[M-Pilot]

Hi guys! Before jumping into the real purpose of this thread, let me first give you brief summary about my M2 pursuit. As you might guess, I was little late to put my name down for any m2 waitlist. I live in Bay Area and I currently have my name on 2 dealerships waitlist (#12 and # 15). 3 other dealerships I talked to don't even have any waitlist (one of them is BMW of SF). One dealership told me their list already has 20 people . So long story short, I'm pretty disappointed with my current standing and I don't think I would be able order an M2 until November-December 2016, which is a very long wait for me.

I always wanted an M4 but it's a bit over my budget if I add my must-have options and MPE. Plus M2 is totally what I'm looking for. Great sounding engine/exhaust, very compact, reasonably priced etc. However, as I said I don't think I will be able to get this car in 9-10 months. So I would really appreciate if you guys can recommend any alternatives to M2 around the similar price range. This thread might be useful for others who are looking forward to buying an M2 but might not find an allocation.

P.S. I'm going to lease.

[M-Pilot]

I know that Ford GT350 is coming but I cannot deal with 14mpg since this will be my dd. Another popular comparison I came across is Ford Focus RS. I might consider it but I don't think it would lease well or at all.

[sgrinavi]

2016 Camaro SS gets decent gas mileage, is cheaper than the Mustang, is shipping now and is available. It's a lot of car for the money and should tide you over nicely. That's my current plan anyhow....

[chmura]

You are not to late at all. You have to broaden your search. Call ALL dealers in California and if that doesn't work call Oregon, Arizona, Neveda, etc.

If you really want an M2 you can get one. You just have to be determined.

[BEM-S4]

What are you driving now? The 235 is nothing to sneeze at, could be a good stop gap if you're in a huge rush.

[M-Pilot]

Originally Posted by BEM-S4

What are you driving now? The 235 is nothing to sneeze at, could be a good stop gap if you're in a huge rush.

I drive a 2014 328i but I cannot say I'm extremely happy with its performance. Not saying it's a slow car but the lack of power and exhaust/engine note in the car ruins it for me. Plus I'm not into modding my cars with aftermarket products. A good candidate might be a 440i loaded with M performance parts.

[dt34]

You could buy a used E46 M3 and drive it until you can find an M2 to lease. Great car, low cost of entry and pretty much depreciated. You could drive it for a year and probably sell it for what you pay for it. Draw back could be maintenance. If you went this route you need a PPI. Just an option.

[M-Pilot]

Originally Posted by dt34

You could buy a used E46 M3 and drive it until you can find an M2 to lease. Great car, low cost of entry and pretty much depreciated. You could drive it for a year and probably sell it for what you pay for it. Draw back could be maintenance. If you went this route you need a PPI. Just an option.

I'd love to have an E46 M3 but as you mentioned, that's a big risk for me in terms of maintenance.

[BEM-S4]

Is your lease up soon or something? Honestly if you get something just to kill a year until you get the M2 it's going to be nothing but a money losing proposition. If you're really in a rush see if your dealer has an exec demo that hasn't been titled yet. Sometimes they'll do a short term lease on those for you.

[M-Pilot]

Originally Posted by BEM-S4

Is your lease up soon or something? Honestly if you get something just to kill a year until you get the M2 it's going to be nothing but a money losing proposition. If you're really in a rush see if your dealer has an exec demo that hasn't been titled yet. Sometimes they'll do a short term lease on those for you.

No, I'm not leasing currently. I own my 328i. So I will sell it once I order M2. Well, I'm not in a rush but I would like to have the car around August 2016 latest. If this is being in rush then yes I'm I really don't wanna wait till 2017 to get the car.

[M3 Adjuster]

Originally Posted by cntzl

No, I'm not leasing currently. I own my 328i. So I will sell it once I order M2. Well, I'm not in a rush but I would like to have the car around August 2016 latest. If this is being in rush then yes I'm I really don't wanna wait till 2017 to get the car.

Your timing is perfect. Your resolve to get an M2 must be stronger ...



First off, the market for M cars in California is insane and you likely would pay a markup for an M2 anyway. Start calling dealers further up the coast and into the Southwest and see if you can secure an allocation. Who cares if you buy your M2 from BMW Of Salt Lake City or from Mobile Alabama?


There are 350 or more BMW Dealers across the Unifed States Where when you spec your car you can do any of the following.

1 - European Delivery ?

And then:

2- US Delivery at the Performance Center East or West ( In Cali where you are !)

Or

3 - pick up from the US dealer you purchased from and road trip home

Or

4- pay delivery fee to BMW dealer or another transport service to deliver your car to you locally.


The key here is don't limit yourself to dealers in your backyard. Once you own the car you will be servicing it locally any way. It's not like the local dealer won't service your car because you didn't buy it there...

[M-Pilot]

Originally Posted by M3 Adjuster

Your timing is perfect. Your resolve to get an M2 must be stronger ...



First off, the market for M cars in California is insane and you likely would pay a markup for an M2 anyway. Start calling dealers further up the coast and into the Southwest and see if you can secure an allocation. Who cares if you buy your M2 from BMW Of Salt Lake City or from Mobile Alabama?


There are 350 or more BMW Dealers across the Unifed States Where when you spec your car you can do any of the following.

1 - European Delivery ?

And then:

2- US Delivery at the Performance Center East or West ( In Cali where you are !)

Or

3 - pick up from the US dealer you purchased from and road trip home

Or

4- pay delivery fee to BMW dealer or another transport service to deliver your car to you locally.


The key here is don't limit yourself to dealers in your backyard. Once you own the car you will be servicing it locally any way. It's not like the local dealer won't service your car because you didn't buy it there...

I agree. I wouldn't care what city or state has the car available to order. I will expand my search and call more dealerships in CA or other states

[Lt1camaro]

Have you considered the new 2016 CLA45? For 2016 its getting a power bump to 381hp, a locking differential, and revised transmission. With the new changes, its going to be a direct competitor to the M2.

[M-Pilot]

Originally Posted by Lt1camaro

Have you considered the new 2016 CLA45? For 2016 its getting a power bump to 381hp, a locking differential, and revised transmission. With the new changes, its going to be a direct competitor to the M2.

Yes, I need to test drive it. However, many people here have stated that it doesn't drive nearly as good as an M car. Plus, it's missing the manual transmission. If I can get an M2, it will be MT for sure.

[Denk]

Low mileage e9x M3. 2013's are still in warranty.

[BMW F22]

Originally Posted by M3 Adjuster

Your timing is perfect. Your resolve to get an M2 must be stronger ...



First off, the market for M cars in California is insane and you likely would pay a markup for an M2 anyway. Start calling dealers further up the coast and into the Southwest and see if you can secure an allocation. Who cares if you buy your M2 from BMW Of Salt Lake City or from Mobile Alabama?


There are 350 or more BMW Dealers across the Unifed States Where when you spec your car you can do any of the following.

1 - European Delivery ?

And then:

2- US Delivery at the PCD East or West:

Can we do PCD on the West Coast now?

[PrematureApex]

Originally Posted by cntzl

I drive a 2014 328i but I cannot say I'm extremely happy with its performance. Not saying it's a slow car but the lack of power and exhaust/engine note in the car ruins it for me. Plus I'm not into modding my cars with aftermarket products. A good candidate might be a 440i loaded with M performance parts.

Well there's your problem. With these cars being neutered more and more from the factory with each generation, you should consider turning to the aftermarket to put some feel back into them.

[M-Pilot]

Yesterday I emailed almost all the dealerships in CA. I'm going to share my conversation with one of them today. So I got a voicemail from the "Fleet Manager & European Delivery Specialist" which I will refer as CA in the dialog below. First, let me copy the voicemail here:

"Good afternoon. Regarding the order, no problem. Number one. We do not charge over MSRP. We do not charge under MSRP. Basically, the MSRP on that vehicle is MSRP and you can choose either lease or purchase. To put your name and qualification on that vehicle, I need to get all your information including a credit application and then I can put you on the waiting list. Or if you have a question give me a call at ..."

These are his own words. I haven't changed anything. As you can see, his English was not very clear but the moment I heard "NUMBER ONE", I thought maybe I will be the first person on their list and immediately called him.

Here's the phone conversation between me and him (CA):

me: Hello , I received your voicemail about my inquiry for M2. I would like to get more information and possibly put my name down on the waitlist.

CA: Sure, no problem. What's your question?

me: How many people do you have on your list currently?

CA: It doesn't matter how many people on the list. You will get your car once you are "qualified".

me: No, it's important to me because I don't think you will get let's say 100 M2s next year. Therefore, the number of people on the list will determine when I will get the car.

CA: Well, it doesn't matter. We are the number one dealership in western US. (he was probably referring to being the number one dealership in his voicemail ). There are currently 32 people on the list.

me: Wow 32 is a lot for a waitlist. This is why I wanted to know how many people you guys have on file already.

CA: But not all of them are going to qualify. You might not qualify either.

me: What do you mean by "qualify"? All you need is my credit worthiness and deposit right. How else do you determine if I can qualify?

CA: Let me tell you something. Do you remember the first time M1 came out?

me: M1 or 1M?

CA: M1 or 1M, same thing.

me: Well they are not the same at all. (At this point, the conversation was over for me but I didn't want to be rude and waited for him to finish what type of bs he was gonna say)

CA: I got 7 allocations for that car. I had a huge waitlist. When we asked for $5K deposit, only 2 people showed up.

me: Ok, thank you very much for all the information. If I decide to put my name down, I'll give you a call.

It is just hilarious to see how someone can become a Fleet Manager/ED Specialist by not knowing the difference between M1 and 1M on top of all other bs.

[OG///M]

Originally Posted by cntzl

Yesterday I emailed almost all the dealerships in CA. I'm going to share my conversation with one of them today. So I got a voicemail from the "Fleet Manager & European Delivery Specialist" which I will refer as CA in the dialog below. First, let me copy the voicemail here:

"Good afternoon. Regarding the order, no problem. Number one. We do not charge over MSRP. We do not charge under MSRP. Basically, the MSRP on that vehicle is MSRP and you can choose either lease or purchase. To put your name and qualification on that vehicle, I need to get all your information including a credit application and then I can put you on the waiting list. Or if you have a question give me a call at ..."

These are his own words. I haven't changed anything. As you can see, his English was not very clear but the moment I heard "NUMBER ONE", I thought maybe I will be the first person on their list and immediately called him.

Here's the phone conversation between me and him (CA):

me: Hello , I received your voicemail about my inquiry for M2. I would like get more information and possibly put my name down on the waitlist.

CA: Sure, no problem. What's your question?

me: How many people do you have on your list currently?

CA: It doesn't matter how many people on the list. You will get your car once you are "qualified".

me: No, it's important to me because I don't think you will get let's say 100 M2s next year. Therefore, the number of people on the list will determine when I will get the car.

CA: Well, it doesn't matter. We are the number one dealership in western US. (he was probably referring to being the number one dealership in his voicemail ). There are currently 32 people on the list.

me: Wow 32 is a lot for a waitlist. This is why I wanted to know how many people you guys have on file already.

CA: But not all of them are going to qualify. You might not qualify either.

me: What do you mean by "qualify"? All you need is my credit worthiness and deposit right. How else do you determine if I can qualify?

CA: Let me tell you something. Do you remember the first time M1 came out?

me: M1 or 1M?

CA: M1 or 1M, same thing.

me: Well they are not the same at all. (At this point, the conversation was over for me but I didn't want to be rude and waited for him to finish what type of bs he was gonna say)

CA: I got 7 allocations for that car. I had a huge waitlist. When we asked for $5K deposit, only 2 people showed up.

me: Ok, thank you very much for all the information. I decide to put my name down, I'll give you a call.

It is just hilarious to see how someone can become a Fleet Manager/ED Specialist by not knowing the difference between M1 and 1M on top of all other bs.

Another winning CA, making all the good dealerships and CAs look bad.

You should post this in the Pricing/Ordering forum, there's another thread there that has a similar experience with the dealership. By this rate, a "hilarious stuff dealers say when trying to order a M2" will be appropriate very soon.

[dammitcubs]

If for some reason, I'm not getting this car - I'm #4 on one list in the bay area and i don't know what number I am on the other list...

I'll just get the original car I was going to get - Cayman S.

I have been looking at this car for about one year and turned down a chance to possibly get a m3/m4 just until the information for this car came out. But if takes super long and the CA are all trying to markup the price. I'll just get a Cayman instead since I already drove and loved how it handled.

But I'll still keep some hope that this car will deliver. I missed out on the 1M when it first came out and I was bummed because i wanted that, not i have a chance to get the sequel. I just don't want to wait forever for one.

[IEDEI]

the only real alternatives to the M2, IMO, are:

(1) 1M
(2) F80 M3

Nothing else would really hit this specific practicality and performance ballpark IMO. NON-M models don't come near the enjoyment.

The choice between these 3 is purely a matter of preferences, tech, warranty/pricing, and doors!

[Diver]

Originally Posted by Denk

Low mileage e9x M3. 2013's are still in warranty.

OP says he needs better fuel efficiency.

I actually like the Camaro SS idea. Then again, I am older than most in this group and just might prefer a muscle car to one that trades horsepower for a more track focused chassis. Only drawback to the SS is the interior is nowhere near what comes in a BMW.