The surprise this month is how on earth did I manage to put over 500 miles on the M2? During a month with the stay-at-home orders were still very much in effect. And I also made a point to not drive the car unnecessarily.
It really shows just how fun the little BMW is to drive. It’s too easy during the grocery run to take a circuitous detour, to go the longer way. Even if the route isn’t full of bends and corners, it’s joyful enough to simply cruise on the highway. I guess that’s how I did half a thousand miles last month. A trip to Costco? Let’s take a route through the mountains to get there.
It certainly helps to have a car that’s comfortable and easy to live with. The M2 is the latest in an illustrious line of sports sedans from BMW (yes, even though it’s got two doors, the M2 is underpinned by a sedan platform). That means alongside its sporting credentials, it also has to function as a normal, everyday car. This isn’t the hardcore track-ready machine like the Porsche GT3 I had previously.
Let’s start with tires. January was the typically rainy for us, and the factory-fitted Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires on the M2 handled the water competently. You still have to be careful with the throttle, but at least I’m not constantly terrified of the backend stepping out at any moment. Such as the case in the 911 GT3, equipped with Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires. Wet surface with cold tires was not a fun time in the Porsche.
Neither is the GT3’s super low ground clearance. Tackling driveways at extreme angles to clear them without scraping the front bumper gets tiring after the 10th time. In the mountains, I couldn’t pull over on just any turnout, because the Porsche will surely bottom out on half of them. Not-so-paved roads into the wilderness? Forget about it.
It’s so nice to have semi-decent clearance again with the M2 Competition. The ability to take it practically anywhere without having to think about whether it’ll scrape puts the mind at ease. I’m surprised I haven’t yet hit the bottom of the aggressively styled front bumper on a driveway. Knocking on wood tremendously, of course.
Then there’s the comfort amenities. Backup camera and sensors make parking super easy (still managed to ding a wheel, sadly). Power everything makes ingress and egress effortless. Press one button to fold in the mirrors! Seat memory that remembers my preferred position! Features I previously thought superfluous in a car, I am now finding them to be indispensable.
The inside of the M2 is just a nice place to be. Enthusiasts love hardcore sports cars and talk all the time about driving purity, but when it comes down to it: luxury and comfort count for something as well. Stiff ride, loud cabin, and uncomfortable seats become rather annoying as the miles pile on. What I really want is a solid sounding stereo, steering wheel and seats that warms me on a cold morning, and proper interior storage space.
I suppose I should turn in my enthusiast card now. Then again, Youtuber Savagegeese sold his Ariel Atom for a Lexus LC500. I am definitely not alone in unwilling to sacrifice comfort for every last bit of driving feel.
The modern turbocharged engine is a marvel, and the S55 unit in the M2 is one of the best. There’s so much useable torque throughout the rev-range that it makes city driving superbly fun. The way I can dart in and out of traffic with mere squirt of the throttle is intoxicating, and bit of a hooligan. The power shove is quite similar to that of an electric vehicle. There’s really no need to chase the tach needle all the way to the 7,500 RPM redline. Second and third gear between 2,000 and 5,000 is where the M2 comes alive.
Turbo lag is minimal enough to not be annoying. Absent is the old-school turbo punch that I’ve experienced in my old Subaru WRX STI. It’s never going to match a naturally aspirated motor for response, but turbocharging has come quite a long way with modern technologies. The deficiencies have effectively been engineered out. I absolutely believe people who say the turbocharged V8 in a Ferrari 488 feels exactly like an atmospheric motor.
The S55 isn’t quite like that, but it’s really good. While I will forever miss the 9,000 RPM howl of the flat-six engine in the GT3, I am not one bit disappointed with the M2’s turbo inline-six.
Honestly, I reckon that around 400 horsepower is the sweet spot of balance between speed and jail time. The M2’s rated 406 horsepower is more than adequate for some naughtiness on the streets, but it isn’t so much that by the end of second gear, it’s time for a trip to the police impound yard. Ultimately, what I want is useable power for driving around town and in the mountains.
The latest cars with more than 600 horsepower seem to be for measuring contests than actual driving pleasure. How much of that power can you exploit on public roads – legally? You need a racing circuit to utilize every bit of such a car’s immense capability. Being able to access more of a car’s performance on the streets is where the thrill is. This is why the Mazda Miata remains the answer to every enthusiast question.
It’s also why I get more excited about a Toyota GR Yaris than the latest hyper exotica from Italy. We’ve reached a point where sports cars are by and large fast enough. How to make a car fun and pure to drive on everyday roads is the question to tackle, not adding ever more horsepower. The first manufacturer to move in this direct is going to win the enthusiasts dollars.
Sadly, it’s not BMW. The forthcoming M3/M4 has gained power and weight, more cruise missile than a scything sports car. The upper trim levels has even got all-wheel drive! No one ever complained about the last generation car to be slow, though it could definitely use more steering feel. BMW seems to have ignore this, and instead kept on chasing ever better performance numbers on a spec-sheet.
Biased as I am, this F87-generation M2 Competition could be the final version of a breed of fun, sweet driving BMW sports sedans.
See you next month.
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Date acquired: October 2019
Total mileage: 2,379
Mileage this month: 512
Costs this month: $238.61
MPG this month: 20.82