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2016 BMW M2 Coupe
Denis Flierl's picture
By Denis Flierl Nov 14 2015 - 9:04am

3 reasons why performance fans aren’t happy with the BMW M2

BMW hasn’t even launched the first 2016 M2 and fans are already dissatisfied with the performance coupe. What are their complaints?
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BMW performance fans are a very difficult group to satisfy and it’s BMW M GmbH’s fault. The performance division of BMW has given performance enthusiasts everything they could want and more in the M vehicles. Then along comes the M2 Coupe that doesn’t have everything the M3/M4 sedan and coupe has and they are complaining. What’s missing on the new 2016 BMW M2?

BMW M2 Side Mirrors
Performance fans are taking about the BMW M2 in a negative way and they aren’t happy because the side mirrors are not unique to the M2 but come off the BMW M235i. They also say the body kit on the M2 isn’t aggressive enough and looks too much like the lesser M235i. Fans say it’s not “M” enough and needs to be further differentiated from the 2 Series.

BMW M2 Interior
The same goes for the interior with the M2 getting the same cabin except for the gear shifter, paddle shifters and carbon fiber trim being the only difference. Performance fans especially don’t like the seats that are also carry-overs from the 2 Series. Seats in the M3/M4 are vastly improved for spirited driving and are a big improvement over the standard 3 Series seats.

BMW M2 Coupe Roof
Another big complaint comes from the lack of a carbon fiber roof on the M2 Coupe. Fans have always appreciated BMW’ M’s attention to detail and the carbon fiber roof is a good example of the M’s differentiation from the standard models. The lightweight roof lowers weight and what is more important, it lowers the center of gravity and gives the M models much improved driving dynamics on the track.

Why did BMW M GmbH decide to eliminate these key M features? It’s because the M2 is designed for a new generation of performance fans who have never purchased an M vehicle before. BMW M is trying to appeal to a wider audience than ever before and it’s a younger demographic who is the target. It’s the millennial group age 24-35 who is going to buy the new M2. BMW M needed to keep the cost down to attract these new performance enthusiasts to the brand.

The BMW M enthusiasts who aren’t happy with the M2 will continue to buy the more expensive M3/M4, and a new generation of performance fans will be introduced to the brand. It’s a calculated move by BMW M GmbH to bring out the 2016 M2 Coupe with certain features and the lack of some others.

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Comments

dcto wrote on November 14, 2015 - 11:37am
"Performance fans" are missing their bespoke side mirrors? Good! More M2 for me. Isn't this the same site that wants an M2 convertible?
chambolle wrote on November 14, 2015 - 5:59pm
This is pure stuff and nonsense. Look at the E36 and E46 M3, for example. Both were remarkably similar to the stock 3 series coupe in a number of respects, and for good reason - keeping the cost of the car within reason. BMW is positioning the M2 as the mid-ground between the M235i and the M4. The M2 cannot possibly have every whizbang gizmo and every racy bit of trim that comes on an M4 and remain at a desirable price point. You're complaining about the mirrors, for gosh sakes? Swap 'em out if you really cannot bear to live with them. Furthermore, I'm not all that enamored of all the gizmos. The M4 is way too big, way too heavy and way too pricey for its own good. If anything, the M2 could have joined the weigh watchers club and done without some of the electronica in order to pare down the poundage -- without resorting to extreme and expensive measures like a carbon fiber roof. Park an E36 or E46 M3 next to a new M4 sometime - are you kidding me? The E36 could pass for a MINI in the company of the bloated beast that is the M4. And the M2 look for all the world to be the modern equivalent, as a matter of scale and speed, of the E46. I'd say quit complaining and rejoice that with the M2, BMW seems to be keeping the faith with those who want a faster, leaner and somewhat affordable driving machine instead of the herking "sport activity vehicles" and ever bulkier sedans and coupes they have been cranking out for the past decade.
Sam wrote on November 18, 2015 - 11:25am
Having the option to upgrade or customize your options according to your desire at a certain price is diff than having everything included at an affordable price, that's first. Second, regarding mirrors, its cosmetic, but as a matter of principal, M cars stand out with certain upgrades (besides power and handling), like quad exhaust tail pipes for example. So, mirrors in this case is supposed to be within the package. Remember, you are not requesting an S55 engine instead of a N55 engine. All you are asking for is, the default package of a true M car (including a gear level ratio adjustment for example OR adaptive dampers !!!) Complaining about something to make it better is a must, unless you want to be a follower and just go with the flow because ou have too. At the end of the day, you are spending all this money in return for a product desired. Unless your money grows on trees, then that's diff. As a humble opinion, we've had the ALL M cars, starting from the E30, ending to the M4 currently. Trust me, if you haven't tracked/drifted in an M4, then you haven't enjoyed and appreciated a true M car. Take my words into consideration as a constructive criticism and not in a negative way.
chambolle wrote on November 18, 2015 - 4:10pm
I guess I'm just a Luddite at heart. Adaptive dampers aren't something I consider an essential - I'm still driving a nearly stock E36 M3 after all, but for the Dinan suspension, intake/exhaust/chip mods, a short shift kit and similar odds and ends (like a real radiator instead of that plastic bathtub toy it came with). And you can tell me the facts about fuel consumption, zero to sixty and lap times and all the rest, but I take the 6 speed manual over the DCT. Or to be more precise, I refuse to buy a car without a manual, which leaves my choices more limited with each passing year. I also cannot abide the arc of increasing size that plagues not only BMW but most marques nowadays. The attraction of the M2 for me is that it scales like an E46. If they dropped the price of the M4 by ten grand tomorrow and it ran neck and neck with the M2 in terms of do re mi, I'd still probably go with the M2. No offense, but I think the M4 is a bit of a barge. But that's just me, and one of the cars I have owned and wish I had never sold was a '59 Bugeye, all the raging speed that 948 cc and twin SUs could muster. Yes, there are things that might have been done to make the M2 a bit better. But come on. It's a huge step in the right direction. To be honest, the first BMW since the E46 M3 that has made me sit up straight and mutter, almost involuntarily, "I want one of those." Clunky mirrors aren't going to change my life.
Sam wrote on November 14, 2015 - 9:29pm
The BMW M is an iconic car. It stands out. After waiting for the M2, it turns out to be a bit of a disappointment. No CF roof ($0 additional cost), gear speed is not adjustable, no M1 & M2 options on steering wheel, no Heads up display, no M mirrors, no sport seats, no adjustable suspension, no cameras around the car and def. doesnt sound as good as an M3/4 The price with decent options will probably hit $60k with 0% discount ofcourse. You can get an M4 with great options (including the above options neglected in an M2) with a 8% discount and will probably cost max $8k more. Not worth yhe diff. honestly Big disappointment on the M2. Would have loved to buy one after driving my brothers M4 !
qflux wrote on January 29, 2016 - 11:30pm
Good luck finding a $68k M4. Seriously. NO ONE options them that way and at base price they come with CLOTH seats. No dealer I've seen is offering 8% off either, so no clue where you got that. REAL WORLD M2 is a $60k car. M4 is a $75k car. That's reality. If the $15k is no big deal and the M2 is so horrible, then go for the M4. For me? Id save an extra few grand up and buy a Cayman S at that point. $75k for an M4 is insanity.
Bagster wrote on November 30, 2015 - 12:39am
I'm sure it will be a really nice drive but I agree with numerous others that it just doesn't look special enough to separate it from the 235i. As the fortunate owner of a 1M Coupe there is no way I would be tempted into an M2. The 1M with its pumped guards and cartoonish bulldog stance just leaves the M2 for dead.
chambolle wrote on November 30, 2015 - 10:53am
I'm glad you love your 1M. But as the saying goes, love is blind. Apparently it has escaped your attention that the M2 has a wider, more aggressive stance, radically flared fenders and about as 'cartoonish' a front end treatment as you will find on any BMW ever made. The primary virtue of the 1M appears to be its scarcity, which may ensure it will keep its value and might even appreciate. But the entire 1 series will forever suffer from styling that justifiably earned it the 'pot-bellied pig' moniker. Side by side, the M2 reads as a properly proportioned car, with numerous styling cues that distinguish it as an M car, while the 1M reads as more of a pug than a 'bulldog.'
Bagster wrote on November 30, 2015 - 2:19pm
I'll go with bulldog but I am happy with pug, though Pugeot fans may get upset. The 1M could never be called pretty but it has presence that the M2 seems to lack in pictures at least. The M2 just looks like a slightly shrunken M4. I am sure the M2 will be a great car I just wish they had made it a bit more special in the looks department.