Every car seems to move up a segment or two in price, size and weight. The only thing that’s the same is the badge. In reality it’s not really an ‘M2’, more of a decent sized M car coupé.
I used to be glued to the screen, waiting for Top Gear's review of the lateast M-car. Now a days i can hardly keep my focus. I watched this with several pauses, not because there's anything wrong with Harry's work, but because i'm bored with the car before the video starts. Oh well... We have the memories, and the cars they used to build.
I am so surprised to see so much negative feedback on the looks. I bought one and actually love that they designed a car that has its own look. It is all function vs stupid “looks”. If you drive it I guarantee you will be smiling and have a better opinion of this car. I’ve had 4 “M” cars now and this is the most pure and best so far. It is a driver’s car and just fits me perfectly. Go see one in the showroom. They are much better looking in person and the interior quality and seats are great. The manual is great too. Not the best I have ever shifted but it is very good and one of the only cars in this class available with a manual.
Theres a reason why people still flock to see the cathedrals from the middle ages in Europe, sistine chapel etc, these are timeless designs we can appreciate to be beautiful and aesthetic, people still rent these beautiful places to have weddings and such No one cares to see the blocky architecture that was such a big trend in the 1960s, in fact those buildings are an eyesore when they are next to gothic colleges and parliament buildings built with beauty of design in mind. The majority of people dont want to drive this ugly car,
It's odd because this one looks like it has front and rear "bumpers for the american market" like they had donkeys years back for certain italian exotics so they could sell them over there. I don't think the colour helps but even so the 4 corner squares look like design for the sake of design and seem more for the designer to make his mark rather than make the car look attractive.
“Rear wheel drive, manual gearbox, what’s not to like?” The fact it’s so utterly and completely hideous. I seriously think the ‘M’ now stands for Monstrosity rather than Motorsport.
In addition: what's the manual gearbox about when it auto-blips on the downshift? I'm okay with cars having good automatic or DCT gearboxes, but for all the knights of the manual transmission this is kind of against the point of using one.
👍 Harry thank you for helping articulate and explain what's wrong with BMW feel today. Numb, distant, disconnected. Fast! But not as feelsome as they used to be. 😢
It doesn't make sense really. The old M2 CS was spot on. Yet with this one, you can tell even from the video that it is a little bit soft and floaty (not like an old Cadillac of course, but just that little bit). *I think it's quite deliberate* in response to buyers of the previous M2 complaining about a rough ride. BMW seems to think that buyers don't want "bad" steering feedback either, at least that's what buyers in their focus groups tell them (there's a whole Car and Driver article about it). I think it's sad that we have to wait for the M2 CS for the engineers to be let off the "leash" and be allowed to build a car with the connection and directness that the engineers think a sportscar ought to have. I'm sure the engineers know full well what a sportscar is supposed to feel like, but unfortunately it seems to clash with a lot of feedback from (accidental?) BMW/M buyers.
I clocked 36k km in a 2019 M2 Competition in 12 months of wonderful driving on New Zealand's narrow highways. Loved every minute of driving although it had several features I didn't like including: 1) the steering wheel seemed to perfectly block out the speedo no matter how I configured it, 2)BMW love their seats to be hard as two planks, and; 3) no matter how I configured the seat, my right ankle would throb after 10 minutes driving. For me, eventually, they became deal breakers and I traded out of it after a year. This one just doesn't excite. Don't like the looks, it is far too heavy, and I bet all of my criticisms of the driving experience remain. Now, that Lotus Emira...that's ahead turner
Agreed, this new car, replacing a car that was comparatively light, and quite pretty - is now ridiculously heavy, and ugly to boot. BMW have lost the plot.
Agreed! My lease for my F87 is coming up next year, kind of dreading getting rid of it because there isn’t much in my price range for the performance and style that the f87 has.. I wouldn’t replace it with the G series M2
I think that’s one of the most repellent vehicles I’ve ever seen. And I thought the old one was nasty! Saw on on the road the other day and thought someone had tried to make their own body kit for it out of an old shower tub.
This is one of the few new cars you just know a decade from now will cost more than it was in '23. By then the number of RWD drive new cars pushing 500 hp with a three-pedal manual will be very rare indeed.
New Golf R starts at £45k, new civic type r at £50k. Many manufacturers have moved to higher margin, lower volume business and are going to get eaten from the bottom up by Chinese manufacturers as EVs come online. VW have already shot themselves in the foot with quality and pricing issues with their current range of EVs.
All BMW’s have this heaviness but that means more investment in good manufacture and improves traction and stability, the two driving principles of BMW, as well as safety. All the BMW’s I’ve had are heavy, and my wife often complains how heavy the doors on my X5 are, and they’re no different on the 130i. This car looks extremely well built and aggressive. Love the colour and the exhausts and overall design. Would love one actually. Thanks Harry.
For £66k the exterior finishes look economy car cheap. The grills, tacked-on sensors, and intakes look like they're for an entry level Hyundai, not a premium sports coupe.
That is hideous inside and out. The rear quarters give the impression of mobile phones jammed into jean pockets and its face has orbital hypertelorism.
I tested the G87 M2 a few weeks ago interior is another level to my F87 M2 but to me personally it felt huge compared to mine on the road and I also thought there was a lot going on with the dash (which I guess you’d probably get used to over time). I’ll stick with my F87 for now
ID8 I can get used to, although still not as user-friendly as previous versions. Hold on to your F87. Looks better, is lighter, has roomier back seat, and drives just as well on country lanes.
I’m not a fan of these TV style dashboards. Feels to me that the old guard have hired techy kids, not petrol heads to help them bring their interior to the next level. If I wanted a TV however, I’d have gone to Curry’s. Give me a dash, with some nicely integrated tech, don’t make it a main feature. And let the car do the talking. As for the exterior look…
@@hovnojede010101keep it for the back seat alone. I could fit 2 full grown adult males in my back seat with a weeks worth of groceries in the trunk. Where did all the space go?? And more importantly, why buy this over the more dynamic Supra if it has similar ergonomics?
Watching your reviews has become an addictions. Always enjoyable. La Classe. On a different note, like you, I’m a mechanical watch wearer, using smart watches for when I’m doing my exercises but you seem to have find an original way to wear them both at the same time :-)
I think most BMW fans are disappointed in the direction they're going. However they're still doing manual, RWD cars. I just wish they would go back to hydraulic steering. No electric system can truly compete. If you watch closely, Harry is sawing at the wheel constantly. 1. Ugly. 2. Heavy. 3. Disconnected feeling. 4. Doesn't want to be pushed. 5. No hydraulic steering. 6. Expensive. 7. Ugly. Looks and pricing is one thing, but it's pretty hard to understand why they couldn't get the driving dynamics right.
From Johann Kinsler, BMW: "While that’s difficult to address with hydraulic power steering, with EPS we can install what we call pull-drift compensation to help keep the car locked on a straight path instead of following longitudinal grooves." "One is a new calibration philosophy that allows easy adjustment of the required steering torque. This makes a major difference in the feel of the new 5-series. There would be no chance to match those results with hydraulic assist." "[Hydraulic assistance] means good information and bad information. *When we moved to EPS, we learned how to divide the good and bad messages for the customer.* " "We have two million customers around the globe who’ve purchased the 5-series during the past five years, which results in a broad spread of demands. There was a clear request for less steering effort. *No one wants bad feedback-such as a steering wheel that vibrates in response to bumps in the road.* " "So the strongest demand we heard was, ‘Please reduce the steering effort.’ They seem to want more isolation" I.e., there is deliberate programming done by BMW to interfere in the steering. This is *not* inherent to electric power steering in and of itself, you don't have to include this kind of stuff (by all means, the way an electric motor applies torque means it will somewhat dampen feedback compared to hydraulic assistance, but electric steering doesn't have to be completely terrible). I strongly disagree with Mr. Kinsler, especially "no one wants bad feedback", but you can see what BMW engineers have been tasked with achieving. Unfortunately the engineers aren't allowed to overrule the focus groups, unlike the engineers at Lotus or McLaren who are purists about their hydraulic power steering with lots of feedback (as we see the steering wheel wriggling around on Harry's test road while driving those cars!).
Having owned one since launch, I would agree. Effortless cruising, plenty of power when road conditions permit and personally speaking, the styling works. Especially in Thundernight 😁👍🏻
@@leccybadger I'd imagine more comfortable but not lacking in grip and if you wanted a bit more punch to match a M2, just needs plugging into a computer!
@@ScottZ370 as with all 4wd, you can occasionally feel the front pushing wide, never feels that the car is heading for a ditch 😬. For my needs, the power is enough. It isn't a track weapon, more a mini GT in some ways, and that is not to say the experience is underwhelming. I see it as more 'grown up' than the previous generation and fortunately, it has a cowl for the dials, not this hideous wrap around screen!
Totally agree. Get a low milage one from an independent dealer or private. Most BMW dealers are shocking. I have a Stage 2 M140i with M4 LCA and Remus exhaust. I'd keep up with a new M2 any day of the week.
Great review and sums up modern m cars for me, lovely cars but they just miss something. Great fast dailies, not something you yearn to take out at the weekend.
@@hassyg4083 It could be that BMW are deliberately gaming the WLTP system, where heavier cars are allowed a higher CO2/km. So BMW declare an unrealistically high DIN weight to allow for a more generous CO2/km allowance for the car.
Can everyone stop hating on the styling of this, my niece is getting really upset by the feedback. She worked really hard on it before swimming class and it was her 5th birthday around that time so she was a bit preoccupied. Edit: She used her best crayons.
Harry , on a serious note . How long will it be before the police will pull people over for using touch screen dashboards while driving , the same way they deal with using mobile phones I’m not being pedantic but they are as distracting as a iPhone while on the move
Harry! Great review as always. Mind you bringing back your scales? Would be great to know the actual weight of the test candidates. Remember the surprise withe the Boxster GTS 4.0? Greetings from ze Germans.
The look of this car has grown on me over the months. It definitely looks weird, but there's something about it I like. I think if it had more time in the oven, and a more focused design, it could look really good.
That stupid speed warning setting would be a deal breaker for me. If it was a physical button that i could just hit once then maybe but having to go through the touch screen to disable to the nanny state would send me potty
Great video seen a couple others about the M2 and they both neither of them mention the speed chime and they both skimmed past the weight making the car seem alot better then it is
I'd be so chuffed if I'd just spent 66 grand and thought "it looks a bit OTT', 'this gear change is a bit rubbery' and 'you know I could get to like this'. The kind of thoughts that would kill a sale in the first place. ('wow, this is awesome' is a better aspirational reaction from a customer)
A lot BMW M customers seem to only care about going fast in a straight line (and getting the back end out every now and then). I guess this suits them just fine, unfortunately, and customers who want a precise car are in the minority. I recall Jason Plato testing the G82 M4 on Fifth Gear and not liking that he could not tell what the front end was doing at all through the steering ("just need to guess how much front grip there is"), but the M cars don't seem to be designed for people who care about that sort of thing anymore. 🙁
As soon as he showed the touch screen nonsense you have to turn off on every journey I turned off too. I guess I’ll just have to look for ten year old cars to escape this insanity
I have got a similar touchscreen in my BMW, it is frustrating to operate and hard to read if you are long-sighted…I was worried for Harry running through the menus whilst doing 60 mph.
Unless you drive at 9 or 10/10ths the m240i is a Much better value and won’t drive differently enough on public roads to matter. Straight line speed is identical for all practical intents and purposes. They’re both numb on steering feel so no advantage there either. F87 owner here. Unless you plan to track it save the cash.
@@ScottsGuitarah come on. The 240i is just boring. I’m every aspect. Sorry. Had it as a rental when my F87 was in inspection. That’s a car you forget the next day. I didn’t drive the G87 yet, but had the G82. And it’s way better. Even though I like the F series more.
@@Beamer_i4_M50 I just meant as a value proposition. You get more for your money with the m240i. But the F series is better and cheaper than the new m240i or m2 imo. Solution just buy an f87 lol. There’s no way they add all that weight and it drives better, M car or not. I’d happily take the unobstructed (non particulate filter) n55 exhaust note over the new one too. Man that car can growl in a car park 😂
It kind of looks like an AI-generated "future" BMW model. The front end is not as hideous as the M3/M4, but the exterior feels a bit dis-jointed, especially compared to the masterpiece that was the previous M2's exterior. At least it seems to drive well, even if it is obscenely heavy for what's supposed to be a small BMW.
Took delivery of a new M240 xdrive 4 weeks ago. A far superior car in looks, performance and price (£15k cheaper). 95% of M2 owners won’t do track days which is what it’s good for. Daily driver M240 wins hands down and can easily be retuned to…..I’d say 420bhp to 500bhp and handle it with ease.
Re the speed limit noise, you can add it (and anything else, I have lane assist as well) as a shortcut, so you just drag down from the top and toggle it off. Pain the arse for sure, but slightly better than having to go through all the menus
Ah it looks a lovely car, but the styling is still awful BMW have absolutely lost their mojo with their car design of late, shame as the overall package looks to be great. The boxy grilles and intakes are just nasty.
Almost every new car makes me appreciate the weight of my daily driver, which is a bit over a tonne. Even though it has an engine that makes more noise than power it is still a pleasure to throw it around the countryside.
A lot to like about it but also a lot of reasons why buying a previous model M2 looks the preferable option. Not sure why they’ve gone for Hyundai N blue as their signature colour.
I'm struck by the irony. Hyundai develops it's N series inspired by BMW M cars - BMW mimics Hyundai colour - imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Whilst the light blue isn't my favourite colour - I'm so glad the press car is not painted using the monotonous and boring 'German rainbow' colour palette of white, silver, grey or black - with the grey hue offered in 150 shades. It's like looking at 'life' through black-white photography.
@@georgebettiol8338 agree with you on that, I do like a decent colour I was just being a bit tongue in cheek about it matching Hyundai N. It baffles me that so many people are currently paying extra to have their cars delivered with just the matt grey primer. Not sure how that's become a fashion, it looks awful.
There seems to be a lot of group think in colours! So many grey colours for example. I guess it depends on what the paint companies are offering at the time (e.g., Lamborghini Murcielago and Ford Focus ST were offered in the same shade of PPG orange). BMW recently had an optional Misano Blue colour which is very similar to the Alfa Romeo blue pearl colour which is also called Misano Blue (I guess it comes from the same paint company and is exactly the same colour). I wish BMW M would just stick with their classic colours like Estoril Blue!
BMWs have never been the sharpest tool in the box when it comes to handling but since they went to electric power steering, "rubbery" as you put it Harry, sums them up. (Speaking as a BMW owner).
Being based on the CLAR platform, the new M2 is just way too heavy, but good to see it's RWD, manual option is still available (not much long for this world, with the EV world soon upon us... _sigh_ ) and despite the increased of mass it still drives well.
Very nice review and spot on. A couple of months ago, I had a difficult choice between this M2 G87 and a Porsche Cayman 718 Base model. In the end I picked the Porsche. Although the BMW has a great engine, the Porsche - even in its base form - just felt more like a sports car. And that's coming from someone who had an e39 M5 and e36 M3 in the past.
Great vid as always! I find that these newer BMW M-cars honestly remind me (in persona not handling) of a good fast Audi S/RS of 10yrs ago. Not as spikey, clutch pedal is lighter, not quite as precise feeling as the previous Gen, but easier to live with. When looking at a car like M3 I can consider it a reasonable compromise, but the last M2Comp was so manic the more docile nature of the new one gives me mixed feelings. An amazing bit of kit nevertheless!
I don't get it, we can vote for people who see government as the enemy and want to shrink it and fire the federal employees. I always vote for these people but they never win elections. The type to put warning bells on cars also give out goodies to parasites and that is why we will certainly have cars that limit everything in the future.
So annoying that you can’t even jump into that speed warming menu with the 8 programmable radio preset buttons… They got rid of those, and the physical climate controls…
Should be named *"The Pug".* I really enjoy H's G cos it's a wonderful reminder that the financial crises (2008 and current) are just irritating background noise for so many people.
Brilliant review Harry. One point I may disagree is steering feel. I test drove 2. One had the Michelin mp 4 s and one had Pirelli pzero corsas. Steering was much more direct, precise and with more feel to me with the Pirelli’s which were part of the track pack. The carbon seats also help transmit feel through your body.
My friend recently took delivery of a manual and the carbon seats are so annoying he is considering selling. They really interfere with the clutch operation. Seems like a big miss from BMW.
the wrap around dash screen looks weird not being part of the actual dash, looks like its just been plonked there as an after thought. Could they really not have integrated it?
And I thought the Toyota HCR was ugly, but this beats it by a country mile. Yep, all about the aero and cooling management, but, really, how could any designer sleep thinking they'd had a good day at the drawing board with this in their CV?
Why's that then, do you like dogging? Get real, of the more recent cars that have had a good thrashing with the ugly stick, this comes close to not only the CHR and the original Nissan Puke (oops, Juke) but if you drive any of these, you have one consolation. You're looking at it from the inside.
Whilst the light blue isn't my favourite colour - I'm so glad the press car is not painted using the monotonous and boring 'German rainbow' colour palette of white, silver, grey or black - with the grey hue offered in 150 shades. It's like looking at 'life' through black-white photography.
