I do like this guys reviews:

 

Don't think I can complain about lack of traction in the wet as I've just seen a video of a 1 series with a 5.0 V10 in it and 750hp, trying to drag race in a downpour!!

 

No need to post a link thanks

Edited 13 April, 201610 yr by Lady Elanore

Amanda,

Am I to understand from the above ,that you have now taken over Tom's thread or is it general and for the use of all??

Sorry if I have misunderstood your inference.

Edited 14 April, 201610 yr by vrskeith

Don't think I can complain about lack of traction in the wet as I've just seen a video of a 1 series with a 5.0 V10 in it and 750hp, trying to drag race in a downpour!!

 

No need to post a link thanks

 

I saw that earlier, pretty mad build, similar one I have seen is a M5 with a turbo attached out drag a Veyron

I do like this guys reviews:

 

 

Every 1 series manual I've driven has had a notchy gearbox and the offset clutch gives me hip ache after about 20 minutes.

 

The Zf box is superb, it should be the first option that is ticked.

 

Lee

Discounts on pre-reg BMW is it a national thing?

 

https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=Cxj9bF_wpV5CuDoa5b-bhtfAGm8DstESj-8yg0gKLz-OE4gUQASCtnachYLuGgIDQCqABtaj7wgPIAQmpAm7rRtYcS7g-4AIAqAMBqgSeAU_QQftn3oLzijzwu76ZSPDgh6Q4lENcX17OIZWn5d1L_FZiUBd6oXq4he58A1qcfSST9nvLKu0JLAIckvIpgcwsoo6afrvg4WsQxv0gexql8mdEKcLo05afD7f3iJN7O-MHwbrkemAeUuPtu64eIPf1wuW2Ejo03BXujCqbukzfzQXxQaaUzowwB5JaWHsL3P7fDezFYLbJyusmXs2q4AQBiAYBoAYugAez14Q9qAemvhvYBwA&num=1&cid=CAASEuRoEutJ7w3hbNXw6mibcIaYKQ&sig=AOD64_2UXIcC7dOfSqwPKPUnXJT2ScwIOQ&client=ca-pub-3277652114795463&adurl=http://www.dicklovett.co.uk/bmw/new-car-offers/limited-time-offers-on-new-delivery-mileage-bmws/%3Futm_source%3D24%26utm_medium%3D3%26utm_campaign%3DCM002311-71

I love your link posts sometimes Keith. That's a sponsored Google ads link!

 

Have you just been random Google searching this afternoon??

I love your link posts sometimes Keith. That's a sponsored Google ads link!

 

Have you just been random Google searching this afternoon??

Nope ,Wardy.Not that sad.

So that link didn't crop up as the result of a Google search?

     :think:

 

Keith, the last 7 posts I have read from you are just links! Links! Links! Why not post some views or pose questions? I suspect the next 7 post of yours that I see will also be nothing but links.

Edited 4 May, 201610 yr by Lady Elanore

     :think:

 

Keith, the last 7 posts I have read from you are just links! Links! Links! Why not post some views or pose questions? I suspect the next 7 post of yours that I see will also be nothing but links.

 

# 1306 was a ?

I didn't bother reading it!

 

Seriously, you used to contribute to discussions and such like, but all your posts seem to be either links to 'Car sites', 'Modifications' links or most likely something to do with 'costs and discounts'. Come back to the real world and make original posts again, please

Yes, come on...let's have some decent links please....

Edited to add: Oops, sorry, you meant links not Lynx. I'll get my coat

Well you get the record for the most Links/Lynx in one post

Well you get the record for the most Links/Lynx in one post

Now there's a challenge I won't be taking up,you'll be pleased to hear no doubt!!

£550 a month.

Wow! .

I know this is slightly OT but as the M2 thread has been locked due to 'over-linking' (presumably), I thought that I'd sneak Clarkson's M2 drooling from today's Sunday Times in here.

At least it's a copy and not a link so I might just be forgiven?

 

Two recently launched cars have sent the specialist motoring press into a squeaking frenzy of tinkle-clutching ecstasy. One is the Ford Focus RS, which, they say, is as good as a Nissan GT-R, for less than half the money. And the other is the car you can see pictured here this morning: the BMW M2.

 

I’ll be honest. I’ve yawned through their eulogies, thinking: “I’m sure the Ford is very good ... but only for people who can’t actually afford a Nissan GT-R. And the BMW M2 is only very good for people who can’t afford an M4.”

 

Seriously. Who in their right mind is going to wake up one morning and think: “Yes. I have the money to pay for an M4, but I shall buy something smaller, less good-looking and with less power and less equipment instead”? That’s like saying: “I can afford to take my holiday this year on a superyacht in the Caribbean. But I’ve decided to rent a cottage in Margate instead. Because that’ll be better.”

The problem is that not-very-well-paid road-testers are like Brummies, endlessly banging on about how Birmingham is so much better than London, when everyone else in the entire world knows it just isn’t. Unless you have only £7.50 to spend on a house.

 

I’ll be honest, then. As I climbed behind the wheel of the M2, my hackles were up. I wanted to scoff and scorn, and happily there was plenty to be disappointed about. The steering wheel was too big, the plastics were horrid, there’s some kind of eco-readout on the dash and the seat was so high I felt as if I was sitting on the car rather than in it.

And, yes, while it costs considerably less than the M4, it’s still a whopping £44,070, which is a lot for what is only a jumped-up, pumped-up version of the 1-series. Which is basically a BMW Golf.

Watch the BMW M2 on the track

 

But then, about an hour later, I was in a secret-squirrel car park near Stamford Bridge, on my way to that dismal Chelsea game against Manchester City. It was chock-full of Aston Martins and Range Rovers, as you’d imagine, and yet somehow the little BMW didn’t look out of place at all. It may be only a 1-series in a muscle-man suit, but thanks to its flared wheelarches and the way the tyres seem to be stretched to breaking point to fit over the huge rims, it looks kinda cool. I liked it.

 

And then three hours after that, I was on the A1, going round a long left-hander at 70mph, and I thought: “Hang on a minute. This steering is absolutely bleeding fantastic.” I wasn’t taxing the car in any way at all; a Reliant Robin could have taken that bend at 70mph with ease. And yet I could feel that the steering was weighted perfectly and that it was talking to me in a gentle whisper.

And what makes that even more astonishing is that the power assistance is electric. Which means that the sensations were all artificial. If BMW ever makes a sex robot, you should buy one immediately, because it’ll be indistinguishable from going to bed with an actual person.

 

Later I was overtaken by a Porsche 911 GTS that was travelling at about a million. And then, before I’d had a chance to think, “Golly, that was quick”, my world was rocked by an Aston Martin DB9 that tore by at a million and one. It’s been a while since I’ve seen two cars really going for it on the public highway. It’s a hobby I thought had been killed off by speed cameras. But plainly, up there in the flatlands of eastern England, there’s nothing else to do once the turnips are planted, so the locals are still at it.

 

I didn’t join in. Well, not much. But, coming off one roundabout, I may have put my foot down a bit, into the overboost zone of the M2’s turbocharged torque lake, and there’s no getting round the fact that it was faster than both of the way more expensive GT cars.

At first I thought the M2 simply felt fast because from behind the wheel it’s as if you’re in a low-rent hatchback. So you’re not expecting much of a shove in the back. But, actually, it’s fast no matter what yardstick you use. Round the Hockenheim racetrack in Germany it’s faster, apparently, than its bigger brothers.

And that’s because it’s not just fast in a straight line. It’s also fast through the corners. And not just fast, but a complete delight.

 

It’s worth remembering at this point that while the M4 is extremely good, it is not perfect. It has a lot of electronic jiggery- pokery in the steering and suspension systems that in the M2 is gone. BMW’s engineers set it up to be as good as it can be, and you aren’t given buttons to change anything. That’s why the M2 is cheaper than the M4: because it’s less complicated. And because it’s less complicated, it is a better drive. Much better. It’s so good that in a few bends I was actually dribbling with joy.

 

Thanks to a clever electromechanical differential, it can corner with its tail out like a Looney Tunes muscle car, or right on the raggedy edge of adhesion like a proper racer. It’s brilliant at both disciplines. And you want to know the best bit? It’s not in the least bit uncomfortable. Sure, it’s stiff, so it’s a bit bumpy on poor road surfaces, but it never jars.

My only concern is that in the last small BMW M car — the 1M — I suffered the biggest and most sudden spin in my entire road-testing career. It hit a puddle while travelling in a straight line and swapped ends in an instant. Will the M2 do that? I don’t know. It wasn’t raining.

 

Away from the performance stuff, you get seats in the back that can be used by humans and a large boot. And now it’s time to get back to the performance stuff, with news that the M2 comes with a launch control system that permits what are called “smoky burnout” starts. Utterly pointless. You’ll never use it. But it’s fun to know you could.

 

There have been many M cars over the years. The lineage stretches back to 1986 and the original toe-in-the-water, left- hand-drive-only M3, which many still regard as the best. I disagree. It was too racy. Too serious. And in the wrong hands — mine, at the time — a twitching nightmare.

 

I like the M3 before the present model — the one with the V8 — and I adore the current M6 Gran Coupé. And then there was the original, 286bhp M5: the ultimate Q-car. It looked like the sort of box that your chest freezer was delivered in but it went like a spaceship. That’s always been my favourite M car. Until now.

 

The road-testers were right. The M2 is a lot cheaper than the M4. And a lot better as well. It’s a fabulous little car, and now I’m looking forward to getting my hands on a Focus RS. Which, apparently, is even better.

 

 

Thanks for posting that - I bought The Sunday Times today and missed it! They're obviously on a cost cutting drive as Drive used to be a pull-out section on its own. Last time I found it hidden away in the magazine and much abbreviated.

Edited 8 May, 201610 yr by Brian69

I closed the M2 thread as it was becoming a thread of endless and tedious links. A few links and perhaps some points of view to accompany them is fine, surely, but not bothering to post and opinion, a question, a point of view, some new information etc but rather just copy and pasting smacks of laziness (imho), was killing the thread and my patience.

 

I'd still like an M2 one day, but fear that by the time I change my current BMW it may be too late for a new one. I might be tempted by something even sillier anyway (perhaps a Mustang or a Corvette?). I think my next new car may be my last silly one before I eventually plan for my retirement and dotage. I need to chose wisely. Might make for a good thread though. 'Which car should I get as a last hurrah and before I buy  a Honda Jazz and some pink fluffy carpet slippers?'

I know this is slightly OT but as the M2 thread has been locked due to 'over-linking' (presumably), I thought that I'd sneak Clarkson's M2 drooling from today's Sunday Times in here.

At least it's a copy and not a link so I might just be forgiven?

 

 

You are forgiven, as you actually bother to type some words first and that would at least required exercising your brain a little (and also used a cute smilie, which always helps).

 

it's an interesting article ^^ and I've seen several posts and videos that say the M2 is as fast as the M4 in a straight line, some posts and videos say the M2 is fetching around 340-350bhp at the wheels The only bit that seems a little incorrect is I think Clonkson is referring to his big spin in an M135 not a 1M? It was mostly his fault anyway as he had the car in max attack mode of Sport+, had all the traction nannies turned off and was doing 120mph with his foot flat on standing water. Also I have noticed that if it is cold (especially cold and wet) the Michelin Pilot Super Sports make the car's handling....er...very lively! This may of course be tempting fate and I may be posting that I have bent my own M135 whilst rotating around on an big puddle at speed :(

Well it look like it's coming sooner than we (Baby Beemers) thought. The M140 and M240 is almost on the horizon

 

The headlines seem to be

 

• Extra 14bhp (340PS?) and 37 pounderies/feetles torx (369)
• Manual cars 0-62: 4.9 (M140) and 4.8 (M240) seconds
• Auto cars both 0-62 in 4.6 seconds (many test seem to suggest the standard M135 can do this in dry conditions, so perhaps the new car will be quicker) and the auto 4x4 is 4.4 seconds (not available in RHD :( )
• Auto has longer gears (brilliant as the M135 gears are very closely stacked, especially for a car with a big torque spread form ultra low revs)
• Price drop of £200
• Autobox can drop multiple gears in one hit and the manual does gear change blips (like M2 I guess)
• Other stuff relating to economy and smoother something or other

For those of you that prefer the 'can't be ar$ed to read or write stuff approach', here is a link that doesn't even have a bespoke description and is to a site that I can't be ar$ed to tell you about (it is safe though)

 

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/bmw-launches-335bhp-m140i-and-m240i-and-iperformance-range

 

Perhaps I will look at the run-out model after all, when the time comes and I need to change my car

 

The only downside I can see is the newer engine may not sound as good? Time will tell of course, but the M3 sounds poor compared to the M135 (no kidding)

Edited 17 May, 201610 yr by Lady Elanore

Here is another can't be ar$ed to write anything link

 

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/bmw/1-series/95555/bmw-m140i-and-m240i-power-up-with-335bhp

You get the picture

 

http://www.bmwblog.com/2016/05/16/world-premiere-bmw-140i-hatchback-power/

 

Although this one has a little bit more detail (and there is a an M240 page on this site too)

 

• Auto has longer gears (brilliant as the M135 gears are very closely stacked, especially for a car with a big torque spread form ultra low revs)
• Price drop of £200
• Autobox can drop multiple gears in one hit.
•  

 

 

Gen 2 ZF8HP has slightly wider ratios, it's been fitted in the 1 Series on certain models since the facelift. But even on the M135i Auto 2nd to 7th more or less matched 1st to 6th in the manual. So the Auto had a lower gear for launch and an extra gear for motorway cruising.

 

As for block downshifts that's always been the case, same as the M135i or even the 116i. From 8th to 2nd if required. 

 

Lee

Edited 17 May, 201610 yr by logiclee

Gen 2 ZF8HP has slightly wider ratios, it's been fitted in the 1 Series on certain models since the facelift. But even on the M135i Auto 2nd to 7th more or less matched 1st to 6th in the manual. So the Auto had a lower gear for launch and an extra gear for motorway cruising.

 

As for block downshifts that's always been the case, same as the M135i or even the 116i. From 8th to 2nd if required. 

 

Lee

 

Edited by logiclee, Today, 14:31.

 

 

 

 

I find my M135 gears to be a little too closely stacked. This seems a shame as the engine has fantastic torque and I feel sure that slightly longer gearing would make for better cross country performance, or at least a little less busy (Sport and Sport+ coupled with the most aggressive auto gearbox setting is very busy indeed sometimes and makes going 'manual' almost a necessity). The same with the intelligent gearbox ( I have the F/L version with it linked to the sat nav), it would be nice if it jumped multiple gears more easily when approaching a hairpin for instance, although with slightly longer gearing this may not be so appropriate. Time will tell I guess and until I get to drive one, I wont know for sure :(

Edited 17 May, 201610 yr by Lady Elanore