Tom,

Are your tyres holding up okay. What mileage would you estimate before change.

Currently on 13k and there is loads of tread left, hugely surprised considering. Reckon they will easily get to 18k maybe more :-)

 

 

Long Termer report:

http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/car-reviews/long-term-tests/bmw/bmw-m3-2015-long-term-test-review/

Edited 3 October, 201510 yr by vrskeith

That looked great fun Tom. Thanks Keith, but I think I visit all the same sites as you anyway (Autocar/Car/Carscoops/Autoexpress/Pistonheads/Auto Bild/Motor Trend/Times/Top Gear/Honest John etc etc)

Whoo hoo. It looks like it's starting  23:00hrs reveal apparently

 

 

M2 stuff mini leak

 

It's pretty much as guesstimated it appears.

 

370PS

343lb/ft (1450-4750rpm)  +26lb/ft on overboost. So peak torks are a little bit higher up the range than the 235 although I guess it may make as much at the 1,300rpm peak that we have in ours Tom.

LSD

Auto (DCT 7) and manual available

Teeny bit lighter than the M235

 

 

and for what it's worth, as it's the only performance figure I have seen quoted, 0-62 = 4.2 with the DCT auto

Edited 13 October, 201510 yr by Lady Elanore

Here is an update with studio pictures. Looks great imho

 

The rear track is almost 3" wider! and the tracks are similar to the M4's.  BMW are saying it has a very linear peak torque (343 lb/ft from 1,400-5560rpm!) so I am guessing Chris Harris may have some fun destroying the tyres on a handling circuit. Even though it has monster rears of 265 size.

 

The manual does the throttle blip thing on a downchange and drops revs better in the upchange.

 

I so want :(

Edited 13 October, 201510 yr by Lady Elanore

Tom, if these pictures are too much, just way the word and I'll delete them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  appalling sound recording though :(

 

It's also gone under 8 minutes around the Ring, not that it matters too much. I'm hoping it was more about the fun than just the speed.

Edited 13 October, 201510 yr by Lady Elanore

You two(Amanda &Tom) better start saving up your pennies then @ £45k plus. for the 2+2.(?)

 

Launch to coincide with the Focus RS.

Love those pics Amanda. Would absolutely love one but not sure I can justify the cost at the moment sadly :-(.

Unless Santa brings me a truckload of cash this Christmas lol

You two(Amanda &Tom) better start saving up your pennies then @ £45k plus. for the 2+2.(?)

 

Launch to coincide with the Focus RS.

So £10 k more that this :http://www.bmw.co.uk/vc/ncc/xhtml/start/startWithConfigUrl.faces;jsessionid=5b9386575b2ad701b714c6ee5c7f.0?country=GB&market=GB&productType=1&brand=BM&locale=en_GB&name=n5b1u7o0#CURRENT_CONFIG

 

Will be £12K more than a fully spec'd Focus RS

 

Competition from RS3, A45 AMG (facelift) , will there be a Audi TTS  (420 BHP) or R400 estimated at similar money or less.

 

Not sure where it sits in the market.

I think it will appeal to the people who want a more compact M3. It's very close tot he Cayman in price, but I expect it to be Daniel Craig's Bond rather than Peirce Brosnans' if you see what I mean. I doubt it will be as quick as the next gen Hyper Hatches, at least around the tighter circuits (it has supposed to have done a sub 8 minute Ring time though, so reasonably quick). But it will be a Chris Harris type of car if it is everything we hope. They have got to sort out that sound though, if it sounds like the M3 it will be disappointing.

 

But I love the fact it has the track width of the M3/4 which is an increase of over 2" at the front and nearly 3" at the back, but with a shorter wheelbase than the M3/4. It's also slightly lower, but that's probably more to do with a frippery rather than the centre of gravity. The DCT is a wonderful gearbox, but if you go manual, it can do downchange blips and rev matching upshifts.

 

So in summary I think it will appeal to people who like a bit of a challenge and also unfortunately, speculators who want to repeat the amazing value of the 1M (they still sell for more what the cost new)

BTW Keith (you don't need to put links up for the BMW configurator for me ) when you read the spec change over the M235, it almost seems good value. The body is changed substantially - check out those lovely rear haunches- and huge amounts of mods to the suspension, brakes and chassis (3kg reduction in unsprung weight per corner is quoted), plus engine mods, the fabulous DCT and a M LSD. you couldn't spec the mods to a standard car to make an M2 for the price.

 

The only disappointment for me is the price, which probably just isn't workable for me as I'm at the front end of my PCP on the M135 and the seats, which appear to be the standard chairs rather than the M ones.

It didn't take long for Sniff Petrol to take the P

 

M-Jesus

I think it will appeal to the people who want a more compact M3. It's very close tot he Cayman in price, but I expect it to be Daniel Craig's Bond rather than Peirce Brosnans' if you see what I mean. I doubt it will be as quick as the next gen Hyper Hatches, at least around the tighter circuits (it has supposed to have done a sub 8 minute Ring time though, so reasonably quick). But it will be a Chris Harris type of car if it is everything we hope. They have got to sort out that sound though, if it sounds like the M3 it will be disappointing.

But I love the fact it has the track width of the M3/4 which is an increase of over 2" at the front and nearly 3" at the back, but with a shorter wheelbase than the M3/4. It's also slightly lower, but that's probably more to do with a frippery rather than the centre of gravity. The DCT is a wonderful gearbox, but if you go manual, it can do downchange blips and rev matching upshifts.

So in summary I think it will appeal to people who like a bit of a challenge and also unfortunately, speculators who want to repeat the amazing value of the 1M (they still sell for more what the cost new)

Quoting Chris Harris when discribing the R with the M235i video" wow it has 4 exhausts,like a Ferrari !"

Quoting Chris Harris when discribing the R with the M235i video" wow it has 4 exhausts,like a Ferrari !"

 

 

I used to have an Ansa exhaust on my Lancia, exactly like a Ferrari

 

btw I saw 2 R's in the space of 400 yards today. In fact almost every time I go out I see them (always the dark grey and blue). I'm guessing the cheap hire deals have shifted a fair few. Mind you, all the drivers seem to be shaven headed men in their twenties

Edited 14 October, 201510 yr by Lady Elanore

Most drivers these days seem to be shaven headed men in their twenties, unless they are in some other age group, have hair, 

or are women.

Shaven headed women driving seem few and far between these days.

I used to have an Ansa exhaust on my Lancia, exactly like a Ferrari

btw I saw 2 R's in the space of 400 yards today. In fact almost every time I go out I see them (always the dark grey and blue). I'm guessing the cheap hire deals have shifted a fair few. Mind you, all the drivers seem to be shaven headed men in their twenties

I've a fine mop of hair I like to buck the trend

perhaps the Shaven headed male thing is regional?

Well someone has gone and done a side by side visual comparison of the 1M and M2. Ignore the drivel that is the written passage and go to the images at the bottom. M2 looks great, even if the 1M has a nice chunky style all of it's own.

 

1M vs M2 images

Nice to know Monkey Harris still likes the old girl Tom  

Nice to know Monkey Harris still likes the old girl Tom

Wow that makes 3 then!!
Isn'he a shaven headed 40 plus guy?lol

Nice to know Monkey Harris still likes the old girl Tom

Wow that makes 3 then!!

Isn'he a shaven headed 40 plus guy?lol

I don't think he is 40 yet! he doesn't look it. In fact he's not bad looking, just a bit short :p

Here is a long studio based walk around of the M2. A lot of blowing smoke up BMW's bum, but also lots of great shots showing the details and even a brief clip of the sound of it starting up. It's not a brand-new video (I saw it a coupe of days ago) but they have now added an English interpreter to the sound track

 

ere is even a brief interview with the project's female Product Manager (they do say she is the only woman on the team though :( )

Edited 16 October, 201510 yr by Lady Elanore

 

 

ere is even a brief interview with the project's female Product Manager (they do say she is the only woman on the team though :( )

 

She's wearing a M belt too

I went with someone to buy a used M3 today for £31,000, 

but before getting a salesman the receptionist asked if she could help, and i said we were looking but might be interested in a New M2.

She called an obviously busy sales person, and relayed the message, Next March before they are out.

But that is one in the video playing on the Screen on the wall.

 

So we went someplace else without asking about seeing a salesperson, 

and bought a M3 for £34,000.

 

I hope the salesperson in Aberdeen reads this forum, and realises that was you that lost the sale.

You just had to say to the receptionist to tell us, someone will be with you as soon as they can.