Esteemed colleagues,
By total chance, yesterday, HERR FSTIR (thank you, sir!) spotted online that a HS, DCT, 29U wheels was at a dealer lot, and then posted about it on the forum. I went over to the dealership, solely with the intention of checking out the color, and within 5 minutes ended up buying the car.
(By the way, if anybody still needs an allocation at MSRP, Davin at BMW of Encinitas has said that he'd be happy to provide! 858-357-4956. He's a Bimmerpost guy too!)
First, I wanted to say thank you all on this forum for being so awesome. I've learned so much from you all. Having come onto the forum, I realize that so many of you have had, in many cases, decades of experience with some of the most coveted cars in the world. And I've read all the debates about OG M2 versus M2C, and I understand that some of the smallest nuances make all the difference on the track. But, as a NOOB, I've gotta say that everyone who has the OG M2 is incredibly lucky, because you've had such an awesome car all along. Honestly, I don't know that I would be able to tell the difference between an OG M2 and the M2C, as I'm new, but either car is something that people like me have aspired all their lives to own.
Second, thought I'd share some of my impressions of the car. I'm a total NOOB to M cars and a total NOOB to performance cars of any stripe. My previous car was a 328i, which I always thought drove like a dream. I knew nothing! So, in no particular order:
1. Driving - So, take everything I have to say with a grain of salt, because I don't know anything about performance cars. But, man alive! This thing is amazing! I spent yesterday and this morning going along back roads to the ocean and then out east up into the mountains and along canyon roads, and the car just accelerates like a monster. And I'm staying under 5500 RPM as per the break in guidelines. Can't even begin to imagine what it's like when you can take it to redline. On top of that, it just feels like it's glued to the asphalt. I feel like I can take any turn at any speed - with all the nannies on, of course.
I never knew that a car could drive like this!
2. Looks - Man, a bunch of my neighbors have already come over to take a look at the car and to give me a hard time. One dude said, "Hey man, you know, this is not the best way to make friends, right? You're making the rest of us look really bad." When I was at the beach, a couple of very attractive young women came over to ask what kind of car it was. I had to remind myself that a) I'm married, b) too old to be talking to young women, and c) too paunchy to be attractive to young women.
3. Gas mileage - I'm averaging ~16 mpg. I think all of us here on Bimmerpost are personally responsible for global warming and the impending apocalypse.
4. Sound - At the risk of getting tarred and feathered, I think this car sounds amazing. But, again, I don't know any better, as I've never owned a NA V8. All I know is that in Sport+, I feel like I'm in the cockpit of a jet fighter. I've always wanted to be Ice Man. Screw Maverick. Ice Man was the real deal. And when I'm in this car, in my own head I'm Ice Man.
5. Suspension - After having read all the reviews and watched, oh, I dunno... 103 different Youtube reviews of the M2, I was expecting the car to have a suspension akin to the Rubbles' car on the Flintstones. Honestly, I've been incredibly pleasantly surprised at how "soft" the car feels. I remember riding in a relative's 911 when I was kid, and was blown away by how hard that set up was. I think in my own mind, I was expecting something where your teeth get shaken loose with every bump. It's not like that at all. And the damping is amazing. There are a couple of spots on the freeways here in San Diego on my commute where, out of the blue, there are large dips, and in my 328i, I always felt like the car would oscillate up and down wildly like a slinky dink. Don't even notice them in the M2C going 90 mph.
6. Practicality - I remember there was a question earlier on the forum about getting the M2C versus the M3, as the poster was about to have a kid. I have a 5 year old and a 2 year old, and the car seats fit just fine, and it's been easy enough for me to get them in and out of the seats. Though, it may be a bit more difficult if the child seat were backward facing. Double-wide kids stroller also fits in the trunk. I remember the poster seemed to indicate a preference for the fun of the shorter wheel base, but was concerned about practicality. Thus far, I would say GET WHAT'S FUN!
Finally, thanks to you all again! Next stop for me is the track! I've caught the bug from you all. Was thinking of maybe getting a beater 944 (I've heard you can find some for like $5k at this point), learning how to, you know, drive, in something that I don't mind crashing and burning, and then once I've earned my stripes, take the M2C!