[bri1042]

...pretty happy with the car. I haven't put as many miles on it as some have (vacations? what are vacations?). I'm coming up on 4000 miles, and I only got about a month of post-break-in, pre-winter wheels driving time with it so far, so I do not feel that I have fully explored the car's personality and capabilities.

Let's get the negatives out of the way:

1. Despite knee issues, I have more days when I regret the DCT than I was hoping to have. I'm not entirely in love with the DCT and I do still really miss manuals. Hopefully this will fade over time.

2. I remain a bit terrified of hurting the car since getting another one wouldn't be easy. In fact, I am essentially going with an assumption that if I squish it, I won't get another one. (Note: I've never squished a car. My cars only get hit when they're stopped...and then it's never been that bad)

3. It's nice that BMW tuned the engine so that it doesn't have as many "off the line" issues as the early S55 cars, but that also leaves me feeling a little underwhelmed here and there on launch and when transitioning from simple cruising to playing around. Some of this is likely me needing to drive a bit more aggressively to get the car to show me what it is. I really want winter to end.

4. The ride is a bit harsh. I'm OK with it right now, in fact I'm loving it right now because its so different from my 340...but one of the things that sent me to the BMW dealership the first time was that I was utterly tired of how harsh my RSX-S's ride was. I am concerned that a day will come when I'll no longer be OK with it. My SO hates the way the car rides and randomly glares at me over it (honestly, that part is kinda fun, too). I think this is one of the places BMW really dropped the ball on the M2 and M2C. It should have had adaptive dampers.

Items 1 and 4 are the only issues I have with the car that could (outside of squished car, of course) cause me to trade it in earlier than intended.

Positives:

1. Sport+ throttle, Sport steering, DCT in Manual "3"-mode, RPM's held high. My gods is this car fun. I've driven some exotics in the old days (pre-1993) and a few really spanky cars since then, but for me to own something that can do what this car can do? Never thought I'd get the chance. Argue about what ever nit one would want to pick comparing it to the Cayman, other M Cars, TT-RS's, whatever...it is still just flat out a brilliant, brilliant car. My negatives were Nits, and the only ones I could pick. I feel lucky driving it.
2. Looks. It isn't all that sleek, and it isn't as aggressive as some Muscle cars...it's somewhere in between. It's a sleek car that got angry at something. And sometimes I see the muscle car it could have been if it had gone to a rougher school as a child. I don't know how to put it, but no car I've owned has thrilled me this much visually after six months. None of them (udder not withstanding).
3. Every other car near its price that perhaps does something better than the M2C leaves me cold in some way. Overall, I don't really think an overall better car exists at this price point (I give it a max of 10k on either side of this price for this). A lot of them just aren't practical enough to have as an only car, which is what it is. For some others, I think it's just my personal tastes that strike them from the possibility list. I'm happy with what we get for the money, overall.

At the BMW meet this weekend, the only other car that sent shivers up my spine as much as my little blue friend does was the M5. That car's tech and capabilities thrill my imagination in a different way than my car does, but just as much. Most days I feel like there's no way I'd willingly give up the M2C unless I had a ton more cash to play with than I do. Not a bad spot to be in on a daily basis, I think.

I can't wait to get my summer wheels back on the car and get some real driving done.

[M2C89]

Glad you're enjoying the car, I can't wait to get mine. I thought about DCT but ultimately I knew I'd regret it, so I stuck with my gut feeling.

I don't mean to start a war on transmission preferences, but I'd rather be engaged in the driving experience full time than be .03 seconds faster to 60MPH, it's not like we're constantly pulling 0-60 runs in everyday life anyway. Plus such a negligible difference on paper is almost irrelevant in real world driving. I get how someone would never consider a manual though, be it for living in an area with stop and go traffic (which I don't), can't drive manual, have knee/leg issues, etc.

The added bonus for me was that I threw the $3k I would've spent on the DCT, towards M Performance parts (Alcantara performance steering wheel, CF lip spoiler, CF mirror covers, stainless steel pedals).

I would hope that if you're already having those thoughts on the DCT that you enjoy it for what it is and not what what it's not, otherwise you're never going to be satisfied with the car, and frankly that's not BMW's fault in the end.

Additionally, I don't really understand when people complain about the harshness of the suspension in a dedicated sports car. With all due respect, it's not a full sized luxury sedan made for comfort.

[bri1042]

I ran manuals for decades. The autos over the last few years and the DCT are the aberration. The ZF-8 in my 340 and the DCT in the M2C are the only "autos" I've ever had that I actually like sometimes. Even when not seeking a record on a track (something I'm unlikely to do again in the future), the DCT has it's charms. The relentless acceleration under a solid amount of throttle is a big one! I'd never trade this car in just to switch to a manual, I just miss it here and there. I'd also never disagree with any points made by either side of the discussion...I'm just sitting here in the middle agreeing with everyone all at the same time.

[bri1042]

Oh, the suspension...we all have things that we find glorious on Wednesday and tedious on Thursday. The trick is how you feel on Friday, I guess.

[warrenw]

On Sunday I had a BMW Performance Center track day and I was in a M4 with DCT. I walked away happy that I chose the manual over DCT for one reason - I feel with the DCT you have to fiddle with it too much to get what you want out of it, changing settings, manual mode, etc. Plus if I had to shift towards the exit of a corner or something like that with the wheel turned it was awkward.

[mike@x-ph.com]

Awesome

[M2C89]

Originally Posted by bri1042

I ran manuals for decades. The autos over the last few years and the DCT are the aberration. The ZF-8 in my 340 and the DCT in the M2C are the only "autos" I've ever had that I actually like sometimes. Even when not seeking a record on a track (something I'm unlikely to do again in the future), the DCT has it's charms. The relentless acceleration under a solid amount of throttle is a big one! I'd never trade this car in just to switch to a manual, I just miss it here and there. I'd also never disagree with any points made by either side of the discussion...I'm just sitting here in the middle agreeing with everyone all at the same time.

I agree with you 100%. Don't get me wrong, coming from someone who ordered a manual, the DCT is amazing and a very respectable option, it ALMOST swayed me, that's for sure.

[nomoracin]

Originally Posted by bri1042

...pretty happy with the car. I haven't put as many miles on it as some have (vacations? what are vacations?). I'm coming up on 4000 miles, and I only got about a month of post-break-in, pre-winter wheels driving time with it so far, so I do not feel that I have fully explored the car's personality and capabilities.

Let's get the negatives out of the way:

1. Despite knee issues, I have more days when I regret the DCT than I was hoping to have. I'm not entirely in love with the DCT and I do still really miss manuals. Hopefully this will fade over time.

2. I remain a bit terrified of hurting the car since getting another one wouldn't be easy. In fact, I am essentially going with an assumption that if I squish it, I won't get another one. (Note: I've never squished a car. My cars only get hit when they're stopped...and then it's never been that bad)

3. It's nice that BMW tuned the engine so that it doesn't have as many "off the line" issues as the early S55 cars, but that also leaves me feeling a little underwhelmed here and there on launch and when transitioning from simple cruising to playing around. Some of this is likely me needing to drive a bit more aggressively to get the car to show me what it is. I really want winter to end.

4. The ride is a bit harsh. I'm OK with it right now, in fact I'm loving it right now because its so different from my 340...but one of the things that sent me to the BMW dealership the first time was that I was utterly tired of how harsh my RSX-S's ride was. I am concerned that a day will come when I'll no longer be OK with it. My SO hates the way the car rides and randomly glares at me over it (honestly, that part is kinda fun, too). I think this is one of the places BMW really dropped the ball on the M2 and M2C. It should have had adaptive dampers.

Items 1 and 4 are the only issues I have with the car that could (outside of squished car, of course) cause me to trade it in earlier than intended.

Positives:

1. Sport+ throttle, Sport steering, DCT in Manual "3"-mode, RPM's held high. My gods is this car fun. I've driven some exotics in the old days (pre-1993) and a few really spanky cars since then, but for me to own something that can do what this car can do? Never thought I'd get the chance. Argue about what ever nit one would want to pick comparing it to the Cayman, other M Cars, TT-RS's, whatever...it is still just flat out a brilliant, brilliant car. My negatives were Nits, and the only ones I could pick. I feel lucky driving it.
2. Looks. It isn't all that sleek, and it isn't as aggressive as some Muscle cars...it's somewhere in between. It's a sleek car that got angry at something. And sometimes I see the muscle car it could have been if it had gone to a rougher school as a child. I don't know how to put it, but no car I've owned has thrilled me this much visually after six months. None of them (udder not withstanding).
3. Every other car near its price that perhaps does something better than the M2C leaves me cold in some way. Overall, I don't really think an overall better car exists at this price point (I give it a max of 10k on either side of this price for this). A lot of them just aren't practical enough to have as an only car, which is what it is. For some others, I think it's just my personal tastes that strike them from the possibility list. I'm happy with what we get for the money, overall.

At the BMW meet this weekend, the only other car that sent shivers up my spine as much as my little blue friend does was the M5. That car's tech and capabilities thrill my imagination in a different way than my car does, but just as much. Most days I feel like there's no way I'd willingly give up the M2C unless I had a ton more cash to play with than I do. Not a bad spot to be in on a daily basis, I think.

I can't wait to get my summer wheels back on the car and get some real driving done.

I'm so with you on winter...end already! haha Although, I could use another day or 2 out on the slopes.

So, I have a manual and there have definitely been days where I wished that I had gotten a DCT (traffic days mostly), but I'll admit that I'm probably one of those who wonder about how greener that grass is on the other side.

[Dav3]

Originally Posted by bri1042

1. Despite knee issues, I have more days when I regret the DCT than I was hoping to have. I'm not entirely in love with the DCT and I do still really miss manuals. Hopefully this will fade over time.

DCT is actually pretty nice, you just stop acknowledging the benefits it offers over Manual.

Manual can be very rewarding but I personally don't think BMW gets it quite right on its newer cars. (Rubbery feeling, long-throws, Rev-Match)

[carl44]

i have the mt and also had it on the oG . the shift linkage is way to notchey and needs to be much more fluid. shifting ends up being two movements . from in gear -neutral -into next gear, impossible to have one smooth movement. every time i drive my GT4 its night and day. carl

[nomoracin]

Originally Posted by carl44

i have the mt and also had it on the oG . the shift linkage is way to notchey and needs to be much more fluid. shifting ends up being two movements . from in gear -neutral -into next gear, impossible to have one smooth movement. every time i drive my GT4 its night and day. carl

Agreed! (I'm taking your word for it regarding the Porsche though as I can't afford one. Hehe)

[hyperrift]

Another good car at the M2C price point is through Alpina a110, which has received a lot of good reviews.

I love my m2c though.

[doughboy]

Originally Posted by carl44

i have the mt and also had it on the oG . the shift linkage is way to notchey and needs to be much more fluid. shifting ends up being two movements . from in gear -neutral -into next gear, impossible to have one smooth movement. every time i drive my GT4 its night and day. carl

The M2C 6MT box is a very similar ZF unit to my old 2009 335i tourer. Very strong but it is notchy when cold, especially 1-2, but when warm (20 mins+) i find it snicks through the gears beautifully with no resistance. The quicker you shift the better.

The notchyness is in the box not the linkages in my experience. The rubbery feel is the shifter ball cage mount. I see you can buy a powerflex stiff mount rubber, but that will transfer more vibes.

https://powerflexstore.co.uk/bmw/f87...-m2-pff5-4631/

[heavyD^2]

Originally Posted by doughboy

The M2C 6MT box is a very similar ZF unit to my old 2009 335i tourer. Very strong but it is notchy when cold, especially 1-2, but when warm (20 mins+) i find it snicks through the gears beautifully with no resistance. The quicker you shift the better.

The notchyness is in the box not the linkages in my experience. The rubbery feel is the shifter ball cage mount. I see you can buy a powerflex stiff mount rubber, but that will transfer more vibes.

https://powerflexstore.co.uk/bmw/f87...-m2-pff5-4631/

I actually don't mind the 6MT. It's a little rubbery but not that bad and while the throws could be shorter they aren't what I would call overly long. If people are going to use Porsche as a reference then every manual transmission is going to feel substandard but you still have to look pretty hard to find a better new car manual shifter than this from a non-Porsche. Maybe the Civic Type R which does have shorter throws and more solid feel but but plenty of those have issues with grinding and lockout. The Tremec's in pony cars aren't as nice and VW manuals suck. STI is okay but it's too notchy for my tastes and has long throws stock.

[chiefsubjugator]

Originally Posted by bri1042

2. I remain a bit terrified of hurting the car since getting another one wouldn't be easy. In fact, I am essentially going with an assumption that if I squish it, I won't get another one. (Note: I've never squished a car. My cars only get hit when they're stopped...and then it's never been that bad)

Definitely understand where you're coming from there. I see alot of people worrying that the used price of M2's might drop too fast. Meanwhile, I'm sitting here thinking that I'd like to own another one if some asshat (or the asshat behind the keyboard!) totals my car.