EDIT 2: Pictures are up! BOOYAH!
INTRO
Hey everyone!
So, after hearing about the mystery BMW M2 behind BMW NA, I decided I was going to give it a shot. I live about an hour south of BMW NA, but I hit traffic, so the whole time I was praying the trip wasn't for nothing. Took me about an hour and a half to get there.
After getting there, I went to the BMW NA main building, and went to the parking lot. There were a TON of new 7 series, but no M2. I went to the parking structure, all levels... no M2. Saw a guy walk out of the building, and told him the whole situation, and he said "Oh, well I know there were some fleet cars moved recently, I'm not sure if it was part of that fleet. I don't know where they went".
I was about to leave, when I pulled up my phone and looked at the pics in this thread... realized the buildings next to the parking lot in the image was slightly different. Then, I realized there's a separate BMW NA building for 'deliveries'.
I drove over there, and noticed, that everything started looking familiar. The white stairs in the image, I could see them! Still no M2 yet. Then, in the very last section, BAM, the BMW M2.
Needless to say, it was freaking awesome.
COMMENTS
The color is pretty damn phenomenal. I'm in the Mineral Gray camp as of now, but man, I'll tell you, LBB really caught me by surprise. I'm definitely going to have to do some more thinking over the color choice. But I do not think you can go wrong. The car is going to look simply amazing in Mineral Gray, too.
PROS
*It is wide. The fender flares are real. They have a boxy shape, which immediately reminded me of the e30 M3.
*Front Bumper: It looks like it wants to bite into your neck and suck all the blood out. It really does look menacing. It's awesome. The front intakes are LARGE. people may think the intake size is really just the part beneath the fang, but when you see it in person, it feels as if the side intakes are as large as the whole indent, with the fangs protruding outwards.
It looks like a wolf baring it's teeth. I loved it.
*Proportions: If there is one thing that pictures do not capture more than anything else, it is this. The proportions are spot on. I saw multiple M4s right after seeing the M2 in the same parking lot, and they looked really, really long. It felt like looking at a skateboard, and then a longboard. I love the M4. But if you're into a car with classic proportions, you're going to love the M2 even more when you see it. it really is a pocket rocket. But it still manages to look sleek.
*Profile: Profile view was down right gorgeous. It looks less sleek in photos than it does in person, like most cars. It really looks fantastic. You can definitely see some of the Vision GT6 in the car. It looks aggressive, and as if it wants to move forward. It reminded me of a sprinters stance at the start of the race.
*Color. Yes, I'm listing the color as a 'pro' because it was that cool. Let me put it this way: Long Beach Blue is unlike any other color I have ever seen, on any car. BMW nailed this color. I can't believe I was in the camp that was quick to jump on it when it was shown on the X5M, X6M. Even if you've seen it on one of those cars before, wait until you see it on the M2. It really has an effect on you. It did for me, at least.
*Interior: I'll say this right now. Out of everything I wasn't expecting to be in awe of, the interior takes the cake. I expected nothing too special. Well, as soon as I looked through the window, my expectations were shattered. It's pretty damn special. Not luxurious. But very, very well done. The stitching! Man, I know it's just stitching... but it looks DAMN good. The carbon fiber really, really fits the persona of the car. It looks fantastic. Overall, I get a sense of the 1M interior but more modern. But the sporty feel, and car enthusiast design is there. I think a lot of people are going to love the interior more than they were expecting.
*Rear End: The 'pros' of the rear by far outweigh the 'cons'. The rear end is very clean. What the pictures cannot capture, is how clean the design is. It is by no means a 'mess' like some people have called it, in my opinion. It's not overdone. It makes a statement, but is elegant. I can see someone not liking it. However if someone calls it a 'mess' I will say right now, I couldn't disagree more.
*Diffuser: This diffuser is possibly the cleanest, and in general, greatest looking stock diffuser I have seen on a production car. It's very well done, and not boring. It does not overwhelm the design - it fits in perfectly.
*Exhaust: This is more of an opinion, but I thought the straight cut exhaust tips look far, far better than the stock slanted ones on the M3/M4. Also, the exhuast pipes are a centerpiece of the rear. They really grab your attention. That is another great thing about the M2's rear design. It's such a clean execution, that it is easy to follow the lines across the length of the back. The exhaust pipes really make a statement. The rear as a whole has a very 'strong' and 'brute' look to it, with the exhaust being on the main stage. (Aftermarket exhausts are going to look INSANELY good).
*Wheels: Nothing new, but the M3/4 wheels really looked good. The stance was phenomenal, and the wheels seemed to be the perfect size for the car.
CONS (WHAT?! Adem1534 says he has CONS!? I CALL BULLSH*T!)
Yes I have some cons. None major. I am a fanboy yada yada, at least I admit it, and I'm trying to push that out. For now.
*Front: It looks amazing from straight on. At an angle, not as much. I think the same about the M3/4. And I'll tell you why: The front bumpers of the new M cars are not simple. There are many lines. Lines that flow together - but more from the front view than the side. The more angled approach that you take towards the front, the less the designed lines flow together. It is minor con, but definitely a con for me. It does not look atrocious. But you do lose that cohesive aggressiveness that you can see from more towards the front. The same effect exists with the F80/F82. It's not worse than what you see in real life on those cars.
*Rear: The reflectors. Ain't nobody got time fo dat! It's not a big deal. They don't look terrible. However, they will not be on my car. Not that it looks bad with them, but it will look 100x better without them. They don't ruin the design in my opinion like some have suggested. You could leave them in and I'd say they look fine. But they do hold the rear back. Another thing (which isn't necessarily a con, but some may find it as a cons so I'm writing it up), the back is less 'ambitious' than the front. The front is deadly. The back is aggressive, but less so. The back has more of an elegant, powerful look, than mean. It accentuates the exhaust pipes, and makes it look 'strong'.
*Mirrors: HA! Just kidding. The stock mirror looked great, even though they were folded. If you absolutely have to have the 'wing thingy' then this will be a con for you.
That's all for my cons, though most of you know by know I'm already hurting deep down inside after typing those treacherous words about my poor baby
GENERAL COMMENTS
*The car looked low.
Hazey82, I know you've been wondering about it, it's pretty low. If you like cars that ride even lower, you could probably use a 1/4 inch drop. But for most people, I think the stock ride height is spot on. The wheel gap is considerably less than that on my friend's stock height F80.
*Again, the color was phenomenal. Never have I ever seen anything quite like it.
*Also, as mentioned earlier, the interior was a pleasant surprised. I can't provide enough praise for it.
*
Aftermarket Parts: This is also really hard to take away from photos. But this car is going to look like something else with mods. You can just feel it from standing next to it. I can't wait to see what all of you guys do to your cars, and for us to share them together. The car has RIDICULOUS potential when it comes to aesthetic mods. We are going to have a hell of a time sharing our cars together. I promise you that.
*Size: Size was impeccable. Nailed it. Exactly what I wanted. With that said, like
W/// has suggested, a taller rear spoiler will complete the look of this car and make the size even more accentuated, as it tops off the short overhanging rear.
*Compared to 1M: While I prefer the look of the M2, there are parts of it where I can see why some people may prefer the 1M. And this is coming from a guy who has followed this M2 every day for the last 3 years. The M2 does not look what I call the 1M: "Bonkers". Where the 1M is ridiculous, the M2 is precise and aggressive. If someone prefers the funky/bonkers styling, then the 1M is probably a catch for them. If you prefer more modern, mean, and precise styling, the M2 is for you. I love both cars, and I think there should be much love between both the 1M and M2 communities. Not 'my car looks better than yours'. Because they are similar yet different. I think the M2 looks better. JimmyBoy says the 1M looks better. JimmyBoy has every right to believe that.
*Compared to M3/4: I'm a big fan of the M3 and M4. But less so of the M4. For me, it doesn't fit a 'coupe' role. As I said earlier, after seeing both the M2 and M4 in the same parking lot, the M4 seemed very, very long. I think the rear flares of the M2 are on par with the aggressiveness of the F80s (although they are different), and that both the rear flares of the F80 and F87 are a step above the rear flares of the F82. Just the way I see it. I loved the M2, I love the F80, I love the F87. No ones car is better. After seeing them in person so close to one another, it just comes down to what you like. For me, the F87 is the best looking car, and I'm sure it will be that way for many, and not be that way for many. They all look great, though!
EDIT 2: *Compared to M235i: Let me go out on a wild internet limb here and state this as a fact. The M2 looks like a completely, undeniably, different beast than the M235i. Where the M235i is more reserved the M2 is injected with steroids. I love the M235i, really do. If you were thinking that the M235i was too bland then you are going to be very happy with this car.
HOWEVER, someone could possibly prefer the front of the M235i. I would say they were wrong if they said the M235i is more aggressive. It's simply not. But the M235i front is in fact more... 'calm'. If you like the 'calm' look of the M235i front then you may like it better. However, I think an M car is meant to be aggressive, so what they did was traditional. This all comes down to preference. I would bet a million bucks that 99% of people will prefer the M2's front, but I will not lambaste those who do not like it. In addition, the M2 will not blend into the sea of cars. That was my biggest complaint about the M235i. The car lacked the "it" factor. Whatever the "it" is, the M2 has it. And with mods... oh sweet baby jesus, this car is going to break necks.
*Compared to competition: Not going to spend much time on this one. But from what I saw, the M2 has character. It has style. It stands out. Something that I think it's competition is lacking. Audi seems to be more standard styling, where the M2 deviates from the norm. The M2's flares are unique. The front is unique. And yes, I know the rear looks similar to X5M, X6M, but it presents the style in it's own 'pocket rocket' type of way.
Enough of my rambling. Here are a ton of pics and a video. Ask me any questions and I'll give you the most unbiased answer possible.
ENJOY! It was a blast to get these pics and share them with you all.
The second set of pics were taken with a Nikon D3100. Much better camera than you're average cell phone. However, my camera ran out of battery quick. I hadn't used it in a while. Some of the second set of pics blurry because I was snapping a million a minute, and I was a little shaky from excitement (yes, I might have a problem. I've informed my doctor. He said it's most likely due to being an overexcited fan boy. I said 'there's no such thing, Doc'). But there are a ton of great pictures. But my cell phone caught the color MUCH much better than the Nikon. Weird.
Video:
I made the video private. Only those with the link can view. That way this doesn't go all over the internet and BMW NA gets bombarded with the paparazzi. Although I'm sure a lot of people are on this site. Anyways, here it is. Color in this video is SPOT. ON. Looked exactly like it did in this video to my own eyes. I'm going to embed the video, and give the link (in case the imbedding doesn't work).
(One of my favorite shots
Love the proportions in this one. Held the camera up to around eye level to get a slight top down view. Shows off the proportions the best:
The profile of this car, guys. It's special:
What I referred to as the "sprinter's stance" can sort of be felt here. In person it's very evident:
I guess both the i8 and M2 are hitting on the same chick? They're into big girls?
Profile from lower down. Here's the thing. In studio lighting it looks very blue. In sunlight, it looks more green. At dusk, you can still get a very light tint of green, but the blue does not come out as much.
The reason no one can agree on what LBB looks like, is because LBB does NOT have a static color. I watched it change. I love it. When the camera lets in less light, the color appears more blue. I expect at night it will appear more blue than green, for sure.
The intakes feel much, much larger in person. As I said, in person, it feels like the intake is the entire square area, and the fangs are being shown... watch out, Audis.
Rear design was very clean. Reflectors do hold the design back a bit. Not terrible IMO. But I will do something about them.
THE FLARES. They are real.
Absolutely love this view.
That terrible vertical photo. For your phone wallpapers
GASP. THERE IT IS. A... A.... A NON M MIRROR! THE HORRORRRRRRRR
In all seriousness. I think the mirrors looked great. They did not look out of place or detract from the design. If it's an issue for you I understand. You have a right to want them. But they were not the slightest bother to me.
Close up of the gorgeous stock diffuser. As I said earlier, the diffuser really completes the rear. The exhaust pipes seem like cannons. It's awesome.
Interior: Sorry, reflection was being a nuisance.
The blue stitching. I know it's just stitching. I know the seats aren't unique. But damn, it looked fantastic.
The following photos were taken with the Nikon D3100:
Front is mean:
Love this view:
Flash was on with this pics:
menacing:
Personally, I huge fan of the design. They did not go conservative with it:
Although a tad blurry, this picture gives a similar feeling to how it feels in real life:
Again, sorry for the blur. Maybe if BMW stopped making such sweet cars I wouldn't have gotten so excited.
(flash was on):
