GT350R vs BMW M2 CS (my overnight internet crush)

[stanglife]

Always liked the M2 look but would really never own BMW for a bunch of reasons... Somehow started watching some videos on the M2 CS, an M4 powered $85k 2 series available with a manual. This sounds like a great drivers car. The only thing I found that caught my attention as suprising was it still weighs over 3600lbs..which seems heavy for what I think is a smallish car...maybe it's not that small.

Anyone drive one of these? Can you compare it to the specialness of your GT350? I've recently owned an Audi RS3 which was pretty interesting and super fast but just didn't seem that special overall...but my initial lust for it reminds me a little bit of what I'm feeling now for this M2.

No, I don't think I'd give up the 350R at this point, I just bought it ;) The CS could be an add if I decide to part with my 964 project which has a pile of parts bigger than the car itself (and that probably cost as much as the car).

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[Wildcardfox]

https://www.topgear.com/car-news/to...shelby-mustang-vs-bmw-m2-its-muscle-car-war#1

Not CS but a comparison.

 

[Matti777]

I drove an M240 a few times. There was something missing....a little too civil perhaps.

 

[jdwass]

One of my closest friends has a 2021 M2CS. It's a great car. It's fast, agile, and handles like it's on rails. It's a drivers car for sure. It's just not special. It's refined. There is little wind noise with the windows down. It's also understated. No one looks twice unless they know exactly what it is. That being said it's also very clinical if that makes sense. I felt like the fun was engineered out. There's no feeling like that car wants you to drive it faster. It won't slow you down but it just doesn't feel exciting to push. I'd say if you like high refinement levels and speed that doesn't feel fast then you'd love it. It's easy to drive fast. The gt350 has a higher performance ceiling but they are very close anywhere in the middle. The gt350 is just more fun. That's the subjective side. The objective side is the numbers don't lie.... It's a fast car.

 

[oldbmwfan]

In general, newer BMWs are more "numb" even if they are very fast. It has always been the progression to get more refined over time - my E34 5-series was more refined than my E28, and my E39 M5 is more refined than the E34. But, they still remained fun and engaging through ~2012. BMW did not master the switch to electric power steering, and now the relative refinement equates to a lack of feel. They can be very fast, though. I think this character suits the big cars well (M5, X5), but it is not as appealing in a more overtly sporty model (M2, M3/M4).

That said, some of the things you list as weaknesses I see as benefits. I love that the sportier BMWs are more subtle and don't attract attention; it's one of my favorite things about the older cars in particular - you can have a very capable machine that no one will look twice at if they don't know what it is. And, if you aren't tearing up a track or a back road, that relative "softness" is very nice ... my M5 and my 2009 135i (tuned, 375 whp and a huge mountain of turbo torque) make incredibly good highway cars that are supremely comfortable for hours.

It's all a matter of tradeoffs.

I was a guy who thought I'd never buy a Ford, just like you think you wouldn't buy a BMW, but I ended up in a GT350R because it was a better drive than an M4. For client work, the M4 would be better. As it turns out, having a loud, brash, sporty Ford AND a refined, comfortable, yet powerful and fun BMW sedan is a pretty nice combo. It's definitely worth taking an M2 CS for a drive; they will hold value pretty well (but not as well as the GT350R).

 

[Matti777]

I crushed hard on the M2 when it first came out and nearly bought one but there was long waits and only boring colors.

 

[lenFeb]

Always liked the M2 look but would really never own BMW for a bunch of reasons... Somehow started watching some videos on the M2 CS, an M4 powered $85k 2 series available with a manual. This sounds like a great drivers car. The only thing I found that caught my attention as suprising was it still weighs over 3600lbs..which seems heavy for what I think is a smallish car...maybe it's not that small.

Anyone drive one of these? Can you compare it to the specialness of your GT350? I've recently owned an Audi RS3 which was pretty interesting and super fast but just didn't seem that special overall...but my initial lust for it reminds me a little bit of what I'm feeling now for this M2.

No, I don't think I'd give up the 350R at this point, I just bought it ;) The CS could be an add if I decide to part with my 964 project which has a pile of parts bigger than the car itself (and that probably cost as much as the car).

I was in the market to buy new car in late 2019. My dream car was BMW M3 E92. (N/A 4.0L V8 with red line of 9000 RPM). I test drove other M cars after they discontinue E90 line and never like any of them. I was interested again when BMW released current M2 CS. All M2 reviews were saying that this is the what M line used to be and BMW came back to they roots with this incredible car. So, I went for test drive. Drove the M2 comp for a while. The car handles very good. It's little tail happy though, which is not necessary bad. But steering is numb, it takes happiness from your hands. So, I was not convinced and left hesitant. Same week I was spiking with one of my coworkers who own '17 GT350. He offered me to test drive his. Instead, I search local inventory for GT350. Found one locally, call the dealer for test drive. Drove the car and the rest is history. So, my assessment of not only M2 CS but all current M models is inline with others. It's numb steering kills entire M line for me. IMO BMW killed entire M cars, which is very sad. Below are some YT comparisons I found when researching M2 vs GT350(the first is my favorite).

 

[Shift]

BMW M stopped having a soul after the E90/92 M3's. In the way that Toyota is an appliance for reliability, BMW in general has become an appliance for speed. No soul in either one. Just purpose.

 

[lenFeb]

BMW M stopped having a soul after the E90/92 M3's. In the way that Toyota is an appliance for reliability, BMW in general has become an appliance for speed. No soul in either one. Just purpose.

True and very sad

 

[Matti777]

 

[Caballus]

Got a few colleagues with M2/M2 CS. Impressive cars that can hold their own. Simplified comparison: they are close in capabilities. However, you do not need as much skill to tap into the M2 CS's max capabilities.

 

[460Fred]

This reminds me of many a motorcycle discussion comparing Ducati’s to the highly refined Japanese or German bikes. The later just feel numb to me. Ducati’s have the same raw feel as my GT350.
Now if I’m traveling with my better half and our two dogs on a week long road trip, give me a big SUV ;-)

 

[oldbmwfan]

See, that's where I differ. On a road trip, I want to see some fun roads, and there's nothing worse than being on an awesome road in a not-fun vehicle. One reason I bought the 135i was that it was in CA. Bought it, flew to LA, then my wife and I drove it back to Chicagoland via 16 states, 10 national parks, and over 6,000 miles. It was an awesome car for that trip. We even fit our camping gear into it (barely). Kept it for a little while after and passed it on. Net cost was far less than renting a crappy econobox for the drive, and the fun factor was way higher. Plus we got 2-3 extra days of vacation time by flying out instead of driving both ways.

 

[stanglife]

Interesting opinions. I do realize that group I'm talking to, though ;)

 

[stanglife]

(2) 2021 Toyota Supra meets the BMW M2 CS: the Mk4's real successor | Jason Cammisa on the Icons Ep. 01 - YouTube

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