[sdhotwn]

Hi All,

I'll add a couple "save spots" below this first post to put in some updates later as this goes, especially in spring when I get to do more with the car, but wanted to share my thoughts and story as I have loved so much reading other people's deliveries.

First of all - thanks to this forum and all the other CS enthusiasts. You have made the year plus wait enjoyable and informative, and so much fun. Great experience!

I've been racing cars, karts, and the like in autocross, competitive time trial, and HDPE type formats for around 17+ years. Did 3 skip barber schools, have driven on more than dozen tracks around the world, and turned into a complete car addict. I spent years doing supercar rental drives to get hot laps in various supercars etc. I fell in love with BMW after starting autocrossing a 1998 318i. I autocrossed an E90 325i, an E46 323ci, and my E36 M3 along the way. I have an F30 335 as a daily driver, and also track my E36 M3 now for fun. After all the years of BMW's I fell absolutely in love with the Porsche 981 GT4 when it came out, it was the most beautiful thing I had ever laid eyes on and fit the ideal size, power, and price point for me. So I spent 5 + years obsessing to buy one and was all set to pull the trigger for spring of 2020. Then I drove one... and really didn't like it, at all. So I started my search over completely and despite genuine efforts to not get another BMW, I found out about the M2 CS and started falling in love again. It was something that gave a little rarity, power and track capability, I could enjoy with my kids, and was still compact. I decided to test drive an M2 first to see if I really liked the feel, and after I drove an OG M2 for a test drive, I realized that was the platform that seemed to have the right ingredients. Deposit went down on 12/6/2019.

I'll come back to this post and fill in some of the timelines and journey, but this morning at 9 a.m. I drove it off the dealer floor, and on to the street to try and see how many miles I can get on it! I took a break to eat lunch, and type up this post and share some initial thoughts.

First impressions:
Steering is incredibly direct and immediate. Notice it instantly, and the car just moves with you and around you. It has a flatness and directness that really mirrors the feel of my E36 M3 that is on coilovers.

Brakes - holy buckets are they grabby and amazing. I can't wait for hot weather and good tires, because these things will knock the wind out of you.

Ride - in comfort mode it is stiff but very very livable. Does an incredible job of rounding off the rough pavement from winter potholes etc. I am really impressed at the livability of it all.

Engine - this I can't do much with yet. It doesn't feel that amazing in comparison to my 335 yet, but at the same time it gets itself up to the 5k limit for break in so fast that you just can't do much or feel much.

Sound - I like the gravely rough tone it has. It feels "mean" all the time. It's not a musical tone, but it's very sporty and athletic in its tone.

Transmission - I like the clutch pedal, it is not vague or overly springy at all. It's smoother than my F30, and lighter than my E36. Easy to shift well. The shifter itself has a great feel. Nice clean smooth throws with a feel that moves more toward a hardended plastic gate feel over the traditional BMW rubber feel. So it has a slick firm shift feel with a tiny bit of give. It doesn't "snick" gear to gear it more "tamp"s gear to gear.

Overall the handling is really defined by the steering experience. The way it hustles into a corner is so immediate and direct and builds confidence. I'm driving in high 20 degree weather on summer tires and the car is doing amazing. I'm being careful to avoid ice etc (afternoon will soften the roads further), and I can't push any kind of limit. You really just feel confident, connected, and aware of the car.

Really pleased right off the bat.

What I'd change if I was making a perfect car:
A little less road noise
Different e-brake handle
More sonorous exhaust note under full tilt
Why is there one single piece of Matte plastic on the car with the M2 side gills? Will replace.

That's about it.

Enjoy the photos!

[sdhotwn]

Hold for Updates #1

[sdhotwn]

Hold for Updates #2

[sdhotwn]

Hold for Updates #3

[Hedoniste]

Awesome congratulations ! 🎊🍾🎉🎈

[medphysdave]

Nice. I like your description of the shift feel. I was having trouble describing the mechanical feel of some boxes and the "snick" hit the spot. I've heard "bolt action" used and that never quite fit for me.

[killerdeck]

Thank you for the details on Day 1 of driving! I am anxiously awaiting to hear more being an OG M2 owner with a deposit on a CS. I would be really curious to hear some more impressions on the exhaust over the next couple of weeks. Congrats on a beauty!

[cncmastr]

Love it!

"First of all - thanks to this forum and all the other CS enthusiasts. You have made the year plus wait enjoyable and informative, and so much fun. Great experience!"

For real, this whole group of knuckleheads has been a great support group. When this car was announced last Nov, I feel like this is has been a great distraction and good positive place to come and spend time looking forward to get our heads out of the poop show that is going on around us.

[CarJunkie]

Thanks for the write up...looking forward to more! (OK, so I am really looking forward to my delivery, but these virtual deliveries help!)

[robertm]

Today was an excellent day and one you won't forget. Congrats on a fantastic new ride!

[sdhotwn]

I was in the car for over six hours today. Few notes from that.

Never once hit the idrive controller
With more driving the thing I discovered is the engine character really comes on at 4k, which sucks with the 5k limit.
Man this front axle and brakes are amazing!
Grip for days and days and I'm running summer tires in 29 degree weather.
Never missed the arm rest, with my right hand on my thigh the huge seat bolsters support your arm really well.

Itchy to get back in the car already... More photos will come later tonight.

[21450]

Great write up. Congrats on your awesome delivery. My CS is same build as yours. Enjoy!

[AxM2CS]

Appreciate all the notes .. and congratulations!! Great to hear all the positive comments. E.G., not missing the armrest thanks to the bolster. And the performance of the front-end (of course) and the iron brakes. I'm awaiting delivery to your exact spec. So what do you think of MB, and MB-on-gold, in person?

[W///]

Congratulations, M2CS in my dream spec on top of that! As I mentioned in another thread, very much looking forward to your comparisons with the E36 M3 and how they coexist in the same garage.

Out of curiosity, what about the 981 GT4 didn't you like? Had the chance to drive one a few times

[CSBM5]

Originally Posted by sdhotwn

After all the years of BMW's I fell absolutely in love with the Porsche 981 GT4 when it came out, it was the most beautiful thing I had ever laid eyes on and fit the ideal size, power, and price point for me. So I spent 5 + years obsessing to buy one and was all set to pull the trigger for spring of 2020. Then I drove one... and really didn't like it, at all.

I have that question too about the GT4, lol. I've been autocrossing/tracking/time trials/etc for more than 40 years, so we probably have similar desires/tastes in a car. I love everything about the GT4 (haven't driven one yet), but from various sources input, I've gathered I would not like the gear spacing especially in street driving. Here's the C&D take on that issue: "First and second gears are incredibly tall—second is good for nearly 80 mph. That gearing takes a bit of around-town zip out of the GT4."

Granted on track it's likely not really an issue, but even there I'd likely prefer a 2nd gear topping by mid-high 60s at most. Also I'd imagine the GT4 being an extension of myself almost immediately behind the wheel if it's anything like a 996 GT3 in that respect. I have a fair amount of seat time in the 6GT3, and it was astounding how I was immediately doing near perfect rev-matched downshifts, trail braking bleed off just right, etc; the car was just telepathic as is from the factory (disclaimer: this is a 15 year old memory at this point, so perhaps embellished a bit).

Your CS looks outstanding and is exactly how I'd order it except with PSC2 which I know if you had those you'd have to keep it in the garage up north in order not to expose them to 25F or less temps. Looking forward to your future notes once you get warm weather and dry roads! The PSS is not such a great longitudinal grip tire compared to an RE-71R (of course) or even the PS4S (amazingly better than PSS in that regard, especially on colder pavement), so initially be mindful of that on the street with DSC off; it's fortunate the M2C/CS is wonderfully controllable out back.

[sdhotwn]

Originally Posted by AxM2CS

Appreciate all the notes .. and congratulations!! Great to hear all the positive comments. E.G., not missing the armrest thanks to the bolster. And the performance of the front-end (of course) and the iron brakes. I'm awaiting delivery to your exact spec. So what do you think of MB, and MB-on-gold, in person?

I like how Misano looks in person. The intensity of the blue is great for a more intense or focused car. It does shift a lot with the light as well in how it presents. I was noticing this morning that under artificial lights it has some unique tones in it. I've gotten a number of compliments on the color overall.

The gold wheels I'm more indifferent on. I ordered them in part because it's the launch look for the car, and BMW hasn't really done much for gold wheels so I liked that uniqueness. However, as far as making the car look great, I'm not as sold (I think they look amazing on the black cars though). I plan to get another set of 763M's for track duty and those will be in black and may be the more commonly run look for my car.

here's a photo of the car in the garage next to my F30 (which is pretty dirty unfortunately) but gives you an idea of MB next to EBII.

[sdhotwn]

Originally Posted by W///

Congratulations, M2CS in my dream spec on top of that! As I mentioned in another thread, very much looking forward to your comparisons with the E36 M3 and how they coexist in the same garage.

Out of curiosity, what about the 981 GT4 didn't you like? Had the chance to drive one a few times

GT4 will vary for a lot of people, but for me it was a combination of a number of things. The biggest factor really was the crazy long 1st and 2nd gear. This then led into a combination of things. The engine doesn't really sound good or sing at all until well over 4K in that car, but to get there you basically had to do illegal speeds in 2nd gear. Combined with the overall high capabilities of the car, it led to an extremely "boring" feel on the street. It was very precise, but there was this nature to it on the street that didn't put a smile on your face when you drove it, very different impression compared to the way the OG M2 struck me when I drove it. There's no tossing the tail around "just for fun" at legal speeds, or staying trim on twisty roads at your pleasure.

On top of that, the road and mechanical noises were incredibly loud. On the highway you could not hold a conversation with someone next to you, you had to shout. The M2 is not a particularly quiet car on the inside, but it is much better than the GT4.

Combining those things above with the lack of back seats, I realized that the GT4 was going to be a great track car, but not so much a fun "perfect summers day" type daily driver. I was going to have to work at driving it day to day during the summer and fit it into the daycare drop off schedule etc, and still not feel at times like it was worth it. So to spend that much on a car, and not be confident that I'd be making excuses to try to drive was an indicator it was wrong for me.

On the other hand... I am already making excuses to drive the CS and it's winter, and the roads are crap and the like

[sdhotwn]

Originally Posted by CSBM5

I have that question too about the GT4, lol. I've been autocrossing/tracking/time trials/etc for more than 40 years, so we probably have similar desires/tastes in a car. I love everything about the GT4 (haven't driven one yet), but from various sources input, I've gathered I would not like the gear spacing especially in street driving. Here's the C&D take on that issue: "First and second gears are incredibly tall—second is good for nearly 80 mph. That gearing takes a bit of around-town zip out of the GT4."

Granted on track it's likely not really an issue, but even there I'd likely prefer a 2nd gear topping by mid-high 60s at most. Also I'd imagine the GT4 being an extension of myself almost immediately behind the wheel if it's anything like a 996 GT3 in that respect. I have a fair amount of seat time in the 6GT3, and it was astounding how I was immediately doing near perfect rev-matched downshifts, trail braking bleed off just right, etc; the car was just telepathic as is from the factory (disclaimer: this is a 15 year old memory at this point, so perhaps embellished a bit).

Your CS looks outstanding and is exactly how I'd order it except with PSC2 which I know if you had those you'd have to keep it in the garage up north in order not to expose them to 25F or less temps. Looking forward to your future notes once you get warm weather and dry roads! The PSS is not such a great longitudinal grip tire compared to an RE-71R (of course) or even the PS4S (amazingly better than PSS in that regard, especially on colder pavement), so initially be mindful of that on the street with DSC off; it's fortunate the M2C/CS is wonderfully controllable out back.

I loved the Cayman GTS and the GT3 on track, and that was part of why I was so surprised I was disappointed when I drove the GT4 on the street. I think the PDK may help fix that on the newest generation for some. The less forgiving rear end for a little bit of amusement day to day is a factor to consider too.

I was really surprised how much grip there was with the PSS. I have Bridgestone PS04's on the F30 and those are like hockey pucks as far as grip on that car with that suspension, and the PSS's on the CS were amazing in comparison. Not sure how much of that is the tire difference versus suspension differences, but I was really pleased in what I found for grip.

[///AVM]

Congrats SDH !!!

Have fun and be safe!

///AVM

[CarJunkie]

Originally Posted by CSBM5

The PSS is not such a great longitudinal grip tire compared to an RE-71R (of course) or even the PS4S (amazingly better than PSS in that regard, especially on colder pavement), so initially be mindful of that on the street with DSC off; it's fortunate the M2C/CS is wonderfully controllable out back.

I am really hoping my 1M's OEM style-359 wheels with PS4S will fit (albeit 10mm outboard) just for fun. My track tires are usually on the 1M for most of the summer, so I have the street set up sitting around. It would be fun to drive the CS back to back and compare PSS to PS4S. They probably won't fit without rubbing though.

[CSBM5]

Originally Posted by CarJunkie

I am really hoping my 1M's OEM style-359 wheels with PS4S will fit (albeit 10mm outboard) just for fun. My track tires are usually on the 1M for most of the summer, so I have the street set up sitting around. It would be fun to drive the CS back to back and compare PSS to PS4S. They probably won't fit without rubbing though.

It will be tight. The offset difference in the rear is 15mm not 10.

Re PSS in cold weather (dry roads)...I had them on my E90 M3 and E39 M5 and of course the M2C, and the switchover to PS4S made a really noticeable difference in longitudinal grip, launching, etc, in all three cars. The M2C was hard to hook in 1st and 2nd (DSC off) even on 60F dry pavement, but we switched to the PS4S at 10k miles, and it was actually pretty amazing how much more launch grip there was.

The PS4S is more comfortable and quiet than the PSS, and it generates higher peak grip in dry and wet vs PSS; however, take note: if you're highly particular like me, you'll notice that the slope of the cornering force vs slip angle function for the PS4S is not as high as the PSS in the long linear region (I assume due to a slightly less stiff carcass/sidewall to provide that noticeable increase in comfort). It's minor but noticeable in that you need slightly more wheel angle for the same level of grip as you're climbing that slope (i.e. the tire feels slightly less "responsive" in transient response). So if you picture that plot, the slope in the linear range is less, but at the top of the plot the PS4S cornering force goes just over the PSS peak to generate higher levels of peak grip.

[Artemis]

This thread was added as entry in the first post of the dedicated compilation thread ("BMW M2 CS Delivery Threads").