[bladeomatic]

More praise in a fun article:

http://www.thenational.ae/arts-lifes...all-charged-up

[gaijin]

".....renewed faith in BMW’s willingness and ability to make cars for driving enthusiasts......"

[Liquidpaper]

Originally Posted by bladeomatic

More praise in a fun article:

http://www.thenational.ae/arts-lifes...all-charged-up

QFT. This car is electric (and not in the Tesla way).

[Scaleybrat]

Originally Posted by bladeomatic

More praise in a fun article:

http://www.thenational.ae/arts-lifes...all-charged-up

I think this article really sums up the M235i for me. After a 9 year sabbatical from BMW when I owned an E46 M3, this car is the modern equivalent and I have no desire to look elsewhere. Never a fan of the 1 Series looks, the new 2 Series is a great improvement on the eye - perfect

[bladeomatic]

Originally Posted by Scaleybrat

I think this article really sums up the M235i for me. After a 9 year sabbatical from BMW when I owned an E46 M3, this car is the modern equivalent and I have no desire to look elsewhere. Never a fan of the 1 Series looks, the new 2 Series is a great improvement on the eye - perfect

Couldn't agree more.

My wife asked me, after almost a year in my M235i, would I do it all again?

I said:
-I'd choose the red interior over my black
-I'd delete the Drivers assist 2 package
Every thing else would stay.

I told her in all honesty, that if I had 3x the money, I'd still pick the M235i over any of the large/cumbersome M variants out there. It's simply the best car they make right now, for pure driving joy. Fast, spunky, practical, balanced.

I can't believe that BMW isn't shouting more from the rooftops re this little car:

-Car & Driver 10 best (in effect replacing the hallowed 3 series)
-Highest BMW score EVER on consumer reports, beating out the 911 and corvette (!!)
-Best BMW in 10 years, says Randy Pobst
-Dozens of magazine and review accolades

M3/4 are faster and more raw...but have NOT hit the nail on the head per many reviews. M5/M6/x5M/x6M, etc. are all ocean liners. i3/i8 are impressive and fun but not terribly practical yet. 3/4 series have turned into big/squishy Lexus models that are losing ground to others.

The 2 series has resoundingly nailed it, IMO.

Like everyone here, I'm incredibly enthusiastic about seeing a real M2 in the future. In theory it could be an even better car than the M235i.
However, unlike many here, I caution that it *could* be a meh if they don't get everything *just right*.

I've seen the E46 replaced by the E92. A big v8 with more horsepower was thrilling, but I'm not sure I'd say it was a better, more-balanced car than the E46, which is an all-time classic.

If they get the M2 correct it should be an ass-kicking ride, with all the things we like about the M235i...but more. Faster, better brakes, better handling, better seats, DCT, lighter, etc. But if they get anything wrong (balance, pricing, reliability, etc.) than it could have folks looking wistfully back at the M235i and saying, "THAT car had it all going on."

[Scaleybrat]

Originally Posted by bladeomatic

I can't believe that BMW isn't shouting more from the rooftops re this little car:

Do you know, I like the fact that the M235i is a rare sight on British roads, far better than some of the ubiquitous metal that BMW sells. I have often shown my debadged car to enthusiasts and they don't know what it is BUT they all agree it is superb once I have let them take a close look.

I like the feeling that I found something special that they didn't even know existed

[Thescout13]

Originally Posted by Scaleybrat

Do you know, I like the fact that the M235i is a rare sight on British roads, far better than some of the ubiquitous metal that BMW sells. I have often shown my debadged car to enthusiasts and they don't know what it is BUT they all agree it is superb once I have let them take a close look.

I like the feeling that I found something special that they didn't even know existed

Here in the states I have only seen 1 other one on the road. I love it when people stare at my car while I drive by and pull up next to me on the highway to take pictures. The pure e46 M3 (had one too to the other poster) feel to the driving and the head turning ability because of its scarcity makes it totally worth it. No regrets.

[silverado]

This car is indeed very special. I fell in love on my test drive and I can't wait to receive mine next month. I am yet to see a single one in the Boston area and I commute more than 40 highway miles a day!

[MikeT]

Ditto to what y'all have said. When I test-drove the m235i, I knew it was my next car. Once in a blue moon, a car comes along that hits all the right notes--- just 'runs the table' in more or less every possible way. The m235i is one of those cars.

As for rarity, it seems like it's slightly less rare in San Francisco than elsewhere. I've seen at least 4 m235s in the wild (estoril blue, black and at least two different Alpine White cars). I've also seen a several 228s, including just last night I saw a brand-spankin' new blue 228i (it was dark so not sure if it was Midnight or Deep Sea) on Lombard Street (the non-crooked part).

It's rare enough here, too, though in the scheme of things. I'm in no way buying the car for collector purposes, but it seems to me that it's not totally impossible that a few decades from now this car could be a classic.

[3.0L]

Originally Posted by silverado

This car is indeed very special. I fell in love on my test drive and I can't wait to receive mine next month. I am yet to see a single one in the Boston area and I commute more than 40 highway miles a day!

Other than my own, I've seen exactly one M235i on the road.

And yes, my car does catch a lot of glances, and even stares. I must admit that I do get a bit of a kick out of that.

[2+3=5]

Thanks for posting!

This is my favorite quote "With a crackling, snarling exhaust note that signals it as an unapologetic bad boy, there’s a healthy lack of the “bean-counter syndromeâ€Â� that has diluted the Bavarian brand’s contemporary offerings. In recent years, BMWs have seemingly been tailored to avoid alienating anyone – even the most sedate, non-car-loving buyers."

2 series owners are true car lovers and I love the rarity of the 2 series... BMW's elusive brawler!

[bladeomatic]

Originally Posted by 2+3=5

Thanks for posting!

This is my favorite quote "With a crackling, snarling exhaust note that signals it as an unapologetic bad boy, there's a healthy lack of the bean-counter syndrome that has diluted the Bavarian brand's contemporary offerings. In recent years, BMWs have seemingly been tailored to avoid alienating anyone even the most sedate, non-car-loving buyers.

2 series owners are true car lovers and I love the rarity of the 2 series... BMW's elusive brawler!

LOL!



Some of my faves, that as I re-read these, I find that they keep resonating with me:

**************************************************
http://www.autoblog.com/2014/06/27/b...ports-testing/

Good news just keeps coming for BMW, as Consumer Reports has just handed out a stunner of a verdict – the M235i, a spritely, 320-horsepower coupe that starts at just $43,100 has bested the likes of the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray and Porsche 911, vehicles that can easily cost twice as much and come to battle with considerably more power.

CR awarded the spiritual successor to the 1 Series M Coupe a score of 98 out of 100, beating out the 911 and the Stingray by three and six points, respectively. In fact, the M235i is remarkably close to the Tesla Model S' 99, making it one of the highest scores CR has ever handed out. It's also, not surprisingly, the highest-rated BMW ever.

**************************************************
http://www.edmunds.com/bmw/2-series/...views-3-anchor

Once you've driven the 2 Series, though, you'll likely wonder why there isn't more fuss about this attainably priced all-star. Its engines are relentlessly capable, its interior is much nicer than that of its predecessor, and its superb handling makes it perhaps the purest driver's car in BMW's lineup.

Indeed, it's easy to make the case that the Edmunds "A"-rated 2 Series is one of the best values on the market.

Well, okay, you might like an extra set of doors, which brings the 2015 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class and the 2015 Audi A3 and S3 into play. Connoisseurs tend to prefer BMW's rear-wheel-drive dynamics, but these front-drive-based alternatives handle very well in their own right, and their four-door designs make them more versatile. We also recommend the all-new 2015 Ford Mustang, as its newfound refinement makes it a more plausible BMW substitute than ever before. But if you're looking for all-around excellence, it's tough to avoid the conclusion that the 2015 BMW 2 Series is the car to beat.

Driven normally, the 2 Series could fool you into thinking it's a personal luxury car. But if you feel like attacking some corners, the 2 responds with excellent body control, precise steering and unflappable poise -- especially with the M235i's (or Track Handling package's) upgrades. Few cars at any price are this composed at both ends of the spectrum.

**************************************************
http://www.caranddriver.com/features...t-cars-feature

As its convoluted name implies, the M235i is neither a fully aggro M car nor just a day-to-day standard sports coupe. Its character is in between the two. And that’s . . . well, that’s perfect. The M235i is easy to drive slowly and rewarding to drive quickly. It is, in fact, just about everything we want a modern 3-series to be: quick, confident, and sexy, with decent fuel economy, a close-coupled cockpit, and an eagerness to romp that’s been suppressed in the current 3.

**************************************************
http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/ne...14-–-bmw-m235i

This year we compared a £34,260 BMW M235i with the £59,145 BMW M4 (and a £58,950 Alpina B4 besides) and determined that the least expensive machine was best, not merely because of the price difference but also because it is easier and more enjoyable to toy with the M235i at its grip limit. That’s what an M car should be about, and what the M4 doesn’t quite manage to deliver.

But the allure of this car is about a lot more than horsepower. It’s about balance. The balance of power and grip, of performance and economy, of space and size, of ride and handling, of agility and stability, of roar and refinement. It’s a high scorer on every count, making it satisfying to live with and easier to justify to yourself.

That leaves your mind – and body – free to enjoy the tactile and aural delights of a chassis, powertrain and steering gear that deliver deliciously delicate, high-precision drifts at the limit, darting agility while you get there and a ride quality rivalling cars far less exciting. The M235i is among the most satisfyingly complete,*real-world sports cars out there.

**************************************************
http://www.ajac.ca/web/ccoty/2015/co...ry.asp?cat=182

Thank you, BMW, for making this car.

The BMW M235i is good enough to make its softening stablemates forgivable.

**************************************************
http://www.thestar.com/autos/best_of...bmw_m235i.html

It’s not the horsepower and torque (320 and 332 ft.-lb.), it’s not the striking new design or elegantly detailed interior, it’s not the dialed-in handling or the precise six-speed manual gearbox, it’s not the throaty growl that you can feel through the supportive seats. No, it’s the whole package that makes this car the winner.

[Nutballa]

This is a good read and makes me excited since my M235 will be delivered next week! Melbourne Red, color I chose.