[Eliminator 429]

Hello everyone, I had owned an E92 M3 for a few years before trading it for a Shelby GT350 back in 2018. I sold the Shelby last fall and now I am planning on getting another M Car.

I am torn between getting another e9x M3 or an M2 comp. I love high reving V8's and the sound that comes from them how ever I am kind of worried that going back and meeting my Hero car will disappointed after having the Shelby for the last 5 years due to the older technology and much less power.

This car will be a weekend/fun car for my family, I have a young daughters who loves to go to car shows with me so I know the coupe isn't the best for car seats but I'm willing to put up with the hassle since its not a daily. Does anyone else use the car with small children?

Thank you in advance for all the feedback.

[(K)]

I have two kids under 5 and I'm able to fit both front facing car seats in the back without issues. My seating position also allows for ample kicking room behind the driver's side. Unfortunately.

[Eliminator 429]

Originally Posted by (K)

I have two kids under 5 and I'm able to fit both front facing car seats in the back without issues. My seating position also allows for ample kicking room behind the driver's side. Unfortunately.

Are you able to turn the seats around for rear facing and still have room?

I'm also six feet tall to put this in perspective of trying to fit everyone.

Thanks.

[(K)]

Unfortunately the kids are older and so we don't need the rear facing seats anymore so I can't comment on that.

I've seen photos of rear facing seats installed though, everyone puts that seat behind the passenger's side.

[ThreeStripes]

I have an F87 (tuned N55) and a buddy has a E92 M3. We occasionally swap cars. The turbo torque in the M2 really emphasizes the S65s powerband and the need to rev it out when hopping from one to the other. We both track them and the power and differences are evident there as well with the M2 digging out of low speed corners well and the S65 E92 being more responsive in some mid-speed sections. They turn very similar lap times in their current configurations.

Going from one to the other also highlights the interior improvements the F gen brings over the E…

The sound. My god. With a full exhaust the S65 produces one of the finest automotive sounds ever. It’s so incredible. My M2 isn’t even in the same ballpark when it comes to the aural experience. Ultimately they’re similar in some ways and very very different in others. You can’t go wrong here.

[Bruuuce]

I have had the OG M2 and now a M2C, I also still own my E92 M3.

I like the M3 better for many reasons as many mention. But the M2 is the go to driver on a regular basis.

E92 wins in the interior space and comfort
F87 wins on overal livability

my quick take.

my second quick take is get both, they are small.

[carchrism5]

Originally Posted by Eliminator 429

Are you able to turn the seats around for rear facing and still have room?

I'm also six feet tall to put this in perspective of trying to fit everyone.

Thanks.

I have one front facing and one rear facing infant with base. You can fit and overall quite comfortable as long as the passenger is under 5'6"ish. I often go with my two kids in the M2, still having space in the trunk for everything.

[BadgerDog]

Originally Posted by Eliminator 429

Are you able to turn the seats around for rear facing and still have room?

I'm also six feet tall to put this in perspective of trying to fit everyone.

Thanks.

Another owner with a rear facing car seat in the back. I have (for reference) this setup: https://us.britax.com/shop/travel-sy...vel-system-1-3. So it has a base and car seat. I feel its on the large end and it still works fine. My wife sits in the passenger seat in front of it with no issues, but shes on the short side (probably about 5'6" or 5'7"). Ive had taller people sit there as well without any major issues, but a tall person isnt going to like it for a longer term drive as much.

[Eliminator 429]

Thanks Everyone, I'm personally kind of leaning towards the M2 since it would be something a little different than what I've had in the past. Thanks for all all the input on the car seats.

The OG m2 vs Comp is still raging in my mind though.

[kabirsaxe]

Hey, I feel like I have the perfect answer for you as I just did a switch from an E92 m3 to F87 M2 competition.

The E92 to me is still a top 3 M car and the best m3 ever made. The feeling you get and driving pleasure is unmatched by any bmw.

The reason I switched from the e92 to the f87 is moreso for logistics reasons, not really because I wanted to. Since I only have one car, I got tired of having an older, well-mileaged car. And I think I made the right choice.

Overall, the M2 is better in every single aspect. It’s more comfy, has all the creature comforts, handles better, is faster, etc. If I was to put the M2 on the track, I would demolish the times I was putting with my M3.

However, there’s something about the E92 that makes me prefer it as a drivers car. The steering is heavenly, by far the best steering I’ve felt in any car. That’s my biggest gripe with the M2. The sound on the M3 is so good to the point that every other car I get into doesn’t sound good.

My 2 cents, if you have more than one car, get the E92. You won’t regret it.

If you have any questions, feel free to pm me.

[donkey]

Originally Posted by Eliminator 429

Thanks Everyone, I'm personally kind of leaning towards the M2 since it would be something a little different than what I've had in the past. Thanks for all all the input on the car seats.

The OG m2 vs Comp is still raging in my mind though.

No wrong answers here They all have their pros and cons.

I was considering the same three cars as well as the M4. I saw an OG M2 for sale with a 6MT and low miles and bought it right away. I would have done the same for a E92 or M2C, etc.

[m2ss]

Originally Posted by kabirsaxe

However, there’s something about the E92 that makes me prefer it as a drivers car.

Is it me or are BMWs getting bigger and bigger?

[kabirsaxe]

Originally Posted by m2ss

Is it me or are BMWs getting bigger and bigger?

Every car is getting bigger haha

[E90convert]

My M2 is my daily driver and I occasionally drive with my kids in the back. 3 year old with a fixed back seat, and 9 month old in a rear facing seat. It's pretty easy to buckle them in. Our main family vehicle is an X5, but sometimes I take the kids in the M2. I almost bought a new GTI because I was worried about the space and reliaiblity, but so glad I didn't because the M2 car really do it all!

I just love how nimble the M2 feels compared to a 3/4-series chassis.

[Drifter2090]

I've had 3 E9x M3's and all of them I ended up selling shortly after completing my "build".

My OG M2 is much more fun on the street imo, the S65 is amazing on backroads and WOT but regular street driving its very underwhelming. The M2 is fun all the time imo.

[M3R1]

Originally Posted by m2ss

Is it me or are BMWs getting bigger and bigger?

When I made up my mind to go from my E92 (sc'd) to an M2c I parked them next to one another and was very surprised to see what a meatball the M2 was. M cars have grown to an unacceptable size. I drove my buddies G80 xdrive and it is a very big car. (It was ridiculously fast btw, but that's another discussion).

Originally Posted by Drifter2090

I've had 3 E9x M3's and all of them I ended up selling shortly after completing my "build".

My OG M2 is much more fun on the street imo, the S65 is amazing on backroads and WOT but regular street driving its very underwhelming. The M2 is fun all the time imo.

When I first started looking for an E92 M3 I sure I wanted one. I drove a very low mile bone stock example and I often have describeded it as being very underwhelming. The owner thought I was crazy, because the price was right and the car was perfect. Coming from very fact cars I was expecting it to be more powerful.

The M3 I bought was awesome and I loved it to pieces, however the car had an ESS-625 kit on it as well as big bakes, suspension, etc.

SC'd M3s add the edge of excitement that the stock cars are lacking. I will say I have read that FBO cars definitely wake up the car, but I never had the pleasure of driving one modded to that extent.

The F87 (all varients) as a street car is simply a blast to drive. They do not disappoint (Well, perhaps the G87 crowd might disagree ). Stock they are great, tuned they are hilarious.

[W///]

I have both and will never sell either of them. I love them for very different reasons but I think they both look fantastic.

I've owned my E92 M3 since 2012 and I never found it underwhelming. For me, a stage 2 tune and cat delete really woke the car up, not to mention the car is unbeatable in the sound department. All you have to do is drive the car 10 seconds and realize the steering on the M2 doesn't match in terms of steering weight IMO. Seats and the ride even with lowering springs is better than the M2C. I feel like this car doesn't have to be pushed that hard to be fun (because of the engine). It'll for sure be slower than M2 but I think it's still rewarding. The brakes compared to the M2C is not as good.

M2C is just a hooligan and is a much more playful car due to wheelbase and low end torque. Its ridiculously fun to toss it around. Interior is not as well made/high quality as the E92 M3, but I would say it's perfect in terms of how much tech it has without going overboard. I prefer the shifter in the M3.

Unless something happens, these will never be for sale.

[850tgul]

I sold my ZCP E92 M3 at the beginning of COVID and have regretted it since.

For me, it was an all-time great car, mostly because of the S65. Sound is such a big part of the driving experience to me, and the S65 is almost unparalleled in that area. It is the rare example of car which makes amazing exhaust AND intake noise. Most only make one or the other, not both.

I am also an avid fan of high-revving NA engines and their responsive power delivery.

I went looking for a fun DD this summer and narrowed my search down to E9x M3s and F87 M2s. After missing out on a few M3s, I found and picked up a low mileage LCI M2.

I honestly didn't love the car when I first got it and it took a bit for me to mesh with it. The goofy stuff like not being able to get the sharper throttle response without disabling traction control. No single button to turn off the auto rev match. The clutch behavior on upshifts which made it very difficult to be smooth with the car. The dull response and turbo lag. This all infuriated me in a supposed driver's car.

What I did love about the car was the chassis/handling, the wide body looks, and (so far, so good) its reliability track record.

Over the last few months I've either completely resolved or damn near resolved all of my issues with the car thanks to some coding, a sprintbooster, and an MHD tune.

After experiencing some buyer's remorse, to the point where I was still looking for an E9x M3 to replace the M2 for awhile, I am now at a point where I am beginning to appreciate it.

TLDR; As a former owner and fan of the E9x M3, I have to come to equally appreciate the F87 M2 after fixing some of the out of the box nonsense it comes with.

F87 M2 > E9x M3 on looks, chassis, tech, torque, shifter (6MT), reliability
E9x M3 > F87 M2 on sound, throttle response, interior quality

In my mind, these two and the 1M are the standout M cars of the last 15 years.

[Tincan7]

Originally Posted by 850tgul

I sold my ZCP E92 M3 at the beginning of COVID and have regretted it since.

For me, it was an all-time great car, mostly because of the S65. Sound is such a big part of the driving experience to me, and the S65 is almost unparalleled in that area. It is the rare example of car which makes amazing exhaust AND intake noise. Most only make one or the other, not both.

I am also an avid fan of high-revving NA engines and their responsive power delivery.

I went looking for a fun DD this summer and narrowed my search down to E9x M3s and F87 M2s. After missing out on a few M3s, I found and picked up a low mileage LCI M2.

I honestly didn't love the car when I first got it and it took a bit for me mesh with it. The goofy stuff like not being able to get the sharper throttle response without disabling traction control. No single button to turn off the auto rev match. The clutch behavior on upshifts which made it very difficult to be smooth with the car. The dull response and turbo lag. This all infuriated me in a supposed driver's car.

What I did love about the car was the chassis/handling, the wide body looks, and (so far, so good) its reliability track record.

Over the last few months I've either completely resolved or damn near resolved all of my issues with the car thanks to some coding, a sprintbooster, and an MHD tune.

After experiencing some buyer's remorse, to the point where I was still looking for an E9x M3 to replace the M2 for awhile, I am now at a point where I am beginning to appreciate it.

TLDR; As a former owner and fan of the E9x M3, I have to come to equally appreciate the F87 M2 after fixing some of the out of the box nonsense it comes with.

F87 M2 > E9x M3 on looks, chassis, tech, torque, shifter (6MT), reliability
E9x M3 > F87 M2 on sound, throttle response, interior quality

In my mind, these two and the 1M are the standout M cars of the last 15 years.

I am currently looking at E90 M3s and OG M2s so this topic is very relevant to me.

So far I’ve driven 4 different E9X M3s and that has both made me want and not want to get one. The reason for that is seeing what happens if you don’t take really good care of an M car. I am really surprised by how creaky and beat up the interiors on some of the cars were that I looked at (without a ton of miles too). Not to mention obvious mechanical issues some of the cars had that felt like they’d be expensive to fix.

BUT, few other cars have had me smiling and laughing hysterically like an E9X M3 has.

I drove a DCT M2 and it just didn’t really grab me (but I’m a diehard MT fan). It was fast and sounded pretty cool but I wasn’t still thinking about it hours later. Then I drove a 6MT M2. Again, didn’t grab me like an S65 V8 but it was definitely fun and had me seriously considering one, but I just keep going back to…how freakin cool is it to have a 6MT RWD V8 sedan with an 8400 RPM redline?

It seems like the M2 is the “logical” choice.

• Newer
• More reliable
• Better MPG
• Faster in DD
• Better tech
• Better grip/handling

On the M3 pros list:

• S65 V8!
• Better steering feel
• More practical (E90 version)
• Better interior quality

Great to hear all of the different viewpoints here.

[Bruuuce]

just to jump back in on this one, as I still have both.

Agreed on many points about long term maintenance costs. The E9X platform, while not totally free from the computer controlled everything, it has far less of those features. Heck, there are kits to put a LS in an E9X as well...

While the F87 platform is super computer integrated and probably will have less user serviceable stuff. Heck, when the computer screen goes out, then what? Stuck to the dealer, or will there be aftermarket support, or junk yard support? Time will tell, will the car even drive without the screen operational, or some other non driving thingy?

The E9X platform does not feel as computer integrated, that is feeling like a good side of the coin to me, especially while out of warrantee.

interior fit and finish, early 00's designs vs late 01s designs. Usually the materials going backwards are better. Not sure I have a clear comment on this, but I think the E9X feels a bit higher end.

Happy Friday

[Bruuuce]

One more thing to add, why the heck are mufflers so expensive for these M platforms. I have a muffler I hate on the M3, but refuse to spend over 2500 for a couple mufflers and some bent tube.

[ThreeStripes]

Just sampled a track prepped E92 M3 again trading back and forth with my prepped F87 M2 and thought of this thread again.

Thoughts while they’re fresh:

- S65 is gutless under 4800RPM. The tradeoff of a high revving engine with a linear power band. Reminds me of my S2000 but with way more balls up top where it actually starts making power. Leaving it in 3rd through slow corners and the sampling the entire rev range, it’s insane how it just builds and builds and builds. Running all the way through the rev range up to 8000 feels like 20,000RPM. It may be one of the greatest sounding motors ever with an exhaust. It can’t be said enough.

- Riding the torque wave of a tuned N55B30T0 is somehow equally as awesome as the fun of reving the S65. It’s like the upside down world, but it kicks ass and you miss it digging into a S65 when it’s not wound up.

- I suck at heal-toe shifting and respect the hell out of folks that can fly with them on track.

- The tightness of a 2017 with monoball and spherical bushings everywhere makes the high mileage 2009 (even with MCS coils) feel loose.

- The steering in the E92 will absolutely ruin your perception of the steering in the F87. While it’s sharp and the front end grip on my car is strong, the feedback/feel from the E92 is just perfection. Driving only the F87, you acclimate and it’s not a drawback by any means but man sampling them back to back it’s startling and it takes a while to recode your brain to the F87 steering feel.

Hat tip to the guy above that owns both. The man is on to something.