[KevinM]

As noted above, I think it very likely that BMW will adjust production based on demand. It's very easy to believe based on our very biased, enthusiast board membership (myself included!) that everyone in the world will be lining up to order an M2. We'll see when it comes time to write the checks.

It's probably not an easy thing to assess demand for a niche vehicle, considering that the potential buyer will also (in addition to cars from other brands) likely be considering the M235i/M240i and the F8X M3/4.

BMW imported just over 1800 Z4M coupes to the US for MY 2006-2008. They did not sell. In 2007, I was able to buy a brand-new one off the lot in the Tucson (not a big market!) for below MSRP. Now of course they are appreciating because they are so rare. Go figure.

[Cope]

Originally Posted by hyperzulu

You want to believe they made this car to draw in a new generation of buyers but everything points to no.

I never really bought that whole new generation of buyers thing (although I guess I am one, but I'd chalk that up to lucky timing). The 1M was already tough to find, let alone typically priced at e9x m3 prices with their market adjustment.

I guess a more () available M2 might be able to accomplish this original goal.

[cole3488]

Wait until the 1st Chris Harris m2 video people will loose their minds for it just like the gt4. But..... It will be too late. They will have to wait unless they have an allocation.

[IS3andME]

Originally Posted by cole3488

Wait until the 1st Chris Harris m2 video people will loose their minds for it just like the gt4. But..... It will be too late. They will have to wait unless they have an allocation.

Insert Chris Harris catchphrases: "Mega!!!", "Yes, Please!!! Yes, Please!!!"

[termigni]

probably don't matter for me. i'm opting for the M3 for my growing family. i wish i can have an M2 however.

[M3 Adjuster]

Originally Posted by cole3488

Wait until the 1st Chris Harris m2 video people will loose their minds for it just like the gt4. But..... It will be too late. They will have to wait unless they have an allocation.

Yep!

I've been saying this for about 9 months now.

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by cole3488

Wait until the 1st Chris Harris m2 video people will loose their minds for it just like the gt4. But..... It will be too late. They will have to wait unless they have an allocation.

postcount=38

Originally Posted by M3 Adjuster

Yep!
I've been saying this for about 9 months now.

Ditto: see http://f87.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho...5&postcount=38, commenting:

I wouldn't be surprised if BMW arranged for Chris Harris to test drive the M2 next January as one of the first. He already liked the M235i when he drove it for weeks in the past. And, as we all know, his reputation and following is huge. Once his M2 review video hits the interwebs including his hallmark drifts, giggling and straight talk, you'll see that the ghost will be out of the bottle. Those still waiting for a test drive by then, will have to queue. 1M history reloaded.

[fuddman]

Originally Posted by synergist

I also find the 1800 over the entire life cycle to be off. Over say 4 years, that would only be 450 M2's for the US market per year. There is just no way considering the 1M got 740 units in the US over 1 year... So you think that the US is projected to get 1800 units a year and the rest of the world only gets 700? That also doesn't make sense considering the US got 740/6300 of the 1M's, slightly >10% of the total production. So I don't see how the US market for the M2 would sky rocket to over 70% of the production output. I think this 10k number is just a marketing tactic to increase initial demand and they will increase the production to meet market demand over the life cycle.

If I were to modify my estimate, I would not do it based on 1M history. I would use more recent information such as the distribution BMW used for the M4 GTS. Which is - 300 of 700 of those cars are going to the US. Using that proportion, 43%, applied to the 10,000 total would yield 4,300 cars to the US over 4 years or 1075 per year. With about 340 dealers in the US that would mean each dealer would get 3 or so M2 allocations annually.

Many posters use the 1M history as a basis for judging the development of the M2. IMO, this is produces big time errors. The 1M was developed under entirely different circumstances from start to finish.

I don't think the 10k figure is a "marketing tactic." It is a "planning" number. Which, IMO, is crucial in a business, particularly a business this large. Things have to bought far in advance, people hired and so forth. I think BMW has a number for the total M2s they plan on producing and that they put in a lot of time, money and effort to make sure that number is accurate. That is not to say the "plan" is rigid and unmodifiable.

[shivaswrath]

Originally Posted by Nantucket

It may be that even with a long production run,BMW want to keep the yearly production low,to make sure they don't produce to many,which would maybe affect M3 and M4 sales.They are basically doing the same thing with the specs and options for the M2.They want to keep the specs and options below the M3 and M4,so that the cheaper M2 doesn't perform better than the other two cars.

I think this is probably it, since I'm sure with a Dinantronic mod you can get about 400 at three wheels and something that will handle possibly same or better than the M4.

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by fuddman

I don't think the 10k figure is a "marketing tactic." It is a "planning" number. Which, IMO, is crucial in a business, particularly a business this large. Things have to bought far in advance, people hired and so forth. I think BMW has a number for the total M2s they plan on producing and that they put in a lot of time, money and effort to make sure that number is accurate. That is not to say the "plan" is rigid and unmodifiable.

Common (business) sense. Nothing's written in stone. If those figures happen to be accurate, rest assured that nothing's final. The market is organic and figures can be adjusted accordingly.

Though, there is a similarity with the 1M: alike the 1M pocket rocket, the M2 is a new entry model. As a car company you can hope, assume or project how the market will react to that new kid in town, but by no means predict it. A car may not live up to the expectations, or exceed these. Yup, the market may not react according to plan. "Only 2700 1M cars" they scheduled. 6309 left the Leipzig plant.

Second similarity. 1M and M2 were/are produced at the same production facility (Leipzig), which implies production constraints due to high volume production of other BMW cars.

Third similarity. BMW adopted something alike the Hobson's Choice approach for the 1M and seems to replicate it with the M2: a 'free' choice in which only one option is offered. As a person may refuse to take that option, the choice is therefore between taking the option or not - "take it or leave it". "Oh, you want an S-engine, a CF-roof, a powerdome, a moonroof, different exterior colors, other seats, a head-up display, etc. ? Move along, nothing to see here, and don't forget to check out our infamous M3/M4 or, alternatively, the M240i."

Later reviewers may be influenced by previous reviews. A sequence of 'bad' (read: underwhelmed) reviews early 2016, could seriously rain on the M2 parade. On the contrary, a couple of rave reviews in the early stages, will likely hype the M2 even more (remember the 1M rave roller-coaster around May 2011).

And righteously: as many say it over and over again, in the end ///M cars are all about the chassis. The position of the car design on the spectrum ranging between butt-ugly and drop-dead gorgeous may be important, but what truly matters is how you experience the ride: underwhelmed, fair enough, amazed or overawed ?

Hence, the importance of the first M2 test reviews. It would be a smart move of BMW to put Chris Harris and Steve Sutcliffe as one of the first behind the wheel of an M2 featuring the 6-speed manual tranny (with M Driver's Package). You know that they loved the 1M and appreciate the M235i. The rest, dear forum fellows, will be history.

[bdaddylo]

I find this rumor to be complete hilarious. 1,800 M2s for the U.S. spread over 4 years? There's no way BMWNA would agree to 450 cars a year for a $55k car. The U.S. dealers and BMWNA turned down a 2012 MY 1M because BMW couldn't commit to a large enough number.

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by bdaddylo

The U.S. dealers and BMWNA turned down a 2012 MY 1M because BMW couldn't commit to a large enough number.

The whispered explanation: the 1M engine did not meet 2012 CAFE emissions standards.

See here: http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=589805
And one of the comments here: http://www.bmwblog.com/2012/01/10/74...united-states/

[bdaddylo]

Originally Posted by Artemis

The whispered explanation: the 1M engine did not meet 2012 CAFE emissions standards.

See here: http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=589805
And one of the comments here: http://www.bmwblog.com/2012/01/10/74...united-states/

absolutely false.

[Mavus]

who cares. it's too late. many enthusiasts have bought other cars already. Not many want to shlep around 3500+ lbs. there are plenty of other options.

Go to P or BMW hpde and check out net worth of cars. So many bmw enthusiasts are in P club now.

[IEDEI]

Originally Posted by Artemis

The whispered explanation: the 1M engine did not meet 2012 CAFE emissions standards.

See here: http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=589805
And one of the comments here: http://www.bmwblog.com/2012/01/10/74...united-states/

that is indeed false as the Z4 continued production after the 1M stopped....the N54 is still on sale in the Z4 35is in the US market....in the same spec as the 1M (335/369)

[cole3488]

Originally Posted by Smooth 330i

who cares. it's too late. many enthusiasts have bought other cars already. Not many want to shlep around 3500+ lbs. there are plenty of other options.

Go to P or BMW hpde and check out net worth of cars. So many bmw enthusiasts are in P club now.

So are you getting a Porsche ? I think this car will be great. E46 size with more power for those of us who want rear wheel drive.

[Mavus]

Originally Posted by cole3488

So are you getting a Porsche ? I think this car will be great. E46 size with more power for those of us who want rear wheel drive.

well I find myself checking out P more than BMW cars. 4 of my friends got Caymans, 2 S and 2 gt4. I am waiting for 718 to come out. M2 weight is an issue. With 2 people it will be close to 4k lbs.

[Big Tuna]

Genuinely considering giving up my #1 m2 slot for a 981 GTS. End of an era in P land with the turbos coming, and being underwhelmed on a recent m4 drive.

[gthal]

Originally Posted by IEDEI

the 1M forum isn't dead....it's just a very limited car and its owners don't post nonsense.....

Suggesting that 1M owners don't post nonsense is, in itself, nonsense I have yet to see a car ownership group where there isn't some level of this... including from 1M owners.

[IEDEI]

Originally Posted by gthal

Suggesting that 1M owners don't post nonsense is, in itself, nonsense I have yet to see a car ownership group where there isn't some level of this... including from 1M owners.

we are not M4 owners who just post how they spent $100k on individual paint jobs, caliper colours, CF blah blah blah, and interior stitching....

[metrickid]

Originally Posted by IEDEI

we are not M4 owners who just post how they spent $100k on individual paint jobs, caliper colours, CF blah blah blah, and interior stitching....

Ah, now I understand... You feel inferior and that is why you try to talk up the 1M all over the board.

[IEDEI]

Originally Posted by Rossifumi

Ah, now I understand... You feel inferior and that is why you try to talk up the 1M all over the board.

i never feel inferior in the 1M.

to me it's waaaay cooler than any other 'modern' BMW M car....bar none.

i talk up the 1M because i am totally in love with it. period! I hope your M2s make you feel the same way about your cars!!