wonderful car until I was rear ended at a light and it was totaled. I have no doubt that I would still have that car now if that hadn't happened. I do love my M2, but I could be happy with another 128 or 228 as a daily. The Taco will do for now.