To M2 or not to M2

[type-964]

How did BMWs (and cars in general) get so fat?

I know we’ve added tons of tech, but isn’t much of that fairly light sensors and SoCs? Barring infotainment I guess.

Is it the ‘platform’ engineering model - where designers are forced to choose from a given shared parts bin?

Have evolving crash standards added that much weight?

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[johnnyskids]

How did BMWs (and cars in general) get so fat?

I know we’ve added tons of tech, but isn’t much of that fairly light sensors and SoCs? Barring infotainment I guess.

Is it the ‘platform’ engineering model - where designers are forced to choose from a given shared parts bin?

Have evolving crash standards added that much weight?

Mostly two things, safety requirements/features and growing size of vehicles. There are other things like just regular features or luxury features expanding (think ventilated seats ,massaging seats, 100 speakers, etc), more emissions stuff, larger rim sizes mean heavier wheels, heavier vehicles need bigger brakes which are heavier.

 

[J29DB03]

Have evolving crash standards added that much weight?

Part of it is this which is hilarious.

“We’ve made it safer.”
“But it’s heavier.”
“Yea, because we made it safer.”
“But it’s not safer, because it’s heavier.”

 

[FLtrackdays]

How did BMWs (and cars in general) get so fat?

I know we’ve added tons of tech, but isn’t much of that fairly light sensors and SoCs? Barring infotainment I guess.

Is it the ‘platform’ engineering model - where designers are forced to choose from a given shared parts bin?

Have evolving crash standards added that much weight?

It is pretty mind blowing and why I’m not selling my MX5. Hell, even our 2019 VW GTI is lighter than most. We’re keeping that too. I’m in no hurry to buy a heavier car with more gadgets. But that’s just me… The others are paid for. So we’ll wait for the wheels to fall off & can’t buy gas at Costco anymore ?

The fact the M2 is 1) a BMW 2) one of their lightest offerings are compelling. Looks are subjective. What else is there??? I’m not a Chevy or Ford fan. Owned them both & they‘re just not as “solid” feeling imo. Parts are very Delco at best.

So that leaves us with Porsche $$$ and ??? (this M2) for someone who really wants to hit the track & enjoy their cars.

 

[PikkaGTR]

It is pretty mind blowing and why I’m not selling my MX5. Hell, even our 2019 VW GTI is lighter than most. We’re keeping that too. I’m in no hurry to buy a heavier car with more gadgets. But that’s just me… The others are paid for. So we’ll wait for the wheels to fall off & can’t buy gas at Costco anymore ?

The fact the M2 is 1) a BMW 2) one of their lightest offerings are compelling. Looks are subjective. What else is there??? I’m not a Chevy or Ford fan. Owned them both & they‘re just not as “solid” feeling imo. Parts are very Delco at best.

So that leaves us with Porsche $$$ and ??? (this M2) for someone who really wants to hit the track & enjoy their cars.

Next Gen GR86 with the 1.6 turbo 3 rumored to happen should weigh even less than the current Subaru twins

Also not a Subaru , so it'll be reliable

I might replace the E92 daily with that if it ever comes to fruition

 

[johnnyskids]

The fact the M2 is 1) a BMW 2) one of their lightest offerings are compelling. Looks are subjective. What else is there??? I’m not a Chevy or Ford fan. Owned them both & they‘re just not as “solid” feeling imo. Parts are very Delco at best.

So that leaves us with Porsche $$$ and ??? (this M2) for someone who really wants to hit the track & enjoy their cars.

Saying that the M2 is one of their lightest offerings is like the best looking pig at the farm, it's still just a pig. The fact that the Supra is more than 400 lbs lighter than the M2 to me is just too big of a stretch.

So your Miata is just a bit over 2,300 lbs, the M2 is 1,500 lbs heavier or more than 65% heavier. Your GTI is around 700lbs lighter than an M2. A Cayman is around the same weight as your GTI.

If you want to track a vehicle regularly, something you consider is consumables and generally speaking, the lighter the car, the cheaper these consumables will be.

To me this M2 is just too much of a GT car, to much like the M4, too heavy, too many gadgets for the sake of having gadgets, less soul, less drama, but considering the competition (or lack there of) I can't fault someone who prefers that, it's just not for me.

 

[PikkaGTR]

Saying that the M2 is one of their lightest offerings is like the best looking pig at the farm, it's still just a pig. The fact that the Supra is more than 400 lbs lighter than the M2 to me is just too big of a stretch.

So your Miata is just a bit over 2,300 lbs, the M2 is 1,500 lbs heavier or more than 65% heavier. Your GTI is around 700lbs lighter than an M2. A Cayman is around the same weight as your GTI.

If you want to track a vehicle regularly, something you consider is consumables and generally speaking, the lighter the car, the cheaper these consumables will be.

To me this M2 is just too much of a GT car, to much like the M4, too heavy, too many gadgets for the sake of having gadgets, less soul, less drama, but considering the competition (or lack there of) I can't fault someone who prefers that, it's just not for me.

Well said my friend
I remember many moons ago when I was a young man with hair, I took a few performance driving lessons at Sonoma raceway infineon
There was an instructor there who said something that has stuck with me for 20+yrs
A great sports car isn't how much power it brought to the racetrack, it's how much weight it left at home

 

[RenRed2]

Interesting read -
Chris Harris on... the BMW M2, and criticising cars
It’s time we stopped faulting cars for what they’re not and appreciating them for what they are, says Chris


https://www.topgear.com/car-news/opinion/chris-harris-bmw-m2-and-criticising-cars

 

[RenRed2]

Never got the hate for the m2 ?, so aggressive.

Attached Images

 

[johnnyskids]

Interesting read -
Chris Harris on... the BMW M2, and criticising cars
It’s time we stopped faulting cars for what they’re not and appreciating them for what they are, says Chris


https://www.topgear.com/car-news/opinion/chris-harris-bmw-m2-and-criticising-cars

So basically he doesn't want to criticize any cars anymore because he sees the end is near. He prefers this new M2 to his old one, but doesn't seem to expand on why.

I'm struggling to really look at that "review" as a positive, or negative, it was more about how he doesn't like to critique fun cars now as there are so few left and so few coming in the future.

So if you want to latch onto that review as a positive review for the M2, by all means, but what I took from it was more about how Chris feels about reviewing cars and not about the M2 in particular.

 

[RenRed2]

k

So basically he doesn't want to criticize any cars anymore because he sees the end is near. He prefers this new M2 to his old one, but doesn't seem to expand on why.

I'm struggling to really look at that "review" as a positive, or negative, it was more about how he doesn't like to critique fun cars now as there are so few left and so few coming in the future.

So if you want to latch onto that review as a positive review for the M2, by all means, but what I took from it was more about how Chris feels about reviewing cars and not about the M2 in particular.

Its an opinion. Not a review. His video on the M2 is apparently still in work. He thinks we should enjoy what we have, what you drive. Its all personal. I see no mystery but an interesting and good opinion. No one else matters as its you behind the wheel at all times.

 

[johnnyskids]

Never got the hate for the m2 ?, so aggressive.

I don't have any hate for the new M2, I think most of the people who criticize this new M2 isn't because of some hatred to it, it's the disappointment we feel in what direction BMW took it in.

Some of that is likely cost cutting on BMW part (using the same platform as the M3/4, engine, transmission, etc), some of it was just how they decided to take drama out of the car to increase the appeal from the masses, and of course BMW's design language has not been the best for a few years, I won't fault just the M2 for that.

I know that BMW could have made a proper M2 successor, one that was more than just a set of stats that beat the old one, but one that actually felt "old school M car" like the previous generation did.

 

[johnnyskids]

k


Its an opinion. Not a review. His video on the M2 is apparently still in work. He thinks we should enjoy what we have, what you drive. Its all personal. I see no mystery but an interesting and good opinion. No one else matters as its you behind the wheel at all times.

100%, and I'm fine if someone decides to buy one. I'm not one to judge someone else's decision, I know we all have our own feelings, wants, and needs. I'm glad it exists, I'm just personally disappointed in where BMW took this generation.

It's not the only vehicle I've been disappointed in over the last few years. The C8 not having a manual, the AMG C Class going 4 cylinder, the new Nissan Z being a dog turd, the next generation Mustang keeping the same crappy transmission and not improving in being a sports car, the list goes on and on. Heck even the Supra was on this list of disappointments as there was no manual option.

 

[razorlab]

Never got the hate for the m2 ?, so aggressive.

Attached Images

If I wanted to try to win someone over on the looks of the M2, the rear is absolutely the last angle I would show, lmao.

I'd probably take a photo of the glovebox first.

 

[alan7467]

Here's an overall positive take from Paul and Todd (minus the looks):





I thought I saw another G87 coming the other way on the highway yesterday, but it was a red G42 (probably M240i). I really like the way that cars looks from a distance and on the road. As I get closer to it I find it a bit awkward. I'd actually say the same about the Supra. I love it driving down the road, but often find it a bit awkward up close.

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