Ford GT350 vs BMW M2

[aspensilver]

To be honest the issue I have with the Mustang is its such a big car now...I saw it next to my E92 M3 when I test drove the car I was considering...and the E92 looked svelte compared to the S550 and it was much more taught. The issue with the GTPP is it is underdamped, which is easily remedied by a FRPP handling pack..

The GT350 would make me forgive this, but then the rest of the car I would have to live with as well. My buyout on my M3 at the end of July is $41K, it will be worth probably in the $46-48K range. I was offered $50K just 4 mos. ago. To go into a GT350 if I got one for MSRP is darn near $60k....thats my dilemma.

Dave

Great post Dave, I agree. One of the biggest selling points for me on the M2 & E92 M3s is the size. I originally was looking at the M235I vs. a GT but ended up in an SLK55 AMG. The GT is a fantastic car and if I only could have one car total (I also have a sedan) I would choose the GT as an all-around, which it is to many and does an amazing job at that.

I was tearing myself up at choosing between the M235I vs. the S550 GT when I had the idea of keeping my old '97 540I for times when I need size and then getting a used 2 seater like a Cayman, SLK55, etc. In the end the 2 car idea won.

Mustang would have won a long time ago before I even thought about other options had it been smaller. I was in a 2yr lease on a '13 Fusion and planned to go for the S550 when I saw how awesome it looked, had V8, LSD, but suddenly felt robbed when I found out it was wider than my current Fusion! I was saddened as the Fusion was the biggest car I'd ever owned and you really do notice just how big it is on the road. Absolutely everything about the Mustang I like -- price, power, looks, great updated interior, I just don't want to navigate such a large car. You can't maneuver on the streets as quickly for safety reasons in a large car and the parking is more difficult.

Ultimately I find a lot of thrill in small car, big engine -- there is too much emphasis on track times which makes for wider cars, but what is good and fast on the track is not necessarily the best for the street. However as Dave alluded to, that GT350 is something special (and of course it is a track focused car). It makes me think about one 2-3 yrs from now, even though the size really is a big negative for me. What an engine! I don't think anyone even talks about the snoozer in the M2.

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[Shakooza]

Great post Dave, I agree. One of the biggest selling points for me on the M2 & E92 M3s is the size. I originally was looking at the M235I vs. a GT but ended up in an SLK55 AMG. The GT is a fantastic car and if I only could have one car total (I also have a sedan) I would choose the GT as an all-around, which it is to many and does an amazing job at that.

I was tearing myself up at choosing between the M235I vs. the S550 GT when I had the idea of keeping my old '97 540I for times when I need size and then getting a used 2 seater like a Cayman, SLK55, etc. In the end the 2 car idea won.

Mustang would have won a long time ago before I even thought about other options had it been smaller. I was in a 2yr lease on a '13 Fusion and planned to go for the S550 when I saw how awesome it looked, had V8, LSD, but suddenly felt robbed when I found out it was wider than my current Fusion! I was saddened as the Fusion was the biggest car I'd ever owned and you really do notice just how big it is on the road. Absolutely everything about the Mustang I like -- price, power, looks, great updated interior, I just don't want to navigate such a large car. You can't maneuver on the streets as quickly for safety reasons in a large car and the parking is more difficult.

Ultimately I find a lot of thrill in small car, big engine -- there is too much emphasis on track times which makes for wider cars, but what is good and fast on the track is not necessarily the best for the street. However as Dave alluded to, that GT350 is something special (and of course it is a track focused car). It makes me think about one 2-3 yrs from now, even though the size really is a big negative for me. What an engine! I don't think anyone even talks about the snoozer in the M2.

Your post outlines the same challenge I face...Every time I get out of the Mustang I think its a fantastic car and an unbelievable package. I just cant get away from the fact that its a big car and for my driving style the size sucks most of the fun out of the car....

Cars like the Evo, M235 and the RS (potentially) put a smile on my face..

 

[Chameleon]

Updated. 4.2 0-60 and more..

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2016-bmw-m2-full-test-review

 

[Dave2013M3]

Updated. 4.2 0-60 and more..

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2016-bmw-m2-full-test-review

Yea and that was the 6MT car not the DCT...I think the DCT car will be in the 3s and mid 12s in the 1320 @ 114mph.

Dave

 

[Trackaholic]

Many M2's at Laguna Seca today. There was also a dude with a German accent doing donuts in the paddock with one. It is a pretty good looking car, nice and small, high quality interior, but a little busy. Looks like this is going to be a great car!

-T

 

[marks]

The M2 looks a great car but not sure why peeps would choose the DCT over the manual. If you guys over the pond don't start buying manuals then they'll stop giving us the manual option in the UK, and BMW will go like Merc/Audi! Please don't turn BMW into another driverless car manufacturer.

 

[w3rkn]

Wheelbase:
RS 104
1M 104.7
M2 106.1
S550 107.9
M4 110.7

 

[w3rkn]

The M2 looks a great car but not sure why peeps would choose the DCT over the manual. If you guys over the pond don't start buying manuals then they'll stop giving us the manual option in the UK, and BMW will go like Merc/Audi! Please don't turn BMW into another driverless car manufacturer.

Because OMFGBBQ nurb times bro...... :mullet:

:headbonk:


It is because all the eurobrohaus think they are race car drivers, and it matters when you are .3s faster to work.

They compare times (cock-lengths) at the water cooler every day, because size matters... because they have forgotten how to work the stick.

In contrast, across the pond it is about who has the bigger smiles and whether or not you took out any mailboxes on the way to work.



heal toe is an art... and it is getting hard to find good tapestry to display it.

 

[paul123]

The M2 looks a great car but not sure why peeps would choose the DCT over the manual. If you guys over the pond don't start buying manuals then they'll stop giving us the manual option in the UK, and BMW will go like Merc/Audi! Please don't turn BMW into another driverless car manufacturer.

Too late, most of the BMW inventory on dealer lots around here is Auto / DCT.

Only matter of time before we are all in self-driving Google cars. Some with a Ford sticker, some with a BMW sticker.

occupant: please take me to red light district
car: permission denied, uploading request to NSA, please try again

:lol:

 

[JohnnyUtah]

The M2 looks a great car but not sure why peeps would choose the DCT over the manual. If you guys over the pond don't start buying manuals then they'll stop giving us the manual option in the UK, and BMW will go like Merc/Audi! Please don't turn BMW into another driverless car manufacturer.

DCT is an amazing transmission. I can see why some people would want it. It is faster. Seems like a good reason to want it.

That being said... my cars are manuals and I'm not planning on getting an auto any time soon.

But even Porsche is doing away with manuals. It seems to be inevitable. The GT3 not offering a manual was a pretty big kick in the nuts to enthusiasts who still want one. It is still a driver's car though to be sure.

Those of us who like 3 pedals are becoming a rarity

 

[marks]

Yes but then if you're only interested in that 0.2 of a second then wait for driverless cars or buy a fighter jet. Porsche are actually now starting to buck the auto trend, the Cayman GT4 was manual only and they sold out virtually immediately and now sell for well over the orginal asking price. So there is still a manual market and decent manufacturers will still make manual sports cars as long as murica doesn't continue to be auto obsessed.

 

[Hack]

Yes but then if you're only interested in that 0.2 of a second then wait for driverless cars or buy a fighter jet.

Crotch rocket.

 

[paul123]

... Those of us who like 3 pedals are becoming a rarity

maybe the cell phone is to blame :shrug:

 

[JohnnyUtah]

Yes but then if you're only interested in that 0.2 of a second then wait for driverless cars or buy a fighter jet. Porsche are actually now starting to buck the auto trend, the Cayman GT4 was manual only and they sold out virtually immediately and now sell for well over the orginal asking price. So there is still a manual market and decent manufacturers will still make manual sports cars as long as murica doesn't continue to be auto obsessed.

.2 of a second might be the difference from 0-60 but that isn't the only metric that counts. DCT is faster on the track as well and that matters to some people. Having to heel and toe is rewarding and fun, but some people aren't terribly good at it and don't see the point of learning if there is an auto that is faster anyway. I can see that argument and it makes sense.

I like a manual myself, but I don't see a problem with DCT or PDK.

What's with the comments about Americans and autos anyway? Thats the second time you compain about it. Automotive performance wouldn't be where it is today without the American market. Are you seriously going to try to blame Americans for manuals becoming a thing of the past? Ridiculous.

 

[Trackaholic]

Yes but then if you're only interested in that 0.2 of a second then wait for driverless cars or buy a fighter jet. Porsche are actually now starting to buck the auto trend, the Cayman GT4 was manual only and they sold out virtually immediately and now sell for well over the orginal asking price. So there is still a manual market and decent manufacturers will still make manual sports cars as long as murica doesn't continue to be auto obsessed.

America likes autos for the daily drivers, but for performance I think we actually prefer the manuals more than the Europeans. I can configure an M5 with a stick shift @ BMW USA, but not an BMW UK. It also seems to be the Euro MFR's who are ditching the stick shift, not the US MFR's. Not sure "murica" is the problem in this particular situation. Looks like the UK folks need to learn to love stick.

-T

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