So I accidentally bought an M2

[Rus_ob]

So.. I’ve owned and driven lots of different cars over the last 15 years or so and recently I took a friends M140i for a spin and fell in love with the drive. I’ve never had anything with that much power before especially coming from the rear wheels.

I’ve been looking at the M240i and after specing it up with the toys I’ve grown accustomed to on my 420i, the price wasn’t too far away from the M2! So after a bit of research (and some rather spectacular man maths) I’ve managed to land a pretty good deal on an M2 - I put a deposit down last week and pick it up Wednesday.

Ive pretty much spent the entire week watching every YouTube review and reading all the forums on the pros/cons of the M2 getting rather excited to collect my new car. Behind all the excitement I can’t switch off a little voice in the back of my mind saying... You have no idea how to handle a car with all that power, you’re going to kill yourself!

I’m looking at taking some advanced driving lessons and I’m looking for recommendations please. I’m not going to be tracking the car and I’m not looking to turn into a rally driver. My aim is to be confident driving the car without fear of unintentionally loosing the back end etc. I want to be able to have a bit of fun safely without fear of wrapping up my pride and joy. I’m sure I will learn as I drive and get used to the car but any simple tips or bits of advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

[Rus_ob]

I’m in Wigan but happy to travel if needed.

Thanks

[Scobblelotcher]

Rus_ob said:

So.. I’ve owned and driven lots of different cars over the last 15 years or so and recently I took a friends M140i for a spin and fell in love with the drive. I’ve never had anything with that much power before especially coming from the rear wheels.

I’ve been looking at the M240i and after specing it up with the toys I’ve grown accustomed to on my 420i, the price wasn’t too far away from the M2! So after a bit of research (and some rather spectacular man maths) I’ve managed to land a pretty good deal on an M2 - I put a deposit down last week and pick it up Wednesday.

Ive pretty much spent the entire week watching every YouTube review and reading all the forums on the pros/cons of the M2 getting rather excited to collect my new car. Behind all the excitement I can’t switch off a little voice in the back of my mind saying... You have no idea how to handle a car with all that power, you’re going to kill yourself!

I’m looking at taking some advanced driving lessons and I’m looking for recommendations please. I’m not going to be tracking the car and I’m not looking to turn into a rally driver. My aim is to be confident driving the car without fear of unintentionally loosing the back end etc. I want to be able to have a bit of fun safely without fear of wrapping up my pride and joy. I’m sure I will learn as I drive and get used to the car but any simple tips or bits of advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

M135i owner here, the electronics package is brilliant and the M2’s talents are far too high to be exploited on the road so you’ll be using less than 50% of it if you’re obeying laws.

Drive it in comfort, leave all of the aids on and remember it’s RWD so don’t suddenly pin it mid corner and just remind yourself to show it respect. With any decently powerful RWD you’ve just got to consider the conditions and think before going full throttle.

If you want to understand more about it’s capabilities then you need to take it to the track and push it to learn what it’s capable of.

[cerb4.5lee]

Always drive steady if it's wet and only floor the throttle in a straight line. My Cerbera didn't have any driver aids and I kept that in one piece for 6 years adhering to that.

Once you get your confidence turn off all the traction aids and enjoy the feel of the RWD/LSD. I used to practice sliding my Nissan 200sx in empty car parks etc just to help me get a feel of how a RWD car behaves(no driver aids on that either).

You will love the M2 I'm sure.

[Rus_ob]

Scobblelotcher said:

M135i owner here, the electronics package is brilliant and the M2’s talents are far too high to be exploited on the road so you’ll be using less than 50% of it if you’re obeying laws.

Drive it in comfort, leave all of the aids on and remember it’s RWD so don’t suddenly pin it mid corner and just remind yourself to show it respect. With any decently powerful RWD you’ve just got to consider the conditions and think before going full throttle.

If you want to understand more about it’s capabilities then you need to take it to the track and push it to learn what it’s capable of.

Cheers mate. Yeah I’m sure I won’t ever be capable of driving the car to it’s full potential and I’m sure I’ll have a lot of fun finding my limits in it. I like the idea of taking it down to a track once I’ve got a feel for it, that could be a great shout! How is the M135i I the wet? Is it a bit twitchy?

[Rus_ob]

cerb4.5lee said:

Always drive steady if it's wet and only floor the throttle in a straight line. My Cerbera didn't have any driver aids and I kept that in one piece for 6 years adhering to that.

Once you get your confidence turn off all the traction aids and enjoy the feel of the RWD/LSD. I used to practice sliding my Nissan 200sx in empty car parks etc just to help me get a feel of how a RWD car behaves(no driver aids on that either).

You will love the M2 I'm sure.

Cheers mate - oh I’m sure I will!! I’m picking it up from Belfast so the journey home should be much more fun than the journey out in my 420 ha!

Yeah I definitely need to get a feel for it before I start to think about playing with the driving modes and switching of all that magic electrical support ha!

[Gavia]

I’m just up the road near Chorley. They’re a doddle to drive, I’ve had an M3 and now an M4 for the past 7 years. You’re worrying over nothing. Your biggest enemy will be the state of the roads round here

[Rus_ob]

Gavia said:

I’m just up the road near Chorley. They’re a doddle to drive, I’ve had an M3 and now an M4 for the past 7 years. You’re worrying over nothing. Your biggest enemy will be the state of the roads round here

You’re not wrong there pal! The roads round here are a state! I bet the M4 is fun!! Anything I need to watch out for? Other than potholes the size of a small country? Ha

[Mike335i]

My 335i is my first RWD, but I have driven an M4 (and an M235i) on the road and all you need to do is just drive the thing. I did worry a little at first, but there is entirely no need to. They are road cars first and foremost.

Don't be daft and show it respect and it will be fine.

[Scobblelotcher]

Rus_ob said:

Scobblelotcher said:

M135i owner here, the electronics package is brilliant and the M2’s talents are far too high to be exploited on the road so you’ll be using less than 50% of it if you’re obeying laws.

Drive it in comfort, leave all of the aids on and remember it’s RWD so don’t suddenly pin it mid corner and just remind yourself to show it respect. With any decently powerful RWD you’ve just got to consider the conditions and think before going full throttle.

If you want to understand more about it’s capabilities then you need to take it to the track and push it to learn what it’s capable of.

Cheers mate. Yeah I’m sure I won’t ever be capable of driving the car to it’s full potential and I’m sure I’ll have a lot of fun finding my limits in it. I like the idea of taking it down to a track once I’ve got a feel for it, that could be a great shout! How is the M135i I the wet? Is it a bit twitchy?

The M135i is fine I’m the wet really, it’s always traction limited but you just drive to the conditions and if it’s really bad eco mode can help.

I just leave it in comfort and take it easy. Some say the cars are susceptible to aqua plaining but it’s never an issue if you slow down whereas lots who crash through aqua plaining do it because they have a mistaken belief their car has more grip due to the big/wide wheels when the opposite is actually true.

[Gavia]

Rus_ob said:

You’re not wrong there pal! The roads round here are a state! I bet the M4 is fun!! Anything I need to watch out for? Other than potholes the size of a small country? Ha

They really aren’t difficult to drive at all. A lot of it is about confidence and letting the car do what it does best. If you’re used to FWD, then it’ll feel a bit different to start with amd you might find your self correcting littl ebbit sof under / oversteer that aren’t happening, but would in a FWD car if that makes sense.

Also, get some good security on it. A tracker as a minimum, ideally a Ghost Autowatch too. Upgrade your house security and always put the house alarm on at night. There is a lot of car theft going on round here, I had one stolen in January.

[Rus_ob]

Really good shout. I’m just having a look at tracking devices now. My mate had his stolen a few months back too. I park my car on a locked car park which is quite hidden away at night but nothing stopping people watching which house I go into once I park up I suppose.

[rainmakerraw]

Rus_ob said:

I’m in Wigan but happy to travel if needed.

Thanks

Problem solved, then. You're only an hour away from one of the country's best driving coaches - our very own Reg Local. Drop him a line to arrange a half day or full day out (or just to chat about your requirements) and you'll find he's very accommodating. Learning to drive properly with Reg has been the best thing I ever did. You won't go wrong! He also currently owns a 135i.

Before you go out with him (or even if you don't end up going out with him), watch all the videos on his YouTube channel and you'll have a solid foundation to work from. Have fun, and remember this is the first step on a lifelong learning curve. Enjoy it!

[Gavia]

rainmakerraw said:

Problem solved, then. You're only an hour away from one of the country's best driving coaches - our very own Reg Local. Drop him a line to arrange a half day or full day out (or just to chat about your requirements) and you'll find he's very accommodating. Learning to drive properly with Reg has been the best thing I ever did. You won't go wrong! He also currently owns a 135i.

Before you go out with him (or even if you don't end up going out with him), watch all the videos on his YouTube channel and you'll have a solid foundation to work from. Have fun, and remember this is the first step on a lifelong learning curve. Enjoy it!

Wigan isn’t an hour from Bolton. They’re right next to each other!

[S. Gonzales Esq.]

Typical advice for an advanced driving newbie would be to seek out your local IAM or RoADAR group and go from there.

You've got a specific reason for wanting tuition though, and while you might get lucky and find an IAM observer or RoADAR tutor with experience of powerful RWD cars, it'd be simpler to start off with a session with a professional.

Even if you weren't on his doorstep, Reg would be one of a handful of coaches you should try. A half day could put your mind at rest and give you a good introduction to the subject.

However, it's not superior car handling skills that will keep you out of trouble day to day. I'm sure you don't believe that the best drivers skip from near-miss to near-miss, constantly escaping by the skin of their teeth thanks to ninja-like reflexes and sophisticated electronics.

The rather unexciting truth is that there's no way to get really good at driving without spending time on observation, anticipation and planning. Smoothness and balance are also crucial to keeping it shiny side up when pressing on, and they take effort to perfect too.

If you decide you want to be good at it, whether you develop those skills with a pro coach or the IAM will likely be a question of how much time and money you can spare.

[Reg Local]

Gavia said:

Wigan isn’t an hour from Bolton. They’re right next to each other!

Depends which route you take...

[rainmakerraw]

Gavia said:

Wigan isn’t an hour from Bolton. They’re right next to each other!

Yeah, but Wigan to Reg's usual meeting place is just over an hour round trip... But I see the man himself is here now.

[Gavia]

Reg Local said:

Gavia said:

Wigan isn’t an hour from Bolton. They’re right next to each other!

Depends which route you take...

It’d be some bizarre route to say the least. Anyway, how’s the bike riding coming on? There’s always a couple of NW / NE rideouts and meets organised on the Biker Bnater Page once it warms up, you’re more than welcome to tag along.

[waremark]

"
The rather unexciting truth is that there's no way to get really good at driving without spending time on observation, anticipation and planning. Smoothness and balance are also crucial to keeping it shiny side up when pressing on, and they take effort to perfect too. "
Yes. And don’t believe the heros who encourage you to switch off the traction control.

[w8pmc]

Rus_ob said:

You’re not wrong there pal! The roads round here are a state! I bet the M4 is fun!! Anything I need to watch out for? Other than potholes the size of a small country? Ha

Could have had a mini meet as i'm between the 2 of you in Wrightington. Saying that, the F10 M5 went last year so no M currently.

Although not Driver training, i can highly recommend looking up RSS (Rocco's Supercar Sunday) on Facebook. Great bunch of car enthusiasts who usually every fortnight take spirited runs up the Lakes/North Yorks/Borders. Everything from Italian Supercars through German warm/hot Hatches & Japanese Classics.

Reason for recommending is they're a thoughtful bunch, so don't go mental & you can start to exploit your cars performance gradually with enthusiasts. Some of the cars will be slower & some quicker, but that's part of the fun & adds to the learning. Certainly a couple of 1/240i's regularly play out.